BenG

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44 seconds... whats that thing that pops up in the middle of the screen ? :)
 
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3:50 are you going three wide? :? White Clio driver being a bit naughty there?
 
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LOL :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

That was the microphone for the bullet camera, i've mounted the camera to the roof just above the interior mirror, when i got too Brands Hatch i realised i'd forgot some tape to fasten the cables down, so i just coiled it up around the mirror, it seems to have been dancing around nicely in all the videos i got yesterday :D


Yep 3 wide at that point, the 197's sticking to the bumper of the slower car so i decided to go round the pair, only the 197 then decided he wanted too pass the slower car too, i had the run on them both and was faster round the circuit anyway so i just kept the foot in and did both 3 abreast :)

Chris
 
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The standard of track etiquete was really poor, i'm sure some of the guy's don't understand english or just chose to ignore the breifing.
At times there was chains of 10+ cars following the slower cars, several times i slowed down too laps of 1 min 20 + too try and get some clear track to attack, but that didn't always work, at one point i slowed and according to the video i was lapping in 1:18's (17's secs of my pace for the day) and yet i was still catching other cars.

Still it wasn't a race and as long as everyone enjoyed themselves that's all that really matters, but i must say it was really congested and frustrating at times.

Chris
 

BenG

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Wow they really were going slow ! or maybe its just your good driving in the Trophy-lite ?
 
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BenG said:
Wow they really were going slow ! or maybe it just your good driving in the Trophy-lite ?

Yeah some were going really slow, for some it was there 1st ever track experience, a couple who i ended up sharing a garage with had a trophy, it was there 1st trackday in it and they were a little tame on track, probably lapping over 1:20 consistently, but as i pointed out to them as long as they were enjoying it, nothing else mattered.

As for my times, i was a bit disapointed :( i did several 1:01's throughout the day in all conditions. I've never driven Brands Hatch before but i would have liked to have broken the minute, the greasy conditions didn't help and it was also hard to string a few good laps together without slower cars.
Looking back at the video's a couple of corners i could have got a better line through, and deffinately braked later for Paddock.
Surtees should have been flat out but the track wouldn't allow it, too much speed and the damp sent you wide with understeer.

Due to the alternator cable crimp snapping after my 1st session on track i only managed 25 minutes in the morning, then when i'd got that fixed (AA Job) it was lunch time, after lunch i managed about a further 45 minutes before i left for home at 3pm (too miss some of the traffic) so all in all i only did just over an hour on track, i'm sure with more track time i would have broken the minute. Maybe next time :)
 
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Saw the video you put up on RSUK forum, with the Blue Cup having a off and getting lucky not to stuff it! :?
As you say its not a race, so hopefully no one collected anyone on the day :)
 
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nickboazracing said:
Who organised this trackday? All the one's i've ever been don't let you time laps. :?

I don't think any trackdays allow/encourage you to time yourself for obvious reasons. I assume Chris is taking his times from the video after the event and as such is concentrating on getting the best out of the car/his skills rather than racing the clock. But i could be wrong :)
 
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Yep as J said, the times are taken from the video's, that way i'm under no pressure on the day to attain a certain lap time or to push harder to acheive my goal.
Trackdays are just that and are not about lap times or racing, i know on every track day i do, that i could better my times by quite a bit, but trackdays are not for this purpose, i find them suitable too push the car and myself to around 90% safely (touch more occasionally), that way i can get a general feel for what the cars doing and improve on the set up if required.

Reviewing your video's when you get back helps you learn where you could improve for the next track day at that particular circuit, also photographs from the day help too, you can see how the cars acting at certain points on the track. For instance the pictures from Donington showed that more negative camber front and rear would be beneficial.

I don't condone racing or lap timing on trackdays, it's dangerous and more often that not ends up with driver talent reaching it's limit before the car does, Only ends in tears and potentially could destroy the trackday scene.

The key to it is to remember it's just a trackday (bit of fun) and your goal may not be the same as everyone else's.

It would be good too see more Trophy's on the trackdays i've done though.

Chris
 
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9 out of 10 crashed cars recovered on the Nordschleife are found with a running stop watch...

Thanks Chris, I've done plenty of trackdays, unfortunately current job doesn't allow me to do them very often, although I now have a car in which to do them! :D
 
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Just been watching this again, as I'm heading to Brands for a track day tomorrow. I'm assuming the first few laps in the clear are the best one's for seeing examples of the best lines to take :) Although I guess if I come across a Megane R26 that appears to be deliberately blocking, I'll know how to handle that too :lol:
I typically find the track guides on LOT pretty good, but their Brands one is a bit thin, so any hints and tips you could pass on would be great.
 
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Duffer, it's a really easy track to drive, that was the 1st time i've been to brands and although it's hard to tell on the video, the track was damp as it was on and off showers all day.

For me there's 2 corners which can be taken in 2 ways,

1st is the hairpin, you can either hang it out wide and turn in late, or hug the inside kurb most of the way round, either way in the trophy doesn't really affect anything.

The 2nd is clearways (long right hander leading to the straight) again due to the limited power of the clio, you can just take the corner flat out with any line, the clio doesn't have enough power to cause you any problems.

Other than that, the only one you'll take time to gain confidence in is turn 1, the banked right hander at the end of the straight, i'd like to do Brands again next year, as i think the clio is capable of a mid 50's with more driver commitment than i showed :wink:

Enjoy the day and report back how you get on.
Chris
 
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Thanks for the heads up... you're sure right about Clearways, I'm still a hamfisted noob to trackdays, but I couldn't find any line through that was particularly "better" than the other or felt like I'd nailed it, pretty much just maintenance throttle through the esses and back on the gas once Clarks comes into view.

Brands is a cracking little circuit, the compression at the bottom of Paddock is something I've never experienced before and the track overall really suits the relatively pokey sporty shopping trolleys like the Trophy or sporty family saloons like my Civic.

Unfortunately, Thursday was apparently Red Flag Special Day, as I counted around 8... including one on the FIRST sighting lap of the day where a 3 series racer left its front bumper in a gravel trap :roll: and at least 4 Caterhams went off at Druids. All that said, the weather was great and I got to experience another classic track, so I shant complain :D

Being a small world, ran into (figurately) aarontrophy there as well. A couple poor amatuerish shots of him scooting around:
Brands_T01.jpg
Brands_T02.jpg
 
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