Trackday for May 2005

[Nick Moss]

A friend of mine (Dick was at Classic Le Mans with me) is organising a trackday at Castle Coombe in May 2005 for the 928 boys. He has invited DDK along so we can give them a whipping

The cost will be around £120, 6 cars on the track at any given time will mean that you get 10 mins on track every hour or so. Final date and cost to be set.

Anyone interested?

[Bootsy]

yes, me, providing Eric Studer has finished my engine

[Derek]

Yes, If the cars finished by then.

[Peter]

Yes, definitely interested, although I have a feeling my 'T' might be disappointing on a track after my Caterham!

[impmad2000]

Yes please...I'm Interested.
Peter,
I don't think you'll find the 911 disapointing, only different.

[Nick Moss]

I don't think you'll find the 911 disapointing, only different.

Not just different. I have driven both a Caterham and my 911 2.7 Carrera around Castle Combe, the 911 was for more exciting.

[912uk]

Sounds a good day

[MdR]

Am interested, please keep me informed.

[bullett]

Where is Castle Coombe please?

Is the DDK track day still in the pipe line?

[gerald1-4-3-2]

http://www.castlecombecircuit.co.uk/

Castle Combe Circuit opened just 18 months after Silverstone in the summer of 1950, making it one of the longest established circuits in the UK. Until 1999, the circuit followed it's original layout, around the perimeter of the old air base. In that first year, a young Stirling Moss won a race and over the next few years, names like Mike Hawthorn, Colin Chapman, Les Leston, Roy Salvadori and John Surtees thrilled huge crowds.

By the 60's, several planning constraints had seen the circuit become run down and although the old Brands Hatch company, Motor Circuit Developments tried hard to develop meetings in the early 70's with Formula 5000 and other major events, planning problems prevented long term development. However in 1976, the circuit lease was obtained by the current owners and the long road to developing the circuit as a modern national racing venue began. Nigel Mansell, Ayrton Senna, and David Coulthard all won races in the 70's and 80's, and by the 90's, the circuit hosted rounds of most of the national championships.

Today, the circuit boasts modern facilities for competitors and spectators, and the resurfaced and now reshaped circuit providing what is generally recognised as providing the closest circuit racing in British motorsport.

Castle Combe Sporting Highlights:

1950 Circuit opens. Stirling Moss wins 2.5 litre race
1952 John Surtees wins 500cc Motorcycle race
1953 Ken Wharton wins in BRM V16
1955 Last F1 race in Wiltshire. Harry Schell wins in Vanwall
1962 Mike Hailwood wins 250cc race on legendary 250cc Honda Four
1965 First 100mph lap. Chris summers in Lotus 24 Chevy
1971 Future World Champions Alan Jones & Jody Scheckter on F3 podium
1972 Barry Sheene wins 125cc race
1976 Nigel Mansell wins Formula Ford race
1982 Ayrton Senna wins Formula Ford 2000 race
1985 Damon Hill finished 6th in Formula Ford race
1989 Carl Fogarty stars in motorcycle meeting
1989 David Coulthard wins Formula Ford race
1995 First 2 day race meeting
1997 First 130mph lap establishes new outright lap record
1999 New corners increase circuit length to 1.85 miles
2000 Circuit celebrates 50th Year Anniversary
2001 F3 returns to Castle Combe Circuit after 25 years

crash helmets at the ready

[hot66]

Where is Castle Coombe please?

Is the DDK track day still in the pipe line?

A very long way from North Yorkshire

For those of you up North, Specialist Cars of Malton hold 2 porsche only track days each year @ Croft circuit near Darlington. Approx £220 for open pits all day & barbq etc included. I will be doing the May one next year

[KS]

yes, me, providing Eric Studer has finished my engine

Knowing Eric, you'd be better off planning for 2006!

[Ian Gunney]

The only problem with Castle Combe is the noise regs - they are very strict on that, which may be an issue for those of you with non standard systems.

I'd certainly be interested in attending.

[Nick Moss]

Ian is right, the limit is 100 dB, which is always a problem for modified 911s as the fan, tappets etc join in with the exhaust at the point that they measure the level. A standard system is no problem

[g3ngs]

sounds good, especially at that price-

to give anyone sitting on the fence the encouragement they need here's a ru down of an airfield track day I went on yesterday at bruntingthorpe, organised by easytrack.

an airfield affair with cones marking out the chicanes, surprisingly very very enjoyable and definitely recomended, the 914 proved that its handling ability exceeded its speed ability and didn't put a foot wrong, though the crappy tyres that were on it have to go bye bye now, and I found out how much mess a loose breather hose can make

one of the good things there was the mixture of people, a hefty contigent of cosworth chavvers there, who spent the entire day pissing about getting their boost sorted but not actually doing any driving, especially the guy who was spanking it up and down the pits continously until his dif decided that wanted to sound like a bag of chisels, laugh I almost wet my pants.

all the usual caterhams and the ones that look like caterhams but have bike engines (which under extreme cornering the engine being a bike engine thinks the bike is sliding on its side down he tarmac and cuts out, sweet!)

a guy in a 1977 911 who proved that a nicely sorted engine could be a match for any one, even a no mans land 2.7 that had been nicely rebuilt on the top end and had some monkeying around with its managment system. People were convinced there was a 3.2 engine or better in it on the straights.

the usual contigent of 996s with taped up number plates

an xr2 who insisted only overtaking 911s on the straights (very very quick but no match for a 914 in the chicane )

i found out what titanic dollop of poo the ford "racing" puma is, if you're going to flare the arches at least put wheels and tyres that fill them on the car.

ooh yes and my brothers Pug 205, which was outstanding, how outstanding well we over took a boxter that was doing a 105 mph on the top bend and spent 5 laps chasing down a Honda NSX, which aint bad considering the Pug project cost him under 2k. The pug has no speedo, and the guy in the boxter came and found us and was asking very politely- "please don't tell me that that's a 1.6 205 gti"- fortunately my brother was able to put his mind at rest, which is more than can be said when I took it on a x crounty exhibition at the first bend, well you need to test its limits.

Anyway, what I'm saying is if you haven't yet then there are no excuses to pull your finger out and go on a track day, any track day, even an airfield one, and to use your car for what it was intended.

And for a 120 quid for 10 minutes in the hour may sound like loads of cash but given the numbers on track you are unlikely to be faced with a car pointing the wrong way on a tight bend in your line (this is where coned tracks can be very very good) makes this a bit of a bargain