First time sprinter
Discussion
Galveston said:
I thought it would be nice to update this having completed another three sprints and a hillclimb since my last post.
Llandow #1
A few weeks after the Hullavington event I did the Bristol and Bristol Pegasus Motor Clubs sprint at Llandow. This time the class allowed unto 2600cc (or forced induction equivalent) so I was up against a Lancer, a couple of Fiesta STs, a mental little Toyota Starlet, an Audi S3, a Mini JCW plus a few normally aspirated cars including Andrew Bisping’s Clio RS200 that I’d been neck-and-neck with at Hullavington. Andrew was still on List 1a tyres whereas I was using R888Rs for the first time.
The day started wet which wasn’t ideal for my first experience of the R888Rs, and I was five seconds off Andrew’s pace, but still about 6th in the class of 13. As the day went on I narrowed the gap to Andrew, ending up about a second off his pace. Annoyingly on the last timed run a couple of people found more time than I did and I dropped from 6th to 8th in class. My fastest time was 90.94s. Interestingly (because of what comes later) I was about a second quicker than the Starlet.
Llandow video - May
Llandow #2
At Llandow Andrew had mentioned that he was off to Llys-y-Fran in Pembrokeshire the following day to do a hillclimb, and that the Llandow and Llys-y-Fran events were usually organised as a pair on the same weekend. The events would be run again in July. This sounded like a good plan to me, so on 16th July I got up early and headed off to Llandow once again.
This time Llandow was being organised by a different club and with slightly different rules. I was running in the Standard Production class, using List 1a tyres again. Again the day started wet but this time I was quickest in class by 2.5 seconds in first practice. Andrew narrowed the gap to half a second in second practice as it dried up. It rained again over lunch, and the track was hilariously slippery for the first timed run. Andrew was 0.15s quicker.
Llandow video - July (Wet)
There was more-or-less a dry line for the second and last timed run. I managed a 91.07s, but Andrew sneaked the class win by 0.16s. Git. Despite losing by such a small amount I was more than happy to be second in class and 57th (of 98) overall. Andrew and I were both quicker than the majority of the modified production classes too. Not bad for a 13 year old bog-standard Clio.
Llandow video - July (Dryish)
It’s perhaps interesting at this point to compare times between the two events at Llandow. Andrew was about a second slower than at the first event (the track was still a bit damp in places) but I was only fractionally slower than I’d been on the R888Rs. I’d probably have been a second quicker had the track been dry. Some of that I’m sure will be more experience of the track, but I definitely prefer the way the car handles on the Michelin PS3s - definitely more feelsome, adjustable and confidence-inspiring. I also suppose the R888Rs don’t get much chance to warm-up in a 90 second sprint, but I thought it surprising how quick the PS3s were. Amazing when you consider that they’re only about £50 a corner.
Llys-y-Fran Hillclimb
The next morning we reconvened at Llys-y-Fran reservoir in Pembrokeshire. This was a completely different type of venue, a short hillclimb through the twisty narrow roads of the country park based around the reservoir.
As per the previous day’s event at Llandow I was running in the Standard Production class, this time against a Focus RS (Mk2), Focus ST170, a Puma, a Clio 197, Andrew’s Clio RS200, a 206 GTi 180 and a VW Lupo. Andrew is the class record holder at Llys-y-Fran and I think everyone else in my class had been to Llys-y-Fran before so I was expecting to struggle, especially as the day started wet again…
After Practice 1 I was 5th in class and about 4 seconds behind Andrew. After Practice 2 that was 2nd in class and 1 second behind Andrew. After the first timed run I was three-quarters of a second ahead of Andrew, who’d made a mistake…. All down to the last run…
Llys-y-Fran video
I won by 0.27 seconds.
The long left-hander hadn’t dried up and was really slippery, but I was only 0.25s off Andrew’s class record. I guess the little Cup had a weight advantage over her competitors that helped her up the hill, but I was really chuffed.
Dick Mayo Sprint at Castle Combe
The Dick Mayo Sprint at Castle Combe was the following weekend. Slightly knackered and rather too busy at work, it was only about 8pm on the evening before the event that I had a chance to give the car a quick check over and bolt on the R888Rs.
Although Combe’s my local track I hadn’t driven it before. I’d hoped to do a track day this summer to get familiar but didn’t get a chance. Despite arriving early I didn’t have time to walk the track, so I set off on my first run not really knowing where I was going so was a bit surprised to be 4th of 19 in class after that run. My second run felt infinitely better - I thought I’d found five seconds - but I was amazed that I was only a couple of tenths quicker. Everyone else had improved more so I’d dropped to 6th in class.
I found 1.5 seconds after lunch, but was fractionally slower on my last run - the first time that’s happened - so my first timed run was my best and put me 6th in class and 90th of 153 overall. Not too bad, but after my recent successes I was a bit disappointed. The Starlet I’d beaten by a second at Llandow in May had thrashed me by 4 seconds around a lap of Combe. I reckon I could find a couple of seconds with a few more laps, but not enough to beat the front runners.
Castle Combe video
Anyway, all good fun and I’ll definitely be back for more!
Great update, nice one. Cups really are very good in the wet, most of my wins have been in the wet, takes away the power advantage of the more powerful cars in the class I reckon?Llandow #1
A few weeks after the Hullavington event I did the Bristol and Bristol Pegasus Motor Clubs sprint at Llandow. This time the class allowed unto 2600cc (or forced induction equivalent) so I was up against a Lancer, a couple of Fiesta STs, a mental little Toyota Starlet, an Audi S3, a Mini JCW plus a few normally aspirated cars including Andrew Bisping’s Clio RS200 that I’d been neck-and-neck with at Hullavington. Andrew was still on List 1a tyres whereas I was using R888Rs for the first time.
The day started wet which wasn’t ideal for my first experience of the R888Rs, and I was five seconds off Andrew’s pace, but still about 6th in the class of 13. As the day went on I narrowed the gap to Andrew, ending up about a second off his pace. Annoyingly on the last timed run a couple of people found more time than I did and I dropped from 6th to 8th in class. My fastest time was 90.94s. Interestingly (because of what comes later) I was about a second quicker than the Starlet.
Llandow video - May
Llandow #2
At Llandow Andrew had mentioned that he was off to Llys-y-Fran in Pembrokeshire the following day to do a hillclimb, and that the Llandow and Llys-y-Fran events were usually organised as a pair on the same weekend. The events would be run again in July. This sounded like a good plan to me, so on 16th July I got up early and headed off to Llandow once again.
This time Llandow was being organised by a different club and with slightly different rules. I was running in the Standard Production class, using List 1a tyres again. Again the day started wet but this time I was quickest in class by 2.5 seconds in first practice. Andrew narrowed the gap to half a second in second practice as it dried up. It rained again over lunch, and the track was hilariously slippery for the first timed run. Andrew was 0.15s quicker.
Llandow video - July (Wet)
There was more-or-less a dry line for the second and last timed run. I managed a 91.07s, but Andrew sneaked the class win by 0.16s. Git. Despite losing by such a small amount I was more than happy to be second in class and 57th (of 98) overall. Andrew and I were both quicker than the majority of the modified production classes too. Not bad for a 13 year old bog-standard Clio.
Llandow video - July (Dryish)
It’s perhaps interesting at this point to compare times between the two events at Llandow. Andrew was about a second slower than at the first event (the track was still a bit damp in places) but I was only fractionally slower than I’d been on the R888Rs. I’d probably have been a second quicker had the track been dry. Some of that I’m sure will be more experience of the track, but I definitely prefer the way the car handles on the Michelin PS3s - definitely more feelsome, adjustable and confidence-inspiring. I also suppose the R888Rs don’t get much chance to warm-up in a 90 second sprint, but I thought it surprising how quick the PS3s were. Amazing when you consider that they’re only about £50 a corner.
Llys-y-Fran Hillclimb
The next morning we reconvened at Llys-y-Fran reservoir in Pembrokeshire. This was a completely different type of venue, a short hillclimb through the twisty narrow roads of the country park based around the reservoir.
As per the previous day’s event at Llandow I was running in the Standard Production class, this time against a Focus RS (Mk2), Focus ST170, a Puma, a Clio 197, Andrew’s Clio RS200, a 206 GTi 180 and a VW Lupo. Andrew is the class record holder at Llys-y-Fran and I think everyone else in my class had been to Llys-y-Fran before so I was expecting to struggle, especially as the day started wet again…
After Practice 1 I was 5th in class and about 4 seconds behind Andrew. After Practice 2 that was 2nd in class and 1 second behind Andrew. After the first timed run I was three-quarters of a second ahead of Andrew, who’d made a mistake…. All down to the last run…
Llys-y-Fran video
I won by 0.27 seconds.
The long left-hander hadn’t dried up and was really slippery, but I was only 0.25s off Andrew’s class record. I guess the little Cup had a weight advantage over her competitors that helped her up the hill, but I was really chuffed.
Dick Mayo Sprint at Castle Combe
The Dick Mayo Sprint at Castle Combe was the following weekend. Slightly knackered and rather too busy at work, it was only about 8pm on the evening before the event that I had a chance to give the car a quick check over and bolt on the R888Rs.
Although Combe’s my local track I hadn’t driven it before. I’d hoped to do a track day this summer to get familiar but didn’t get a chance. Despite arriving early I didn’t have time to walk the track, so I set off on my first run not really knowing where I was going so was a bit surprised to be 4th of 19 in class after that run. My second run felt infinitely better - I thought I’d found five seconds - but I was amazed that I was only a couple of tenths quicker. Everyone else had improved more so I’d dropped to 6th in class.
I found 1.5 seconds after lunch, but was fractionally slower on my last run - the first time that’s happened - so my first timed run was my best and put me 6th in class and 90th of 153 overall. Not too bad, but after my recent successes I was a bit disappointed. The Starlet I’d beaten by a second at Llandow in May had thrashed me by 4 seconds around a lap of Combe. I reckon I could find a couple of seconds with a few more laps, but not enough to beat the front runners.
Castle Combe video
Anyway, all good fun and I’ll definitely be back for more!
If you fancy doing some more sprints javelin run a sprint series outside of msa so the rules are less restrictive but plenty of groups and competition, Normally around 60-70 cars ith 2 sightning laps 1 practice lap then upto 8 timed laps at the last meeting croft we managed to get in 9 runs.
Ive missed the first but have done the last 2 with 3 more to go, last meeting I was in my class b2 with a caterham r500 we run close all day pretty much each run were swapping times and was decided on the last run by less than 0.2s with me getting a 1.36 flat at the croft circuit, which was 1st in class an my first trophy and 6th overall 3s behind a 500bhp fully race prepped impreza.
The last 2 rounds are good to book woodbridge and snetterton great series with a friendly paddock and well organised there is also a facebook group which is always active.
Ive missed the first but have done the last 2 with 3 more to go, last meeting I was in my class b2 with a caterham r500 we run close all day pretty much each run were swapping times and was decided on the last run by less than 0.2s with me getting a 1.36 flat at the croft circuit, which was 1st in class an my first trophy and 6th overall 3s behind a 500bhp fully race prepped impreza.
The last 2 rounds are good to book woodbridge and snetterton great series with a friendly paddock and well organised there is also a facebook group which is always active.
You sound like the ideal candidate for the Bristol Clio Cup next year. 5 rounds; 2 AutoSolos and 3 sprints.
andylaurence said:
You sound like the ideal candidate for the Bristol Clio Cup next year. 5 rounds; 2 AutoSolos and 3 sprints.
Yep, I've already expressed my interest. Thanks!Gassing Station | UK Club Motorsport | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff