The Great Western Sprint at castle combe - 21 March

[tqadam]

hi
is anyone going to, or competing in this sprint?
i've never been to this one but went to my first two last year and enjoyed them quite a bit all be it i was taking pictures most of the time (hobby).

[tqadam]

thanks for the reply magicaltrevor

i've just been reading that. wow! looks an amazing piece of kit!
sadly i dont really have the money to run a seperate car, certainly not one like you have! besides i doubt i would fit (i'm quite tall) and i definately have no skill lol.

i just like seeing cars like yours and the 'classic' cars actually getting used rather than seeing them sat around at shows. photography is a bit of a hobby of mine as well (im not a pro, more a keen amateur) so i take my camera and get pics to make a day of it...

if im there i will do my best to get a photo of yours but im not brilliant with the quick stuff just yet lol.

Edited by tqadam on Sunday 15th February 22:30

[tqadam]

thanks Trevor.
sounds good but i think the mx5 would prove to be a problem with my legs/in particular my knees by the steering wheel.
the few jap car ive been in i've been hemmed in my 3 series on the other hand... oh the lovely leg and head room! lol.

i will probably avoid getting in people's way as no one wants lurkers in the way but i do sometimes have a wonder of the 'pits'
hopefully see your car screaming round

hi Andy (good luck with the banter, to the both of you )
that sounds really fast! is there a list of entrants with cars that i could see or not yet? sorry, but im already getting a smidge excited.

i asked the circuit people by email about official/press photographer and they only really do it for businesses with PI insurance etc which i dont have. Marshaling would appeal except i would have to be up so early as its a 2.25 - 2.5 hour drive just to get there for me and i would imagine marshals are expected to be paying attention, not taking photos haha.

hopefully see you screaming round as well. if i get good photos at least i know to post them here

[tqadam]

uh oh banter has started...
thanks Trevor. im quite a shy person so dont really tend to talk to people in person, but i do like seeing the mechanicals of cars so tend to 'snoop' around up close where i think i can. So if you see a shifty looking person with a camera, chances are its me lol. I usually get there for around 10am and am there until 4-5pm or until the heavens open up.

I hope its a dry sunny day though so a) i can go and enjoy it and b) so you two can make it enjoyable to watch!

Im keeping an eye on Castle Combe's site and links on there for entrants and cars as i like to tag names etc for any pictures i put on the net but if you know of a link to a pdf list or something let me know. that way i can be sure who's who with the car numbers

Andy i forgot to say in my last post your car on the supercar day looked proper exciting to ride in! dying splitter or not.
Do you know what was the donation amount for a few laps for your car? I'm planning on going again this year (30th Oct i think it is... im excited already haha) but going to take some cash for a couple rides maybe

[tqadam]

thanks dave g i will keep a look out and do my best to get a picture!

thanks again andy laurence!!!
i might think about messaging him if they do a sprint later in the year but i think i will leave it for this one as i am waiting on a new camera body which is a upgrade so chances are i will spend most of the day pressing the wrong buttons
plus i usually end up out by hamerdown and old paddock so i am no worse off being 'peasant spectator' than 'super posh media guy' lol. it would be nice to be other side of the fence at quarry but i want to get use to the newer camera so i dont look a total chump first

if i can i will get a few short vids, but i have no idea how to do that on main camera so will prob be on phone as usual lol.

really excited about this now. better be decent weather!

[tqadam]

so there are a fair few of you from on here having a go. while you are playing with your toys i will be playing with mine at the side of the track. getting used to the different layout of the thing now

when i finish my pics and put the better ones on the net i will add a link to them in here.
fingers crossed i get one of everyone

im so keen i might actually leave home a hour earlier than normal and get there for 9 ish rather than 10. means being up for about 6 ish to get stuff ready tho

[tqadam]

Its surprising so many places needed with it being only a week away :O

I will be to busy moving round the circuit to be any use I'm afraid as i can't wait to use the camera in anger lol.

[tqadam]

Entry list and draft order is up on BMC Facebook page. Entry list is like a dream car garage lol can't wait to see them/you all

Hope everyone on here got the entry they wanted

[tqadam]

i see. it makes more sense now.
if i wasnt desperate to try the camera i probably would give marshalling a go. i very nearly did last year but the one i looked at looked like it needed qualified marshalls or at least people that have a clue lol. if you dont need any experience i might look in to marshalling later in the year.

on a side note, the forecast is ok for saturday at the moment and it was nice in torquay today
i so hope its sunny and toasty on saturday!

im printing a list of people off in work tomorrow, so will mark the ph'ers above that said they are running and see if i can get any pics

[tqadam]

Lol magical Trevor!
I had a shocking day too! Just couldn't get in the zone with the camera, so grabbed a few pics around the paddock and left at 2.

I was so cold out the far side of the circuit. My kit kat that I took out the fridge at 7am was colder when I ate it at 1.30 then when it left the fridge lol!

If there are any decent pics I will post them later/tomorrow.

[tqadam]

at least someone got some pics thats not a blury mess lol ^
i thinki saw a light green fiesta mk2 not long before i left. matt97, were you parked on the grass near the entrance?

anyway here's the only pic of people i knew where on here and sorry to say but its andy looking like he is out for a saturday spin in his race car
ADR Sport 2 (Andy Laurence) by torquayadam, on Flickr

some pics of other cars competing
IMG_4287 by torquayadam, on Flickr

Hillman Avenger Tiger by torquayadam, on Flickr

Chevy Corvette C6 (Paul Beddow) by torquayadam, on Flickr

Radical SR3 (Mark Nicholson) by torquayadam, on Flickr

Audi S4 Turbo (Roger Banks) by torquayadam, on Flickr

Audi S4 Turbo (Roger Banks) by torquayadam, on Flickr

SBD Motorsport Cars by torquayadam, on Flickr

Jedi Mk2 (Nick Houston) by torquayadam, on Flickr

Jedi Mk2 (Nick Houston) by torquayadam, on Flickr

Lotus Elise (Elen Worthington) by torquayadam, on Flickr

Jedi Mk4 (Bradley Hobday) by torquayadam, on Flickr

few other random ones i got
Mitsubishi Evo 6 Engine Bay by torquayadam, on Flickr

Ford Fiesta ST by torquayadam, on Flickr

Renault Megane Renault Sport (RS) by torquayadam, on Flickr

sorry if i just blew up your data usage if your on phone/tablet.

[tqadam]

andylaurence said:

I did see you squatting guerilla-style next to Merlin. I was busy undoing my belts. Judging by the timing strut in use (I broke one on every run), that was the 1st timed run, so just before the lunch break. As for the spin, yes I did, at The Esses in practice. I couldn't quite get my head around just how slippery it was and didn't get in the groove. I knocked half a second off my PB, but that was more down to weather conditions over the last few years than an indicator of my outright pace. I got royally trashed by the class winner - I just can't get my head around how fast he is. The data overlay on his onboard shows he's 25mph faster up Avon Rise and faster at every apex.

im not that difficult to miss really due to my height lol. i know most of my pictures are from low down but im not a 2ft tall midgit
i saw you start your run, i was never going to make it round to watch because there is no gap in the fence but had the idea of catching you on your way back in.
i had full confidence you wouldn't park your car on its roof whilst i waited

sorry to hear you got nobbled by such a margin

i think on the day i did the equivalent of 2 laps myself just driving round the service road from the paddock to more or less old paddock a few times unlike the track that hasnt seen any new tarmac for a good while. tested the offroadness of my bmw as well when i parked it on the grass. nearly bottomed it out at one point and its only on standard sport springs

looking forward to a summer sprint where its a bit warmer... annoyingly by the time i got back to torquay at about 4 ish the sun was out down here and it was easily much warmer than it was at combe lol