Hey Gilo, how did you get on, you had a good day, did you get to play?
Superb day baggy. Ended up driving about 25 laps, way more than I was expecting. We got up to Mallory at about 8.00am and signed on and listened to the briefing. We went straight out on track with Kev driving - it was pissing it down, with the spray off other cars overtaking was quite tricky as you couldn't see a thing. Kev drove about 10 laps then we came in and he asked if I wanted a go. Er yesssssssss.......
Given that I've never driven, let alone owned, a fast car, or been on a track I was a bit nervous to be going out in a 340bhp rwd car. I'd been watching Kev and working out the braking and turn-in markers (no cones out) so I went out and after a few laps started to get into the groove. Mallory's not a hugely fast track, I was getting 110 on the main straight before hammering the brakes on for Gerrards. The only bit I struggled with was the hairpin, I kept turning in too early.
We each drove a few sessions then decided to time some laps. Blokes being blokes it all started getting a bit serious then as we both upped the pace knowing the clock was ticking. When we came in for lunch we compared fastest laps. Kev: 1.05.55. Me: 1.05.60. I was well chuffed to be as fast as him given he has driven fast cars for years and has done stacks of trackdays.
Went out at lunchtime for petrol (average fuel consumption on track today: 11.1mpg........eeek!) and when we got back the rain had eased off and the track started to dry out a bit. We decided not to time any more laps as one of us would have probably binned it. Both drove a few more sessions and were noticeably faster than the morning. My last session I was getting really confident (still not 100% happy with the hairpin) and was proper ragging it - no-one came past me. On corner exits I was faster than Kev, getting on the gas earlier, but he was a fair bit faster on the brakes and on corner entry.
Kev did a few laps with the traction control turned off (I had it on all the time, wouldn't trust myself to be able to save it if I lost the back end) and was getting it well out of shape coming out of the hairpin.
Overall a cracking day (and it only cost me brekkie and lunch for the two of us - result) and I'm happy that I turned out to be reasonably handy in a car. To be honest, great though it was, it felt quite tame compared to caning a fast bike on the road, which I've been doing for years. It will always be about bikes for me, and I've no real interest in having a fast car for the road, but if I ever have enough spare cash to buy a trackday car I reckon I could be tempted - it's bloody good fun.
Me getting ready to head out:
There were a fair few of these Ariel Atoms there, lovely bits of kit, a proper bikers' car I reckon:
