GMballistic Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 (edited) Think the noise level at Combe now is 100db max @4500rpm from 1/2mtr, ...so the GTR must have been below that. I love Castle Combe too and they've made some fantastic improvements at the circuit within the last 10-15 years. It's fast now still but you should have driven it in the 1990's as there where no chicanes so it was crazy fast then Graham. Edited March 15, 2015 by GMballistic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetpilot Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 What an awesome track Castle Combe is!!!! Absolutely love it!!! Arrived at the noise testing station and the MX5 rear silencer had developed a terrible rattle, which sounded like something had come lose. So gave up with the MX5 and took the GTR to be noise tested...... revved up to 4500 and the guy said all good, ddidnt bother asking what the reading was, just ran with my "passed" sticker. Was very nervous to start with, its a very fast and unforgiving track, but the GTR was immense!! Ran out of talent a few times and the GTR saved me had a Caterham 7 run out talent infront of me and he ended up in the grass. Confidence grew threw out the day and had an awesome time. Missus went out driving the GTR as well and also nervous at first, had a bad 2nd session (was very busy) and then an awesome 3rd session (less traffic)!!! At Thruxton on Friday.... but will be in the MX5, GTR wont pass noise limits. I think its a proper scary circuit, still havent mastered avon rise/quarry and although tower corner is straight forward, you are carrying a lot of speed and the crash barriers straight ahead look very very close (actually they are, lol) , so always a little cautious there as cant quite disengage the brain enough to brake at the last minute. Think Bruno Senna put a std GTR round there in 1.14.5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamc Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 Think the noise level at Combe now is 100db max @4500rpm from 1/2mtr, ...so the GTR must have been below that. I love Castle Combe too and they've made some fantastic improvements at the circuit within the last 10-15 years. It's fast now still but you should have driven it in the 90's as there where no chicanes so it was crazy fast then Graham. Another r35 was 96 and a r34 was 95, so sure I am around that. They have done more work (2 weeks agon), new tarmac over about 70% of the track which made it VERY slippery, but was great fun getting the 4 wheels sliding on the GTR The guys I went with are regulars there and they were telling me about the "no chicane" days and a Simon Norris crash - OUCH! Avon Rise is a bit of a b*****d!! The GTR is obviously very heavy and I was hitting 130-135 (other GTRs were faster at around 140-145 they know the track rather well) at the point of braking and the car goes so light. Great fun trying to master that didnt come close, but still! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamc Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 (edited) What an awesome track Castle Combe is!!!! Absolutely love it!!! Arrived at the noise testing station and the MX5 rear silencer had developed a terrible rattle, which sounded like something had come lose. So gave up with the MX5 and took the GTR to be noise tested...... revved up to 4500 and the guy said all good, ddidnt bother asking what the reading was, just ran with my "passed" sticker. Was very nervous to start with, its a very fast and unforgiving track, but the GTR was immense!! Ran out of talent a few times and the GTR saved me had a Caterham 7 run out talent infront of me and he ended up in the grass. Confidence grew threw out the day and had an awesome time. Missus went out driving the GTR as well and also nervous at first, had a bad 2nd session (was very busy) and then an awesome 3rd session (less traffic)!!! At Thruxton on Friday.... but will be in the MX5, GTR wont pass noise limits. I think its a proper scary circuit, still havent mastered avon rise/quarry and although tower corner is straight forward, you are carrying a lot of speed and the crash barriers straight ahead look very very close (actually they are, lol) , so always a little cautious there as cant quite disengage the brain enough to brake at the last minute. Think Bruno Senna put a std GTR round there in 1.14.5 Hahaaa, that is exactly what I was saying the speed and lack of run-off in places is very scary! Folly flat out is nerve racking as well, I was in 4th gear in the GTR which is around 115-120mph (I think, didnt spend much time looking down) and the wall seems to approach very quickly Exiting Quarry is great fun, lots of tarmac so a real chance to see what the GTR can do and both the missus and I both loved Tower.... although on the first lap I did, I got onto the power out of Tower and completely missed the braking for the chicance so ended up going straight and threw the "other" chicance Well one of the guys I was with has done a 1.17 in his old R33 (heavily modded, similar to the R34 I went out in, but more), so impressive, will go see if I can find a video of that Edited March 15, 2015 by grahamc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetpilot Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 Also this is quite infamous Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamc Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 Also this is quite infamous Mr Norris with a novice sticker? He seems to have quite a few offs at Castle Ouch.......... NSX......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMballistic Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 Yep seen all those before Jetpilot and that Evo crash is nasty. For me one of the most infamous crashes has to be the Ferrrari F40 which crashed at Camp corner in the late 90's I believe it was. Link: I was there that day and I can tell you it was battered especially after the "small fire". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamc Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 ouch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMballistic Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 ouch More like "expensive". 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetpilot Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 (edited) Yep seen all those before Jetpilot and that Evo crash is nasty. For me one of the most infamous crashes has to be the Ferrrari F40 which crashed at Camp corner in the late 90's I believe it was. Link: I was there that day and I can tell you it was battered especially after the "small fire". Yep seen all those before Jetpilot and that Evo crash is nasty. For me one of the most infamous crashes has to be the Ferrrari F40 which crashed at Camp corner in the late 90's I believe it was. Link: I was there that day and I can tell you it was battered especially after the "small fire". That had to hurt, wallet too In the spa track day i thread i mentioned last time out at Combe had a similar incident. I was braking for camp, started to turn in and a race Mustang appeared up the inside, hit the breaks a little which totally unsettled the car, it was a gut reaction i know not to break when turning, so had nothing i could do but run way out onto the grass with the car all a bit squirrelly My arse was twitching like a rabbits nose! He did get thrown off though Edited March 15, 2015 by Jetpilot 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMballistic Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 That had to hurt, wallet too In the spa track day i thread i mentioned last time out at Combe had a similar incident. I was braking for camp, started to turn in and a race Mustang appeared up the inside, hit the breaks a little which totally unsettled the car, it was a gut reaction i know not to break when turning, so had nothing i could do but run way out onto the grass with the car all a bit squirrelly My arse was twitching like a rabbits nose! He did get thrown off though Don't blame you for having a twitchy a**e as there is literally no run off on Camp corner and it is a very fast sweeping bend. I've been fairly lucky on track I think as I've seen some right lunatics on track at Combe in the past. You know the type that are driving a piece of sh*t car that they've bought for £500 and think they're a proper race driver because they're wearing a crash helmet driving on a track day. One guy in an Audi 80 was particularly bad as although he was a lot faster than me (I was in a Corsa Sport 1.4) on the straights he just didn't know how to handle the corners. He kept getting his braking zones & racing lines all messed up. I didn't want to slow him up so moved over to let him past just after Tower corner, ...but he out braked himself and went sideways into Bobbies across the grass. He was lucky not to take out two cars trying to make their way safely through Bobbies. Still nobody hurt and I had a great time despite him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamc Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Mel, Steve (fellow GTR owner) and I went down to Thruxton for a track day today.... Steve took the Porsche Cayman R, Mel took the MX5 and I took the GTR, GTR was purely to carry jerry cans, food, etc. Decided to get the GTR noise tested to see what it was at and can you see where this is going .................................... ........................................ the GTR passed the 90db limit, right on the limit, but it was a pass. So back into the office and paid for another car Track was very quiet, VERY fast and was absolutely awesome!! Had a fantastic day, sun came out just before lunch and it stayed sunny all day. GTR was immense on track, MPSS tyres seemed to struggle a little with the bumpy bits while foot flat in 4th, but still by far the fastest car there. Porsche handled bloody well all day, again MPSS tyres seemed to struggle a little on the bumpy sections and with a bit of understeer. MX5 is just a mental little thing..... its slow, wobbles about (still on stock suspension), but it just such great fun throwing about, foot flat through corners where others are braking Was foot flat in 4th for most of the track Mel had a really good day as well, really got to grips with the MX5 and was throwing it about rather well. Ended up spinning once before lunch and that was it. Steve managed 2 offs in 3 laps, running wide and onto the grass once and sideways, backwards on the grass the other time. This was in the MX5 and again foot flat in 4th gear We have some footage, which we will upload later 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMballistic Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Sounds like you had a great day then Graham. Look forward to the footage. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamc Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 Unfortunately, I have very little footage (no cameras in the GTR or MX5), but Steve got some so will wait for him to upload GTR driveby - nice and quiet http://vid920.photobucket.com/albums/ad45/grahamcleverly/Events/2015/Thruxton/IMG_1320_zpsad1gbmv6.mp4 Mel in the MX5 - completely ignoring the braking zone (orange cone) and going foot flat through the corner in 3rd http://vid920.photob...zps6wg8cgfw.mp4 Porsche driveby http://vid920.photob...zpsnfiraaso.mp4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMballistic Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 Yep knew it would, ...GTR sounds the best to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HAMLNJ Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 Anyone going on Monday to castle combe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMballistic Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 Anyone going on Monday to castle combe? Me & the Mrs should be there watching the Race day yes. First one of the season. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HAMLNJ Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 Pm you mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMballistic Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 Pm you mate Got it and replied. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harryjax Posted April 5, 2015 Author Share Posted April 5, 2015 I will be there. I've pm'd you GM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMballistic Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 I will be there. I've pm'd you GM. Going to turn into a "mini" meet at this rate. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harryjax Posted April 6, 2015 Author Share Posted April 6, 2015 Nice to meet you today GM. What a cracking day the weather was perfect. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMballistic Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Nice to meet you today GM. What a cracking day the weather was perfect. Good meeting you too Dave. Couldn't stay to watch the MG's race unfortunately though as we left early for two reasons ~ one was my Mrs had to go for a meal with her parents and two because she had turned into a rather funky red lobster colour. Guessing we should have worn sun cream. Video below I managed to get of a little spin. Did see a Peugeot ditch it into the armco at Quarry too but typically I didn't catch that on video. Also nice to meet Ian (HAMLNJ) and his lovely Mrs as well. Nice meeting some more forum members face to face. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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