Castle Combe - The Action !

[Spirit]

Video clips will be up later as my FTP is down right now, but in the meantime here comes some pics for your pleasure.

First up, Simon spinning in style with me close behind !

[Spirit]

....

[Spirit]

Spirit overtaking

Simon gets past an R34 GTR

Spirit chasing a Scooby

The Vee outbrakes Simon :laugh:

[Simon]

very good pictures :$ cant wait for the video :dozey:

Track Day Novice

[The Vee]

[QUOTE=Simon]very good pictures :$ cant wait for the video

QUOTE]

yep me too, well done mate

[Brind]

I bet you were cacking it Simon!! that's that iffy corner where many a car has come off. Remember the EVO last year and the Empreza this year at Japfest.
Plus countless others in the meantime... it's weird because it seems like you have loads of room to come around there but the speed you can do up to it changes everything.
Can't wait for the vid. :laugh:

[Spirit]

Here's the first video clip, sorry for the delay - got my ftp server to work again now !

SIMON'S SPIN (http://www.p.honey.btinternet.co.uk/simonspin.wmv)

[Kieran]

I think Simon Handled it quite well! Almost got it pointing the right way again!

What did the autobox make of it? I notice you went backwards, but I imagine you were still in 'D' or tip? Did it disengage or was the car just rolling against the torque convertor? Did the engine stall?

[enigma]

That could have had an entirely different outcome :sad3:

[The Vee]

Superb footage
Doesn't do justice to the speed these boys were doing !!
Well handled both of you.
As Dave said - could have been different.
Interesting point from Kieran

[SGHOM]

Looking at the end of Simons spin, just before he reverse parked !! :$ did something come off the car ??? or was it debris on the track ??

[Brind]

Looking at the end of Simons spin, just before he reverse parked !! :$ did something come off the car ??? or was it debris on the track ??

Looked like it churned up some grass to me?

How did it happen anyhow? did you brake and lock up on the corner or just turn too tight and aquaplaned?

Considering how wet and greasy the track is not to mention the possible speed, it's nice to know that the VR-4 will take a bit to get it totally out of shape, and veer off for miles which it didn't at the extreme.

[Simon]

Firstly......

Kieren: the car stalled when it tried to go backwards, so when i came to a stop i had to put into park and then restart. i was using tip'

Derek: The bits flying off are the remains of my plastic undercarriage! now in three pieces in the boot! I mentioned to Pete that if it was a lowered car it would have done serious damage to the underside, as the kerbs are raised, which ripped the plastic off!!! ohh, and it was the apex cone :dozey:

Brind: The only reason the AYC couldnt cope and i span was the tyres were over-inflated. Im not making excuses ......the tyres were over 40psi (45 :lipsrseal )...i was ready for a hot sticky track and didnt bother/forgot to reduce the pressure due to the crap weather/rain. After heavy breaking in a stright line and loading the front of the car, the second i turned into the corner there was no weight on the rear plus the tyres had "no give in them" to grip........i also took the spare wheel out. (Pete played safe and kept his deck chairs in the boot for extra weight ;)

Ive since found this inflated tyre craze on the web eg. pugs and saxos where they overinflate the rear tyres to provoke front wheel drive cars to over steer...although they go up to 50 psi!!!!!WTF...

Later in the day it was even wetter and greasy and with the lower tyre pressure i was taking the corner quicker. The AYC worked a dream.

Im glad that i wasn't the only driver to spin on this corner, but the others were all rear wheel drive, although im not sure what corner the R34 spun off.

Ive not been put off by this. In the end i went out for 4 x 15 minute sessions in the morning, then 1/2 an hour after lunch followed by 2 further 15 minute sessions. total 114 miles and two tanks of fuel....ranged 4mpg to 6 mpg! in the end i went around that corner approx 62 times!, puts it into perspective.

The half an hour session was amazing to be lapping at high speeds in the rain with only a few other cars crawling around (GTR's mainly) with most others watching as they said it was too wet to venture out. As Pete's already said nothing else there came close to the Galants...and the 380bhp Skyline did not make the impression that i was expecting (especially for £33,000)

Ive now a greater respect for and will spend more time and money on my future purchases of tyres!

[Simon]

Bring on Castle Combe track day in September.......and TRAX!

[Brind]

Ah yeah sorry, I saw you mentioned tyre pressures last night but forgot.
Certainly is impressive to see the gap between you and the Skyline.
Skyline spun too?

4-6mpg... christ! :rolleyes5

[SGHOM]

4-6mpg... christ! :rolleyes5
So........... you took it steady then Simon ?? :rolleyes5 :-b :-b

[Simon]

4.615384! :$ approximately....6mpg in the wet..... :dozey: :laugh:

[Kieran]

4.615384! :$ approximately....6mpg in the wet..... :dozey: :laugh:

Good Lord.....That's just stoopid!!! :rolleyes5 :rolleyes5 :rolleyes5

[The Vee]

The half an hour session was amazing to be lapping at high speeds in the rain with only a few other cars crawling around (GTR's mainly) with most others watching as they said it was too wet to venture out. As Pete's already said nothing else there came close to the Galants...and the 380bhp Skyline did not make the impression that i was expecting (especially for £33,000)

!

Must say I was pleasantly surprised how sure footed mine was in the wet (FWD only- v6 24) OK no match to the vr4's but as far as speed in the wet was concerned held its own against many others especially round the bends even caught up with some. Seemed that when the rain fell we had as long as we liked out there at times almost to ourselves.

[Spirit]

Apparantly a few lap times were recorded by some of UJCC and the top three were as follows:

1.34 and 1.35 by two R34 GTR's - one 380bhp and one 400+bhp and me at 1.39 - so considering the R34 guys have spent £30k+ on their cars and mine is more like half that price I think we can sure be proud of our cars !

[Simon]

Pete ....... :) check your video footage and time yourself on a lap.....i bet that you're nearer to the 1.30mins then the skylines!!!!

[KiwiTT]

Sorry for lurking guys. Just started downloading the vids from these and trax. Read the story. Every day I discover something more on the VR4. It is definitely a car without peer.