10 & 11 December @ Taupo

[Kiwi XTR2]

Got back from the PlayDay at Taupo. It was WET !!! Properly wet with little rivers across the track in places.

The Westie performed brilliantly . . . as a kiddies paddling pool. On my last session I decided that taking the left-hander off the back straight was just being far too predictable, so instead I did a high-speed inspection of the dragstrip staging area

Maurice's diesel Jetta must have been one of the quickest cars out there. Getting a pax lap in a LHD is great because not only can you do the usual passenger braking you're also in the 'right' seat.

Hopefully the lads who are staying down there to run tomorrow will get some better weather.

[kjl996]

Beautiful car you have there. I only went out on the track a few times (crappy looking silver MX5)then gave up, car back on trailer and set off for Hamilton. Half way home before I got a MMS of a very bent looking MX5!

[Kiwi XTR2]

There was also a GTO crunched in the same incident. Not nice !!!

Lots of cars bailed out as the rain got worse. The wind picked up mid-afternoon and a dry-ish line developed quite quickly.

[Kylie]

Spoke to George M last night and he still had a blast despite the rain and said how the car went really well.
James Smiths car sounds like it gets up and goes Seen it last Sunday - looks a treat!!

[Esprit]

Just got back....

Monday was WET... I ran in the morning in the wet and had great fun exploring the handling limits, but once most of the track was physically under-water and I was aquaplaning at anything over 50km/h I decided to sit the rest of the day out. Had a bit of a play later on in the day once it dried out a tiny bit. Ian Wlson's Elise sadly aquaplaned into the wall (right after I'd decided to call it quits), thankfully he got off VERY likely given the circumstances.

Today was better, it stayed dry, and after a mornign of driver training exercises, they ran open-track.... Exige acquitted itself fairly well, and the 6 Loti that were in attendance all had some great battles.... that machine of James's is VERY impressive... I could hold him for most of the track with my better handling (he's on street rubber) but the moment the car gets a sniff of a straight line then WHAMMO, he's gone.

Ian Wilson took some video of our last session playing together with what promises to be some very interesting footage Will link it once he's posted it on Youtube.

[Richard Gee]

Now that was a very cool trackday.

Very good to meet Andy. Numbers of our little plastic pigs are going up :-) Two S1s, two S1 Exiges, two S2s... I want more more more!!! :-)

Anglebox was my favourite. And always good fun when you get a little group going fast that you trust and start burning off stuff like GT3s, CSLs and RS4s..

[Esprit]

Video footage is up

Shot from on board Ian Wilson's Honda-Powered Elise. My car's the one directly in front at the start of the video and Richard Gee's car is the one in front of me... was a fun run for sure

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsGkdLjd4bo

[Kiwi XTR2]

Esprit said:

Video footage is up

Shot from on board Ian Wilson's Honda-Powered Elise. My car's the one directly in front at the start of the video and Richard Gee's car is the one in front of me... was a fun run for sure

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsGkdLjd4bo

Forgot to ask what happened to Ian's Elise ???

[Esprit]

What do you mean what happened to it? That was it there on the video

[Kiwi XTR2]

Esprit said:

What do you mean what happened to it? That was it there on the video

He seems to be having some kind of a mechanical at the end of the video

[Esprit]

Kiwi XTR2 said:

Esprit said:

What do you mean what happened to it? That was it there on the video

He seems to be having some kind of a mechanical at the end of the video

Like it says in the comments... the noise disappeared never to return.... given that it piped up after a lock-up and he's on old tyres I'd be surprised if it wasn't a strip of rubber off one of the tyres flailing around.


My Exige is broken now too... developed a coolant leak after that session... tracked it down, now just needa fix it

[Roger A]

so what is this mystery vehicle that James Smith is in now?

[Esprit]

Roger A said:

so what is this mystery vehicle that James Smith is in now?

No mystery, it's a Silver S2 Elise RT with Honda engine and a supercharger..... FCUKING MENTAL!

[Roger A]

can I have one Santa? Oh, hang on a minute.. I can't drive my car properly yet....

[Kiwi XTR2]

Roger A said:

can I have one Santa? Oh, hang on a minute.. I can't drive my car properly yet....

Mad Driving Skilz are on back-order . . . I asked

[Esprit]

Kiwi XTR2 said:

Roger A said:

can I have one Santa? Oh, hang on a minute.. I can't drive my car properly yet....

Mad Driving Skilz are on back-order . . . I asked

It's because they're trying to fill a HUGE bulk-order for me given my enormous lack of natural ability.

[Kylie]

Esprit said:

Video footage is up

Shot from on board Ian Wilson's Honda-Powered Elise. My car's the one directly in front at the start of the video and Richard Gee's car is the one in front of me... was a fun run for sure

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsGkdLjd4bo

Thanks for sharing guys, nice bit driving, I love seeing this kind of stuff.
Hope Ians car was ok...??

[Esprit]

Kylie said:

Esprit said:

Video footage is up

Shot from on board Ian Wilson's Honda-Powered Elise. My car's the one directly in front at the start of the video and Richard Gee's car is the one in front of me... was a fun run for sure

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsGkdLjd4bo

Thanks for sharing guys, nice bit driving, I love seeing this kind of stuff.
Hope Ians car was ok...??

Aside from where he stuffed it into the wall on the Monday, it's just fine. Damage from that was pretty minor, and that footage was taken on the tuesday. The mystery noise never resurfaced so we're at a loss to explain it.