Hi guys,
Seeing as you showed so much interest here's how the day at Palmer Sport
went.
We (myself and my brother - official photographer) Left home at 5:30 and
arrived at Palmersport at 7:45.
Had registration (BAR team ) - breakfast and a briefing including a video
from Jonathon Palmer.
There was 4 teams of 15 drivers who went round the activities in different
orders, for us it was the Vauxhall VX 220 first.
We each had one lap where the instructors showed how it was done ( there was
generally 5 cars and instructors ) then 5 laps with the instructor and 5
alone. The instructors were all great and really encouraged you do drive
much faster than you thought was sensible ( much different to other driving
days I'd done where rev limits were imposed and it was more about learning
the lines - here if you went fast enough that if you missed the line you
were off !!).
So off in the VX220 - braking, turn in and apex points are all marked on the
circuits so you follow the instructions (usually POWER POWER !!) there's no
way that if you were driving on your own you would attempt to go round
corners like that but if you do what they say, then usually it works.
anyway a couple of laps in getting faster, approaching a 3rd gear fast right
hander I was a bit late on the brakes so turned in a bit late, the back end
stepped out so I put on some opposite lock and had my first tankslapper
spinning off anticlockwise into the grass :-). The Instructor very calmly
explained what happened and off you go again, another spin at the 2nd gear
hairpin (too much power too early) and it was time to go on my own.
Surprising on my own I had no spins and went a second quicker ( all laps are
timed and the fastest recorded).
Next up was the Vauxhall Frontera driving up and down steep hills, water and
stuff then we practiced changing a tyre on a Formula Palmer Audi.
Back to the proper driving,
Renault Clio Cup car - In a word F****ng awsome
A racing car based on the Clio as used as single make Touring car series.
Inside it bore no resemblance to a Clio at all, just the bare essentials
needed to race, just a 190 bhp engine, a Momo wheel and a sequential shift
gear stick - once you're up to speed you don't need a clutch or to back of
the throttle, you just push the stick forward and it goes up a gear, same
slowing down, brake - no clutch just pull the stick back. These cars were
incredibly fast and went through the fast left right bend like it was on
rails. Unfortunately I clipped a chicane and a bolt broke in the rear
suspension so I lost the last couple of laps
Next up the Formula Palmer Audi
Detuned from their standard 300bhp to 200 these are only capable of 0-60 in
3.4 sec and 160mph !!
We had a separate briefing on these before being let loose on these. These
were beasts you need 4000 rpm to pull away nearly everybody stalled because
4000 rpm right behind your head sounded scary. The grip you got from the
wings and slicks was incredible but the gear change was very awkward so many
of us ended up going round in 3rd gear, still managed 100mph on the main
straight though. You got a telemetry print out of your best lap overlaid
against a pro driver - he won't be losing sleep !!
A quick go on some Karts, I was 6th fastest all day (out of 58) and I've
only driven them 3 times before !
After dinner we went on to the Caterham 7 Superlight
These were great fun but very difficult to handle, there was so much power
and so little weight that they would spin very easily given too much
throttle, at the briefing afterwards we were asked who didn't spin the
Caterham? 3 out of 58 put their hand up !!
Next were the Lotus Exige and the Mitsubishi EVO VI Tommi
These were both on the same circuit but with a non racing section by the
pits, so it was slow down the pits then boot it for the start line and slow
down after the finish line.
The Exige was fantastic, Booting past the start line reaching 100 mph the
dabbing the brakes at 50m then through the s bend at 80 mph before a short
straight and a slowing for 90 degree bend before some more esses, Every lap
was 1-2 seconds faster than the last and no spins but loads of squealing.
Then the same in the EVO, a big car but you just couldn't seem to get it
into trouble, if it under or oversteered you just booted it and it would
straighten itself out, a great car and only a second slower than the Exige.
Then the briefing and prizes for the best driver in each car, you got a
printout of all the best times and ranking for each car and overall and the
telemetry from the FPA.
It was a great day, ***y expensive but worth it, and the BAR team won
overall !!!
Here's a couple of pic's, the main photo's are on film so I won't get them
for a couple of day, I'll post the best ones.
The Evo http://www.racesimcentral.net/
The Exige http://www.racesimcentral.net/
The Caterham http://www.racesimcentral.net/
The FPA used for the pitstop
http://www.racesimcentral.net/
Craig
