Snetterton, August 9th
Well I have just got back from another track day. Snetterton this time.
I've had a two month gap since Silverstone. Another case of real life getting in the way. Had the builders in at home, and a 3 week family holiday taking priority.
My attempts to find a suitable track day sharing friend have failed miserably so far. I started a bit of a thread on Pistonheads but mostly people said I must be mad to consider sharing my car. To be honest I think they are right. Anyway, I'm planning to do a few more track days regardless.
So, as I say, just got back from Snetterton. I have driven this track a few times now and I love it. It's a real challenge and I always come away thinking I have learned something. I know I've said this before, but this Westy I so unbelievably quick and is such a thrill to drive. It really comes home to me when I'm out on the track behind some seriously expensive road cars like Porsche GT3's. There was a whole gaggle of them there (what is the collective noun for Porsches?) and not one of them could keep up with me. I don't mean top speed obvioulsy, but I could put a good few seconds between me and then on a whole lap.
Let me try and talk through a lap (bare with me!) to give you an idea of why I enjoy track days.
Starting as I cross the start line from the out lap, this is a short straight where I can just about get into top as I scream up the gears past the pit straight. The sound bounces off the pit wall and sends shivers down my spine! At the end of this straight is a right hander. After a few laps I have learned that this can be taken much quicker than you might at first think (although the rubber lines dissapearing into the countryside reminds me that there is a limit to this!). The trick is to stay out wider as there is a double apex, and you want to clip the second one. If I've got it about right I can get into 5th again for a few yards before setting myself up for the next right hander. This is an almost 90 degree corner which leads into a mile long straight. This is my favourite corner. Each lap I think I can go a bit faster next time. There is enough run off here to risk getting it wrong so I can afford to turn in a bit quicker than I think possible. The car turns in but starts to feel light. I give it a bit more gas and the car starts to drift so I turn a tad more and gradually give it more gas. The rear end comes out beautifully and I can dial up a pretty extreme angle by applying more gas. Not the quickest way round the corner, but great fun. When I get that right I get this rush of adrenaline that is unbeatable.
The straight is quite boring really. Once in 5th I just sit there for 30 seconds or so. This gives me a few moments to glance at the dials to check I have oil pressure and not overheating (at least that's the idea but I do forget sometimes). It's odd, but outright speed is not really what thrills although the accelleration in getting there is fun. It's more interesting to challenge myself over how late to leave the braking into the 's' bend at the end of the straight. There are marker boards showing 300, 200, 100 yards to the bend. I noticed that the GT3's were braking at about 250. I left it to about 150 and still kept thinking I could leave it to 100. This is so scary. I am betting an awful lot on those brakes working! (in fairness there is a good run off area here so I suppose the risk isn't that great, but it still feels scary). Having braked hard and turned in there is an opportunity to strighted up, dab the brakes again before turning into a sharp right hander. Again, get the entry speed right and the car can be drifted round on the gas.
The next corner is one of the most difficult for me. It look like an easy right but the track dips dramatically right on the apex (it's called 'the bomb-hole') so on the exit the car goes light and drifts over to the edge of the track. Too quick and you're on the grass and into the barrier (I noticed a highly modified Alfa did just that). The next bend is a long right hander. This is really deceptive as it goes over the brow of a hill and you can't see the whole bend as you enter it. But after a few laps I realise that I can keep it flat out all the way through. If I go too quick the car will drift before anything dramatic happens so it is quite safe. Mind you, get it wrong and there is only grass between the track and an expensive meeting with the armco so there is always a sense of caution. Coming out of this bend the track is going downhill, into a very tight chicane. Heavy on the brakes again and slow right down. I love this chicane. If I get the entry speed right I can boot it on the way out and get it plenty sideways. There's usually plenty of people standing watching at this point which only encourages me! There was always plenty of traffic at this point and it is a great place to get past the slower cars. Even the GT3's seem slow coming out of here. The low speed accelleration of this car is just awesome and makes everything elso go backwards very quickly. This leads back up the short straight past the pits and into another lap.
So I love the personal challenge, and I love being in amongst the serious heavy metal like the Porsches. There was even a DB9 there (beautiful road car -crap track car..either that or the bloke was too scared of bending it to give it some welly, and what is the point in that!).
OK, that's the good stuff. The trouble is I have some real reservations about track days. See my next post for my thoughts on what I want to do next.
I've had a two month gap since Silverstone. Another case of real life getting in the way. Had the builders in at home, and a 3 week family holiday taking priority.
My attempts to find a suitable track day sharing friend have failed miserably so far. I started a bit of a thread on Pistonheads but mostly people said I must be mad to consider sharing my car. To be honest I think they are right. Anyway, I'm planning to do a few more track days regardless.
So, as I say, just got back from Snetterton. I have driven this track a few times now and I love it. It's a real challenge and I always come away thinking I have learned something. I know I've said this before, but this Westy I so unbelievably quick and is such a thrill to drive. It really comes home to me when I'm out on the track behind some seriously expensive road cars like Porsche GT3's. There was a whole gaggle of them there (what is the collective noun for Porsches?) and not one of them could keep up with me. I don't mean top speed obvioulsy, but I could put a good few seconds between me and then on a whole lap.
Let me try and talk through a lap (bare with me!) to give you an idea of why I enjoy track days.
Starting as I cross the start line from the out lap, this is a short straight where I can just about get into top as I scream up the gears past the pit straight. The sound bounces off the pit wall and sends shivers down my spine! At the end of this straight is a right hander. After a few laps I have learned that this can be taken much quicker than you might at first think (although the rubber lines dissapearing into the countryside reminds me that there is a limit to this!). The trick is to stay out wider as there is a double apex, and you want to clip the second one. If I've got it about right I can get into 5th again for a few yards before setting myself up for the next right hander. This is an almost 90 degree corner which leads into a mile long straight. This is my favourite corner. Each lap I think I can go a bit faster next time. There is enough run off here to risk getting it wrong so I can afford to turn in a bit quicker than I think possible. The car turns in but starts to feel light. I give it a bit more gas and the car starts to drift so I turn a tad more and gradually give it more gas. The rear end comes out beautifully and I can dial up a pretty extreme angle by applying more gas. Not the quickest way round the corner, but great fun. When I get that right I get this rush of adrenaline that is unbeatable.
The straight is quite boring really. Once in 5th I just sit there for 30 seconds or so. This gives me a few moments to glance at the dials to check I have oil pressure and not overheating (at least that's the idea but I do forget sometimes). It's odd, but outright speed is not really what thrills although the accelleration in getting there is fun. It's more interesting to challenge myself over how late to leave the braking into the 's' bend at the end of the straight. There are marker boards showing 300, 200, 100 yards to the bend. I noticed that the GT3's were braking at about 250. I left it to about 150 and still kept thinking I could leave it to 100. This is so scary. I am betting an awful lot on those brakes working! (in fairness there is a good run off area here so I suppose the risk isn't that great, but it still feels scary). Having braked hard and turned in there is an opportunity to strighted up, dab the brakes again before turning into a sharp right hander. Again, get the entry speed right and the car can be drifted round on the gas.
The next corner is one of the most difficult for me. It look like an easy right but the track dips dramatically right on the apex (it's called 'the bomb-hole') so on the exit the car goes light and drifts over to the edge of the track. Too quick and you're on the grass and into the barrier (I noticed a highly modified Alfa did just that). The next bend is a long right hander. This is really deceptive as it goes over the brow of a hill and you can't see the whole bend as you enter it. But after a few laps I realise that I can keep it flat out all the way through. If I go too quick the car will drift before anything dramatic happens so it is quite safe. Mind you, get it wrong and there is only grass between the track and an expensive meeting with the armco so there is always a sense of caution. Coming out of this bend the track is going downhill, into a very tight chicane. Heavy on the brakes again and slow right down. I love this chicane. If I get the entry speed right I can boot it on the way out and get it plenty sideways. There's usually plenty of people standing watching at this point which only encourages me! There was always plenty of traffic at this point and it is a great place to get past the slower cars. Even the GT3's seem slow coming out of here. The low speed accelleration of this car is just awesome and makes everything elso go backwards very quickly. This leads back up the short straight past the pits and into another lap.
So I love the personal challenge, and I love being in amongst the serious heavy metal like the Porsches. There was even a DB9 there (beautiful road car -crap track car..either that or the bloke was too scared of bending it to give it some welly, and what is the point in that!).
OK, that's the good stuff. The trouble is I have some real reservations about track days. See my next post for my thoughts on what I want to do next.
posted by Unknown at 9:41 pm
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