GeoffB
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| posted on 11/4/07 at 08:47 PM |
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First Track Day at Lydden Good Friday
Sorry its a bit long
0730-left home and it was bally cold.. me in indyblade and wife,kids,tools,petrol etc,etc in support truck/camper home (aka focus hatchback )
0830-sign on and briefing..Get This..no noise test no car check and was told overtake anyside and anywhere as long as you all behave or Else
was put into blue group so on the hour at 9.00 first out..Chripss
09.00-went out onto track and after two warm up laps got flagged to come in had problem on me car..
petrol coming out on tight bends
drained off petrol and try again at 10.00
10.00-went out again and same again after two laps got blacked flagged.bugger.
after a lot of checking a good couple of blats up and down the motorway and missing the next session we worked ou that it was coming out of the
breather pipe..
so found a 3 ft piece of pipe and taped it up and right round the roll bar and give it a go at the 12.00 session
12.00- came out of pits up the straight and found i could not change gear.Bollo**s
By this point i thought lets pack up and go home before something really went wrong (bearing in mind i had to drive it home..)
Manged to find the fault (a little over tighting on the gear stick fixing on the previos nights nut and bolt check,( it had been bloody fine all
morning.:mad
sat down , a bit down and thought its lunch have a sarnie enjoy the weather and then go home,,but after some encouragement from a few mates and the
wife and kids i was persuaded to stay and give it a go on the first session after lunch and Shit Or Bust
14.00- came out of pits did a warm up lap, the started.. lap1,lap, 2,lap 3 YIPEEEE no flags...so just tryed to get round and complete a full
session..
came in at end of session and felt fantastic
15.00- Right, warm up lap out of way and no flags i tried harder and had a really good session and was starting to really enjoy this even manged to
over take a couple of cars (loads did over take me , but i didnt care)
came in and thought i gonna try really hard on the next one
16.00- went out and drove a lot ,lot faster straight of had a bit of a duel with an alfa thingy and had a Fantastic session..and found out how hard
you can and cannot accelerate out of a tight bend )
when i came in i had just had the best moment of my life (apart from the usual things marriage,kids etc,etc)..and all the tings that went wrong in the
morning were gone and i felt on cloud ten....
Things i learned.....
DONT,DONT,DONT fill your tank more than a 1/4 when you go out on the track
Yoko A539 do grip a plenty for your first few trackdays and when they let go its so easily controllable within a couple of laps you start to get a
feel for it and have a bloody good time
standard sierra brakes with drums at the back on my indyblade, stop you very,very well no matter how hard and no matter how often you push that middle
pedal..
My indyblade could have gone a lot,lot,lot quicker than it did, it barely broke a sweat( no matter how hard i believed i was driving it)
Nothing makes you feel that alive and gives that much pleasure that a 6k indyblade on the track...(quite a few people could not belive i built it for
6-6.5 k and how well it looked and went.....BIG SMUG GRIN)
The settings i posted a couple of weeks ago seemed to work very well and that car handled fantastic
These opions are of a crap driver in a briallant car and i wasnt timing or trying to break any records and this was my first time out but i Bloody
well enjoyed my self and after a few troubles (all to do with inexperienced prepping) all i can say is im well pleased with my Mk Indyblade and its
much more than i could have hoped for..
IF YOU CAN..GO AHEAD AND BOOK A TRACK DAY. EVEN IF YOU HAVE A MARE LIKE I DID AND DO A COUPLE OF SESSIONS..IT WILL CHANGE YOU
GO AHEAD AND DO IT...THATS AN ORDER..
ps be prepared to quickly get bored as you then drive it on the road again and after 3 years building, all that worrying and passing sva,registering
etc.etc then start thinking........
i could de register it ,make it lighter, buy a trailer and turn it into a
TRACK DAY GOD............!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh god.!!, back into the garage again,sorry family.............
hope you laugh,learn at this
Geoff
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worX
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| posted on 11/4/07 at 09:14 PM |
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just to add to Chris's post, you can get the breather valve from a pet shop in the form of a normal one way valve for a fish tank - mine was
£1.99...
hth
Steve.
ps - I'm also glad that you had an awesome finish to your day!
quote:
Originally posted by chris mason
Glad you enjoyed it Geoff, the problems you have are natural, and all part of kit car building, as for the breather you need to fit a valve on the
breather line, that way you'll never spill any fuel at all, even if the car is upside down.
Chris
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shortie
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| posted on 11/4/07 at 09:23 PM |
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In fact Geoff I have got one of the breathers Steve mentions that I never used, let me know your address and I'll pop it in the post.
Track days can be frustrating sometimes but in the end you always do another, it's addictive and great fun!!
Never worry who passes you, who cares as long as you are enjoying it, they won't remember and nor will you
Something very sedate about driving on the road when you've driven it on track but wherever you're driving it as long as you enjoy it then
that's all that matters.
Rich.
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zxrlocost
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| posted on 11/4/07 at 09:25 PM |
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Go geoff
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Jubal
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| posted on 11/4/07 at 09:36 PM |
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Hehe. Good stuff. £ for £ an Indyblade is very hard to beat on track! As you get faster you will be surprised by what you can stay with and how hard
the car can be worked.
I did exactly the same with the breather first time out. Spewing petrol all over the place. On the day I rigged up a catch tank (plastic coke bottle).
One way valve now fitted and the tank can be brimmed without fear.
Good call on staying for the last session. At every trackday I've done the last session has always been the best.
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TimC
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| posted on 12/4/07 at 07:28 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by GeoffB
i could de register it ,make it lighter, buy a trailer and turn it into a
TRACK DAY GOD............!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I remember that feeling!
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OX
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| posted on 12/4/07 at 08:10 PM |
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nice one geoff,im glad your day turned out good in the end,iv never done a sessioned track day but i never go out for the last 'ok one more go
and then im going home 'blast because it will be then that i'll smash it up
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damien
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| posted on 13/4/07 at 09:36 AM |
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you should of put a post up saying you was going up lydden hill, im about 10 mins drive away and i could of done you some pics/videos, maybe grabbed a
passinger ride
i was up there on teh monday for the rally cross - pics from the
day
Topaz gti6-tb 205 Gti (ph1.5)
Sigma 2.0 8v 306 XSI (ph1)
Provence 1.9 8v dturbo (ph2)
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Jubal
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| posted on 13/4/07 at 09:52 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by OX
nice one geoff,im glad your day turned out good in the end,iv never done a sessioned track day but i never go out for the last 'ok one more go
and then im going home 'blast because it will be then that i'll smash it up
Nice one, more track room for those with a little self control
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