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Driving to my Jonathan Palmer Race Day


timc2001

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Hi All,

 

Work are putting on Jonathan Palmer race day for us on Friday, and other than making a slight mess in my pants, also thinking the drive back from there in the 350z may be quite interesting!

 

http://www.palmersport.com/

 

Anyone else done one of these all day sessions? What was your favourite car? I'm fancying a bit of the Formula Jaguar!

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Ben (MAD7BOY) did one and loved it. Coming from driving an Evo daily I think it was a bit of an eye opener for him, especially the Caterham handling course. Sounds like a bloody excellent day, you are very lucky!

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I've done a couple of these days a few years back (when we had a petrol head supplier). HIGHLY recommended, especially as it's the only place I know where instructors will push you to your limits - no silly rev limits etc like similar events at Brands.

 

My favourite car on both occassions may surprise you..... the clio cup sport something or other... these really scream and fly with the sequential box, plus the instructor has a brake and throttle, so if you want some fun (once you've set your own good time) he will ask you to keep the power on why he sets it up sideways (brake/throttle input) and you can drive/appear like a god looking out of the side window whilst going round corners... it's a real shame I'm not involved with same supplier today :console:

 

If you want to go quick just let instructor know - they will usually ask want you want from each event - just reply "the fastest time of the day" :thumbs:

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I did this day last september, One of the most enjoyable days I've had!!

All the cars are great, got to agree with mick43 the clios were one of my favourites.

For outright grunt the XKR's were fantastic.

 

If you don't come away grinning from ear to ear, i'll be very very suprised!!!

 

Enjoy it.

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I done this last year and again last month! Superb day out, all the cars/events are fantastic and the corporate facilities are spot on!

 

You will enjoy it....also, this year they have added cameras to the Single seater Palmer Jaguar and the 2 seater LeMans cars....:)

 

They give you a USB memory stick to take home, watching it is exactly like watching F1....amazing!

 

Enjoy ;)

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The Palmersport days are, in my opinion, the best corporate jolly of them all. I've been lucky enough to go on three of them over the last few years. It was actually a day at JP when they had 350Z's that made me buy the car I drive today (although they have been replaced by the XKR's now).

 

The best cars of the day for me have always been the Caterham Seven's but to be honest, other than the 4x4's, everything is exhilerating.

 

Every race is timed and they usually give out prizes at the end of the day for the best laps in each vehicle. The instructors will help you in all of them except the single seater (and the Go-Karts, but they don't really need instruction). If you're lucky, you'll get to go around the West Circuit in the Palmer Jaguar JP1's (with an instructor) before you are sent out in the single seater however my top tip is that whenever you get sent out in the single seater, go hell for leather and don't worry too much about spinning off. They say they will caution you for coming off the track but when you're out with the instructors I guarantee you'll spin off several times so don't worry about it.

 

I'm very jealous.

 

Andrew

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WOW!

 

That's all I can say to describe JP. For anyone who can afford it, or who can persuade their company to take them, do this, it truly is amazing. I've learnt so much from the day, mainly realising how hard it is to drive on a track, and how much their is to learn.

 

To start with, it was raining so hard, which I actually saw as a good thing, particularly as we had the Caterhams up first! Interesting time on those, before off to the Clios and Porsches. I hated the Clios, no ABS (I know, I know, this is proper racing), but in the rain, it was a nightmare. The Porsche was very similar to the Jaguar XKR, pure power, amazing speed, and beautiful cars. Pity the 350zs aren't there anymore.

 

I put in some pretty crap times throughout the day, but we then came onto the head to head caterhams, finishing with a doughnut, first to 3 wins. I went against a colleague who was one of our best drivers there, great times, and won 3 times :D even stalled on my last one doing the doughnut and still won haha.

 

The real fun ones in the afternoon - Offroading in the Land Rover (not good after lunch!), Go-Karting (Great fun!), and then the LeMans car and Formula Palmer. I'm going to put up the on-board videos of these soon when I get round to it, but amazing speed. It's great the single seater, just pushing it to the max, pure pure power, 0-60 in 3 seconds!

 

Big smile on my face after that day :D

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