ARDS Test final check?
Discussion
Hello guys,
I'm not usually in this forum, I'm a Biker Banter fella but this year myself and a friend are racing in the MGCC championship.
I'm doing my ARDS at Thruxton on Friday and I just wanted to know if there's anything I need to do/remember/prep specifically before it? I know the flags, I've watched the DVD... anything else?!
Thanks,
Rich
I'm not usually in this forum, I'm a Biker Banter fella but this year myself and a friend are racing in the MGCC championship.
I'm doing my ARDS at Thruxton on Friday and I just wanted to know if there's anything I need to do/remember/prep specifically before it? I know the flags, I've watched the DVD... anything else?!
Thanks,
Rich
Thanks very much for the advice so far. I have not been on a track before, just covered a hell of a lot of spirited miles on some, uh, private roads. Actually, some of them were private, amazingly. Most of these miles (40-50,000) were in my MG Midget(s)! Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing teaching me bad habits!
I was told by the (EXTREMELY lovely and helpful) people at Thruxton that if I am a 'pretty competant driver', I should be absolutely fine on the test so didn't book a session - booking a lesson may be a bit late now given it's at 9am Friday.
We're entering the Midget/Sprite Challenge, Pete, with an Austin Healey Sprite. I've got my own modified MG Midget which I've owned for a number of years (and is actually quite a bit more powerful than the Sprite we've bought!) and me and a friend figured it was time to take the plunge and do some proper racing.
More recently whilst the engine has been out my Midget I've been driving a MK1 Golf which has thankfully put me back into the Front Wheel Drive mindset for the ARDS!
Going to read through the Blue Book this week again...
I was told by the (EXTREMELY lovely and helpful) people at Thruxton that if I am a 'pretty competant driver', I should be absolutely fine on the test so didn't book a session - booking a lesson may be a bit late now given it's at 9am Friday.
We're entering the Midget/Sprite Challenge, Pete, with an Austin Healey Sprite. I've got my own modified MG Midget which I've owned for a number of years (and is actually quite a bit more powerful than the Sprite we've bought!) and me and a friend figured it was time to take the plunge and do some proper racing.
More recently whilst the engine has been out my Midget I've been driving a MK1 Golf which has thankfully put me back into the Front Wheel Drive mindset for the ARDS!
Going to read through the Blue Book this week again...
Alright, so thanks for everyones wonderful advice and help - I don't think I could have done it without all this! I did my ARDS test today at Thruxton and passed! Read on, slightly nicked from another forum post I made!
As you know, it was my first time I've ever been on track, and it was an odd one as I was advised both to NOT GO WITHOUT LESSONS and also to NOT WORRY ABOUT LESSONS from here and elsewhere! I spoke to Thruxton about all this and they assured me I'd likely be fine, especially as the day we did today was specially arranged due to weather and so there was only ONE other car out on track and plenty of time to work on stuff if there was any problems. Less traffic made it much easier to concentrate on the task at hand, and I only had one over take and one overtaking of someone else.
I was driving the Mazda3 MPS, which is some ungoldly powerhouse of 2.3 litres and turbo. Pretty awesome little beast though.
The guy took us for a ride round the track, and I sat in the front passenger seat clinging to it for my dear life, quietly wetting myself. I'm sure someone who's been in a modern round a track at speed would laugh, but as someone who drives an MG Midget and a 20 year old Golf, as well as a very fast motorbike (but generally quite gingerly!), never seen 120-130 in ANY vehicle - never mind as passenger on a track - it was somewhat of an experience for me!
(did the theory bit, yadda, yadda, easy)
Took the car out myself with him and got myself up to quite a pace, probably 'too much' for my comfort with the track and car but it was very hard to gauge what was appropriate as the car felt invincible to drive and was very much a 'false sense of security'. Was slowly weened off my 'sawing' of the steering wheel ("do you ride a bike mate? yeah I can tell!"), when I finally realised that it didn't fight with me every split second like a Midget would on a corner, or a bike for that matter. Turns out, no need to do countersteering on a car! Just let it glide.
Anyway, he complimented me on my eye for racing line and brake points etc, pointed out that I was in 5th not 3 (what is with these newer gearboxes where you don't have to STIR the porridge to find a gear? disappointingly simple!) and said I was tense. Yes, I certainly was!
Much more 'prepped' for what it's like on course now and understand it better. We'll be taking the Sprite out on track in March time so we can get a better idea of how that handles on track, get as much practice in of track time.........
Yours, dearly, a very novice 'racer' with a brand new license!
As you know, it was my first time I've ever been on track, and it was an odd one as I was advised both to NOT GO WITHOUT LESSONS and also to NOT WORRY ABOUT LESSONS from here and elsewhere! I spoke to Thruxton about all this and they assured me I'd likely be fine, especially as the day we did today was specially arranged due to weather and so there was only ONE other car out on track and plenty of time to work on stuff if there was any problems. Less traffic made it much easier to concentrate on the task at hand, and I only had one over take and one overtaking of someone else.
I was driving the Mazda3 MPS, which is some ungoldly powerhouse of 2.3 litres and turbo. Pretty awesome little beast though.
The guy took us for a ride round the track, and I sat in the front passenger seat clinging to it for my dear life, quietly wetting myself. I'm sure someone who's been in a modern round a track at speed would laugh, but as someone who drives an MG Midget and a 20 year old Golf, as well as a very fast motorbike (but generally quite gingerly!), never seen 120-130 in ANY vehicle - never mind as passenger on a track - it was somewhat of an experience for me!
(did the theory bit, yadda, yadda, easy)
Took the car out myself with him and got myself up to quite a pace, probably 'too much' for my comfort with the track and car but it was very hard to gauge what was appropriate as the car felt invincible to drive and was very much a 'false sense of security'. Was slowly weened off my 'sawing' of the steering wheel ("do you ride a bike mate? yeah I can tell!"), when I finally realised that it didn't fight with me every split second like a Midget would on a corner, or a bike for that matter. Turns out, no need to do countersteering on a car! Just let it glide.
Anyway, he complimented me on my eye for racing line and brake points etc, pointed out that I was in 5th not 3 (what is with these newer gearboxes where you don't have to STIR the porridge to find a gear? disappointingly simple!) and said I was tense. Yes, I certainly was!
Much more 'prepped' for what it's like on course now and understand it better. We'll be taking the Sprite out on track in March time so we can get a better idea of how that handles on track, get as much practice in of track time.........
Yours, dearly, a very novice 'racer' with a brand new license!
Edited by untruth on Friday 13th February 18:03
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