Spa - how do slower cars get on?
Spa - how do slower cars get on?
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Discussion

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

78 months

Tuesday 26th May 2009
quotequote all
Hi guys, I'm looking for some information from people who have hopefully done Spa already. I'd love to do a trackday there and I'm eyeing up a date in October.

The only problem is I'd be doing it in my 205 GTI6, which although a great track weapon (I can pedal 9 min ring laps) it's not a very fast car top end, it's only geared to about 115-120mph. Would Spa be wasted on such a slow car? (when I say slow, I mean compared to the mid range and top end of a GT3/CSL)

Is it a circuit too fast for a little 205GTI or do you think it would be worth doing? I don't want to get out there and find myself sitting on the rev limit half way around the place with exotica screaming past me all day. I'd like to mix it up a bit. Cadwell Park seems to be ideal for my car and I can keep up with much faster things through the corners and on the [small] straight bits, but I assume Spa is a different proposition entirely??

Any advice?

Cheers

Iain

Stu_00

1,529 posts

243 months

Tuesday 26th May 2009
quotequote all
Defently worth doing, I was in the Elise in April and it was really great fun. I was probably the slowest on the track but could follow M3's etc through the corners etc.

Plenty of room for overtaking on a normal track day, book it and enjoy !!!!

Wh00sher

1,749 posts

242 months

Tuesday 26th May 2009
quotequote all
I drove it in my 160HP Golf. Great fun and loved every minute of it.

Struggle on the run up the Hill after Eau Rouge, but apart from that it was brilliant.

A couple of incar laps of mine, as you can see, you don`t need massive power to enjoy it smile

http://www.vimeo.com/1690327

GT03ROB

13,991 posts

245 months

Tuesday 26th May 2009
quotequote all
Go, have fun & enjoy it. There are enough sections where you should be able to have fun through the corners & the fast sections are such that you will be able to keep out of the way of others without impacting your lap. It's not just your car that will be maxed out. Elises will be maxed out up Kemmel with others blasting past them & nobody would ever say don't take an Elise there.

RMac

347 posts

245 months

Tuesday 26th May 2009
quotequote all
no probs - I was there last year with a 306 rallye, had a ball. It did help that it was mainly wet while I was there.

If I'm in anything much faster I tend not to absolutely max them on the fast straights anyway. The corners there are fantastic.

Just move over on the really quick sections and hope you don't get held up in the twisty bits.

oldtimer

300 posts

280 months

Tuesday 26th May 2009
quotequote all
Hi , the track is wider than most so you wont be getting in the way too much . The bit where you are likely to be monstered / intimidated is Eau Rouge , fast cars take it fast and its not unusual to be overtaken on either side coming into it unless the track day organiser has expressly ruled it out.
There is nothing to compare with Pouhon anywhere else , fit your grippiest tyres and push hard all the way through , same technique for Blanchimont , again allow for the fast cars to be all over you on the latter.

Spa is simply a marvellous track that you will go back to and if you trade up to increasingly powerful cars there will always be more to go at there. Meantime enough twisties and change in elevation to exercise your skills in whatever track tool you have.

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

78 months

Tuesday 26th May 2009
quotequote all
Wh00sher said:
I drove it in my 160HP Golf. Great fun and loved every minute of it.

Struggle on the run up the Hill after Eau Rouge, but apart from that it was brilliant.

A couple of incar laps of mine, as you can see, you don`t need massive power to enjoy it smile

http://www.vimeo.com/1690327
Nice vid Nige! (Mac here from Northloop, Andy W's (blue elise) mate)

Was that an M3 in front? Good skills if so

I think my mind is made up, cheers fellas

Birdthom

790 posts

249 months

Tuesday 26th May 2009
quotequote all
Wh00sher said:
I drove it in my 160HP Golf. Great fun and loved every minute of it.

Struggle on the run up the Hill after Eau Rouge, but apart from that it was brilliant.

A couple of incar laps of mine, as you can see, you don`t need massive power to enjoy it smile

http://www.vimeo.com/1690327
  • waves* hello Nige. Good day that.
Tom (bloke in green Elise)

Wh00sher

1,749 posts

242 months

Tuesday 26th May 2009
quotequote all
Mac. said:
Wh00sher said:
I drove it in my 160HP Golf. Great fun and loved every minute of it.

Struggle on the run up the Hill after Eau Rouge, but apart from that it was brilliant.

A couple of incar laps of mine, as you can see, you don`t need massive power to enjoy it smile

http://www.vimeo.com/1690327
Nice vid Nige! (Mac here from Northloop, Andy W's (blue elise) mate)

Was that an M3 in front? Good skills if so

I think my mind is made up, cheers fellas
Hi Mac, yeah, I remember you mate, saw your 205 at the ring. Yep, it was an M3, couldn`t keep up on the straights, but we were more evenly matched in the corners.

Definately do it, you`ll love it !

Hi Tom.

philmorris

23 posts

208 months

Wednesday 27th May 2009
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hi Wh00sher
That was indeed a grand day out! Great vid; i was in the red Golf that you came past at Blanchimont. thanks for posting on Vimeo (Youtube is blocked to me) - the only problem with Vimeo is that i can't work out how to search for categories of videos. For eg, how can i find other trackday stuff?


Edited by philmorris on Thursday 28th May 09:22

Nurburgsingh

5,478 posts

262 months

Wednesday 27th May 2009
quotequote all
take a book to read while your heading up the kemmel straight....

tuscan_al

4,107 posts

238 months

Wednesday 27th May 2009
quotequote all
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzRWdCM3fn0


Took the Tuscan there, and even I was getting passed after Eau Rouge, 600 + Bhp Porsche Turbo's flying by me while I'm doing 150. But you will still have a good time, amazing bends and a classic circuit. Will be off there myself again if I can. Think a load of TVR's are over in Oct too.


mattdaniels

7,362 posts

306 months

Thursday 28th May 2009
quotequote all
Go for it. I've done it in an Elise (118bhp) and it is a superb track. As long as the faster grippier cars obey the overtaking rules it's not too intimidating.