2.5-16 on track pics
Discussion
Hello Mercedes fans.
[url=www.edpphoto.com|EDP Photography[/url] were at a Castle Combe track day held for charity (NSPCC) that I attended on Saturday. They took some great pics, these were some of mine here..
www.edpphoto.com/ctdcombe07pm.HTML/ctdcombe07pm-0983.htm
www.edpphoto.com/ctdcombe07pm.HTML/ctdcombe07pm-0995.htm
www.edpphoto.com/ctdcombe07pm.HTML/ctdcombe07pm-1042.htm
www.edpphoto.com/ctdcombe07pm.HTML/ctdcombe07pm-1054.htm
www.edpphoto.com/ctdcombe07pm.HTML/ctdcombe07pm-1134.htm
www.edpphoto.com/ctdcombe07am.HTML/ctdcombe07am-0058.htm
www.edpphoto.com/ctdcombe07am.HTML/ctdcombe07am-0069.htm
www.edpphoto.com/ctdcombe07am.HTML/ctdcombe07am-0554.htm
It was my first track day and I enjoyed it immensely. I was very easy on the car of course, given its age. On quicker sessions oil temperatue crept up to 100 degrees (handy that guage!) which is presumably fine? I wasn't redlining it or braking heavily, the ABS never activated. I found it was fantastic handling - very balanced, mostly neither understeering nor oversteering although both were available using either steering or throttle. I know they were conceived for the track but I thought in standard, 16 year old road trim it might be a bit heavy, or understeer unwillingly. But it wasn't the case at all! I can see how they were very effective when racing.
I was in the novice group but to be honest everyone else that I encountered was going a lot slower than me once I had got my confidence in the final sessions - no doubt as all of their cars were rather more expensive! I caught and passed race prepared new Mini coopers, new Elises, Caterhams.. I think the entire days tuition with Mark Hales at Anglesey has worked wonders for my lines and this is where I made up time - I never encountered understeer and seemingly came out of every corner 10mph faster than everyone else. The benign and stable (yet still fun) nature of the car surely helped here, meaning you could use all the performance and really push on, taking liberties which you would think twice about in a lot of other cars.
Unfortunately in the last session an offside rear tyre blowout occured exiting the second chicane. This is a 3rd gear affair, probably about 65mph if taken with extreme prejudice. Fortunately no damage was done, but it shouldn't have happened to a 1 year old, ~10,000 mile Pirelli P6000 (P6s were the factory fit tyre I think) on a standard car, with standard rims and standard suspension... It was pretty scary.
[url=www.edpphoto.com|EDP Photography[/url] were at a Castle Combe track day held for charity (NSPCC) that I attended on Saturday. They took some great pics, these were some of mine here..
www.edpphoto.com/ctdcombe07pm.HTML/ctdcombe07pm-0983.htm
www.edpphoto.com/ctdcombe07pm.HTML/ctdcombe07pm-0995.htm
www.edpphoto.com/ctdcombe07pm.HTML/ctdcombe07pm-1042.htm
www.edpphoto.com/ctdcombe07pm.HTML/ctdcombe07pm-1054.htm
www.edpphoto.com/ctdcombe07pm.HTML/ctdcombe07pm-1134.htm
www.edpphoto.com/ctdcombe07am.HTML/ctdcombe07am-0058.htm
www.edpphoto.com/ctdcombe07am.HTML/ctdcombe07am-0069.htm
www.edpphoto.com/ctdcombe07am.HTML/ctdcombe07am-0554.htm
It was my first track day and I enjoyed it immensely. I was very easy on the car of course, given its age. On quicker sessions oil temperatue crept up to 100 degrees (handy that guage!) which is presumably fine? I wasn't redlining it or braking heavily, the ABS never activated. I found it was fantastic handling - very balanced, mostly neither understeering nor oversteering although both were available using either steering or throttle. I know they were conceived for the track but I thought in standard, 16 year old road trim it might be a bit heavy, or understeer unwillingly. But it wasn't the case at all! I can see how they were very effective when racing.
I was in the novice group but to be honest everyone else that I encountered was going a lot slower than me once I had got my confidence in the final sessions - no doubt as all of their cars were rather more expensive! I caught and passed race prepared new Mini coopers, new Elises, Caterhams.. I think the entire days tuition with Mark Hales at Anglesey has worked wonders for my lines and this is where I made up time - I never encountered understeer and seemingly came out of every corner 10mph faster than everyone else. The benign and stable (yet still fun) nature of the car surely helped here, meaning you could use all the performance and really push on, taking liberties which you would think twice about in a lot of other cars.
Unfortunately in the last session an offside rear tyre blowout occured exiting the second chicane. This is a 3rd gear affair, probably about 65mph if taken with extreme prejudice. Fortunately no damage was done, but it shouldn't have happened to a 1 year old, ~10,000 mile Pirelli P6000 (P6s were the factory fit tyre I think) on a standard car, with standard rims and standard suspension... It was pretty scary.
Edited by pentoman on Monday 29th January 16:08
pentoman said:
Unfortunately no damage was done
That's a typo, I assume, pentoman?
A good mini write up there! I like hearing about your good ol' 190E 2.5-16. This latest episode is just as good. Even if the car's down on power from new, it can still take on a track environment and relish it.
Darren
P.S.
How come the tow-hook cover is missing on the front bumper? Is it some sort of requirement for track days, to ensure quick recovery if you spin off? Or is it simply your car is missing it?
iluvmercs said:
pentoman said:
Unfortunately no damage was done
That's a typo, I assume, pentoman?
Oops, yes it is! I have corrected it. Very fortunate in many ways. My initial thoughts were just "oh damn I've overcooked it and broken something, I should have known that would happen, what an idiot". I also had some major butterflies in the stomach since rear tyre blowouts going hard on a track aren't very pleasant, and the possibilities aren't nice to think about. Also the Elise, Mini and Caterham I had just passed came up behind me rather quickly and I was worried they were going to hit me!
Here's me just a few laps earlier, in a little convoy.
iluvmercs said:
A good mini write up there! I like hearing about your good ol' 190E 2.5-16. This latest episode is just as good. Even if the car's down on power from new, it can still take on a track environment and relish it.
Darren
Cheers! I enjoy writing about it. It's amazing how few people even know what they are, except people who have owned them or are very into cars. At best people have heard of them but never seen them. So I hope to bring a bit of the 'mystery' to the real world with some of my musings!
Darren said:
P.S.
How come the tow-hook cover is missing on the front bumper? Is it some sort of requirement for track days, to ensure quick recovery if you spin off? Or is it simply your car is missing it?
Erm.... both! It should be exposed (attached if appropriate) for trackdays so they can tow you. But also the clips were broken on mine when my car was towed during its gearbox reconditioning; so the cover sits on my desk until I can sum up the courage to pay something extortionate for a new one, which also then needs painting :sigh:.
Excellent pics of your track day pentoman! I had considered taking my 2.5 16v on a track day but just a bit put off by the possibility of damaging it. I did my first 'bike track day session on my trusty Yamaha FZR1000EXUP and surprised myself as I got very much into it and was far quicker than I thought I could be. I bet the Merc would have the same effect. Nice to see one doing what they were essentially designed to do !
Incidentally, if you haven't already seen it, Mercedes Enthusiast Magazine has just run a fantastic, comprehansive article on the 2.5 16v (the car tested is a mirror image of mine so I am well pleased!). Looks like the auto-press is slowly waking up to the fact that the Merc Cosworths are under-rated gems.... not sure if that's a good thing or not ?!
799boy said:
Incidentally, if you haven't already seen it, Mercedes Enthusiast Magazine has just run a fantastic, comprehansive article on the 2.5 16v (the car tested is a mirror image of mine so I am well pleased!). Looks like the auto-press is slowly waking up to the fact that the Merc Cosworths are under-rated gems.... not sure if that's a good thing or not ?!
I think Mercedes Enthusiast has always had a soft spot for these Cosworths. Before the C43, they ran a 2.3-16 as a "running report" car. They are nice cars....I'd like to run one, someday
Darren
799boy said:
Excellent pics of your track day pentoman! I had considered taking my 2.5 16v on a track day but just a bit put off by the possibility of damaging it. I did my first 'bike track day session on my trusty Yamaha FZR1000EXUP and surprised myself as I got very much into it and was far quicker than I thought I could be. I bet the Merc would have the same effect. Nice to see one doing what they were essentially designed to do !
Incidentally, if you haven't already seen it, Mercedes Enthusiast Magazine has just run a fantastic, comprehansive article on the 2.5 16v (the car tested is a mirror image of mine so I am well pleased!). Looks like the auto-press is slowly waking up to the fact that the Merc Cosworths are under-rated gems.... not sure if that's a good thing or not ?!
I too was put off for a long time scared of an accident, but I actually found it very safe. Unless you start really pushing it, you're no more likely to damage it than driving on the road. In fact for my first couple of sessions it was just like driving on the road - I drove like I was on road, just went up to about 90 on the straights. One guy I went with drove all day with his radio on! With the wide track, runoff area and marshalls about you're much safer than on the road in fact.. In a novice group everyone seems to drive very steady and safe too, most people cruising around sensibly. I was impressed and found it surprisingly relaxing. Start pushing hard and it can go bad of course (like for me), but the 16v is VERY forgiving, at least in the dry. I bought mine with the intention of doing a trackday or two so I have an excuse... Look at it this way - your knowledge of the car and your driving overall will improve, so in the long term you'll be safer and less likely to have an accident
! Your car is in very nice condition though so it would be a shame should the very worst happen.799boy....I notice you're a Norfolkian, like myself 
Can I point you in the direction of the PH East Anglia forum, and www.phea.co.uk
Shameless plugging is great
Darren
Can I point you in the direction of the PH East Anglia forum, and www.phea.co.uk
Shameless plugging is great
Darren
Edited by iluvmercs on Tuesday 20th February 15:58
799boy said:
Thanks Darren,
excellent to see the huge amount of local activity. Can't wait to show off the Cossie at the next meet
! Adi
excellent to see the huge amount of local activity. Can't wait to show off the Cossie at the next meet
! Adi The next meet is this Sunday, but Ian (profile name IanV) has booked in for a set number of seats as the pub, for lunch. It may be worth emailing him and asking if you'd still like to attend.
I won't be there, however, as I'm waiting to take my driving test, after being reverted to Learner status thanks to a heavy right foot and the Suffolk courts
Darren
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