Cadwell Park track day

La_vida_diver

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I know a few of us were talking and fancied the idea of a track days hen we were at CITP and Swamper has got me off my backside to report on the Cadwell Park day I did on Monday 14th May this week. I do not yet have the link to the pictures but I will post that as well when I get it. The day was run by the BMWCCGB's Nick Wright. And was brilliantly put together there was only one red flag (when they stop the circuit) and that was because one of the marshalls needed a P break and being of the fairer sex couldn't hide behind a tree. :))

For me I was worried about how I would do so hired a instructor for the whole day by getting in touch with Nick before hand and learn't so much it was brilliant. Those who were on the Evo run in march will have seen the grin on my face I had all day. I found going into a corner at 90+ mph and then accelerating up the hill round the corner then dropping from 4th to 3rd and keeping accelerating round the next bend to be just flabbergasting! I should also say that Nick had 2 other instructors that you could book time with on the day that were free ie he covered the cost of in the track day fee.

The instructor said, late in the day, that I did really well and that I had kept up with some of the track day modified cars in a road car and had got all I could from the car. I never thought that I would be looking at tyre marbles on my own tyres but I now know what a warm tyre is like and how to go round cadwell park quickly with no dramas, and no adrenaline spikes because I have got it wrong. That does not mean I got it right all the time I did not, but I did not spin or otherwise lose control of the car. B-)

The first time I went out the brakes got really hot and when we came in they smoked somewhat but as the day went on that happened less and less. My final session on my own out on the track was about 15+ laps and at 2.18 miles that was 30 plus miles and the brakes were no hotter than normal so I did quite well I think. Very little, other than the trackday Porches and a Lotus Elise overtook me or was catching me.

I also learnt that the are a lot of tracks that I did not know about available through a company called javelin track days. And I have access to instructors through the guy that I hired for the day. but I need to find out a lot more about how they run their days. Nick's days are really well done and I recommend them to one and all.

I am signed up for croft on the 16th July and am looking forward to that day very much now as well and without the concerns I had before this one. I know that Croft is almost full and should say that the Olton park end of year day has been cancelled in favour of one at Snetterton.

Anyone interested can take a look on the BMWCCGB'S forum under track days and I think anyone can sign up, and you do not have to take your BMW pride and joys, there were all sorts of cars there. Thre is also a register in straight six that reports on the days. With luck some more of you will sign up for Croft.

By the way there were about 6 Z3's including 2 coupes all but mine and one other were m's and the other and mine were the only ones going round with the top down all day! And no I did not have time to talk to any of the other Z3 drivers, I was either driving round the track or being talked to by the instructor while the car had a break. There was not a single Z4 there at all!
 

Aceman

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Sounds like you had a cracking day and certainly has encouraged me to get to one of these at sometime.

What did you think to the "Mountain".?
 

La_vida_diver

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I was too busy driving to take pics but there was a photographer there and we get access to the pictures for free which I think is great. I will post when I get the link :coolsteer)
 

swamper

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good do Dunk.... ;)
how did you find the car behaved ?
got me thinking now :D
 

NeRo

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La_vida_diver said:
I was too busy driving to take pics but there was a photographer there and we get access to the pictures for free which I think is great. I will post when I get the link :coolsteer)
Would these be the ones? Cadwell Park May 2012
 

Aceman

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There are a few nice pictures of you there Duncan, I particulary like IMG_3456 but doesn't look like you can link directly to it. You appear to be grinning like a cheshire cat under that lid. :D

Edit: LINKY
 

NeRo

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I'm sure Estoril/Darren won't mind it being shown ...

 

Snoops

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Looking good Dunc, looks like you've added a few more dead flies to the collection on your front number plate, sounds like they wouldn't have seen you coming though :D

How did you get on with Pickerings?? did you get chance ?
 

hard top

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Looks like you had a great time.. :-bd How hard did you push the 2.8?
 

La_vida_diver

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swamper said:
good do Dunk.... ;)
how did you find the car behaved ?
got me thinking now :D
Swamper stop thinking you know it hurts :)) just sign up and do it. The car was fantastic and it is the one that handles "less well" of the two so I am looking forward to taking them both up to another track day so that I can do the morning in one and then try the afternoon in the other so that I can compare the cars in a way that you just cannot do in any other way.

I think you have the right mentality for a track day as it is not about a race but is about what you can get from your particular car. they make a big thing about the differences in the cars and that whoever you are you must watch you mirrors and when you give way. so for instance if you have a Race Car up your chuff as you approach a bend then the bend is yours then on the straight you indicate, move over and let the faster cars go by. it worked really well in my opinion.

I do not know what other track days are like but Nicks was very well run and from what I have heard from all the others that were there that is how they are run all the time so I would recommend that you tried one with nick first. I am treacly glad that I did!

Also for me it would be great to have some friends along, so sign up.... go on you know you want to. I have not signed up for the Silverstone track day in September as to me that one is a little on the expensive side at £100 more than the others at £275 if I remember right.

I inquired about insurance and decided not to even though it was peanuts compared with what I had been told about. for £3000 of cover they only wanted £75 for the day which I thought was pretty good. the way it works is if someone else spins and hits your car you are responsible for your car's repairs and they are for theirs. so if I spin off and right off a brand new Porsche they sort the Porsche and I sort my little Zed. If you damage the Armco or any of the track itself then the circuit is responsible for their repairs and you for yours.

The link for the pictures is http://www.flickr.com/photos/bmwccgb/sets/72157629783573190/detail/

Oh and I owe an apology to our Z4 members there was one at the track, and he had the top down! :coolsteer)
 

La_vida_diver

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hard top said:
Looks like you had a great time.. :-bd How hard did you push the 2.8?
Truthfully at the beginning of the day hardly at all, though I thought I was! At the end of the day the instructor said that I was getting all that I would be able to from the car and the difference was huge. Going into a 90 degree bend at 90 and accelerating through it I think is pushing a car, especially in standard road trim. The tyres were getting the beading that they talk about for the F1 cars so I think I was pushing them as far as made sense, and they were very warm and sticky in a way I had no idea could happen, I think more and I would have lost some control. I was pleased when I looked, that the beading was even all round the four corners so that sort of indicated that I was spreading the loads well. When I first went out I had to come in after about 4 laps to let the brakes cool down and they had smoke coming from them but after the first session that stopped as I started to get the entry speed to the corners better and also trusted the instructor so after that I never had any brake heat problems. At one point I was able to be out on track for well over 1/2 an hour. The revs were run high as the Torque peak is 3950 and max power is 5300 on the version I took (M52 B) but is different on the other one (M52 TU B, which is 3500 and 5500 respectively) part of the reason I would like to take them both next time. As I was under a little pressure on one long straight (on only one occasion, I would like to add) I did hit the rev limiter in fourth gear I do not know what speed that was though but it felt fast! I did not use fifth very much at all other than on that one straight all day. Interestingly apart from the one straight with the 90 degree bend at the end where I went into the corner at 90+ I did not get to look at the speedo and I find that interesting.

I should add that no timing is allowed on Nicks track days as part of the terms of the conditions of the track use or something but although I would have loved to know how much I improved over the day I do not feel that I needed actually figures I just knew I was a much better driver at the end and understood my car so much better than I had at the start of the day. :coolsteer)
 

La_vida_diver

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Snoops said:
Looking good Dunc, looks like you've added a few more dead flies to the collection on your front number plate, sounds like they wouldn't have seen you coming though :D

How did you get on with Pickerings?? did you get chance ?
I had a great time and yes I think the flies might not have seen me coming. :))

Unfortunately I did not get to Pickings but I will, I took a phone call from my neighbour that my stables with all my tools in (thousands of pounds worth) had been broken into while I was away so I rushed straight back that night. I did not even stay the extra night that I had planed to make sure I did not have adrenaline pushing me on the return drive. I did not by the way I averaged a lower speed on the wear home than I did on the way up, I guess I had done my speed thing for the day =)). WHen I went up their though everything was their nothing missing and no damage to the door so I guess I must just not have shut it properly when I left. #-o
 

La_vida_diver

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NeRo said:
La_vida_diver said:
I was too busy driving to take pics but there was a photographer there and we get access to the pictures for free which I think is great. I will post when I get the link :coolsteer)
Would these be the ones? Cadwell Park May 2012
Man you were quick! I only just got the link when I checked my mail this morning and yes I do think that is a great shot shame I was not using a little more of the track though! I was told to avoid the white line in the damp and not hit the rumble strips, but it looks like I had a good 4 or 5 inches more I could have used in that shot. :))
 

La_vida_diver

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Aceman said:
You appear to be grinning like a cheshire cat under that lid. :D
Ain't that the truth! =)) I think one of the things I found helped the grin was that I had some wrong expectations, I had expected that it was a hunt for an adrenaline rush by most people. That was not what I was looking for, but no one was trying to get an adrenaline hit they were just trying to get to know their cars better and use them in a way that would be illegal on the road, but that remained safe! :coolsteer)
 

Snoops

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I bet your laugh was echoing around the track all day :D

Good everything was okay at home too phew !!!! :D
 

La_vida_diver

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MAURICE THE MARTIAN said:
you`ll be showing us all up on the next trip round the Evo :coolsteer) Moz
No! Not a chance! :)) The thing about the track day is that it is totally different, your going round the same section of road so you can push the car repeatedly round the same corners and learn what works and what doesn't. So you start to look at the surface, the camber and the next corner even before you can see it it is there in your head. You could not do that with the Evo unless you spent a hole day just doing the Evo and even then the road surface would catch you out as it had loose gravel which compared to a track is like going round corners on ball bearings. I do however have a better feel for how to drive a rear wheel car and a better feel for when the wheels and tyres are close to the edge of grip. In all just a better feel for the car. I would recommend it to everyone, well nearly everyone! :coolsteer)
 

La_vida_diver

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Snoops said:
I bet your laugh was echoing around the track all day :D
That is so true when I came in off the track....out their was just total concentration apart from the grin when I got things right :coolsteer)

Snoops said:
Good everything was okay at home too phew !!!! :D
Yes I was very relieved though it now means a special trip up to Pickerings. I would like to get the blue one done before Zfest. So I shall have to get onto the case.
 

Snoops

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La_vida_diver said:
Yes I was very relieved though it now means a special trip up to Pickerings. I would like to get the blue one done before Zfest. So I shall have to get onto the case.
Not sure if you've seen THIS THREAD . Might be another option for you to consider, same hood as mine but getting it fitted by the manufacturers.. :D
 
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