Track Day Choice
04-24-2012, 11:36 PM
#51
Thread Starter
I think I was following you in my Grey GTi when your barrier incident happened, I liked your car so much I went out and bought one to use for fun whilst keeping my S3 for daily use.
I have never done Rockingham but have complted several events at Donington, agree with it feeling short but pretty fast and very interesting the craner curves are superb with the off camber surface making for interesting handling characteristics, I'v enot popped my cherry with the Honda yet so if you do Donington let me know as its my local track and I'll try and join you, be good to have a couple of S2000 sharing the track.
I have never done Rockingham but have complted several events at Donington, agree with it feeling short but pretty fast and very interesting the craner curves are superb with the off camber surface making for interesting handling characteristics, I'v enot popped my cherry with the Honda yet so if you do Donington let me know as its my local track and I'll try and join you, be good to have a couple of S2000 sharing the track.
It's looking pretty certain that I'll do Donny on Sun 5 Aug (1st weekend date free for both me and the gf). Just waiting for May to roll round so I can book it.
04-25-2012, 12:46 AM
#52
You'll have a great time. The meaningless bragging figure from Donington is your peak speed through the Craner Curves
04-25-2012, 03:11 AM
#54
Thread Starter
Sounds like Craner will be a challenge for me, given that the high speed and undulation are similar conditions to those of my crash at Oulton! I was taking it easy through the fastest corner at Keevil for that very reason. I need to grow some carefully sized balls!
04-25-2012, 03:26 AM
#55
UK Moderator
It's very different to Druids, so no need to worry. It is great fun though.
05-07-2012, 12:27 PM
#56
Thread Starter
All booked! I'm off to Donington on 5 Aug, and I'm going to give DS2500s a go. I can't really justify the huge price hike for the Dixcels and I've heard plenty of people who have had no fade with the Ferodos, so we'll see how they go. I know the old adage ,'buy cheap buy twice' but I don't think they're that cheap(!), and should be a decent improvement on the Redstuffs.
Thanks for everyone's input. Here's to a good track day! If anyone else wants to join me, there are plenty of spaces left, and already a GT3, a couple of Caterfields and a Radical booked up!
Looking forward to seeing the radical, but not looking forward to trying to stay out of his way!
Thanks for everyone's input. Here's to a good track day! If anyone else wants to join me, there are plenty of spaces left, and already a GT3, a couple of Caterfields and a Radical booked up!
Looking forward to seeing the radical, but not looking forward to trying to stay out of his way!
05-07-2012, 12:48 PM
#57
Member
Radicals and GT3s are best left alone unless badly driven!
Go steady on the DS2500 with oem discs (buy cheap, buy new discs!) but Donny isn't bad on brakes really.
Enjoy
unless badly driven!Go steady on the DS2500 with oem discs (buy cheap, buy new discs!
) but Donny isn't bad on brakes really.Enjoy
05-07-2012, 04:03 PM
#58
Registered User
05-07-2012, 11:12 PM
#59
Thread Starter
You would hope so! I suspect he'll be past before I notice he's behind me!
08-06-2012, 09:26 AM
#60
Thread Starter
Well I did Donington yesterday, great fun! As I exited Hollywood on the siting lap, my girlfriend and I simultaneously shouted through our helmets, "Wow!" at teh sight of Craner Curves into the Old Hairpin. It's truly an impressive sight! I did take it pretty easy and built up to an entry speed of around 80, exiting around 85-90. Not that impressive, but enough to get a few yelps from my gf and my Dad! I'd upgraded the pads to DS2500, as I knew the GP circuit was a brake breaker. They were excellent. I managed 25min sessions and I got the Bridgestones hot enough to get 'rolls' of soft rubber developing on the surface, something I'd only managed with Goodyears before now. Clearly they're now the weak link. I got up to 110 on the back straight before braking for the Esses, depending on my exit speed from the previous corner (the name escapes me, but the the 'over the crest' blind entry does not!), which I don't think is too shabby. I could probably have braked a touch later, but I wasn't racing, and the car would have started to be unsettled into the Esses. I tried some trail braking into the Esses and the following hairpin with some success (although my exit speed from the Esses decreased). And the final hairpin (Goddards?) requires sooo much patience, especially with the small run off on to the pit straight.
I think I'll be back at Donington before long, as some of the corners are so complex and/or need a lot of confidence that I still feel there's a lot to be learned there. I nailed some of the simpler corners a few times, even managing the first part of Craner a few times without changing steering angle (which is a good effort, according to my instructor!), but there's plenty I could improve upon.
There was a very wide selection of cars there; old MR2, FN2, Ferrari 308, plenty of Caterfields, a couple of Radicals, a DB9 GT4, plenty of 911s of various years and GT levels, a BMW M Coupe Breadvan and a couple of Clio Cup cars. The breadvan was giving it some, particularly plenty of oversteer on the exit of the loop hairpin, which made me yearn for more power/torque, but there wasn't anything apart from super fast kit (GT3, Caterfields, a track prepped old M3 and Radicals) that was overtaking me by the end of the day.
I think I'll be back at Donington before long, as some of the corners are so complex and/or need a lot of confidence that I still feel there's a lot to be learned there. I nailed some of the simpler corners a few times, even managing the first part of Craner a few times without changing steering angle (which is a good effort, according to my instructor!), but there's plenty I could improve upon.
There was a very wide selection of cars there; old MR2, FN2, Ferrari 308, plenty of Caterfields, a couple of Radicals, a DB9 GT4, plenty of 911s of various years and GT levels, a BMW M Coupe Breadvan and a couple of Clio Cup cars. The breadvan was giving it some, particularly plenty of oversteer on the exit of the loop hairpin, which made me yearn for more power/torque, but there wasn't anything apart from super fast kit (GT3, Caterfields, a track prepped old M3 and Radicals) that was overtaking me by the end of the day.