Anyone know of a big open space?
Discussion
I am looking for a big open space in which to practice some car control, testing the car at its limits, in safety. Track days are quite good, and I've got one lined up, but you can't intentionally hoon around quite so much with all those other people around you, can you, and there are still things to hit. I'm looking for something I can do in the evenings after work when I'm bored, as I sometimes like to go for drives then.
I've spent some time on google earth looking for big open spaces but haven't come up with a lot. We have tried a deserted industrial park using the roundabouts, but felt a bit like chavs
- and there was the odd security van around!
The best car parks all have CCTV and lamp posts in the middle of them, are a bit too close to civilization and usually they're not really big enough for anything but low speed antics anyway.
Something like a lorry parking/storage area, an old airfield - although the ones I've been to have completely wrecked tarmac - or similar would be perfect. If anyone knows or has access to one I'm sure we could come to an arragement!
It would only be for a little while really, just me
.
Any other suggestions?
I've spent some time on google earth looking for big open spaces but haven't come up with a lot. We have tried a deserted industrial park using the roundabouts, but felt a bit like chavs
- and there was the odd security van around! The best car parks all have CCTV and lamp posts in the middle of them, are a bit too close to civilization and usually they're not really big enough for anything but low speed antics anyway.
Something like a lorry parking/storage area, an old airfield - although the ones I've been to have completely wrecked tarmac - or similar would be perfect. If anyone knows or has access to one I'm sure we could come to an arragement!
It would only be for a little while really, just me
. Any other suggestions?
Big open space, how about inside the head of the van driver that destroyed my HSV in Brislington.
Police weren't interested as it appeared to be a blow out on the van's d/s front tyre. The van driver admitted that she lost control of the van in a signed statement taken at the scene of the accident.
Later she changes her story & says that it was all my fault! Despite the fact that there was an independent witness, numerous police attended the scene (where it was blatantly obvious that the van had crashed into me) in addition to paramedics, fireman etc.
End result, van driver goes to court & gets banned plus a big fine.
Sorry about the rant, it would have been a nice afternoon for exercising the 540 horses that lived under the HSV's bonnet and sometimes I miss it.
Police weren't interested as it appeared to be a blow out on the van's d/s front tyre. The van driver admitted that she lost control of the van in a signed statement taken at the scene of the accident.
Later she changes her story & says that it was all my fault! Despite the fact that there was an independent witness, numerous police attended the scene (where it was blatantly obvious that the van had crashed into me) in addition to paramedics, fireman etc.
End result, van driver goes to court & gets banned plus a big fine.
Sorry about the rant, it would have been a nice afternoon for exercising the 540 horses that lived under the HSV's bonnet and sometimes I miss it.
A57 HSV said:
Big open space, how about inside the head of the van driver that destroyed my HSV in Brislington.
Police weren't interested as it appeared to be a blow out on the van's d/s front tyre. The van driver admitted that she lost control of the van in a signed statement taken at the scene of the accident.
Later she changes her story & says that it was all my fault! Despite the fact that there was an independent witness, numerous police attended the scene (where it was blatantly obvious that the van had crashed into me) in addition to paramedics, fireman etc.
End result, van driver goes to court & gets banned plus a big fine.
Sorry about the rant, it would have been a nice afternoon for exercising the 540 horses that lived under the HSV's bonnet and sometimes I miss it.
Police weren't interested as it appeared to be a blow out on the van's d/s front tyre. The van driver admitted that she lost control of the van in a signed statement taken at the scene of the accident.
Later she changes her story & says that it was all my fault! Despite the fact that there was an independent witness, numerous police attended the scene (where it was blatantly obvious that the van had crashed into me) in addition to paramedics, fireman etc.
End result, van driver goes to court & gets banned plus a big fine.
Sorry about the rant, it would have been a nice afternoon for exercising the 540 horses that lived under the HSV's bonnet and sometimes I miss it.
Nice rant matey...zoidberg said:
I think a guy might do some "after hours" testing of his Ferrari 308 at Kemble Airfield near Cirencester. I know that Super Aguri ran a test there once a few months ago as well. Might be worth a shot?
This is a shot I took of his car by the control tower about a year or so ago:
This is a shot I took of his car by the control tower about a year or so ago:
Great looking car.
A company I am friends with have a unit at Kemble for testing Merlin engines. I asked about doing a bit of 'track testing' on the airfield and apparently the locals complain if they hear cars being driven quickly there. But then, they were trying it with a '60s Brabham single seater race car so... might I be OK in a road car? What if it was wet, it should be pretty quiet?
pentoman said:
Great looking car.
A company I am friends with have a unit at Kemble for testing Merlin engines. I asked about doing a bit of 'track testing' on the airfield and apparently the locals complain if they hear cars being driven quickly there. But then, they were trying it with a '60s Brabham single seater race car so... might I be OK in a road car? What if it was wet, it should be pretty quiet?
A company I am friends with have a unit at Kemble for testing Merlin engines. I asked about doing a bit of 'track testing' on the airfield and apparently the locals complain if they hear cars being driven quickly there. But then, they were trying it with a '60s Brabham single seater race car so... might I be OK in a road car? What if it was wet, it should be pretty quiet?
I suppose that the average roadcar is far quieter than the planes that take off from there. The airfield is only bordered on one side by the outskirts of the village, so over on the far side I wouldn't imagine they'd hear too much.
Apart from the noise though, it is a working airfield, so I'm not sure when there would be a window to use a car without planes coming and going. And I would imagine, in this Health and Safety society, they probably wouldn't allow anything without ambulances, fire engines, cotton wool balls and so on...
Please do let me know how you get on - I'm only about 5 miles from there.
if the noise is a big (standard!...) issue, i guess it's not even worth trying to bag a day for a properly hosted 1/4 or mile event (H&S, food, etc all planned and organised) for say 100 performance cars???
if F1 cars can get on the strip, why not other high performance 4 wheeled machines?:
www.kemble.com/KembleAirServices/Pages/Commercial/MotoringFacility.aspx
if F1 cars can get on the strip, why not other high performance 4 wheeled machines?:
www.kemble.com/KembleAirServices/Pages/Commercial/MotoringFacility.aspx
My colleague is trying to find out if we could hire that. Apparently the local residents complain at any noise now according to my housemate that lives there, but a few years ago they used to be able to drive cars there. Obviously PH will be first port of call if we do get something.
I did get on kemble once for a flying lesson....
In the meantime I'm going to a north weald airfield day on 11th May. Only £35, can't complain.
I did get on kemble once for a flying lesson....
In the meantime I'm going to a north weald airfield day on 11th May. Only £35, can't complain.
zed sump said:
if the noise is a big (standard!...) issue, i guess it's not even worth trying to bag a day for a properly hosted 1/4 or mile event (H&S, food, etc all planned and organised) for say 100 performance cars???
BBC Local news last night reported that some Kemble locals were raising objections over flights out of Kemble on the grounds of noise. So the airfield might not wish to do anything at the moment that might rock the boat.
chim666 said:
zed sump said:
if the noise is a big (standard!...) issue, i guess it's not even worth trying to bag a day for a properly hosted 1/4 or mile event (H&S, food, etc all planned and organised) for say 100 performance cars???
BBC Local news last night reported that some Kemble locals were raising objections over flights out of Kemble on the grounds of noise. So the airfield might not wish to do anything at the moment that might rock the boat.
Yep, there's a big thing about it in the local rag this week. Ridiculous really. I live a couple of miles away and have never been disturbed by aircraft. The usual story of the minority trying to ruin it for the majority (see also Castle Combe).
A large company (I may have heard about through someone I met down the pub whose name I do not know ) had provisionally booked Kemble for a day for a test of a rather noisy thing (3 jet engines worth of noise). Ironically it was for a noise test with because it is large and in quiet area. So if you can book it for the whole day for something that noisy there must be a chance. It gets used for track days anyway.
Seperately I've often thought that there must be areas of land where no-one would give a stuff about cars doing their stuff that should be bought and turned into PH test tracks, e.g, land by a motorway or the ground near a nuclear power station. Or how about inside an old disused quarry which would block out noise?
edited to add ' Or am I thinking of Keevil
'
) had provisionally booked Kemble for a day for a test of a rather noisy thing (3 jet engines worth of noise). Ironically it was for a noise test with because it is large and in quiet area. So if you can book it for the whole day for something that noisy there must be a chance. It gets used for track days anyway. Seperately I've often thought that there must be areas of land where no-one would give a stuff about cars doing their stuff that should be bought and turned into PH test tracks, e.g, land by a motorway or the ground near a nuclear power station. Or how about inside an old disused quarry which would block out noise?
edited to add ' Or am I thinking of Keevil
' Edited by chris_tivver on Thursday 5th April 22:11
Porsche do their extended driving courses at Kemble (well they did up until August last year) both myself and my husband have been their a few times and the instructors actually encourage you to rag the cars
. Its usually only a hour or so slot and have no idea about how much it costs but might be worth giving them a try, Can't see why the locals would complain about the noise from cars when the intercity 125's that stop there every half an hour create enough noise to deafen anyone within a hundred yards.
. Its usually only a hour or so slot and have no idea about how much it costs but might be worth giving them a try, Can't see why the locals would complain about the noise from cars when the intercity 125's that stop there every half an hour create enough noise to deafen anyone within a hundred yards.Gassing Station | South West | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff