RAF Marham Track Day Weekend
Discussion
Hi all - As with the event I organised last year (which hit pistonheads late), plenty of notice this time that I am organising another Charity Track Day weekend at RAF Marham, on 22/23 April – the last one was very successful and much enjoyed by those who came, so it would be foolish to miss it. The track day weekend last year raised £6,000 and the funds raised from this one will again go to selected charities – not entirely sure which they will be yet for this year, but to give you an idea, last year they were the RAF Benevolent fund, Marham First Response Paramedic Team and the East Anglia Air Ambulance.
A certain Ultima driver can testify to it being an ideal venue for a track day. The airfield's main runway is one and a half miles long and over 75 metres wide - dead straight, smooth tarmac - enormous fun driving it and plenty of distance to not only achieve terminal velocity, but to hold it there for as long as you wish as the end of the runway looms! The aircraft taxiway, which connects the two ends of the runway, is a similar width and surface, and provides a further two and a half miles of uninterrupted tarmac, providing a proper full circuit of 4 miles in all. As a whole, the shape is roughly triangular, but with the width of the runway and taxiway there is ample scope to create everything from sweeping curves to chicanes. For those who came before, there will be some more curvy bits to add to the challenge.
Likely to run it to roughly the same timings as before, from around 1000 to 1600 on both days, with sessions of around 30 minutes (minimum of 6 sessions for all). All the necessary facilities, such as toilets, catering, drinks, marshalling and medical cover to support the event are available, and given the distance that some had to travel to fill up with Optimax during the day last time, I am going to try and get Shell Optimax or BP Ultimate petrol available on the Station itself for the weekend. The Station’s kart club will open its doors to visitors, and the Gliding Club will probably offer air experience flights again. The event is organised and run properly, with appropriate public liability cover for participants.
So, fellow members, gather together and exercise your steeds, classic or modern, in the way that was intended when they were built. All this will be for the princely sum of around £60 on the Saturday and probably £40 for the Sunday as we will need to finish in tme for me to reinstate the aiorfield for use on the Monday morning! Incredibly good value when you compare that to normal track day costs. Everyone gets a good chunk of the time available – preferably as much as they want and the machinery will stand, but that will depend on how many cars there are in total. No money needed yet, but what I really need to know now before I commit my time/effort again and get on with any further planning/organising, and provide more detail for the event is quite simply how many Pistonheads would be sufficiently interested to go beyond the “great idea” response and actually participate?
Please post your responses as part of this thread, but please keep the posts on topic and relatively brief at this stage. Naturally, I am happy to answer questions about the event itself on this thread.
All the best for now,
MG Mark
A certain Ultima driver can testify to it being an ideal venue for a track day. The airfield's main runway is one and a half miles long and over 75 metres wide - dead straight, smooth tarmac - enormous fun driving it and plenty of distance to not only achieve terminal velocity, but to hold it there for as long as you wish as the end of the runway looms! The aircraft taxiway, which connects the two ends of the runway, is a similar width and surface, and provides a further two and a half miles of uninterrupted tarmac, providing a proper full circuit of 4 miles in all. As a whole, the shape is roughly triangular, but with the width of the runway and taxiway there is ample scope to create everything from sweeping curves to chicanes. For those who came before, there will be some more curvy bits to add to the challenge.
Likely to run it to roughly the same timings as before, from around 1000 to 1600 on both days, with sessions of around 30 minutes (minimum of 6 sessions for all). All the necessary facilities, such as toilets, catering, drinks, marshalling and medical cover to support the event are available, and given the distance that some had to travel to fill up with Optimax during the day last time, I am going to try and get Shell Optimax or BP Ultimate petrol available on the Station itself for the weekend. The Station’s kart club will open its doors to visitors, and the Gliding Club will probably offer air experience flights again. The event is organised and run properly, with appropriate public liability cover for participants.
So, fellow members, gather together and exercise your steeds, classic or modern, in the way that was intended when they were built. All this will be for the princely sum of around £60 on the Saturday and probably £40 for the Sunday as we will need to finish in tme for me to reinstate the aiorfield for use on the Monday morning! Incredibly good value when you compare that to normal track day costs. Everyone gets a good chunk of the time available – preferably as much as they want and the machinery will stand, but that will depend on how many cars there are in total. No money needed yet, but what I really need to know now before I commit my time/effort again and get on with any further planning/organising, and provide more detail for the event is quite simply how many Pistonheads would be sufficiently interested to go beyond the “great idea” response and actually participate?
Please post your responses as part of this thread, but please keep the posts on topic and relatively brief at this stage. Naturally, I am happy to answer questions about the event itself on this thread.
All the best for now,
MG Mark
I'd certainly consider this if I'm free. I've never done a track day before and an airfield sounds ideal for a novice such as me as I presume the run offs will be far greater than a normal track?
Would there also be experienced peeps on hand to offer some form of instruction?
Saturday would suit me best.
Would there also be experienced peeps on hand to offer some form of instruction?
Saturday would suit me best.
Hi - well worth it for novices, as the run offs are enormous and onto grass, so the chances of any damage are negligible. A four-mile circuit means it isn't crowded either. No formal instruction on hand, but no doubt plenty of experienced hands, who would be willing to share knowledge and lead you round for a bit.
gtr-gaz said:
Hi Mark,
Nice to see you on here!! Put me down for that. Great fun at the last one
Gary
Hi Gary,
Was it this event where Ian filmed you getting to something like 180?
Darren
It was indeed.
It made Bruntingthorpe seem like a dirt track!!
Gary
LOL! It must be good then
I'd like to come along, but I've asked a Mark a couple of questions first.
Just looked on RAF Marham's website, and never knew it was quite so close to me (I live in Shipdham - 20 mins from Swaffham).
May see what a couple of friends are up to then as well, get them along
Darren
Mark YHM & Gary Y(will)HM when PH lets me send one! LOL
>> Edited by iluvmercs on Saturday 18th February 12:11
That's 4 Ultimas so far good stuff!
Oh and for those of you who have been out the country for the last 6 months and have'nt seen this video! www.pistonheads.tv/clip561
Gary
good stuff! Oh and for those of you who have been out the country for the last 6 months and have'nt seen this video! www.pistonheads.tv/clip561
Gary
A few comment/answers to those posted so far:
Gary - great to hear that you will be there again, and with other Ultimas as well
"I'd *love* to do this, but I'm going to be out of the country on those dates" - Sorry to hear that, but if your plans change, you know where to be..........
"I'd be up for taking the F150 down the track for some top speed stuff. Not sure it would be any good round the bendy stuff......" - should be fun/different in an F150! - not too much twisty bendy stuff, but enogh to make it both interesting and challenging.
"Are there any requirements for crash helmuts/race suits? Is spectating a possibility?" - You will need a helmet, normal seat belts as a minimum, and a fire extinguisher which will need to be secured in the car (that doesn't mean a plumbed in system). Race suits are not needed, but preferably natural fibre clothing with full sleeves and legs! Cars must be road legal with a current MOT or, if a race vehicle, licensed for a current MSA series. Depending on the response I get in terms of numbers from here, elsewhere and on the Station itself, I may run alternating car and bike sessions (as per last year on the Saturday), so if any of you want to bring a bike let me know. Sharing a car is OK (i.e. alternating drivers between sessions) and drivers are allowed to carry passengers, but they must also comply with regard to helmet, clothing etc. The entry fee is per car entered, not per driver but all drivers and passengers will need to sign a disclaimer. Spectating is not a possibility unless the individual is coming to assist someone who is driving (there is a hint there, but don't kick the a*rse out of it). The reason for this is quite simple - the event insurance premiums and Health & Safety requirements go through the roof astronomically - by restricting it to participants and assistants, it makes the vent manageable, safer and keeps the cost down to you.
"Might as well overtake a tornado or two" - for about the first 3,000 feet of the runway.......
All the best for now,
MG Mark
Gary - great to hear that you will be there again, and with other Ultimas as well
"I'd *love* to do this, but I'm going to be out of the country on those dates" - Sorry to hear that, but if your plans change, you know where to be..........
"I'd be up for taking the F150 down the track for some top speed stuff. Not sure it would be any good round the bendy stuff......" - should be fun/different in an F150! - not too much twisty bendy stuff, but enogh to make it both interesting and challenging.
"Are there any requirements for crash helmuts/race suits? Is spectating a possibility?" - You will need a helmet, normal seat belts as a minimum, and a fire extinguisher which will need to be secured in the car (that doesn't mean a plumbed in system). Race suits are not needed, but preferably natural fibre clothing with full sleeves and legs! Cars must be road legal with a current MOT or, if a race vehicle, licensed for a current MSA series. Depending on the response I get in terms of numbers from here, elsewhere and on the Station itself, I may run alternating car and bike sessions (as per last year on the Saturday), so if any of you want to bring a bike let me know. Sharing a car is OK (i.e. alternating drivers between sessions) and drivers are allowed to carry passengers, but they must also comply with regard to helmet, clothing etc. The entry fee is per car entered, not per driver but all drivers and passengers will need to sign a disclaimer. Spectating is not a possibility unless the individual is coming to assist someone who is driving (there is a hint there, but don't kick the a*rse out of it). The reason for this is quite simple - the event insurance premiums and Health & Safety requirements go through the roof astronomically - by restricting it to participants and assistants, it makes the vent manageable, safer and keeps the cost down to you.
"Might as well overtake a tornado or two" - for about the first 3,000 feet of the runway.......
All the best for now,
MG Mark
MG Mark said:
A few comment/answers to those posted so far:
You will need a helmet, normal seat belts as a minimum, and a fire extinguisher which will need to be secured in the car (that doesn't mean a plumbed in system). Race suits are not needed, but preferably natural fibre clothing with full sleeves and legs!
Hi Mark,
I'd like to come along in the Merc E320
Just to query a couple of bits....I don't own either a fire extinguisher or a crash helmet.....any ideas folks for where I can buy them, and whats good without being too expensive?! Also with regards to the extingisher, what do mean by "need to be secured in the car" Do you just mean in the boot, or actually fixed into the car in someway?
Nick P said:
fingers X'd i'm in too
Hi Nick,
Would be interesting to see how much quicker the M3 is over my E320, considering they have the same capacity and number of cylinders (altho you do have about 100bhp more than me! lol)
Cheers guys,
Darren
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