Trackday at Castle Coombe

[jonathon]

Thought I'd let you know that we are taking part in another Charity trackday at Castle Coombe on April 13th
Charities
Thanks to the help of Castle Combe's management, the day should raise over
£3000.
Half the proceeds will be for our regular charity Combat Stress,
www.combatstress.org.uk .
The other half will support St Nicholas special needs school, via Chippenham
Rotary Club,
http://www.justgiving.com/chippenhamrotary .
Gift Aid will add another 28% as both are registered charities.
Cars attending
AC Cobra rep
MG Midget
Ford Falcon
Porsche Carrera 4
Lotus Elise
Sunbeam Tiger
Austin A105
BMW M3
Morris Minor
Vauxhall Cavalier
Lotus Elise
D type rep
Mitsubishi Evo
Lotus Elise
Peugeot 205
Jaguar E type
Porsche Carrera 1972
Austin Healey 3000
Murtaya
MGB
MGF
Porsche Cayman
Noble
BMW2002
VW Corrado
Saab 96
Austin Healey
Frogeye Sprite
Sunbeam Tiger
Ferrari 550
Porsche 924S
Morris Minor

Most drivers will be happy to give passenger rides in return for a donation.We start at 8.00am and finish at 4.30pm. Or just turn up for an interesting days motorsport. If you want a ride then helmets are available.
I'll post up pics as soon as we are done.


Aston Martin DB6

[mmjosh]

where abouts is this

[jonathon]

Here you go, its next to the M4 near Chippenham

www.castlecombecircuit.co.uk

[jonathon]

Everyone welcome. the minors will be Omex's 170bhp zetec traveller and my supercharged zetec saloon.
must be of some interest surely ???

[bmcecosse]

I wish Jono - just too far away for me!!

[LouiseM]

Pity it's being held on a weekday when I'll be working

[jonathon]

Yep, its a shame ,but its the cheapest time of the week, which maximises the amount we can raise for the charities whilst having a great time . There will be more to come but alas all week days

[GeorgeHurst]

Sounds great! I'm going to try to make it down.
As a kid I was at Castle Coombe ALL the time when my Dad had a kit car company, so it'll be a good trip down memory lane and looks like a great selection of car will be there. Looking forward to seeing the JLH supercharged salloon!

[stuart_k]

If I wasn't driving all the way down to Cornwall the very next day I would have liked to go. Have a great time and post up some pics!

[jonathon]

Thanks Stuart, and look forward to meeting you George

[GeorgeHurst]

Likewise Jonathon I'm 99% that I'll make it down there, but my life has an uncanny knack of never going quite like I planned it so I'm never 100%

[MartinB]

Have fun Jonathon, be careful though they are very strict on noise testing/limits there.

[jonathon]

Think wew are allowed 101 dbls, should be well inside that . Only running the 'baby' engine.
Will be trialing a new SPA rev counter with digital speedo, all warning and sensor info,a rrev pointer which turns from blue to red in the redline area, shift lights, 0-60 timer-30-50,50-70mph times and 1/4 mile times. All in an 80mm dial. Don't think it makes tea yet, but there's always hope
Bit nervous about this track as its the second fastest in the country, and it would be 'rude' not to 'try' and push it. Mind, not keen on wrecking it so will build up slowly and take good advice from the instructors.

[MartinB]

Mind out with Avon Rise into Quarry corner, easy to leave braking too late and end up in the barriers, it all goes very light over Avon Rise so need to make sure car is settled before hitting the brakes really hard, Also in tin top probably braking before avon rise as well. Should be arriving there at 130 to 140mph!! There are also two lines through Quarry, the conventional wide entry late apex or the brake straight to the apex (generally the oh sh*t one), wider exit, both work ok and really depend how you arrive over Avon Rise. Different exit speeds though.
It is also quite bumpy through Folly, there is also a bit of a lump across the track at Tower corner (mid corner) which can unsettle the car.
Combe is a really good track to race on, I actually think the chicanes have improved it, I used to do sprints there before they were installed, sprints and now circuit racing there since they have been installed. More technical now but still quite a flowing circuit.

[Faceplant]

Looks like a good day out, do i have to book or just turn up on the day?

[jonathon]

Entries are now closed I'm afraid. But you are more than welcome to a passenger ride with us or most of the rest of the drivers.
I'll put up details of the next one we do in good time, I'll be at Shakespeare County Raceway on the 4th and 11th April to 'test' the new engine. Possibly Mallory in April and Llandow later in the year, plus a few others, hopefully nearer to the midlands.
What are you doing on the 13 Martin, you might be a useful passenger !!!

[MartinB]

Unfortunately probably at work on the 13th (got to pay for my new engine and racing some how ), have you seen this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VggOxCZe-dI shows the lines pretty well if not mind blowingly quick!

Hopefully if I get my car (Radical) finished I should be racing there on the 5th April in the GTs.

[jonathon]

good link , thanks one's I ve been looking at have been Avon Rise carnage .
Good luck with the radical, seen the videos of them at C Coombe, darn quick. What's a reasonable lap time by the way ?

[MartinB]

Lap times can be from low 1:20s for 1400-1600 hatchbacks down to 1:11s for 500bhp+ Mitsubishi Evos (on road tyres).

Formula Fords are around 1:11s as well, up to 2 litre sports racers record is 1:03.8 I think, unlimited cc sports racers record is 1:01 something although they aren't allowed anymore.

The best I did with my little 1100 was 1.09.2 although a 1:08 was on the cards until the engine went pop

Just be smooth and precise and the lap times will come, oh and a well balanced car is a must for good laptimes.

Good luck with the new engine although I think you will soon want the 'full fat' one back pretty soon

[Mogwai]

have been meaning to do one in the Minor for some time now but will have to do a trackday sometime this year.
Engine is still in its component parts at the moment though