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Just got back from a great weekend practicing. We were blessed with dry weather both days and even some sunshine on the afternoons!
My last visit to Loton was not a great experience with plenty of offs and some dissapointing times. I was determined this would not be the case this time so I kicked off in great style on my first run by spinning 360 through the cones and onto the grass infront of the spectator area. All of which has been captured frame by frame by a photographer who is emailing me the pics which I will post up here when I get them.
Tried to calm down a bit and made a whole run without leaving the tarmac but the times wern't great. As it warmed a bit I tried attacking a bit more and managed to post some pb's and break 60 seconds for the first time. The car however was proving a real handful, my new springs proving far too hard and creating all sorts of problems from bouncing up & down all the way up cedar straight at 90mph to tramping off the start and generaly not gripping as a result of there being no damping whatsoever just brutaly hard springs. Somewhere between my old springs and these there is a great set up which I will try to find before the next meet.
At the risk of repeating myself the car is so quick now it really beggers belief, and containing the power in these dry but cold conditions was no joke, breaking traction under power at the top of third gear sometimes and smoking my tyres to no launches under 2.3 almost all weekend.
Pete however was flying on his first ever visit to Loton and he and his car were making easy work of the course in comparison to the 60 second long fights I had going on, He started quick and stayed quick setting some great launch times in the diffcult conditions and repeating them time after time something he has always struggled with in his car.
Today I dual drove with my dad and we set about trying to contain the beast on these stupid springs between tyre pressures, damper settings and dccd postion, this arrangement suited me fine as my dad was out before me everytime so he was taking all the risks and giving me great information. Finaly I got the pressures right and found the best dccd setting to put 420horses on the tarmac and not up in smoke and went on to post my fastest time of the weekend with a 58.61, over 3 seconds faster than my best on my previous visit, I even managed the quickest launch of the weekend, 2.03 when finaly figuring out how to launch with all the extra power. In testament to the car my dad who has never broken 60 seconds in over previous 100 runs did a 59.47 on his final run broke his duck and jumped around and whooped like a child.
Despite the handling problems the engine performed amazingly, never missing a beat in 18 runs and hauling me up the hill at a ridiculously fast pace, getting the car almost set up right towards the end makes me realise how when I finaly do get it right how rapid this car has the potential to be.
Graham had bad luck as he mentiond snapping a drive shaft clean in half, Wadsy wasn't letting his previous bad luck get him down by hooning his better halfs golf tdi up the hill. Rich was up to no good scoping things out as usual as well.
I just hope the weather is like this for the first midland easter weekend event and I can do the car justice.
One thing Graham failed to mention was that his back up car was not all it seemed I think it was running an illegal fuel as I noticed on the rear windscreen....
Good to read your report, and many congratulations to your Dad
I found it interesting to watch the 3 Imprezas off the start line - appeared to be tricky in getting traction off the line (cold day and cold track surface?).
There's room for a cage inside a Smart!?! The roll hoop must start by your ankles!
Saw your car on Thursday when I popped by Paul's Rob, sorry should have introduced myself, when you arrived with the trailer to collect it, but I was running a touch late and trying to head out the door with another headful of ideas Do like those wheels...keep wondering what they would look like on a blue car in bronze or dark grey...
Good to read your report, and many congratulations to your Dad
I found it interesting to watch the 3 Imprezas off the start line - appeared to be tricky in getting traction off the line (cold day and cold track surface?).
Rich
Very hard indeed, I tried loads of different approaches and I either bogged or smoked to awful lanches, on my final of 11 runs I figured it out and managed to launch the fastest time of the weekend which I hope to be able to repeat throughout the season, hope being the operative word.
Something I failed to mention so far was the fact the monster A4 was there and broke the class record by some margin, which is 2 seconds faster than the rest of us already and highlights how out of our league and fast the A4 is, need to perfect my rain dance I reckon to have a chance at a win. It got it's own special parking section with the big single seaters because it could not make it to our class parking due to a slight incline which should give some indication as to what type of car it is, I still struggle to beleive it is in our class but nothing points towards it being moved else where so we better get used to it. Shame really because it could have been a close and exciting class to watch this year. Think F1 vs BTCC.
It will be good class racing as Roger will be so far away up front the rest of us will have our own class!
Sounds like getting a road class is not realistic, but I will start the ball rolling soon. Roger knows my thoughts and why off 22B.
To me the biggest gulp was Fred Currell thinking of coming back.
I recon I might get a point a meeting in 2007!
Getting the diff out tomorrow and down to API to sort it all out.
Along the way I lost touch with how Andrew Meek fared in his Impreza? Do you know his times at all??
Yep, early sat, but the sun is out, so I think this was when the halfshaft broke coming down to Triangle. Third run for me.
The lack of grip surprised me!
I don't do sideways.....of any description.
Paul, the A4 is pleanty quick, the suspension needs some tweeking imho as it bobs at the front down to the splitter.
What it needs is a 600 bhp Blue Impreza with a certain 29 year old driver!
Rob's car is very good Paul, have to admit you have done a great job.
Execellent Thread am looking at getting into some sprinting this year, have just printed off my MSA application form. Question is, on the timing struts, did all you chaps make your own, and if so where did you mount them from on the of the Impreza??
My car is a STI 5 RA Limited, same as Terrt B's abeit with a tad less horsepower, for a start anyway
Last edited by blacky555uk; 29 March 2007 at 13:25.
Reason: spelling
Execellent Thread am looking at getting into some sprinting this year, have just printed off my MSA application form. Question is, on the timing struts, did all you chaps make your own, and if so where did you mount them from on the of the Impreza??
My car is a STI 5 RA Limited, same as Terrt B's abeit with a tad less horsepower, for a start anyway
I used a sheet of mil' aluminium and it used to be fixed to the old number plate mounting, with the arrival of the fmic Zen fixed it to the bumper in a very neat fashion. Dimensions are in the blue book.
Thanks for that chaps. I have got info of the dims from othr sources so can maybe put this job into action on easter weekend.
Another question if I may. What pads are you chaps running, as I have now got the Stoptech brakes with teh default Axxis pads which don't seem to have lots of confidence inspiring bite, so I am looking at other options. I previously had DS2500 pads on my Subaru 4 pots which I found good but on track once really hot they left deposits on the discs, but I am thinking this won't happen with 1 60 second run.
Also, all this talk of class's, I read last years regs, and I was thinking I would be in the modified saloon section, is this now changed??
