I want to tell my tales from yesterday. It will have some good pointers for new trackdays and some giggles for the more experienced folk.
The plan was to drive up Sunday night, stay at a friends cousins and drive back after the track day. so my story starts on Sunday when I was leaving,
I was collating my paperwork. I noticed I did not have a confirmation email from trackday.co.uk. Reading the T+C it stated that the place has not been
booked until you receive it, great! I thought that I am going to go anyway, they normally dont check and have your name down on a list. Next, driving
licence. I have the paper bit, it stays in my track day bag. The card is in my wal. . . . . . .Hang on, why is not in my wallet? Panic called to my
wife with a response of "why are you calling me, I have not seen it?". 5 mins later she called me saying it is in her purse!!!! Not angry,
just glad its been found!
S, I get there after a couple of teething issues bright and early Monday morning. It was fabulous weather. A great mix of cars and not busy. Sign in
was fine, I was on the list and I passed noise (just!). Apparently my car has got 3dB louder over the winter?!?!?!
Out on track, all is good, car feels great. I was going over the mountain at the end of the circuit and BANG CLANG CLANG! I pulled off at the
emergency exit to what I thought was a blown diff. Well that's my day done!
At this point of the day its 10:30, I have had about 30 mins out on track so I am gutted. The marshal told me there is a good engineering company 10
mins down the road that will weld anything I need fixing.
With the thought process of having a 3.5 hour trip home and a wasted day or just stripping the car back and maybe getting the last hour of the day I
decided to get cracking, on the car. Rear tub off, fuel tank out, diff rear case cracked to see what is happening. Nothing! Its immaculate. Having a
nose around I realise its my right half shaft that has gone, again! Off that came, in the car, down the road to the engineering company. I can not
give Macdonald Engineer Service Ltd ( http://www.macdonaldengineeringservices.com ) a bigger thumbs up, what a service. Welded up and only a £10
cost!!!!
So via a car parts place to get diff oil (I emptied it splitting the rear case for NO reason!), I am back to the track. I get the whole thing back
together and still got just under 3 hours of track time!!!
What an emotional day. Thought I was not getting on to start with, then got on, then broke my car, then fixed it and had an awesome day.
Cadwell Park is a great track, the best I have ever driven!
Oh an my fuel hose split while putting the fuel tank back in so had to replace that as well, luckily I had some spare stuff with me!!
People in the pits were shocked to see me try and get it fixed and back out. That fat lady can shut up singing, I AM GOING BACK OUT ON TRACK!!
Well done fella. Good feeling fixing your car. 
I remember one track day at Oulton park when I spun off track and holed my sump. Limped back to the pits. Whipped the sump off at dinner. Mate found a
local farm with a tig welder. And I welded it back up. Back on track for the afternoon session. Happy days.
Well done with the perseverance.. don't think I would have. Cadwell is the best, you shall return?
[Edited on 24/3/15 by Andy D]
Need a "like" button on here.
quote:
Originally posted by Jon Ison
Need a "like" button on here.
Great effort there!
I sometimes forget how great Cadwell is as its only 1 1/2hrs away for me so its generally my first port of call and attend quite a bit. It is probably
the best track in the UK that i've driven (ask me another day and i'll say Oulton).