Best lap time's...? Donnington/Silverstone
Discussion
I’ve finally got round to sorting out the video camera – and put my recent trackdays onto tape. We all know that you can’t time at trackdays (for insurance purposes) – but I can work out my best lap times from watching the video (hardly TAG Heuer timing, I know..!).
Just wondered how my best laps compare, to anybody else, who has driven at these circuits. This is for a standard 4.0l Chim – with SO3’s up front & 2’s on the rear, two up with no less than half a tank of fuel.
These were on Dry/Sunny days.
Donnington - 1m 28 secs (Not GP Circuit i.e missing out Melbourne loop)
Silverstone - 2m 24 secs (Full GP)
I’ve just found some details regarding the Ferrari weekend at Donnington (a few weeks ago). The best laps there were 1m 14secs (360 Challenge) and 1m 20secs (355 Challenge). Bear in mind these are race cars, on slicks, I didn’t think my 1m 28secs was too bad.
jj
Just wondered how my best laps compare, to anybody else, who has driven at these circuits. This is for a standard 4.0l Chim – with SO3’s up front & 2’s on the rear, two up with no less than half a tank of fuel.
These were on Dry/Sunny days.
Donnington - 1m 28 secs (Not GP Circuit i.e missing out Melbourne loop)
Silverstone - 2m 24 secs (Full GP)
I’ve just found some details regarding the Ferrari weekend at Donnington (a few weeks ago). The best laps there were 1m 14secs (360 Challenge) and 1m 20secs (355 Challenge). Bear in mind these are race cars, on slicks, I didn’t think my 1m 28secs was too bad.
jj
The method you describe for calculating your laptime times also counts as timing - and hence it could jeopardise the future of track days as non-competitive events in the eyes of insurance companies (however most insurance companies won't pay out anymore anyway)
Did you get so little enjoyment in driving to your limits that you really need to know your time to work out if you were driving fast?
Be all means use the video to see where you messed up corners or braking, but don't post timing information to a public forum unless you want one of these responses:
1) I can do it in 12 seconds in me Nova - wikkid
2) My Nova is faster than your McLaren, R500, Williams FW14B, etc.
3) The response I have given above!
Did you get so little enjoyment in driving to your limits that you really need to know your time to work out if you were driving fast?
Be all means use the video to see where you messed up corners or braking, but don't post timing information to a public forum unless you want one of these responses:
1) I can do it in 12 seconds in me Nova - wikkid
2) My Nova is faster than your McLaren, R500, Williams FW14B, etc.
3) The response I have given above!
m-five said:
Did you get so little enjoyment in driving to your limits that you really need to know your time to work out if you were driving fast?
A strange point of view?
I don't bother doing track days most of the time because you're not supposed to record lap times - and recording lap times is what makes it interesting. How do you know if you're driving to your limits if you don't know what times you've done?
Most mobile phones nowadays will record lap times, I doubt there has been a track day in the last 5 years when somebody somewhere hasn't been watching someone...
And the tracks never turn off the start line beacons so if you have an in car lap timer, they always work anyway.
A strange point of view?
I don't bother doing track days most of the time because you're not supposed to record lap times - and recording lap times is what makes it interesting. How do you know if you're driving to your limits if you don't know what times you've done?
This shows that you accept that track days are there for non-timed, non-competitive fun and if you need to time your laps then you have to go to a proper test day. I am in complete agreement with this and expect if I did more track days I would get a more track-day friendly car and get my MSA licence as well.
If I do two laps and one is slower than the other then is it because I drove within my limits or beyond? I can drive well beyond my and my car's limits (as I have found out a few times and have the dings to prove it), but you get a feel for the limit of the car at different circuits - I have no need for a timer to tell me whether or not I got the lap better/smoother/cleaner than the last - you instinctively know when you've cocked the entry/apex/exit up.
If I see someone timing at a track day I will mention it to the organiser as I assume the person timing will not be willing to foot my insurance claim should I have an off and the claim is refused on the basis of someone posting their lap records from the same event on the internet. How do I then go about proving that I was not timing myself as well?
Most mobile phones nowadays will record lap times, I doubt there has been a track day in the last 5 years when somebody somewhere hasn't been watching someone...
You could always count in your head as well. I'm not saying there is a easy way to stop someone timing if they really want to, but that it has repercusions for the organiser and other drivers.
And the tracks never turn off the start line beacons so if you have an in car lap timer, they always work anyway.
That has no effect on either the track day organiser's or car owners' (assuming their policy covers track days) insurance as it is down to the organiser/driver to ensure no timing is taking place.
Edited to say 'look at the winking smiley
on my first reply and you should see the attitude I was trying to convey (obviously poorly)
>> Edited by m-five on Tuesday 24th June 18:45
I don't bother doing track days most of the time because you're not supposed to record lap times - and recording lap times is what makes it interesting. How do you know if you're driving to your limits if you don't know what times you've done?
This shows that you accept that track days are there for non-timed, non-competitive fun and if you need to time your laps then you have to go to a proper test day. I am in complete agreement with this and expect if I did more track days I would get a more track-day friendly car and get my MSA licence as well.
If I do two laps and one is slower than the other then is it because I drove within my limits or beyond? I can drive well beyond my and my car's limits (as I have found out a few times and have the dings to prove it), but you get a feel for the limit of the car at different circuits - I have no need for a timer to tell me whether or not I got the lap better/smoother/cleaner than the last - you instinctively know when you've cocked the entry/apex/exit up.
If I see someone timing at a track day I will mention it to the organiser as I assume the person timing will not be willing to foot my insurance claim should I have an off and the claim is refused on the basis of someone posting their lap records from the same event on the internet. How do I then go about proving that I was not timing myself as well?
Most mobile phones nowadays will record lap times, I doubt there has been a track day in the last 5 years when somebody somewhere hasn't been watching someone...
You could always count in your head as well. I'm not saying there is a easy way to stop someone timing if they really want to, but that it has repercusions for the organiser and other drivers.
And the tracks never turn off the start line beacons so if you have an in car lap timer, they always work anyway.
That has no effect on either the track day organiser's or car owners' (assuming their policy covers track days) insurance as it is down to the organiser/driver to ensure no timing is taking place.
Edited to say 'look at the winking smiley
on my first reply and you should see the attitude I was trying to convey (obviously poorly) >> Edited by m-five on Tuesday 24th June 18:45
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