Bedford - 27th MArch

Bedford - 27th MArch

Author
Discussion

batster

Original Poster:

263 posts

243 months

Wednesday 3rd March 2004
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Anybody got their name down for this one? Are there any restrictions at Bedford on tyre trad depths? The back tyres on my M3 are getting to semi slick stage and thought they might make for an interesting day's sliding if permitted!

greenv8s

30,266 posts

286 months

Wednesday 3rd March 2004
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Um ... is this wise?

Thurleigh is quite a fast circuit and I wouldn't have thought you want to hooly round there with badly worn road tyres, which will have less grip than normal and therefore slide and wear more than normal. Presumably if they start off badly worn there's even a chance that they will become unsafe during the day? Also this time of year you can't rely on good weather and badly worn road tyres in the wet can be 'interesting' to say the least. If they're marginal when you get there they're probably not going to be legal for the drive home?

daydreamer

1,409 posts

259 months

Tuesday 9th March 2004
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Ted,

Please can we have a calendar entry for this one - the RMA entries appear a bit out of date.

I'll be there in a Blue Ginetta (hopefully running this time ). I think one or two others from here will be along too.

See you there.

Rich

daydreamer

1,409 posts

259 months

Friday 19th March 2004
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Roll call time!

Who's coming?

Rich

dcw@pr

3,516 posts

245 months

Friday 19th March 2004
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I'll be there, but I dont really count...

s3am

1,383 posts

254 months

Monday 22nd March 2004
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Hi I'll be there



Go easy... I'm pretty new at this.

Sam

daydreamer

1,409 posts

259 months

Monday 22nd March 2004
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s3am said:
Go easy... I'm pretty new at this.
Bedford is awsome for those with little experience (I coun't myself in this bracket too), as it is very open, you can see well around the curves (even though it's a bit flat) and very safe.

Also, there's a 1km straight, which will allow you to really test the legs of that phenominal toy in the photo .

Come and say hello - I'll be in a blue Ginetta (or underneath it in the pits if the last day was anthing to go by ).

Rich

s3am

1,383 posts

254 months

Monday 22nd March 2004
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daydreamer said:
Bedford is awsome for those with little experience (I coun't myself in this bracket too), as it is very open, you can see well around the curves (even though it's a bit flat) and very safe.


Good stuff; thats half the reason I picked the circuit. Really looking forward to it -see you there.

Do you know which track layout is used?



Sam

daydreamer

1,409 posts

259 months

Monday 22nd March 2004
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Full GT Circuit . 50 Cars on track at once, and you don't even see them!

geoff38

789 posts

248 months

Tuesday 23rd March 2004
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Hi Guy's , I'm coming to this one as well. I did the RMA day here back in october and had a great time. I understand that the circuit has changed a little bit to make it even safer.
See you there.......

Melv

4,708 posts

267 months

Wednesday 24th March 2004
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geoff38 said:
I understand that the circuit has changed a little bit to make it even safer.


Just a chicane at the corner known as West 8, before the straight. You''ll see, have fun!!

B.N.Durio said:
I,ve just got a TVR Griffith 400 and keen to get to the meeting- to watch. Exactly where is it? Thanks.


www.bedford-autodrome.com

Rgds
Melv

>> Edited by Melv on Wednesday 24th March 20:59

r400c

159 posts

274 months

Wednesday 24th March 2004
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What are the noise regulations at Bedford for this event? My R400 is LOUD and spits flames on the over-run but it's all part of the fun.

batster

Original Poster:

263 posts

243 months

Thursday 25th March 2004
quotequote all
Glad there are some PHers going, and look forward to seeing the Ginetta and Noble do their stuff! Come and say hello, I'll be there in my black (but covered in mud) M3 with my mate in his yellow Gallardo. I went last year and it was a massive adrenalin rush - felt physically wrecked after a whole lay lapping but car did not miss a beat, so cannot wait for Saturday

geoff38

789 posts

248 months

Friday 26th March 2004
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r400c said:
What are the noise regulations at Bedford for this event? My R400 is LOUD.


Unfortunately Bedford do not think loud is fun and will possiblely stop you driving. The noise limits should be on the RMA joining instructions. I think they are 101Db static and 87Db drive by and they have several monitoring points around the circuit.
Also , you do not get a refund if stopped for too much noise.
Sorry if this bad news.

daydreamer

1,409 posts

259 months

Sunday 28th March 2004
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Again - a great day - and the Ginetta ran faultlessly all afternoon (after nearly losing a wheel in the morning ).

Starting to really get to grips with it now - and its pretty quick - don't really have to slow down for the corners, which sets it apart from the common exotica that tends to grace Bedford. Bit of understeer to solve, but once that's sorted, it has to rival pretty much anything in a fun per pound comparison.

Somehow, I managed to get black flagged for noise with a 115hp mondeo engine - fortunately, that wasn't until 4:15, and I'd run out of fuel anyway! The marshall was actually quite good about it - he said that he couldn't believe it either, and let me do another two laps - which set of the detectors both times - oops. Looks like 5th gear on the south straight from now on .

Only downside to the day was a 944 Porche that refused to move over for anyone, which was annoying many of us out there - but other than that, fantastic.

Pics to follow if I have any decent ones.

Rich

DoctorD

1,542 posts

258 months

Sunday 28th March 2004
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There was also a black Lotus Elise that had to be reported to Mike Wilde for overtaking in a corner. He seemed to think he was in a race and whilst coming up upon faster cars who were being held up on a corner or two he twice dived down the inside to steal the corner. What a plonker, hopefully he didn't spoil anyone else's day.

I was there in my CSL and found it an otherwise excellent day, enjoyed dicing with some friends in their GT3RSs and matching the Gallardo and 996TT along the main straight (then passing). Pleasantly surprised to see how difficult it was for the Radical SR3 and Palmer JP1 to pull away. Only downside was the time spent today cleaning off all the black marks on my paintwork caused by the rubber marbles thrown up by other cars.

s3am

1,383 posts

254 months

Monday 29th March 2004
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batster said:
Glad there are some PHers going, and look forward to seeing the Ginetta and Noble do their stuff! Come and say hello, I'll be there in my black (but covered in mud) M3 with my mate in his yellow Gallardo.


Great to meet you and your friend in the Gallardo, hope you had fun. Leean (my girlfriend) is still going on about the ride in the Lambo. There is a pic in the link at the bottom.


Great day... except for my excursion at the very end.

DoctorD said:
I was there in my CSL


DoctorD... is this you (CSL slide)

[url]www.tyresmoke.net/gallery/albuo82?&page=2[/url]

Sam

Well done all

dcw@pr

3,516 posts

245 months

Monday 29th March 2004
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Photos online,

www.pr-motorsport.org/GalleriesHTML/Trackdays/rmacircuit/2004/bedfordmarch04/index.htm

>> Edited by dcw@pr on Monday 29th March 15:09

DoctorD

1,542 posts

258 months

Monday 29th March 2004
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Sam, that's an excellent photo album from the day! Mine is the silver grey CSL that you have in the still photo (on the 1st row of pictures). The 'slide' movie is of a friend of mine, Tony, who was demonstrating a more 'exuberent' style of driving with the CSL. We both have upgraded 6-pot brakes and race silencers so both cars go and stop rather better than the standard CSL.

Yous must have been one of the two Noble's there on the day. I passed one blue Noble several times, but I think that was the 2.5litre M12-GTO rather than your GT0-3R. Tony mentioned that he thought you were a little quicker than him on the back straight which I was reaching at just over 151mph before the chicane. I guess you must have been doing likewise (or perhaps a little more).

He had a video camera in his car and he has a movie of him catching and passing an M12 GTO, perhaps I can get him to post it and see which one it was.

It was a fun day though and it was good to see so many similarly quick cars on the circuit.

We'll be along at the next RMA Bedford day so will hopefully see you there.

Steve

evoblade

150 posts

258 months

Monday 29th March 2004
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No, that was me actually!!!