Cupramax
24-10-2003, 10:15
Did my first ever track day yesterday here... Bedford Autodrome.
http://www.motorsportsensation.com/
My god, what a day. My face is still aching from grinning all day yesterday. The day starts at 11am with a sit down briefing and then you get lunch which was nice.
Before you're allowed out in the cars the instructor takes you round and demostrates the racing line of the track in a minibus,...:D this was an experience in itself. ;)
First of the four activities was the F2000 single seaters :D Nothing like being thrown in at the deep end. These were great fun and you get about 20 laps or so - 20 mins on track which doesn't sound like much but believe me its enough, plenty of time to get used to the cars and make a complete prat of yourself.... Hmmm, why am I facing in the wrong direction :yikes:
Second up was the Caterham challenge which is basically like an autotest, with a slalom run around a coned circuit and then a chance to go mad a do a few donuts which in a 150hp Caterham 7 is very easy.
Then on to the Karts!!! At this moment the heavens opened which made things a tad intersting. You get 5 laps to get a good qualifying time and then a 15 lap race. The Karts are 45hp and will spin in the dry so our wet race was more of a tip toe around but still a great laugh. SPun a couple of times but recovered to third place in my race.
After the karts we did the 4x4 circuit which is in Frontera's or Suzuki Vitara's. I had a Vitara and you'd be amazed at just what one of these can do in low ratio!!! Course was pretty rough with near vertical (or they seemed like it) climbs and decents...
Then to the best part of the day. 10 laps in the VX220 Turbo's. I was very interested to see how these performed compared with the Leon. The VX runs are accompanied only due to the speeds involved for safety sake.... 120mph+ down the back straight and no holds barred brown trouser moments round the corners. I was taken round buy Niki Faulkner who drives in the Formula Palmer Audi championchips. What a nutter and a top bloke.
http://www.formula-palmer-audi.com/drivers/cv_small.asp?id=nf
So off we set with Niki at the wheel and me with my arse cheeks clenched in the passenger seat, I can only describe the speed we went round as gobsmacking. My breath was taken away. The VX is certainly one entertaining car. So after having the sh*t scared out of me it was my turn.... :D
Out of the pit area and give it some welly up to 110ish, back off a bit for a left-right flick then full welly down to 90 degree left hander, quick squirt to another left hander then full bore down the other straight which has a loony 80 mph chicane in the middle and a complex of tight corners at the end. On the second lap I completely overcooked it at the end of the back straight and 360'd in front of the following car doing about 70mph :D Calmed down a bit after this and managed the rest of my laps without any disasters and in the end managing a 75.3 which was 5th fastest of the day out of the 40 or so people so was quite chuffed with myself.
All in all a great day so would recommend to anyone that gets the chance, to go. I think they only do corporate track days but might be worth looking into hiring this place for a Cupranet day....
http://www.motorsportsensation.com/
My god, what a day. My face is still aching from grinning all day yesterday. The day starts at 11am with a sit down briefing and then you get lunch which was nice.
Before you're allowed out in the cars the instructor takes you round and demostrates the racing line of the track in a minibus,...:D this was an experience in itself. ;)
First of the four activities was the F2000 single seaters :D Nothing like being thrown in at the deep end. These were great fun and you get about 20 laps or so - 20 mins on track which doesn't sound like much but believe me its enough, plenty of time to get used to the cars and make a complete prat of yourself.... Hmmm, why am I facing in the wrong direction :yikes:
Second up was the Caterham challenge which is basically like an autotest, with a slalom run around a coned circuit and then a chance to go mad a do a few donuts which in a 150hp Caterham 7 is very easy.
Then on to the Karts!!! At this moment the heavens opened which made things a tad intersting. You get 5 laps to get a good qualifying time and then a 15 lap race. The Karts are 45hp and will spin in the dry so our wet race was more of a tip toe around but still a great laugh. SPun a couple of times but recovered to third place in my race.
After the karts we did the 4x4 circuit which is in Frontera's or Suzuki Vitara's. I had a Vitara and you'd be amazed at just what one of these can do in low ratio!!! Course was pretty rough with near vertical (or they seemed like it) climbs and decents...
Then to the best part of the day. 10 laps in the VX220 Turbo's. I was very interested to see how these performed compared with the Leon. The VX runs are accompanied only due to the speeds involved for safety sake.... 120mph+ down the back straight and no holds barred brown trouser moments round the corners. I was taken round buy Niki Faulkner who drives in the Formula Palmer Audi championchips. What a nutter and a top bloke.
http://www.formula-palmer-audi.com/drivers/cv_small.asp?id=nf
So off we set with Niki at the wheel and me with my arse cheeks clenched in the passenger seat, I can only describe the speed we went round as gobsmacking. My breath was taken away. The VX is certainly one entertaining car. So after having the sh*t scared out of me it was my turn.... :D
Out of the pit area and give it some welly up to 110ish, back off a bit for a left-right flick then full welly down to 90 degree left hander, quick squirt to another left hander then full bore down the other straight which has a loony 80 mph chicane in the middle and a complex of tight corners at the end. On the second lap I completely overcooked it at the end of the back straight and 360'd in front of the following car doing about 70mph :D Calmed down a bit after this and managed the rest of my laps without any disasters and in the end managing a 75.3 which was 5th fastest of the day out of the 40 or so people so was quite chuffed with myself.
All in all a great day so would recommend to anyone that gets the chance, to go. I think they only do corporate track days but might be worth looking into hiring this place for a Cupranet day....