tomorrow 31st march at snett
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Mr Fletcher
- Posts: 2649
- Joined: Sun Jun 10, 2007 1:34 pm
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I'll upload some photos tomorrow as I've not long been in, after a very long and interesting day.
The weather was outstanding. Gary and Chris were on their way nice and early, Bladey wasn't!! The paddock was pretty empty with only 28 cars booked in out of the regular 50 odd. The lucky participants were going to get loads of laps today, the swines!
I reserved a garage for Mr Hayward and Mr Grimsey and chatted to various drivers to kill the time. Elise were numerous as were TVR of every type. There would be some quick competition for Gary to measure the cars performance against, that was clear.
The first hour was nerve racking for me, let alone the APT guys. Eventually Gary fired the Scud up and out he went. 10 minutes later he pulled into the pits and looked a little.........non plussed. On reflection Gary has changed so much with his car that there was very little chance of him settling quickly and I think this realisation unsettled the man slighlty. (Forgive me if I'm wrong mate) It was previously quick with lots of grip. Now it was ballastic and had punch out of the bends far beyond anything previously experienced. This was almost too quick.
Next session and after a rethink, Gary asked Chris to ask me 'do you want a lap or two?' Before Chris got to 'do you....' I was jogging to the Golf to get my helmet. Strapped in and shielded by the multipoint cage I found that little focuses your mind like a genuinely fast car and a race track. My mouth was dry. My hands were sweating. I've done thousands of laps here and sat next to race drivers of all standards bar the very highest of single seat stardom. The Evo made me nervous!!
Out we went, the dog box sounding like the power and torque were trying to beat each other up all the time. A lap to get things warm and then Jesusgodalmightywherethebloodyhelldidthatcomefrom power! Seamless, relentless, stomach squashing grunt on the exit of Sears. Bworrrppp, bworrpp,bworrrp and 150+ well before the 300 yard board on the back straight. Garys exit to Sears on that lap was crap, no offence, almost like he wanted me to feel the brutality of the thing and it did not disappoint.
He repeated this party trick a few times and was gaining in speed lap after lap. The biggest thing I was impressed with was the way it simply devoured the moment in time where normal cars accelerate from 50-130mph. This car warps there in one continual lunge. It is quite unlike a car in that sense. Far more like a bloody great catapult
Garys best lap, in traffic and in his words ' pretty poor' sets a new PB at 1.16.8 and there was tonnes of room for improvement, literally two seconds or more being estimated as 'easy'.
All of this is merely conjecture until proven (well, the 1'16" is proven) but Gary and the team know the potential is there now and they will be working hard to maximise the driver and car as a package. There were a few niggles that cost laps and seat time but overall it was a hugely positive day and the guys go forwards to the weekend with a swagger of confidence, as well they should.
On a side note, thanks to James for some devilish laps in the Orange. SO sideways, so long the marshalls must have wondered what was happening. They were about to black flag him for repeated driftage but his car decided to wave the white flag before they could. If Bladey can drive with that level of control and confidence at the weekend, I expect he'll be delighted and successful.
All in all, a great prelude to the weekend :thumb:
The weather was outstanding. Gary and Chris were on their way nice and early, Bladey wasn't!! The paddock was pretty empty with only 28 cars booked in out of the regular 50 odd. The lucky participants were going to get loads of laps today, the swines!
I reserved a garage for Mr Hayward and Mr Grimsey and chatted to various drivers to kill the time. Elise were numerous as were TVR of every type. There would be some quick competition for Gary to measure the cars performance against, that was clear.
The first hour was nerve racking for me, let alone the APT guys. Eventually Gary fired the Scud up and out he went. 10 minutes later he pulled into the pits and looked a little.........non plussed. On reflection Gary has changed so much with his car that there was very little chance of him settling quickly and I think this realisation unsettled the man slighlty. (Forgive me if I'm wrong mate) It was previously quick with lots of grip. Now it was ballastic and had punch out of the bends far beyond anything previously experienced. This was almost too quick.
Next session and after a rethink, Gary asked Chris to ask me 'do you want a lap or two?' Before Chris got to 'do you....' I was jogging to the Golf to get my helmet. Strapped in and shielded by the multipoint cage I found that little focuses your mind like a genuinely fast car and a race track. My mouth was dry. My hands were sweating. I've done thousands of laps here and sat next to race drivers of all standards bar the very highest of single seat stardom. The Evo made me nervous!!
Out we went, the dog box sounding like the power and torque were trying to beat each other up all the time. A lap to get things warm and then Jesusgodalmightywherethebloodyhelldidthatcomefrom power! Seamless, relentless, stomach squashing grunt on the exit of Sears. Bworrrppp, bworrpp,bworrrp and 150+ well before the 300 yard board on the back straight. Garys exit to Sears on that lap was crap, no offence, almost like he wanted me to feel the brutality of the thing and it did not disappoint.
He repeated this party trick a few times and was gaining in speed lap after lap. The biggest thing I was impressed with was the way it simply devoured the moment in time where normal cars accelerate from 50-130mph. This car warps there in one continual lunge. It is quite unlike a car in that sense. Far more like a bloody great catapult
Garys best lap, in traffic and in his words ' pretty poor' sets a new PB at 1.16.8 and there was tonnes of room for improvement, literally two seconds or more being estimated as 'easy'.
All of this is merely conjecture until proven (well, the 1'16" is proven) but Gary and the team know the potential is there now and they will be working hard to maximise the driver and car as a package. There were a few niggles that cost laps and seat time but overall it was a hugely positive day and the guys go forwards to the weekend with a swagger of confidence, as well they should.
On a side note, thanks to James for some devilish laps in the Orange. SO sideways, so long the marshalls must have wondered what was happening. They were about to black flag him for repeated driftage but his car decided to wave the white flag before they could. If Bladey can drive with that level of control and confidence at the weekend, I expect he'll be delighted and successful.
All in all, a great prelude to the weekend :thumb:
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ScoobieWRX
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- Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2007 9:42 am
- Location: Northants
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James Breadvan
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- Joined: Tue Apr 10, 2007 5:17 pm
- Location: Norwich