I've been out today.....guess where?

[shimmy]

Just a teaser. Who knows what I've been up to?

This



Here

[O'Neill]

I heard, this morning you went out dressed like the stig.

[shimmy]

Originally Posted by O'Neill

I heard, this morning you went out dressed like the stig.

Fat Stig.....

[billyboysm3]

Northwield airfield sprints?

[Yanto]

G.A.Y ??

Then stopped by NW on way homo.....sorry, home ?

[CraigMillwardCroft]

Originally Posted by Yanto

G.A.Y ??

Then stopped by NW on way homo.....sorry, home ?

[shane@mbtech]

Where you have been is irrelevant, how you did is important

[O'Neill]

Write up and pics

[O'Neill]

Originally Posted by O'Neill

I heard, this morning you went out dressed like the stig.

Forgot to add, playing Eye of the tiger full blast

[shimmy]

Not many pics sorry.


So I thought as Lawsy suggested, I'd do a few sprints this year. ONeill and I went to see pinkpanther008 and Andye30m3 last year to see what it is all about and we had a go at the MSV How Fast last year and I thought it might be a good way of getting some competition without spending £000s.

I joined a car club last week (a bit like joining G.A.Y- thanks for the recommendation Yanto) and applied for my Non Race National B Sprint Licence which came Friday, so after a quick check of the weather forecast I rang and booked myself on this Sundays Sprint at North Weald in Essex run by Green Belt Motor Club as part of the regional sprint champs. Total cost was about £50 licence, £10 championship entrance, £63 Sprint entrance. Fuel virtually nil and same with tyre and brake wear. I had to make a timing strutt and buy some race numbers but tbh you could do this with your printer and some old scraps of plastic. It doesn't need to be brilliant.

I knew that in group A5 (production car RWD 2litre plus) that there was some pretty good pork and other cars last year so I had no great ambition other than to set at east one time and not look like a knob.

We had about 50 cars altogether there from Saxos to Ferrari plus slick shod single seaters and top spec Caterhams in between. Our class had 10 cars (biggest class) and included;

996GT3, 997GT3RS, MR2, Ferrari 360 x2, Ferrari 355, Ford Focus, Triumph TR8, Porsche 944, plus my CSL.

A pretty tight course, stop and go type of corners so it was not going to be easy. Two parctice runs and one timed run in the morning and the two timed runs in the afternoon, normally about 50 mins between laps.

My first practice run was about 92s but I did not really try, just attempting to get the course learned. Second particle run about 88s I think.

It was obvious that the 996GT3 was top dollar and full race spec or very close. It was consisitently 5secs faster than anything in our group and he had one the champs for the last 5 years and had been doing this for 30-40 years. So I forgot about him very quickly.

Next was a 997Gt3RS with 460bhp and (lovely drk blue and gold) and a Triumph TR8 at 1100kg and 320 bhp compared to my 355bhp wearing cold hard as nails Cups

So my timed runs went ok, first one was a 85s run and left me 4th in class behind the three cars above. The Gt3 was around 80s so uncatchable(this time out) and the TR8 at 83s also looked too far away, but the 997RS was only a second or so faster.

Next run was after a small shower and the course seemed to run a bit slower for a few kf us and times were about 87s.

Last run I tried a couple of new lines trying to use the power by getting the course laid out so it could be applied earlier. Not easy as brakes and tyres were cold every run. It went well and managed an 83.78s.

The 996gt3 was now down to 78s and the TR8 had only just managed to stay ahead of me by 0.5s BUT I had beaten the 7RS by a second or so. He didn't look happy. the winner told me that last year the 7RS drier had written letters to the organisers stating all the rule infringements on his car so now I know what to expect.

Conclusion

So overall it was a good day. The adrenalin flows for sure and the runs do bring a pretty big high for a short period. The people there are friendly and real petrolheads. Costs are low. Some of the cars are bonkers, 500kg and 400bhp.

Downsides are that it is a long day for not much track time. I was there 8am to 4pm (stayed late to pick up my 3rd place trophy) and had 10km (5 runs) all day. I think it really needs a few mates to do it together so you can talk bullshit I between runs and get the BBQ on in the sun.

Next one will probably be RAF Honnington in Norfolk on Sunday 13th May and Snetterton in June. Who's in?