Modified Live @ Snetterton weekender! (Build up, photos and reportage)

[gary@apt]

Sounds like a challenge,

What's your time on 300?

[Tommy]

First visit in a race was 2:13.1 and second visit on a trackday was 2:11.1 with a measly 351 bhp.

To be fair, I don't want to take away from the TA drivers as there is a LOT of pressure to do that fast lap. I don't remember the format but you don't get much time on the track do you???

[pjs65]

Went along to have a look at the time attack at Snetterton today as i thought Sunday would be busy , and it was well worth the effort . I've been before and found the track action a bit boring but today i got a different view from the pitlane and paddock . When i first got there i watched the drifting at Coram and to be honest i still dont really get it . Its like an American type of thing with lots of noise, smoke and action for a few seconds then nothing happens for ages , ultimately loads of horsepower but a bit pointless . Anyway whilst watching that the tannoy anounced that there was some public sessions on track later in the day , so as i had driven there in the Camaro signing on was to hard to resist .
Here's some drift pics



Having signed on i went to see the boys from TNT racing and i dont think you'll find a friendlier bunch of racers , so i spent most of the day hanging around there garage . They gave me a team wrist band so that i could wander around the pitlane , thanks for that guys . I now have a better understanding of how the class setup works and how the cars are raced .However i found it hard to belive how that well known green R35 is in the same club class as the TNT Sierra . With even a brief wander along the pit lane shows how much money goes in to some of these cars , so big respect must go to TNT for racing on a less expansive budget . The Seirra went well all day and i think its so far their best round this year and they looked pretty happy ( i wont mention the undertaking bit as Bart didnt look very happy then) . The public track session that i was in didnt happen till 6pm and there was only 9 cars but you wont be surprised if i tell you one of them was Eddie , this time in the Pulsar . As it was only for 20 minutes i was a bit harder on the engine than usual and revved it more which made for a few squirally moments and an ever spongier brake pedal , good fun though . Heres a few other pics one of the TNT Seirra and i think a 3ooSX which sounded great and i think those wheel would look good on a 69 Camaro . Finally good luck to the TNT boys for tommorrow and if anyone gets the chance go and say hi . Pete:Chevy_anim:

[gary@apt]

i think at most you get an hour if every thing goess well

ill have a look at power levels of front running evos when im back,now of to circuit again

First visit in a race was 2:13.1 and second visit on a trackday was 2:11.1 with a measly 351 bhp.

To be fair, I don't want to take away from the TA drivers as there is a LOT of pressure to do that fast lap. I don't remember the format but you don't get much time on the track do you???

[Stuart]

Morning campers
The TNT boys are at the track having left my place at just after 8, fed, watered and rested (some more than others). Bart snores like a 747 taking off, and as he was sharing a room with his brother Wayne, Wayne was looking a little more tired than even last night. I honestly thought he was going to stab Bart with his fork at the breakfast table!

I'll be up there in about an hour so I'll try to keep this up to date today, or as best as possible anyway.

To put some context into the nature of lap times, I've had a look on the TSL timing site (look here for further details)
On yesterday's 300 circuit in qualifying there were quite a few cars that 'cracked' 2.10

2012 Time Attack Pro Classes (includes Club Pro)
QUALIFYING - ROUND 6 - CLASSIFICATION

Scuffman Exige S1 1.57
Renshaw Evo 9 1.59
Morris R32 GTR 2.01
Duncan Graham Scooby 2.02
Robertson Evo 6 2.02.5
Peel Evo 3 2.03.4
Levesque CRX 2.04
Pollard 6R4 2.04.5
Robson Impreza 2.04.8
Barbour Evo 2.05.3
Atkinson Seat Leon SuperCopa 2.10.8

In the final last night, the Atkinson did a 2.08 for reference

In the club class the following cars cracked 2.10
Marshall GTR 2.04.3
Kemp Evo 2.04.9
Shimmin Impreza 2.06.7
Cantello VX220 2.07.6
Coe Impreza 2.08.6
Bullen Impreza 2.10.3
Gary Searl Evo 2.10.8
These times were from the final so many of the guys would have gone faster during the day.

[Ben]

Great update fella

[Stuart]

Boo!
Team TNT are out!

I arrived at about 10 to deliver the team's milk, bribe circuit staff with biscuits (I actually ate more than I delivered ) and find that Alan, Paul and Wayne were all standing around looking very relaxed. Knowing that this is not normal for them, I quizzed them as to how they'd got on and the answer was 'I think we've spun a shell' and grinned. I am sure that the grin was a mix of nerves and denial, but it was quite quickly followed by suggestions that it could also be gearbox related..............the damage was done during warm up, so no meaningful times were recorded at this stage (not unless you count 1.40 odd on the 200 as meaningful)

To follow on from this, Gary from APT popped around to check things and quickly diagnosed that it was not engine related (hooray) but it was likely to be the layshaft into the gearbox (boo) and therefore any further participation would be at the team's discretion. And that, as they say, was that. Get the donkey on the trailer

Aside from Team TNT's dramas, things were plodding along quite nicely for the Civic boys qualifying went well with new guy Mark Burnett getting bumped into the higher GT1 class, so I can only imagine that he's been scrutineered as too light and got bumped up. I'll go and find him later to ask. The quickest qualifying time 1.27.2 for the Civics.

Once again I appreciate that lap times tend to inflame opinions about what's quick and what's not, but here are the practice times for Club

1. Searl EVO 1.19.4
2. Bullen Impreza 1.20.3
3. Cantello VX220 1.21.2
4. Amis RS Cosworth 1.21.3
5. Shimmin WRX Sti 1.23.1
6. Kemp Evo 1.23.6
7. Ogg Impreza 1.24.3
8. Smail Focus RS 1.24.6
9. Burkinshaw Integra 1.25.2
10. Fitzpatrick M3 1.25.7
11. O'Dwyer Cooper S 1.27.1
12. Nielsen Astra VXR 1.27.8
13. Masood RX7 1.28.3
14. Holden Civic type R 1.29.9
15. Bamford Corsa 1.30.5
16. Buckmaster RX7 1.31.4
17. Coe Impreza STi 1.31.5
18. Procter Civic type R 1.35.8
19. Clark FC3 RX7 1.36.8
20. Giovinazzo Alfa Romeo 155 1.38.3
21. Hamer EVO no time

Pro practice times

1. Morris R32 GTR 1.16.1
2. Renshaw Evo 9 1.16.3
3. Doyle Impreza 1.18.881
4. Pollard 6R4 1.18.881
5. Paton Evo 1.19.4
6. Robson Impreza 1.19.8
7. Graham Impreza 1.20.2
8. Levesque CRX 1.20.8
9. Robertson Evo 1.22.1
10. Barbour Evo 1.22.4
11. Atkinson Leon SuperCopa 1.24.2
12. Peel Evo 1.28.0
13. Collard RX7 1.29.8
14. Wright R33 Skyline 1.30.5

I think you can pretty much take some of these times with a pinch of salt. I know for starters that Mr Peel with the Evo 3 RS was running no boost at all with his 1.28! He and Gary were considering different suspension settings, so they were only concerned with balance, grip, turn in etc.

Due to the encroaching weather the timetable has changed so the EDC skidding at Coram was binned, the supercar demo has been cancelled and this has freed up about 15/20 minutes minimum this morning with about an hour to gain later on. Allow for this if you are travelling up, bring a brollie and make sure that you bring a coat too

The crowds are much bigger than yesterday, and I'm going to leave the warmth of the circuit office now and catch the next Civic race.

Cheers

[Stuart]

Rain, and a bloody great oil leak, have stopped play. It's been slippery for the last hour and then one of the club Time Attack cars decided to spew oil literally all around the circuit. The circuit are having to use their clean up kit (tractor with detergent) and make sure that all 1.9 miles is scrubbed. This may take a while............as in hours. Arse. Judging by the number of Time Attack cars with mud, grass and rural trimmings attached it was a very sensible thing to red flag proceedings for a while.

Team TNT are probably on the A14 by now, having taken the wise decision to get a wiggle on and leave early. They were pleased with the weekend overall and I think the next six months before the race or Time Attack season will yield some interesting choices.

I have no idea what knock on effect this will have on the timetable, but chances are everything will take a bit of a hit from here or should that be

So, hiding here in the warm office, I have just heard over the tannoy that the Time Attack Club qualifying session has been declared as a wet one (no shit) and they will allow participants the full 15 minutes, resetting any previously completed times. Seeing as the times for the session, prior to the stoppage, ranged from 1.42 (Bullen) to 2.21 (Buckmaster) not including Cantello's funny old 4.00 dead?!, I really can't see any decent times being posted from here so it will come down to a battle of bottle now, with the points table looking very close in some spots, there could be some very brave driving as the afternoon stretches out.

I don't mind admitting that I may well be monitoring times from the comfort of my sofa later on, with the open fire roaring and my feet up

[Stuart]

Tucked up in the warm I can update you on the TA Club qualifying

The only two cars really getting a wiggle on were Shimmin and Kemp, in their respective Impreza and Evo. The fastest times on the sodden Snetterton 200, were passing backwards and forwards like a game of ping pong until Marc Kemp bagged a 1.32 something right towards the end of the session. There was a 22 second spread from fastest to slowest. Even the mighty 900bhp GTR couldn't get close to that 1.32, clocking about 1.40 (got bored and went off for a cuppa, sorry.)

The Club Pro and Pro class are just about to go out now, and this should be more interesting. Lots of the top guys are close on points so this session will be very important.

Oh yeah, I heard from one of the guys in NR Autosport's team that Gavin Renshaw clocked 162mph on the back straight when he was supposed to be taking it easy (This was while he was doing a 1.16!) I should add that this was in the dry.

I've deliberately taken a while to post this and that session of qualy is done now! Renshaw cleaned up with a 1.29, Morris with the 32 GTR was next with a 1.32, then Doyle with the K-Sport Impreza 1.32.9 and Dunk with the BC Impreza 1.33.4. Steve Peel came in with a 1.42 which puts him down in 11th.

The car park and traders areas are pretty much clear now, which is a great shame. Many of the drivers are still to make their big push for success, with the Civic Cup race still to come, as well as the Club and Pro class finals for Time Attack.

[pablo]

Got back about an hour ago but it took a while to get everything unpacked. A full report will be going up later tonight.