Anglesey Modern Classics race - 3 Aug

[Andy97]

I raced at Anglesey on 3 August and had a good day at my favourite track. Its right next to the sea, with Snowden overlooking.


http://www.davidstallardphotography.com/ClassicSportsCarClubCSCC/CSCC-2014/CSCC-Anglesey-03-Aug-14/i-hN64mmW


http://www.davidstallardphotography.com/ClassicSportsCarClubCSCC/CSCC-2014/CSCC-Anglesey-03-Aug-14/i-DRxfHFH


http://www.davidstallardphotography.com/ClassicSportsCarClubCSCC/CSCC-2014/CSCC-Anglesey-03-Aug-14/i-QCkcFvc


The weather started off poor with a wet track for practice, but it improved through the day and was dry for the races.

I had 2 races for a change - Modern Classics and a Sports Vs Saloon Open challenge race. The car behaved itself as usual, apart from one concerning period when the electrics failed at the pit stop in qualifying. My team mate had to qualify out of session after another team helped fix a faulty master switch (thanks Mark, from Saxon Motorsport), it just shows the excellent camaraderie in the series.

Race 1 was fairly uneventful apart from having to take avoiding action on Lap 1 to avoid a spinning Boxster. The Boxster was dead last at the end of the opening lap but stormed through the field to finish an excellent second. Meanwhile we had a fairly lonely race to finish 17th......out of 17.

Race 2 was another 40 minute pit stop race but this time I drove alone. I had an excellent battle with a couple of big Jag XJ6s - they were fast down the straights but I was better under braking and through the twisty pits. Great fun and I stayed ahead of them to the end to finish 17th out of 21, ahead of a Mk1 Renault Clio, a Honda Civic and a BMW 1602Ti as well.

I always really enjoy racing at Anglesey and it is well worth the trip. The car handled really well as always but I was a bit disappointed to find later that my fastest lap was 4 secs slower than a 2 litre N/A 924 in the previous days Future Classics race (similar weather, similar power to weight ratio) and 4 secs slower than the 924s racing in this last weekends BRSCC meeting. Hmmmm, must be the driver, but it felt quick....honest!!


PS. If anyone is going to Anglesey to race/ track day or holiday DO NOT stay at the Bull Hotel, London Road, LL65 3DP - Fawlty Towers would be far better.

 

[Ex Skyline]

The next best thing to playing and winning.....Is playing and losing []!! Well done Andy! It looks a great circuit to drive and,
some great photo's taken [8D]! Thanks for sharing [].

 

[Andy97]

Thanks! In my opinion Anglesey Coastal is the best circuit in the country (and I live 1 mile from Donington Park) and well worth the travel. If the circuit and surrounding terrain was in the SE of the UK and more accessible it would be one of the best circuits in the world! The Corkscrew is fantastic and the views are awesome.

I am delighted to be taking part in a sport I love. I have been racing 6-8 times a season for a while now but the budget is limited and I can't test or get regular coaching. I describe myself as a 15 Handicap golfer and a 24 handicap racing driver but I am under no illusions that whilst my golf may improve, my race speed may not, but at least I am out there giving it a go in a car I enjoy driving (and which is actually quite cheap to run). I have met many people who tell me that they love cars and would love to race but think they can't. I have also met some people who have taken the P!*5 because they think I am slow. Well people, I won't pretend that racing is cheap but it can be done if you pick the right series and the right car and share costs in 2 driver races like I do, and those that think I am slow are usually the ones that have never even been on a track!

You are a long time dead, and I didn't want to get to 70 years old and look back and say, "I wish I'd tried that".

The photos are taken by David Stallard who attends all CSCC race meetings.

 

[majorporsche]

Agreed re Bull Hotel Andy, just missing the Basil. Not to be confused with another Bull Hotel also on Anglesea , The Bull in Langanfrei, altogether a different place. The track in Anglesea is superb, and somewhere I read it's the widest track in the UK other than Silverstone. All the better to spin and recover like I did last year.

 

[Andy97]

I think that Basil must have been about somewhere as when I went for something to eat on the Saturday evening the kitchen staff were in the middle of a stand up row and the chefs walked out leaving a restaurant with people in it for a family party and no food.

The sea of fag butts by the front door didn't endear me to the place either. And it wasn't exactly cheap.

I, too, read somewhere that Anglesey is second widest in UK. Very safe but challenging.

I remember that spin! I ducked behind the pit wall because I thought it was a Hawk jet from RAF Valley about to do a low fly past!