Bedford Autodrome Sat 4th March
Discussion
Was at Bedford today and had a fantastic day!
Didn’t get off to the best start. Stayed over at the travel inn with my old man (who wanted to come as a passenger to see what all the fuss was about) on Fri night and was in the car park at 8am this morning in -5.5’C scraping the ice off with the sainsburys reward card!
Got there ok. Not much helpful info on noise testing for anyone though. They asked me if my car was standard to which I replied “pretty much” and they said “fine” and stuck a green sticker on!! So none the wiser how many db I do at static.
The briefing was very casual, a bit too casual I thought given that around half the people there put their hands up when asked who had never done a trackday before. The slide explaining apexs etc was skipped over. However, the noise meters were pointed out and we were promised anyone tripping one would be told which so they could go back out and take it steady.
No marking cones which was a first for me there, so you had to work out your own turn in points and apexs. All later than you think at Bedford.
Had a quick chat to a couple from Kent with an Elise and pointed them at Pistonheads so maybe they will sign up.
I’ve done trackdays at Bedford before in an old 911 which was fun. But this Exige is a whole new dimension! How good is it out on track?! I was even pushing GT3s through some of the twisty bits! The car really does seem to go exactly where you point it with no body roll at all. I had a lesson mid morning which helped and I’m starting to feel a lot more confident now and a lot less of a beginner.
As I haven’t had a chance to do anything about harnesses yet I was trying out a little thingy that Andy Walsh put me onto which locks your lapbelt in place. See here:
[url]www.cg-lock.co.uk/[/url]
It was pretty impressive and does what it says on the tin. Not as good as harnesses Im sure, but 10 times better than nothing. Cost me £40 and would thoroughly recommend it to anyone.
Was asked for a passenger ride by a guy with an S2000 this afternoon who is thinking of swapping it for an elise/exige. He was stunned with the acceleration, braking and cornering! Was even polite about my driving too.
My Dad thoroughly enjoyed himself too which was good, I was worried he might be a bit scared but if he was he hid it well!
Then the long drive back to snowy Lancashire. Got back in 3 hours though so cant complain! Am sat here typing this with a bottle of stella and am still buzzing from a great day. Am soo tired I should be collapsed in front the tellie but I just cant do nothing yet.
Cant wait for Silverstone on 28th now. And Bedford again on Good Friday. Anyone thinking of booking who hasn’t yet then GET IT BOOKED!!
Pics here if I can work out how to do a link…
[url]www.control-it.uk.com/bedford060304/[/url]
Simon
Didn’t get off to the best start. Stayed over at the travel inn with my old man (who wanted to come as a passenger to see what all the fuss was about) on Fri night and was in the car park at 8am this morning in -5.5’C scraping the ice off with the sainsburys reward card!
Got there ok. Not much helpful info on noise testing for anyone though. They asked me if my car was standard to which I replied “pretty much” and they said “fine” and stuck a green sticker on!! So none the wiser how many db I do at static.
The briefing was very casual, a bit too casual I thought given that around half the people there put their hands up when asked who had never done a trackday before. The slide explaining apexs etc was skipped over. However, the noise meters were pointed out and we were promised anyone tripping one would be told which so they could go back out and take it steady.
No marking cones which was a first for me there, so you had to work out your own turn in points and apexs. All later than you think at Bedford.
Had a quick chat to a couple from Kent with an Elise and pointed them at Pistonheads so maybe they will sign up.
I’ve done trackdays at Bedford before in an old 911 which was fun. But this Exige is a whole new dimension! How good is it out on track?! I was even pushing GT3s through some of the twisty bits! The car really does seem to go exactly where you point it with no body roll at all. I had a lesson mid morning which helped and I’m starting to feel a lot more confident now and a lot less of a beginner.
As I haven’t had a chance to do anything about harnesses yet I was trying out a little thingy that Andy Walsh put me onto which locks your lapbelt in place. See here:
[url]www.cg-lock.co.uk/[/url]
It was pretty impressive and does what it says on the tin. Not as good as harnesses Im sure, but 10 times better than nothing. Cost me £40 and would thoroughly recommend it to anyone.
Was asked for a passenger ride by a guy with an S2000 this afternoon who is thinking of swapping it for an elise/exige. He was stunned with the acceleration, braking and cornering! Was even polite about my driving too.
My Dad thoroughly enjoyed himself too which was good, I was worried he might be a bit scared but if he was he hid it well!
Then the long drive back to snowy Lancashire. Got back in 3 hours though so cant complain! Am sat here typing this with a bottle of stella and am still buzzing from a great day. Am soo tired I should be collapsed in front the tellie but I just cant do nothing yet.
Cant wait for Silverstone on 28th now. And Bedford again on Good Friday. Anyone thinking of booking who hasn’t yet then GET IT BOOKED!!
Pics here if I can work out how to do a link…
[url]www.control-it.uk.com/bedford060304/[/url]
Simon
also on bedford this fast RST-V8 caterham...would love to see this on video in a Elise or better for me a Exige
There are also some Elises on this video, maybe some of you?? and some porsche's and a ferrari 360 he eats for breakfast? fast car it is
http://atvp.tim.free.fr/rst-v8-bedfor
GTRene
>> Edited by GTRene on Sunday 5th March 23:26
There are also some Elises on this video, maybe some of you?? and some porsche's and a ferrari 360 he eats for breakfast? fast car it is
http://atvp.tim.free.fr/rst-v8-bedfor
GTRene
>> Edited by GTRene on Sunday 5th March 23:26
I've got a cg-lock thingy, certainly helps and is lots less than a bespoke harness fitting.
Bedford is fun, relatively safe and long, ideal for a GT car as well as those tiny little wasp-like things (Elises and Caterhams) that fly past in the corners. Still, manage to hold my own on the straights at least.
Certainly a good beginner track (it was my first) and one I mean to visit again if only with a silencer fitted now the decat is on.
Bedford is fun, relatively safe and long, ideal for a GT car as well as those tiny little wasp-like things (Elises and Caterhams) that fly past in the corners. Still, manage to hold my own on the straights at least.
Certainly a good beginner track (it was my first) and one I mean to visit again if only with a silencer fitted now the decat is on.
RIXGE said:
Yeah yeah yeah, but did you turn off the b----y traction control
Hmmmm..... well...... ummmmm...... no actually i didnt! Although to be honest only felt it intervene once all day. I dont think the engine really has enough torque to need it in the dry.
But i will turn it off on Good Friday if you come along Rick!
Simon
that would be too 
I had a thought regarding this CG-Lock gadget... it seems ok for what it is, but can I suggest a way of saving £40 - £50..?
I'm probably not the only one to have ever tried this, but it does seem pretty obvious:
1) Sit in seat, fasten seatbelt and then push and hold your arse as far back in the seat as you can
2) Pull the lap strap as tight as you can by pulling through the buckle with right hand and hold taught with left hand
3) Feed any slack back onto inertial reel with right hand
4) Place thumb of right hand under shoulder/chest belt and pull quickly to snap the inertia reel onto lock
5) Take up the slack by moving a little forward in seat again and getting comfortable without allowing the belt to 'unlock' from the reel
This way, you feel 'at one' with the car and securely held in place for some 'spirited driving'
I don't know how advisable this is or isn't from a consummate safety point of view, but in essence it can't be any different to everything snapping into locked position should you hit something..? (Pre-tensioners maybe another consideration of course, but again, there should be enough slack/movement to allow that)
Anyone else do this already? Any thoughts?
Just thought I'd throw it open to the floor as people were kinda discussing the merits of £40 - £50 on a CG-Lock
Cheers!
I'm probably not the only one to have ever tried this, but it does seem pretty obvious:
1) Sit in seat, fasten seatbelt and then push and hold your arse as far back in the seat as you can
2) Pull the lap strap as tight as you can by pulling through the buckle with right hand and hold taught with left hand
3) Feed any slack back onto inertial reel with right hand
4) Place thumb of right hand under shoulder/chest belt and pull quickly to snap the inertia reel onto lock
5) Take up the slack by moving a little forward in seat again and getting comfortable without allowing the belt to 'unlock' from the reel
This way, you feel 'at one' with the car and securely held in place for some 'spirited driving'
I don't know how advisable this is or isn't from a consummate safety point of view, but in essence it can't be any different to everything snapping into locked position should you hit something..? (Pre-tensioners maybe another consideration of course, but again, there should be enough slack/movement to allow that)
Anyone else do this already? Any thoughts?
Just thought I'd throw it open to the floor as people were kinda discussing the merits of £40 - £50 on a CG-Lock
Cheers!
I bought a cg-lock for £35 inc del online recently and also think its well worth it.
Made me alot more confident just from the feeling of being held securely but also able to feel the car better.
Its most noticable under hard braking, I have found im much less likely to lock the wheels, probably due to not sliding forward in the seat at all.
Made me alot more confident just from the feeling of being held securely but also able to feel the car better.
Its most noticable under hard braking, I have found im much less likely to lock the wheels, probably due to not sliding forward in the seat at all.
might work for a bit but the corner forces and bumps would 'undo' it after a bit I suspect. CG lock is the biz for the price.
1) Sit in seat, fasten seatbelt and then push and hold your arse as far back in the seat as you can
2) Pull the lap strap as tight as you can by pulling through the buckle with right hand and hold taught with left hand
3) Feed any slack back onto inertial reel with right hand
4) Place thumb of right hand under shoulder/chest belt and pull quickly to snap the inertia reel onto lock
5) Take up the slack by moving a little forward in seat again and getting comfortable without allowing the belt to 'unlock' from the reel
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