I barely have the energy to get my arse into gear and go to work, the hayfever has kicked off already but I'm still buzzing after yesterdays antics on Angelsey race circuit. I have sprinted here once before in the Caterham Academy in 2001, the course was 25yds longer then and I clocked a 106.33 but I was sideways (if not spinning) everywhere.
As you know from my previous mail I was up against 4 TVR Griffiths, the Sierra Cossie that previously beat me at New Brighton, a 911 RS (993) and an Audi Quattro. First peice of good news for me was that the Quattro was dead, the car had lunched it's gearbox on the Saturday event, bad news for the driver as he would have easily won (very modified). We aslo had a late entry into our class, a guy in an BMW E30 M3.
All the cars (bar the M3 man) had been here for the Saturday event, and some of those for the track day held on the Friday (anybody brave enough to do a trackday on Friday 13th
... ) so I knew I'd be up against it.The map below is good but the video clip on the same page (caterham graduates racing) gives you an even better impression - the video starts on the approach to the hairpin - enjoy !!
Anglesey circuit map
Anglesey is a long sprint, nearly two laps of the circuit, here's how it should be done...
The start is from the pit lane and slightly downhill, accelerating hard and up into 3rd gear before lifting at the end of the concrete kerb on the edge of the outside of the start/finish straight and turning into the downhill entry to the long sweeping right of School. Mid corner (before the apex) school starts to rise and falls away slightly after the apex which can lead you to run wide (a bad idea as this is where there used to be a kerb. There is now mud. You can easily lose it on this exit and with several cars all running wide it gets dusty/dirty very quickly) Keep to the track on the exit and balance the car with a dab of the brakes before the 90 degree right of Abbots, now this one does drop away MASSIVELY on the exit and you need to be very smooth as the car want to oversteer in a bit way (you can run off a bit here, over a tarmac kerb and onto some green matting - this has no grip thou' !) straighten things out and get your foot down up towards the start of the radar complex, the entry to radar is blind but should be tackled from the far right of the track, the first left apex is highlighted by the marshals in their post (aim for them) a dab of brakes during the very short straight, then let the car settle and a quick flick right, lots of kerb and run wide to make the most of the imaginatively named "top straight". Into fourth by the end of "top straight" and braking down into second for the slowest part of the track Hairpin. On the power out of hairpin and the finish is in sight (well it is on your 2nd time around) the left right of Douglas is crucial for good start/finish straight speed, the first left must be taken with a late apex and then the car held left for as long as possible before taking a late 2nd apex (right hander) and running straight over the kerb that leaps out from the left before blasting down the home straight for your second lap (School is even more scary braking from 90MPH+
)So then, how did I do ?
First practice, very steady, re-learning the course, had a bit of a moment coming out of the hairpin for the final time as the tail went to the left then right then the left again, I caught it with two wheels on the grass and clocked a 109.72. My class leaders were already around the 101 - 103 mark - I felt a bit
Second practice, quicker, smoother, no moments, 105.53. A better line required around Douglas.
First timed run, bit messy at Abbots and Radar, but more commited around School and a better line through Douglas, 102.99.
Second timed run, VERY sideways at Abbots, a missed braking point into the hairpin on lap one and a VERY sideways exit on the 2nd lap, but quicker, 102.77 ?! (59.7mph average)
Results:
TVR Griffith 100.93
Sierra Cossie 101.00
TVR Griffith 101.51
TVR Griffith 102.12
Porsche RS 102.16
ME
102.77TVR Griffith 103.82
BMW M3 105.82
The Porsche guy told me that the only standard cars in the class were Me, Him and the M3.
Other times for reference
Class 2
99.00 - 160 Elise
104.62 - 118bhp Elise - this is the guy who I beat by 1 second at New Brighton.
106.12 - 118Bhp Elise.
116.17 - Integra Type R (included for PureBob) This was driven by a gentleman 75 years young, he was spinning the wheels and everything - hooligan
In the Top twelve run off Mark Harrison took his 3.0 litre Mugen engined Reynard 93D to victory and Fastest time of the day with a 78.34 (78.32 MPH average)
All in all a fantastic day, the car got lots of favourable comments from competitors, marshals and spectators.
Suppose I'd better get to work now
Jamie
Edited by Jamie K, 16 June 2003 - 07:28 AM.
