14 replies to this topic

[Fangio]

You might be interested in a couple of videos taken recently in LY44 at Mondello Park ....

Dry -
Mondello Park VIP track day dry laps

Wet -
Mondello Park VIP track day wet laps

[Fangio]

[VXR 43]

Quite fancy Mondello some time if i'm back home for long enough. From Tyrone.

[Fangio]

You'ld find it much improved from a number of years ago. Significant investiment in recent years has turned it in to a very professionally presented and run circuit. It still remains a very technically demanding driving challenge.

[VXR 43]

You'ld find it much improved from a number of years ago. Significant investiment in recent years has turned it in to a very professionally presented and run circuit. It still remains a very technically demanding driving challenge.

I believe it's quite expensive from what I have heard??

[Fangio]

Correct. But they are beginning to change. Big downturn in attendees at the VIP days (vetted entries & open pit lane) has resulted in some reductions and enticement offers. For example, attend 3 full days and get 1 free. Same applied to half days.

[Fangio]

And here is a video of last Friday's Lotus Club Ireland track day at Kirkistown. Me and another VX220 mingle with the Exiges ...

Kirkistown in-car video in LY44

[Fangio]

Kirkistown track. A lot more interesting and satisfying to drive than it looks.

[Fangio]

Martin Donnelly, ex Lotus F1 driver, was a guest of Lotus Club Ireland for the day. He generously offered free tuition and the video below is my few laps with him offering advise from the passenger seat. I found it very hard to hear him, not just because of the engine noise, but also because the insulation in the Bell helmet is the most effective ear plug I've ever come across. He recognised this and afterwards he spent another 10 mins sitting in the car in the pits going through his advise all over again. A top class bloke.

Tuition with Martin Donnelly ex F1 Lotus Driver

Edited by Fangio, 25 September 2009 - 10:08 PM.

[techieboy]

Had a tuition session with Donnelly at Bedford, last year. Top guy and still blisteringly quick.

[Retset]

I like the save at 2.51 on the wet vid

[Leon_1984]

me too!!! having not really driven rear drive all that much - what do you do in such situation? come right off the throttle and wait for front to bite and then correct steering as quick as possible when it does? with FWD you can drag it out with throttle (only way you get like that is coming off the throttle) which would have the opposite effect with RWD me thinks!!!!

[rsg]

I like the save at 2.51 on the wet vid

shows exactly why the VX deserves respect in the wet.

[Fangio]

me too!!! having not really driven rear drive all that much - what do you do in such situation? come right off the throttle and wait for front to bite and then correct steering as quick as possible when it does?

with FWD you can drag it out with throttle (only way you get like that is coming off the throttle) which would have the opposite effect with RWD me thinks!!!!

You may be seeing an extreme situation in that Wet video. At that track day the front tyres had a lot more thread than the rears, there is a significant imbalance in grip front to rear. The front is out-performing the rear in terms of grip and the rear was VERY loose as a result. I've driven much quicker in Mondello in very wet conditions before, but with much more thread on the rear tyres and a far better balance overall. That said though, the track was very slippy that day after a dry spell and a race meeting the previous weekend.

In the slide you refer to I did come off the throttle and was very lucky to catch it as I hit the bump stop on maximum steering lock. There was no more opposite lock I could give it. In other slides I don't come off the throttle, I more feather it to maintain smoothness as you dont want to be too sudden in how you treat the balance of a VX in the wet. You do have to be quick to catch it, as no doubt many here will verify, but it is important to control the balance of a mid engined car in those circumstances. Too sudden weight shifting rear to front can have the car do a 360 very very quickly. In Mondello that particular corner, being relatively slow, is a place where you can take the chance to perfect your skill in handling these situations. There are other corners in Mondello where it is better to be slow and safe rather than risk impact with something solid. So, the difference is not just about FWD and RWD, it is also about where the weight is when the car starts to move and the momentum that builds very quickly as a result.

[Leon_1984]

awesome reply, thanks. And convincing me more and more that I will be staying well within the grip levels on the open road and getting to a track as much as possible