Post
by pete » Thu Jul 20, 2006 1:15 am
OK this isway too late to be topical anymore but I thought I'd post it anyway I've been busy and wrote morethan I intended....
Back from tenkfeet (Alan) and I's brief foray down to Oulton park. Lovely weather and a fabulous track (but tenkfeet was faster which kind of spoiled it).
Drove down from Killie down the A76 to Dumfires and then down the M6. I was frankly having to wait for tenkfeet for most of the time who then later had the audacity to criticise my driving. Spirited tenkfeet , that's what it was - if there isn't an opportunity to overtake then you should create one*. Not a foot wrong direction wise thanks to the wonders of Tom Tom and GPS. Although someone had told it to go to Oulton Park rather than the hotel. And neither of us had the hotel's address. Or phone number. And thenthe GPS tried to take us down a lane that was blocked by a fallen tree. So may be a couple of feet wrong. thanks to whoever recommended the Travel Inn though very comfy when we finally found it.
I've not been to anywhere other than KH before and now feel that I may have spoilt the KH experience, Oulton is a far bigger track, over 2 miles with the facilities and suchlike to match. Yes the trees do get a bit close at times, still having flashbacks to backing off at 80+ and nearly losing it, and the track is seriously fast in places especially for me but I didn't think it was quite as scary as had been made out. Generally I would rate it as fantastic. No really good. Scenic too and when you drive at the speed I was managing later in the day you get time to appreciate the view. It was run by Book-a-Track who were ace. An exemplary briefing and a huge selection of cars (Radical; 360 Strada; F40 in carpark;M3 CSR;M6;XJ220 on the way down in Dumfries, I know not relelvant but you don't see many). A couple of stoppages but mainly for home builts (Well Caterfields – they all kit cars to me) going bang, I didn’t see any crashes.
I'd booked an instruction session first thing in the morning which was worthwhile as he taught me the lines to take but not much in the way of technique. Following that I had a few really good sessions, with only one or two moments, and one unintentional use of an unpaved area. After lunch it all fell apart as I tried to go quicker and seemed to get slower, suddenly being caught by stuff that earlier in the day I’d been overtaking no problem. It was during this time I started ranting at other drivers**.
tenkfeet had booked a second session of lessons and came back from it full of the joys of spring and convinced me to go out again, huge improvement (different instructor from earlier same one tenkfeet had), turns out I’d been going too fast which was slowing me down. Or something like that – seemed to make sense at the time. Can't thank tenkfeet enough for insisting I'd benefit made the day.
The final session went past in a bit of a blur, slower into the corners speeded me up no end although after a “moment” or two in the morning I didn’t have the bottle to take some for the corners flat that I probably could have done.
I also started to experience some phantom mechanical glitches which allowed tenkfeet to pull away from me (we’d been pretty similar speed wise up until then). I never identified what the problem was with the car that was slowing me down but it is the only rational explanation I have for him pulling away. It is also likely that his otherwise identical car was benefiting from the Hurricane he has fitted to give him that 15% or so extra power he seemed to have. Now as I think about it he has harnesses which would have helped him to hold on in corners better, thus going faster. Yes that must be it.
So despite me being clearly the better driver, and us apparently starting off equal, mechanical glitches, a Hurricane and harnesses made tenkfeet slightly faster at the end of the day. Oh and I think he may have been cheating, not sure how though.
The drive back uneventful straight up the motorway. GPS had given up the ghost completely so we didn’t get lost at all….
There is several hours of video which is currently with our production facility (Alan I'll let you have the DVDs when I have them - not seen them myself yet).
pete
PS If anyone happens across a 360 Strada challenge car owner that wants to swap for an Elise point him in my direction will you?
* A cynical reader may presume that some of my bitterness at being slower than tenkfeet out on the track, arguably where it counts, is coming across here.
**Dear Mr Radical owner,
Of course your car is quicker than mine, yours is a racing car whilst mine normally has a child seat fitted. Admittedly this is a racing track but racing we are not, we are just driving around in circles for fun and when this is over I will have to drive my car home. You will not as you brought your car here on a trailer. So please do not sit on my back bumper as I am prone to braking for corners randomly and having a day-glo car sitting 2 inches behind me is making me nervous. And slightly deaf. I will let you past as soon as I am able, like I did the 37 previous times you overtook me this lap. Have patience.
I may have been talking bo**&cks as I have been out a couple of times on the road since and my overtaking is much better with rapid progress being made . So I have learned something from you and am not quite so timid .
