Thursday 14th August 2003

PH Caterham Day

30 petrolheads and 3 tail happy cars on a disused airfield - it was a recipe for immense fun!

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Last weekend we had the first PistonHeads Caterham Slalom Day and what a blast it was! In sweltering heat (hottest day since the big bang apparently), thirty of us lined up to blast around beaten up traffic cones on the old Brooklands runway in Surrey.

Four courses were set up during the course of the day, each one challenging us to put into practice what we'd learned on the previous one at lower speeds. The best thing about the day? The guys from Caterham are egging you on to get the tail out and slide your way around the course!

The cars are prepared by Team Parker Racing and they set them up to be particularly tail happy. Each course finishes with the driver required to do a full donut around the last cone. Cheered on by fellow PHers we all slid blasted around the circuits with huge grins on our faces.

There was an element of competition with each run being timed, but the chance to meet fellow PHers and indulge in some petrolheaded fun on a Saturday couldn't be bettered. And if Caterham don't sell more cars as a result of these events we'd be amazed!

Where's the cone...?

Caterham are busy trying to sort out a number of dates for repeat bookings for us as we know these are going to become very popular days. Weather isn't going to be a problem either - rain will just make it more manic out on the track whilst the spectators continue to sup coffee and eat Caterham's biscuits. Watch this space for news.

Results from 9th August at Brooklands

Place	Name	Average	Course 1	Course 2	Course 3	Course 4
1	Rex	115.19	21.41	30.09	32.9	30.79
2	PetrolTed	116.08	21.02	30.89	34.1	30.07
3	Painey	116.16	22.69	31.37	30.99	31.11
4	Jason Nemits	117.12	22.13	30.95	33.18	30.86
5	Suggs	117.26	21.61	30.75	34.41	30.49
6	Incorrigible	118.75	20.76	29.45	39.53	29.01
7	MrTony	119.24	24.74	31.19	33.11	30.2
8	Jane Gorringe	119.54	23.28	31.98	32.6	31.68
9	nigelbasson	123.07	24.72	31.04	35.85	31.46
10	Pinbot	124.78	23.52	34.04	34.26	32.96
11	williamp	125.27	23.11	31.61	39.51	31.04
12	mechsympathy	126.57	24.04	32.69	38.09	31.75
13	MikeE	128.89	20.86	29.99	33.77	44.27
14	Gary Duhoney	129.35	23.59	31.85	35.11	38.8
15	jhorsnel	131.57	27.58	36.44	34.12	33.43
16	DustyC	134.86	27.74	33.35	32.5	41.27
17	Pies	136.74	25.28	34.22	34.47	42.77
18	Dipika	136.88	23.54	36.8	38.1	38.44
19	trotter	137.46	22.91	31.24	38.06	45.25
20	miniman	139.69	28.05	39.5	33.99	38.15
21	thub	140.99	31.45	33.1	33.81	42.63
22	James Bingham	144.07	26.86	38.91	37.86	40.44
23	so&so	149.67	24.15	34.17	35.08	56.27
24	[member]Pete Rockey	150.73	26.93	42.07	47.03	34.7
25	RUSS.B	152.08	23.07	33.87	34.29	60.85
26	Christopher Pattison	158.29	22.18	33.91	34.76	67.44
27	Tony Cozens	163.29	24.23	32.1	42.73	64.23
28	Adrian Zacher	190.95	24.13	32.88	33.95	99.99
29	chrispbacon	191.41	25.75	33.4	32.27	99.99
30	SC5011	196.07	21.46	30.61	45	99

[MikeE]

I'd 2nd what Ted says it was a fantastic day marred only by my last run If I'd known 'Rex' was only 0.2 seconds ahead I wouldn't of gone for a 28 second run

Anyway well done to the top 3 and everyone else for making it so much fun

[DustyC]

So so adictive. I want more!
Like my brother said; " Caterham are no better than drug dealers really, offering us our first taster cheap knowing we will become hooked and just want more and more until we eventually end up buying an R500!"

Great day. The last "do or die" run was my favorite, marred only by my slide slightly over the garage limits to gain a ten second penalty.

(Think thats me in the pic! I expect Pete Rokey had destroyed the cone!)

I will send videos soon, I promise!

[thub]

If only I'd been able to stop in that there garage...

But the competition wasn't that important, was it? (was it?) It was great fun hooning about. Thanks to all who participated.

[Incorrigible]

Ted

Can you highlight all the fastest section times please

What a completely fantastic top day can't wait for the next one

Don't know if I'll bring Stubby along though

[jeremyc]

Incorrigible said:

Don't know if I'll bring Stubby along though

Good call - I have to admit to some trepidation giving a passenger ride at the end.

Damn and blast it - there is already a PHer stubby - it'll have to be stubbypete then.

[Pies]

Absolute superb day anybody even half contemplating doing one of these stop thinking and do it

[Nacnud]

Sounds like a top day out!
I'll be watching for future dates.

[DustyC]

Incorrigible,
Now I know why you wanted the top 3 highlighted for each course!
Well done, you should enter the academy!

Interesting to see the results like this

Green = 1st
Amber = 2nd
Red = 3rd

[trotter]

Must say I certainly had fun. Upon pulling in to the car park I was dismayed to see it full of TVR's, Caterhams etc. When I saw drivers with racing boots and gloves on I thought the die was cast. However, it's good to see that my fears were unfounded and that a lot of you were even worse drivers than me.

Count me in when the next one is on.

[DustyC]

I think we saved the day for some by turning up in a works van!

[MikeE]

trotter said:

When I saw drivers with racing gloves on I thought the die was cast.

AFAIK there was only one driver there taking it all too seriously wearing his driving gloves, some bloke called Ted I think? ()

[DustyC]

MikeE said:

trotter said: When I saw drivers with racing gloves on I thought the die was cast. AFAIK there was only one driver there taking it all too seriously wearing his driving gloves, some bloke called Ted I think? ()

I guess he must have been putting the gloves and boots on when they told us the course directions

[MikeGF]

THis sounds like a great day!! WHen is the next one at Brooklands, and how much? Count me in!!

Cheers
Mike

[PetrolTed]

I get sweaty mitts when I get excited all right

Caterham came back to me today. They're working on a number of dates at Silverstone. Brooklands is hard to obtain but they are in negotiations for another venue in the south

[Pies]

Asda car park should be big enough

[mr_tony]

quality day out, superbly organised by ted and the caterham crew.

even better I didn't hit anything this time