Bedford Saturday 19th NOV
Discussion
Hbaumhardt: I heard that the Silverstone day was REALLY slippery. Someone postulated that they must have driven a caterham round dumping oil on the track so that LOT would have to fork out for new armco barriers! I gather a boxster was written off. I hope bedford will be safer - not keen to stack the car!
Forcast so far is for COLD (4 C) but sunny. I thought it would be worth a plod so I can have more fun at the LOT day. Thanks for the tips.
Forcast so far is for COLD (4 C) but sunny. I thought it would be worth a plod so I can have more fun at the LOT day. Thanks for the tips.
Andrew nice to meet you. Sorry I didn't get you out for a pax ride - ran out of time at the end of the day
I actually went for a pax ride in another RS myself and had an ephipany right at the end. Suddenly gained loads of speed through the corners and got comfortable with being sideways. A pax ride now will be more entertaining than if we'd managed to sort one out today
Howdy all - it was a great day. I am humbled by my own driving talent - or rather my complete and utter and total lack of it. Bedford was a great venue - weather was bright and sunny, freezing initially, but warmed up nicely during the middle of the day. Loads of run-off and for the most part everyone was well behaved. The drive up was horrendous - started with an accident about 200m in front of me where a car must have hit ice on the M25 around Watford. Police car happened to be there as it happened - car was on its roof and completely flattened - I asked if I could offer medical assistance but was waved through. It was not a good note on which to start the day.
The rest of the drive was really icy to say the least. We waited until the track warmed up and started with familiarisation laps - it was damp in places all day, but mostly dry. I met up with Hbaumhardt - top bloke! - who took me under his wing both with passenger laps showing me how it was done and then as a passenger in my car while his cooled down. He really gave me invaluable advice and was great company. I tried to video it, but found when I got home, that the camera was pointing too far off to the right, so was essentially a waste of time.
There were Noble's, loads of Porsches including DanH's GT3 RS - I was glad to see him really pushing!! There was an ultima with 550bhp and 6.3l that wnet sideways at times - deep repect to the driver! The most sobering part of the day was sitting as a passenger in Hbaumhardt's car - he was smooth as silk and really quick - overtaking exiges, an M3 CSL and just about everything else there bar the Nobles and Porsches whose straight line grunt was impressive. It made me feel like "Driving Miss Daisy" when it was my turn. I started to get the hang of it with Hb's instruction, including managing a spin after lifting off on a wet corner I was overshooting. I reiterate my thanks in addition for the great company. It also made me realise how a standard 111s with a good driver could pulverise exiges etc. If he gets nitrons and oz's, watch out! I think I need far more in the way of driver upgrades before worrying about the car. It was great to wind it up though and found that in a straight I lost nothing to the exiges and was surprised how fast I pulled away from a 3.0l Z4 on the straight. There were loads of spins in the latter part of the day, but apart from a scooby that did its big end bearing, no damage.
It was a great day all round and I can't wait for 10 december where I will try to bring some courage and will enquire whether the NHS can do me a talent transplant. I will never knock the 111s again - it is a really fast car in the hands of a good driver.
All in all we must get the BOLOC's lads out to Bedford next year.
The rest of the drive was really icy to say the least. We waited until the track warmed up and started with familiarisation laps - it was damp in places all day, but mostly dry. I met up with Hbaumhardt - top bloke! - who took me under his wing both with passenger laps showing me how it was done and then as a passenger in my car while his cooled down. He really gave me invaluable advice and was great company. I tried to video it, but found when I got home, that the camera was pointing too far off to the right, so was essentially a waste of time.
There were Noble's, loads of Porsches including DanH's GT3 RS - I was glad to see him really pushing!! There was an ultima with 550bhp and 6.3l that wnet sideways at times - deep repect to the driver! The most sobering part of the day was sitting as a passenger in Hbaumhardt's car - he was smooth as silk and really quick - overtaking exiges, an M3 CSL and just about everything else there bar the Nobles and Porsches whose straight line grunt was impressive. It made me feel like "Driving Miss Daisy" when it was my turn. I started to get the hang of it with Hb's instruction, including managing a spin after lifting off on a wet corner I was overshooting. I reiterate my thanks in addition for the great company. It also made me realise how a standard 111s with a good driver could pulverise exiges etc. If he gets nitrons and oz's, watch out! I think I need far more in the way of driver upgrades before worrying about the car. It was great to wind it up though and found that in a straight I lost nothing to the exiges and was surprised how fast I pulled away from a 3.0l Z4 on the straight. There were loads of spins in the latter part of the day, but apart from a scooby that did its big end bearing, no damage.
It was a great day all round and I can't wait for 10 december where I will try to bring some courage and will enquire whether the NHS can do me a talent transplant. I will never knock the 111s again - it is a really fast car in the hands of a good driver.
All in all we must get the BOLOC's lads out to Bedford next year.
DanH - sorry, I missed your post above - nice to meet you today. I enjoyed your sideways activity near the end - buddy, fear is not in your vocabulary. It must have been quite an epiphany - you were visibly quicker in the last half hour. I especially liked your 360 on the hairpin in front of the paddock. Did not seem to deter you though, you looked to be even faster the next lap! For a brief moment earlier in the day I thought I was catching you - but you were pulling into the pits - serious wishful thinking on my part! I did however overtake the tuscan S - though I should admit that he was going backwards off the track at the time. You GT3's and the Tuscan were easily the fastest cars on the straight.
shangani said:
DanH - sorry, I missed your post above - nice to meet you today. I enjoyed your sideways activity near the end - buddy, fear is not in your vocabulary. It must have been quite an epiphany - you were visibly quicker in the last half hour. I especially liked your 360 on the hairpin in front of the paddock. Did not seem to deter you though, you looked to be even faster the next lap! For a brief moment earlier in the day I thought I was catching you - but you were pulling into the pits - serious wishful thinking on my part! I did however overtake the tuscan S - though I should admit that he was going backwards off the track at the time. You GT3's and the Tuscan were easily the fastest cars on the straight.
lol you spotted my spin - I suppose it was a bit of a public place to do it
I ran out of steering lock trying to entertain Neil (M400 owner I went to the trackday with). You're right though, it was a huge ephiphany, I suddenly realised what you could do in an RS having done a pax lap with this nutter in a red RS - he took every corner sideways and overtook everything we came across including the ultima. Anyway he told me to stop damaging RS residuals by being slow - I took the advise to heart and I'm still grinning. Was a great trackday and nice to meet so many people. Some of the Elises were suprisingly quick, especially through the tighter complex which doesn't depends so much on outright acceleration.
Yes - I was well impressed with some of the elises. Hbaumhardt - who overtook just about everything, and perhaps even faster on the twisties were two blokes in a 135R (LSS + A048s) who made me think I was looking for parking - especially on the last 4 or 5 corners before the pit entrance. I never got to grips with the last corner though! Most importantly everyone was well behaved, noone damaged and everyone wearing broad grins all day. My work colleague who came down looked utterly shocked when he went on a few pax laps in Hbaumhardt's elise. I don't think he had appreciated how fast the car is. I think a trip in yours would have finished him off altogether especially in the last hour!
That last corner is just tricky as if you come off the grass is not very nice. I've been accidently sideways there a few times having lifted when I thought I was running out of track. In fact back in my Elise days I think I came off! If you really want to go faster through it and you are already getting the car balanced right etc, then its just a case of entering it wider - the really quick people drop at least one side of their car off the main bit of the track on the right before turn the turn in area (theres a long concrete apron you can use).
Shangani, thanks for the kind words 
its practice rather than skill in my case. Having learnt on an Chimaera which is, well, not the most responsive chassis the Elise makes me look good. Get those photos over to me chop chop and I'll post some chase-cam video.
PS that last corner before the temporary pits it the only place I have *ever* spun at Bedford (natchly liftoff oversteer coming in too hot), and with a suspicious damp patch lingering all day I took it quite easy.
its practice rather than skill in my case. Having learnt on an Chimaera which is, well, not the most responsive chassis the Elise makes me look good. Get those photos over to me chop chop and I'll post some chase-cam video. PS that last corner before the temporary pits it the only place I have *ever* spun at Bedford (natchly liftoff oversteer coming in too hot), and with a suspicious damp patch lingering all day I took it quite easy.
Interesting last question - static noise test was 91dB at the gate at about 4800 rpm - so 10 dB below the limit. However when Hbaumhart was giving me pointers while passengering in my car, they told me we had tripped the driveby limiter. However, we thought that this was due to the race prepped porsche overtaking at the time - the combined noise was probably enough.
Hb has a larini as well - we gave it welly and there were no other problems. Hb - I will email the pics later - my video was a waste of time - it was pointing too far to right - nice view of the scenery as well. Will be ordering a mount tomorrow.
Hb has a larini as well - we gave it welly and there were no other problems. Hb - I will email the pics later - my video was a waste of time - it was pointing too far to right - nice view of the scenery as well. Will be ordering a mount tomorrow.
Great day 
It was good to see some old faces and meet some new ones.
Dan – sorry I didn’t come and say hello in the end, what with the late start and two drivers we spent pretty much all day on track. Pleased to hear that you are getting to know and enjoy the RS. It takes a while but well worth the effort.
-martin (blue 135R)
It was good to see some old faces and meet some new ones. Dan – sorry I didn’t come and say hello in the end, what with the late start and two drivers we spent pretty much all day on track. Pleased to hear that you are getting to know and enjoy the RS. It takes a while but well worth the effort.
-martin (blue 135R)
mart1n said:
Great day
Dan – sorry I didn’t come and say hello in the end, what with the late start and two drivers we spent pretty much all day on track. Pleased to hear that you are getting to know and enjoy the RS. It takes a while but well worth the effort.
-martin (blue 135R)
Ah I saw you out on track. You were quick in that Elise! How was Snetterton today?
I'm glad I got Dean to take me out. It made all the difference seeing what the car ought to be doing on track, it all suddenly clicked for me. Still buzzing from it. Its awesome how sideways you can get a 911
>> Edited by DanH on Monday 21st November 00:27
Martin - hats off to you and your co-driver. You were an inspiration as to what is possible. Some of the smoothest, quickest driving I saw all day. I was left wondering if I should trade in the elise for a family wagon! I will persist though and will hopefully get quicker as I adjust to the track environment.
Dan – Snetterton was last week with RMA. It was another excellent day but was cut short for me when I wore my front pads right down to (and partly through!) the backplates after having some fun chasing the guy in the red Ultima, who was also at Bedford yesterday (I was in my RS then). Don’t think I’ll ignore the pad wear light in the future
Shangani – thanks for the compliment but I’ve got no real talent, just been round that circuit 1000s of times. Stick with it and you’ll soon be going just as quick.
I’ve just booked for December 17th, anyone else?
Shangani – thanks for the compliment but I’ve got no real talent, just been round that circuit 1000s of times. Stick with it and you’ll soon be going just as quick.
I’ve just booked for December 17th, anyone else?
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