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Trackday tomorrow!


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So me and Will have our first trackday tomorrow at Hullavington airfield, in our old E36 328i... really excited! Have been looking at videos to know what to expect, but really looking forward to getting out on a track again, been far too long.

 

Car is pretty much standard mechanically, but is missing 80% of its interior, which has helpfully contributed some useful weight savings. We expect hat the weak points will be brakes and suspension, but will be report back with pics at the weekend.

 

We also have a bit of friendly competition in the form of an MR2... could be an interesting duel!

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nope, still got the standard seats in there. However, they were only cloth with no electronic adjustment to start with, so they arent too bad... just waiting for a decent pair to come up on ebay, but mindful of our budget (think the stringy thing holding your shoes on ;) )

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Well we are back... car made it there and back in one piece! well, 99% in one piece, but i'll leave Will to explain what happened to the 1% of the car we didnt bring home ;)

 

Overall was an awesome day... Will has a photos, but heres a report/debrief from me...

 

Track time started at 9:45 or so with some pretty serious trackday machinery - half the cars there arrived on trailers, mainly caterhams and elises, with the odd subaru and clio thrown in, but our main competition were the trio of stripped out M3s. Generally dry, few spits of rain but nothing to change driving style.

 

Initially we were very cautious particularly with the brakes - braking light and early, well before the BRAKE boards that were there to help learn the lines. Car did indeed handle like a boat through the bends, tipped over at a very jaunty angle most of the time! Definitely does not like fast direction changes through the chicanes, quite easy to get a pendulum going on. However as the day wore on we did grow in confidence, and managed to be brave approaching corners, maing sure we braked in a straight line, off the brakes and turn in, steady throttle through the corner then slowly feed in the power on the exit.

 

Despite the suspension the car was very docile and predictable at the limit - was generally neutral tending to slight understeer, but easy to get the back into play with a teeny bit of trail braking. Awesome fun to drive right on the edge, clipping the apex cones and then running ot wide whilst hard on the gas. only one corner really gave us any trouble, a very tight second gear hairpin, which we had to take about 20 mph, fighting understeer all the way around. Really could have done with a slippy diff, when I did try to get some power oversteer, the soft suspension just meant we span up one wheel and didnt really go anywhere!

 

Then at ten to 4, everything changed.... the heavens opened! We did consider calling it a day, but since it was almost inevitable we will have a full wet day at some point, we forced ourselves to go out anyways. Quite a difference :scare: even going at 6/10ths, just had to be so smooth with everything, and also we are now most definitely getting oversteer! Believe me, winding a quarter turn of opposite lock whilst doing 70 through a corner is a sphincter clenching moment! Somehow I managed not to spin despite the worsening conditions - even though the hairpin that was so awkward before became a playground for drifting fun! Definitely focuses the mind driving in the wet, after a few laps came back exhausted, but very happy :D

 

so the car... engine and gearbox were very strong, never missed a beat, and was pretty nippy! however suspension and brakes do need upgrading... about 6 laps are the limit on the brakes, and then the pedal just goes all the way to the floor. On the way home the front pads were completely shot, making a horrible grinding noise :wacko: probably just as well we stopped when we did. Going to work on the car the next few weekends, and then roll on the next trackday!

Edited by brillomaster
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Sounds like fun, glad all three of you made it back home safely :)

 

 

I love going out when it rains at trackdays, as that's when everyone else comes in and you have the whole track to yourself pretty much. It's also the best time to push the car, as everything happens at far lower speeds.

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Andy summed it up pretty well there. Car was awesome and i thoroughly enjoyed myself. Pushing the breaking point was a real test and so much fun. Got the car right on the limit on a few cracking corners and steerling in to catch the slide was so much fun.

 

Got a little carried away and managed to spin her on the back corner, coming in at near a ton breaking then a lovely left hand which id previosuly drfited through in lovely fashion. Slideways slide down the run way at 70 was fun then we ended up the wrong way. Whole process was too much for the wing mirror cover which flew off mid pirrouette.

 

Cant wait to sort the brakes, suspension and seats. Want to get out there again.

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Not many pics as i was having too much fun racing around, but heres our bmw and a mates mr2 he had just bought to come with us.

 

Really wanted a play inthe atom in the background. We managed to pass it twice when it had inexperienced drivers. Looks to be a real handle but a lotof fun

 

4BC2CB58-6C53-4068-B37C-862CEA57865E-6529-000007F170020206_zpsd5e3cce8.jpg

 

26F72A64-F0F9-4C12-8985-46E373AD2571-6529-000007F16B78EFBC_zpsac3a518a.jpg

 

7440ACD3-427B-49C3-BBD5-C64EB71DA81F-6529-000007F15E6DAC65_zpsa39e1048.jpg

 

6A4AE0A5-8F8E-468C-B2AC-D862E9D9F03B-6529-000007F159026043_zpsdf5975f4.jpg

 

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Definitely a good day! Hopefully I haven't scared will with my at times flamboyant driving style... Although still pleased to be the only one of us not to spin... Clearly not trying hard enough! Next time might try trail braking a bit more, or being more aggressive with my turn ins.

 

 

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