Nippon Challenge Snetterton 18th October
[quote="stuart"]Sitting here, the morning after the day before 
, I think I have decided just what makes this more appealing than the conventional sprint based stuff (Time Attack or otherwise)
The sparring with other drivers, the chess match of blocking and different lines, the personal battles that developed all of the way down the field]
From the seat of a racebike it feels like nothing else I've ever experienced, so much so that it's difficult to do a bike trackday now - there's just no buzz anymore. Car trackwork is a new thing over the last 3 yrs for me and great fun whilst I'm learning ... but as you suspect Stuart, sprinting will never compare to racing, at any level.
Racing is a very strong drug though, make no mistake. You need to ring-fence the addiction, to some extent, but within that ring-fence give it absolutely 100%. As the old saying goes, 'give it 100% or give it up'.
Couple of years ago I watched Stockhatch at Brands, talked to the teams, started thinking '7k for an entry-level season (plus crash repairs), hmm, can I do it?'. I ponder the same with the Nippon challenge, and I would have joined you on Saturday had I not had other commitments. Now the Nippon guys are talking about a single seater season for 12k including the car, I reckon that'll be a really interesting development to watch. I'm not in a position to go for that right now (or the 'ordinary' Nippon challenge for that matter), but maybe one day...
Even if I never race a car, I'll still have special memories of the bike racing to cherish, and bore the grand children with :-D
Andy
, I think I have decided just what makes this more appealing than the conventional sprint based stuff (Time Attack or otherwise)The sparring with other drivers, the chess match of blocking and different lines, the personal battles that developed all of the way down the field]
From the seat of a racebike it feels like nothing else I've ever experienced, so much so that it's difficult to do a bike trackday now - there's just no buzz anymore. Car trackwork is a new thing over the last 3 yrs for me and great fun whilst I'm learning ... but as you suspect Stuart, sprinting will never compare to racing, at any level.
Racing is a very strong drug though, make no mistake. You need to ring-fence the addiction, to some extent, but within that ring-fence give it absolutely 100%. As the old saying goes, 'give it 100% or give it up'.
Couple of years ago I watched Stockhatch at Brands, talked to the teams, started thinking '7k for an entry-level season (plus crash repairs), hmm, can I do it?'. I ponder the same with the Nippon challenge, and I would have joined you on Saturday had I not had other commitments. Now the Nippon guys are talking about a single seater season for 12k including the car, I reckon that'll be a really interesting development to watch. I'm not in a position to go for that right now (or the 'ordinary' Nippon challenge for that matter), but maybe one day...
Even if I never race a car, I'll still have special memories of the bike racing to cherish, and bore the grand children with :-D
Andy
-
Lee Bennett
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Mon Nov 03, 2008 11:21 pm
- Location: Bury st Edmunds, Suffolk
Commander Booker and I are travelling down on Saturday to watch. Hoping for a cracking day out and lots more food for thought for 2009.
http://www.auto-genie.co.uk
07733 527430
stuart@auto-genie.co.uk
Valeting, detailing and undersealing
07733 527430
stuart@auto-genie.co.uk
Valeting, detailing and undersealing
I was to be racing again on Saturday but they had so many entries only 6 of the MX5s could get in and I was way down the queue. It's another invitation drive so can't complain and, another new car, they've just bought this one so i'm hoping it's half decent, should be a good, tight race at Brands though.
Maxx
Maxx
I am a little .. no a lot ... pi$$ed off! .....
.. and that really isn't like me, i' m generally very placid and accepting.
Anyway, just have to vent some anger... posted this to a number of buddies & forums!!! therapy!
I was at Brands today, testing ... hah .. for these 2 MX5 races on Sunday.
As I may have mentioned, originally I was to race on Saturday, a quali and 2 x Nippon Challenge races but too many entries so had to drop out. It's a new car to me so booked to test today, 4 x 1/2hr sessions.
I needed to put some miles on the car as a) It had brand new, unscrubbed, road tyres and b) it is a car they have just bought and don't really know much about (I also found out today it had been stored for best part of 2 years).
The tyres generally need 1k road miles to be optimum, less on track but as they are Toyo T1-Rs (and some of you will know this) with quite narrow, long treads they tend to curl if you push them too much. All the serious guys buy them pre-scrubbed.
The trip to Brands should be 2.5hr for me so left home at 05:20 to get there before eight if poss, need to sign on etc. and first session was at 9:00. It is a horrible trip and I have had some mares in the past but all was going quite well when traffic came to a standstill, some sort of incident ahead. It took over an hour to do the next mile and finally arrived at the circuit at 9:30, over 4hrs!
Missed the first session, next one was 10:30ish. Track was 3/4 damp with a drying line. Car felt very different to previous car, very skittish but was probably the tyres. 3 laps in .. red flag. One of the MX5s in the gravel. 10 mins later back out, 2-3 laps, another red flag, another car in the gravel. After another delay got 2-3 more laps, nowhere near enough to get a feel for the car or take any of the sealant off the tyres.
Next session was dry, still an MX5 managed to find the gravel at Clearways in the first 5 mins, luckily, really near the pits so only 4-5 min delay and we were off. AGAIN 2-3 laps later a Honda Civic in the gravel at Paddock, this would take longer. 10mins later we are off again, great .. however .. 2/3rds of the way round that lap I get the most horrendous noise from the car, at the time I thought it was the bottom end exploded. Crept back the pits and it was now a massive clunk linked to the drive, even at 2-3mph so crawled down the pitlane to where the mechanics were. At first we had no idea but was pretty sure it was in the drivetrain (not engine).
Had to be pushed by another MX5 to the paddock which is some way away at Brands, banging was less in neutral. After a few minutes under the car it was decided it must be diff so the team set about changing it. This took all the break between sessions and 25mins more meaning I only got out for 5 mins max, again 2-3 laps.
Car still feels like crap, very skittish but have hardly managed to put any laps on the tyres and they have started to curl a little.
Another minor problem I had at first was every gearchange, 3rd to 4th was met with a "snick" meaning the synchro was worn. Even in the few laps I did by the last 3 it was a major snick and i'm doubtful it will last all day Sunday. I was not in a good mood as I got back to the paddock.
I did do some timing and am a good 2-3 seconds off the pace of others in the Keystone team and they are not really the serious guys so I hold very little hope out for Sunday, hence me not being keen to race.
I probably will as Jonathan (Keystone boss and head man of Ma5da Racing) wants a full grid, hence my guest drive. I was also to be doing more test with the VIDEO4 unit but the one I had been using is being used for a show in Germany and they could not build me a new one in time. So I was a bit p'd off before I even went to Brands as at least half the reason for doing it was to do some more tests and get some better footage.
So, all in all i'm a bit, no, make that a lot, pi$$ed off.
I'd booked a hotel for tonight and tomorrow and as I left the circuit it was tempting to just drive home and forget about it all together, as it is I am driving home tomorrow morning and coming back at night, really don't want to stick at the circuit all day.
There is also a guy from the US coming as my guest, he races in the MX5s out there (Spec Miata series), very succesfully, so I really don't want to let him down.
I know some things can't be helped but have been pretty disappointed with the standard of prep of the last few MX5s I've had, yes, they have been special deals or guest drives but I still expect a reasonable standard. They were pretty good at the start of the year but they really need to up their game if I am to recommend them to guys next year.
Sorry for the winge ...
Maxx
.. and that really isn't like me, i' m generally very placid and accepting.
Anyway, just have to vent some anger... posted this to a number of buddies & forums!!! therapy!
I was at Brands today, testing ... hah .. for these 2 MX5 races on Sunday.
As I may have mentioned, originally I was to race on Saturday, a quali and 2 x Nippon Challenge races but too many entries so had to drop out. It's a new car to me so booked to test today, 4 x 1/2hr sessions.
I needed to put some miles on the car as a) It had brand new, unscrubbed, road tyres and b) it is a car they have just bought and don't really know much about (I also found out today it had been stored for best part of 2 years).
The tyres generally need 1k road miles to be optimum, less on track but as they are Toyo T1-Rs (and some of you will know this) with quite narrow, long treads they tend to curl if you push them too much. All the serious guys buy them pre-scrubbed.
The trip to Brands should be 2.5hr for me so left home at 05:20 to get there before eight if poss, need to sign on etc. and first session was at 9:00. It is a horrible trip and I have had some mares in the past but all was going quite well when traffic came to a standstill, some sort of incident ahead. It took over an hour to do the next mile and finally arrived at the circuit at 9:30, over 4hrs!
Missed the first session, next one was 10:30ish. Track was 3/4 damp with a drying line. Car felt very different to previous car, very skittish but was probably the tyres. 3 laps in .. red flag. One of the MX5s in the gravel. 10 mins later back out, 2-3 laps, another red flag, another car in the gravel. After another delay got 2-3 more laps, nowhere near enough to get a feel for the car or take any of the sealant off the tyres.
Next session was dry, still an MX5 managed to find the gravel at Clearways in the first 5 mins, luckily, really near the pits so only 4-5 min delay and we were off. AGAIN 2-3 laps later a Honda Civic in the gravel at Paddock, this would take longer. 10mins later we are off again, great .. however .. 2/3rds of the way round that lap I get the most horrendous noise from the car, at the time I thought it was the bottom end exploded. Crept back the pits and it was now a massive clunk linked to the drive, even at 2-3mph so crawled down the pitlane to where the mechanics were. At first we had no idea but was pretty sure it was in the drivetrain (not engine).
Had to be pushed by another MX5 to the paddock which is some way away at Brands, banging was less in neutral. After a few minutes under the car it was decided it must be diff so the team set about changing it. This took all the break between sessions and 25mins more meaning I only got out for 5 mins max, again 2-3 laps.
Car still feels like crap, very skittish but have hardly managed to put any laps on the tyres and they have started to curl a little.
Another minor problem I had at first was every gearchange, 3rd to 4th was met with a "snick" meaning the synchro was worn. Even in the few laps I did by the last 3 it was a major snick and i'm doubtful it will last all day Sunday. I was not in a good mood as I got back to the paddock.
I did do some timing and am a good 2-3 seconds off the pace of others in the Keystone team and they are not really the serious guys so I hold very little hope out for Sunday, hence me not being keen to race.
I probably will as Jonathan (Keystone boss and head man of Ma5da Racing) wants a full grid, hence my guest drive. I was also to be doing more test with the VIDEO4 unit but the one I had been using is being used for a show in Germany and they could not build me a new one in time. So I was a bit p'd off before I even went to Brands as at least half the reason for doing it was to do some more tests and get some better footage.
So, all in all i'm a bit, no, make that a lot, pi$$ed off.
I'd booked a hotel for tonight and tomorrow and as I left the circuit it was tempting to just drive home and forget about it all together, as it is I am driving home tomorrow morning and coming back at night, really don't want to stick at the circuit all day.
There is also a guy from the US coming as my guest, he races in the MX5s out there (Spec Miata series), very succesfully, so I really don't want to let him down.
I know some things can't be helped but have been pretty disappointed with the standard of prep of the last few MX5s I've had, yes, they have been special deals or guest drives but I still expect a reasonable standard. They were pretty good at the start of the year but they really need to up their game if I am to recommend them to guys next year.
Sorry for the winge ...
Maxx
All of them?! Hahaha
Excellent stuff.
I ended up working in the end so I couldn't make it. I hope everyone that went had fun :thumb:
Excellent stuff.
I ended up working in the end so I couldn't make it. I hope everyone that went had fun :thumb:
http://www.auto-genie.co.uk
07733 527430
stuart@auto-genie.co.uk
Valeting, detailing and undersealing
07733 527430
stuart@auto-genie.co.uk
Valeting, detailing and undersealing