Novice Day at Oulton Park 15/10/05
- Thread starter 944turboS
- Start date
There is a session right at the start of the day for absolute noobs, originally planned for 968 boys. I think it's 8am and will be a convoy with instructors in every 6th car or so to ensure the lines are kept to. After that there is a discounted option to continue the whole or half day normal open pit lane session. Stu asked that the discount rate not be discussed openly but I know what it is having signed up for it (and it's pretty reasonable).
Well after a night's sleep I can almost write coherently again - as much as ever anyway.![[FONT=verdana,geneva"]](/forum/styles/default/pcgb/space.gif ". [FONT=verdana,geneva\"]")
What a superb day. Fantastic to meet Dave and the other 968 boys plus Mike and Graeme (again). The novice session format was a good way to start the day for someone who hadn't been to Oulton before and by the end of it I knew some of the circuit with a stab at lines. I also had a worrying clonk as the car changed attitude from left to right or back but as it was checked out on Friday and pronounced fit and I couldn't see anything untoward when I had a look under it I put it down to Rose jointed top mounts. If anything it got quieter through the day so I guess that was it. It stayed dry all day and as it was open pit lane there was plenty of lapping to be had. By lunch I realised I had a big understeer problem when things got warmed up but a couple extra degrees of negative camber on the front during the stoppage and it was (almost) completely dialled out. Not once during the whole day did I get the back out regardless of how brutal I was with power (except the time I was following Stu's line and forgot to brake for Druids [&:]) which was actually really nice. On the limit the car was still a bit front endy but only slightly so maybe a tweak of the rear ARB or dampers will make it beautifully neutral. By contrast the 2 968s I went out in were much more tail-happy. We established by mid-afternoon I was - crap, really. Stu came out with me and passed on the wisdom he had got from an instructor during the novice session (and that instructors are free on Track Sport days, which I didn't know but will remember for next time) and when it had sunk in I was getting a lot better by the end. Still not exactly Senna I was almost able to keep up with Jason in his sorted 968CS running almost slicks on 18's and I stayed out for what must have been 25 minutes straight at the end with no sign of tyres or brakes going off. I was pleased to pass a full-race Vectra and Escort (both on slicks) and pretty much all that passed me were the Radical/996 Cup/Ferrari race cars which passed everyone like they were standing still. As Dave said he was braking late at one point and a 996 came past still accelerating then dove in front of him with incredible braking. Also free was a passenger ride in a Vectra Challenge car. Quite disappointing in a straight line but deeply impressive on corners. All in all a great day - cheers to Stu for organising it.
What a superb day. Fantastic to meet Dave and the other 968 boys plus Mike and Graeme (again). The novice session format was a good way to start the day for someone who hadn't been to Oulton before and by the end of it I knew some of the circuit with a stab at lines. I also had a worrying clonk as the car changed attitude from left to right or back but as it was checked out on Friday and pronounced fit and I couldn't see anything untoward when I had a look under it I put it down to Rose jointed top mounts. If anything it got quieter through the day so I guess that was it. It stayed dry all day and as it was open pit lane there was plenty of lapping to be had. By lunch I realised I had a big understeer problem when things got warmed up but a couple extra degrees of negative camber on the front during the stoppage and it was (almost) completely dialled out. Not once during the whole day did I get the back out regardless of how brutal I was with power (except the time I was following Stu's line and forgot to brake for Druids [&:]) which was actually really nice. On the limit the car was still a bit front endy but only slightly so maybe a tweak of the rear ARB or dampers will make it beautifully neutral. By contrast the 2 968s I went out in were much more tail-happy. We established by mid-afternoon I was - crap, really. Stu came out with me and passed on the wisdom he had got from an instructor during the novice session (and that instructors are free on Track Sport days, which I didn't know but will remember for next time) and when it had sunk in I was getting a lot better by the end. Still not exactly Senna I was almost able to keep up with Jason in his sorted 968CS running almost slicks on 18's and I stayed out for what must have been 25 minutes straight at the end with no sign of tyres or brakes going off. I was pleased to pass a full-race Vectra and Escort (both on slicks) and pretty much all that passed me were the Radical/996 Cup/Ferrari race cars which passed everyone like they were standing still. As Dave said he was braking late at one point and a 996 came past still accelerating then dove in front of him with incredible braking. Also free was a passenger ride in a Vectra Challenge car. Quite disappointing in a straight line but deeply impressive on corners. All in all a great day - cheers to Stu for organising it.
I forgot to say above I seemed to be a bit down in power with a weird surging at WOT, like the wastegate was oscillating. I didn't take a laptop with me as I didn't want to risk someone walking off with it so I couldn't talk to the EMS to see what it was doing and I've been too lazy to connect up a boost gauge yet...
carlmthompson
New member
Boooooo.
I have a new pram instead.
At least it has four wheels, but can't fdind the engine. I think it may need push starting.
Sounds like you had a blast! Infact it looks that way - well done on melting the tyres!
On a slightly serious note, the melting of the tyres might give you an idea of the scrub front and rear.
I have a new pram instead.
At least it has four wheels, but can't fdind the engine. I think it may need push starting.
Sounds like you had a blast! Infact it looks that way - well done on melting the tyres!
On a slightly serious note, the melting of the tyres might give you an idea of the scrub front and rear.
Good point Carl, but the rears are pretty much the same as the fronts with the nearside pair looking worse as expected. Maybe it is close to neutral after all - it only seemed to push a little wide at the chicane when I was probably coming in a bit hot and on the faster, smoother stuf it was planted. Obviously I am not trying hard enough...
Maybe it is close to neutral after all - it only seemed to push a little wide at the chicane when I was probably coming in a bit hot and on the faster, smoother stuf it was planted. Obviously I am not trying hard enough...
Big Dave
New member
Fen
It was good to finally meet up.. Glad you had a GOOD day out.. You certainly travelled far enough to get there....
It was also good to meet some of you other chaps aswell...
It seems like the day went down very well with all that attended[
][][]
Yes those Carrera cup cars are "flippin" fast + there brakes are "unbelievable"[8D][8D][8D]
On the fact of being overtaken.??? I seem to remember passing you on more than one occasion...[][][][][][]... But you were quick " in a straight line"....[][]
For those of you interested ,, there are some pics posted on,,,
http://968trackday.blogspot.com/
Just found some more pics....Incl one of Fen getting overtaken by 2 of us at once....[][][][][][][][][]
http://www.daverpics.co.uk/coppermine/index.php?cat=10
Enjoy....
It was good to finally meet up.. Glad you had a GOOD day out.. You certainly travelled far enough to get there....
It was also good to meet some of you other chaps aswell...
It seems like the day went down very well with all that attended[
][][]Yes those Carrera cup cars are "flippin" fast + there brakes are "unbelievable"[8D][8D][8D]
On the fact of being overtaken.??? I seem to remember passing you on more than one occasion...[
][][][][][]... But you were quick " in a straight line"....[][]For those of you interested ,, there are some pics posted on,,,
http://968trackday.blogspot.com/
Just found some more pics....Incl one of Fen getting overtaken by 2 of us at once....[
][][][][][][][][]http://www.daverpics.co.uk/coppermine/index.php?cat=10
Enjoy....
I wasn't claming to never have been overtaken - but on the last session not many cars passed me barring those listed and yourself and Jason who I let by so I wasn't in danger of holding you up and might have been able to learn from following for a bit. Unfortunately Jason only did about 1 more lap and the chequered flag came out just after you went past. I still have a long way to go before I think I'm any good on track but I think I was a lot better at the end than I was at the start which is good enough for me.
I still have a long way to go before I think I'm any good on track but I think I was a lot better at the end than I was at the start which is good enough for me.carlmthompson
New member
ORIGINAL: Fen
Good point Carl, but the rears are pretty much the same as the fronts with the nearside pair looking worse as expected.
A few years ago (well 6), I took one of those driving experiences at Croft in an old E-Type Jag. At one point, I was taking a corner, and the back end was going a bit twitchy - I obviously thought that this was as fast as the car could possibly go round that corner without "losing it".
That was until I got taken round with one of the instructors - he took the corner about 15mph faster, and the car was perfectly balanced. He explained that it was all about balancing the throttle rather than using the outright grip of the tyres. Kind of made sense, and definately worked!!
Posts made and opinions expressed are those of the individual forum members
Use of the Forum is subject to the Terms and Conditions
