Dunsfold
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actech

Original Poster:

693 posts

290 months

Saturday 6th November 2004
quotequote all
So how did it go?

Tell me I didn't miss anything, it snowed, everyone got punctures and the circuit was crap! Please!

Yours gutted of Cambs.

Ash GTO 3R

3,836 posts

264 months

Saturday 6th November 2004
quotequote all
Just seen your web site.

Excellent and informative, now firmly in my favs.

Please keep it up.

Kind regards

Ash.

V6GTO

11,579 posts

265 months

Saturday 6th November 2004
quotequote all
actech said:
So how did it go?

Tell me I didn't miss anything, it snowed, everyone got punctures and the circuit was crap! Please!

Yours gutted of Cambs.


Anthony,
I sent them some Spanish weather and a road sweeper just to p1ss you off!

PS - how's that gorgeous little baby of yours?

Martin.

amg merc

11,955 posts

276 months

Saturday 6th November 2004
quotequote all
actech said:
So how did it go?

Tell me I didn't miss anything, it snowed, everyone got punctures and the circuit was crap! Please!

Yours gutted of Cambs.


It rained mostly, Dan got a puncture (how did you know?!), the circuit was "challenging" and I came home without my Noble! ;-(

DanH

12,287 posts

283 months

Saturday 6th November 2004
quotequote all

Yep my car is still there too. Puncture manifested first time I took the car to significant speed. Was wondering why it felt so unstable at 140 mph,and wanted to spin when I was breaking. The puncture explained it.

Was nice to do the track and enjoyed the day. Track isn't ideal for this kind of thing though since it has the cross over limiting people being out simultaneously. Still had a great time though!

You missed out on a noble umbrella & hat too Apparently Lee's wife dropped them off?

p.s. why couldn't you make it? Your name was on the mail list of attendees IIRC?

>> Edited by DanH on Saturday 6th November 23:33

joust

14,622 posts

282 months

Sunday 7th November 2004
quotequote all
amg merc said:

It rained mostly, Dan got a puncture (how did you know?!), the circuit was "challenging" and I came home without my Noble! ;-(
What happened ???

actech

Original Poster:

693 posts

290 months

Sunday 7th November 2004
quotequote all
Ash, thanks, glad you like it, got quite a few things to add to it, just don't seem to have the time.

Martin, the baby is doing fine she's back at the factory at the minute, oh hang you mean Anna! Anna's doing well coming up to her first birthday and definitely a handful, but she's great!

Dan, the car was at the factory getting a new gearbox and LSD but just as I hit the M1 it sprouted a leak. All credit to the factory though, Bob sent a couple of mechanics to fix it at the side of the road, my Audi which I'd left at the factory and the transporter in case they couldn't get it going. By the time they got there though it was dark so you couldn't really see what was going on and I had Anna with me and the M1 in the dark on a Friday night with a 1 year old isn't the best place to be, so I took my car and headed straight home as Anna needed to eat and sleep!

It's one of those things, annoying because it put a damper on my weekend but the factory did all they could to help me, and I'm sure my umbrella and hat will be waiting for me when I collect my car!

btw - Anyone know how Lee got on yesterday at Donington?

Anthony

>> Edited by actech on Sunday 7th November 10:01

>> Edited by actech on Sunday 7th November 10:01

joust

14,622 posts

282 months

Sunday 7th November 2004
quotequote all
DanH said:

You missed out on a noble umbrella & hat too Apparently Lee's wife dropped them off?
Very nice they are too!

It was a good time, although very poor "value for money" as the Stig circuit as mentioned is a figure of 8 and so there could only be two cars out at a time.

Couple that with there were 3 instructors and quite often you had to wait the 10 minutes for a single car to whizz around.

With it working out at £25 per lap I think I'll pass on an opportunity to do that again!

Still it was fun, and certainly worth doing it just to say that you've driven the Top Gear track.

J

joust

14,622 posts

282 months

Sunday 7th November 2004
quotequote all
actech said:
btw - Anyone know how Lee got on yesterday at Donington?
Results online here

www.mst-group.co.uk/meeting.asp?event=44532&source=brscc2004&eventtype=brsccclub

He's in the "Open Saloon Car Challenge"

J

amg merc

11,955 posts

276 months

Sunday 7th November 2004
quotequote all
joust said:

amg merc said:

It rained mostly, Dan got a puncture (how did you know?!), the circuit was "challenging" and I came home without my Noble! ;-(

What happened ???


A misfire developed at the beginning of my third outing (ie: 7th lap of the day!) and got progressively worse - Plans were very helpful, checking the three exposed plugs which were OK (it would have taken too long to get to the other three) so I left it with them (there was concern about potentially damaging the Cat if I'd have driven it further or home) until I can get it back to the factory or MV

- so yes agree with you: they were expensive laps yesterday but at least we can all point at the Top Gear on TV the next time we see the Stig doing well, what we (well, me anyway!) did somewhat less professionally! :-)

It was good to see so many Nobility in one place again and to considerable M12 natterings - am looking forward to the many photos!

Also, congrats to all at Plans Motorsport plus the instructors for arranging a good day barring the weather and breakdowns!

So, a review of my three track events since delivery in January would report:

1. Brands Indy: Melted throttle ended play!
2. Goodwood: Nothing broken - an excellent day!
3. Dunsfold: Misfire ended play!

Not very good really Lee?! ;-(

actech

Original Poster:

693 posts

290 months

Monday 8th November 2004
quotequote all
amg merc said:
So, a review of my three track events since delivery in January would report:

1. Brands Indy: Melted throttle ended play!
2. Goodwood: Nothing broken - an excellent day!
3. Dunsfold: Misfire ended play!

Not very good really Lee?! ;-(
Rob,

As a contrast to your experiences, I've done loads of tracks days in my car and not once had a failure on the track.

Do you do pre and post trackday checks on your car before taking out? These can normal save a lot of pain!

Cheers, Anthony

AMG Merc

11,955 posts

276 months

Monday 8th November 2004
quotequote all
actech said:
Do you do pre and post trackday checks on your car before taking out? These can normal save a lot of pain!

Cheers, Anthony


Anthony, oh yes, I'm fastidious (ask Bob at the factory!) in my care and attention to my vehicles - I even performed all of the checks that Plans made when we arrived earlier that morning!

obes

3,298 posts

267 months

Monday 8th November 2004
quotequote all
Video pending....... !

P.S.

Big thanks to Paul & the guys at Plans. A very enjoyable day. We were looked after very well !

cheers, Owen.

paulcundy

1,897 posts

288 months

Monday 8th November 2004
quotequote all
Dear All,
Thanks, in fact you owe it all to Plans, they did all the organisation all I did was say "I've had an idea".

Considering it was the first time its been done I thought it went well, it was never going to be financialy equivalent to a track day and in fact I am pretty sure they lost money on it. I don't know where Justin got his £25 a lap from. AFAIK everyone did 3 sessions of 3 3/4 laps plus some did a VMAX lap + blast so there's no way it works out at £25 each time round - more like £10? which isn't far off sopme track days when there are a lot of stoppages. ANyway there's also the kudos factor to build in.

It was great to see so many faces, aces and their cars. The M400 was visibly faster along the VMAX run than anythingelse. A pity about those that broke.

When I finished I found I'd not turned my logger on so anyone got any times? The only one I heard of was a 1 min 40 which included a spin.

I know i'd be on for a go next summer in the dry!
REgards
Paul C

joust

14,622 posts

282 months

Monday 8th November 2004
quotequote all
paulcundy said:
I don't know where Justin got his £25 a lap from. AFAIK everyone did 3 sessions of 3 3/4 laps plus some did a VMAX lap + blast so there's no way it works out at £25 each time round - more like £10? which isn't far off sopme track days when there are a lot of stoppages. ANyway there's also the kudos factor to build in.
Paul - unfortunatly as I was going last I didn't get on the track until 12, did my first one lap, then 3, then did a second 3 laps, and then they decided that they would change the format for my next run.

I then did one lap and then one VMAX run.

So, I got 3+3+1 = 7 laps, and a VMAX (which is shorter than Brunters so been there done that).

It was fun for the qudos, but I wouldn't cough up again - been there done that.

Don't get me wrong - it was a great day, just I'd probably pay £160 to bookatrack for Goodwood now I've done it....

J

joust

14,622 posts

282 months

Monday 8th November 2004
quotequote all
paulcundy said:
When I finished I found I'd not turned my logger on so anyone got any times? The only one I heard of was a 1 min 40 which included a spin.
I've got video of each of my three runs around, but I won't get chance to get it off until the weekend.

J

obes

3,298 posts

267 months

Monday 8th November 2004
quotequote all
As promised (4.2Mb .mov)

www.obesonline.com/Dunsfold.mov

O.

joust

14,622 posts

282 months

Monday 8th November 2004
quotequote all
Not me at the end.....
Oversteer - what's that????



DanH

12,287 posts

283 months

Monday 8th November 2004
quotequote all

I should have some in car footage at some point. Its not going to be particularly quick though

AMG Merc

11,955 posts

276 months

Tuesday 9th November 2004
quotequote all
Dan, I had my car collected from Plans this morning - yours was being looked after well - it looked surprisingly clean after a day out in the rain!