docwra Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Bit of a slow one today so thought Id throw up a writeup on a trackday I went to at Bedford Autodrome on 26/03. I headed up with a few boys from the SXOC, and was pleased to see it was a b-e-a-u-tiful day when we set out about 7.30 - convoyed up there with a 400hp S14 but was generally well behaved on the way up. Unfortunately satnav took us to the wrong side of the airfield so we missed the briefing - no worries, we got to see some of the iron that was out there with us, including a couple of Ariel Atoms, an XKR, a GT3, a very new looking GTR, Cobra rep with an LS7 fitted, loads of E46 M3's, Elises and Clio's, some pretty ordinary Euroboxes (3.2 A3, Seat Leons etc.) and a few weird ones like a Radical, and some full on Can Am Lola that broke after two laps or so Was pleased to see the lovely Jez from Horsham Developments was there in his 350Z, and also a former SXOC member with a very high specced S14 that I was looking forward to chasing. Heres a pic of our little gang, one of the Clios dropped its bottom end on the first lap and the S14 got black flagged for noise after 3, other than that all of the cars were excellent. The track is suited to a 350Z - quite fast, lots of 3/4th gear sweepers and only 3 slow corners, even they can be taken in 3rd though. My car was absolutely awesome all day - the grip was astonishing, a couple of passengers got out with painful necks and it didnt miss a beat all day. The 350's certainly seemed amongst the quickest cars out there - I had the GT3 pull over for me fairly early on, and after letting the GTR past he let me back past after 4 corners, not sure the driver was too familiar with it. We also proved that a stripped Z33 with Uprev is only very, very slightly faster in a straight line than one with huge arches, standard management and a full interior with nothing in it on the bends, although Jez's "interesting" technique on the chicane down the straight (i.e. missing it out completely and going off road) defintiely proved the fastest line Anyway, heres a vid - Im in the blue Zed, Jez is in the grey Zed and the camera car is a Mk2 turbo MX-5 running a bit over 300hp - he beat an F430 round the Nurburgring yesterday so Im quite pleased he couldnt quite keep up http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... mItOTxtcwE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flex Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evilscorp Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Very nice, looks fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ebized Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 We have a convoy Good stuff though. The MX seemed to turn in early at the corners (compared to you) or was it just to get the best shots of yours and Jez's cars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesdean Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Looks like loads of fun guys! Im only in sandy, what kinda prices do they charge for a day? james Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brillomaster Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 yeah, the lines a looked a little early on the turn in, some corners had a very early apex. But you got some perfect weather for a trackday, good work in March! Any photography being taken on the day? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dblock Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 I honestly thought the mx5 would have been alot faster? Some good driving by Jez and the doc from the looks of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docwra Posted April 5, 2012 Author Share Posted April 5, 2012 I honestly thought the mx5 would have been alot faster? So did he TBH, I was really surprised, I think Id started to believe some of the hype that the car wasnt that fast and was too heavy etc. but the way we kept with/went past well driven cars that on paper should have been quicker thats well off the mark. That said, I was having a chat with Steve, a drifter mate of mine last night and we agreed that the experience we have had of cars effectively being out of control, and the inevitable lots of crashing that comes after being out of control means we are probably more comfortable pushing hard than an average trackdayer, and a lot less scared of stacking it, maybe thats where the difference came. Theres no way I should be going past a 997 GT3, no way on earth. One thing I will say is that on the limit a 350Z is one of the easiest cars Ive driven to handle, its like its talking to you all the time He highlighted this with a story about the last time he was at the Ring - the hotel owner was an ex bike racer, and offered to let him follow him to the track. Within about 2 miles Steve had lost the hotelier guy, as he was so much quicker. Steve was on his own in an M5, old matey was 5 up in a 1.3 Polo That day was £99 through Javelin, unfortunately they dont have any more available at the moment for Bedford but Im up for doing more this summer anywhere (drift car is being fixed AGAIN), hopefully we can get a few more Zeds out on track and eat up a few more M3's next time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jez @ H-Dev Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 That was a great day out - the zeds performed flawlessly all day Not sure what you're talking about my line through a chicane - I didn't see one I'd definitely be up for another session Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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