Yesterday was fantastic

I had a cold but normal hour and 45 minute drive to Donington Park Circuit, located near Castle Donington, near Loughborough.

That's the circuit layout, and yesterday we did the "national" circuit, which doesn't incorporate Fogarty's Esses or Melbourne Hairpin. When I upload video, the elevation change of this track will become apparent, it's quite spectacular. Not quite as radical as Leguna Seca, but just as awesome. With the exception of the esses through Goddards, every corner can be taken at 70+ and is just a speed demons playpen.

More to come in a little while, just a teaser for you :-P.

Hmmmm

Well, I'm glad I have a full tank of petrol: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17553696

I have a total of 30ish liters in the tank, and that's it. Lines (queues) for petrol stations were far too long to be worth sitting in, and some were closed...

The world is a crazy place.

Must be around that time

Well, I didn't count on it, but allergies have kicked in. Oh well, they wont stop me racing!

Just a few things to prepare for tomorrows trackday. I need to clear gopro cards, make sure their batteries are charged. Tweak the suspension just a little, I'm trying to get it level with me in the car. I also need to fill up a jerry can with petrol, just in case I need it tomorrow.

I am really excited to be going to Donington, it's going to be awesome!

Another track day

Just booked another track day for this coming Friday. This time at a real track, not an Airfield. Dongington park is one of the greatest and most famous tracks in the UK, and I really look forward to this track day, and in july, the race that the Academy has there. Videos will follow of course.

The first support buttons are up and ready

I am working on the "any country" button, allowing you to put any countries flag on the car.

The countries with the highest view count are up, but rest assured I am working on getting every country available.

Show your support :-).

Decals look.... AWESOME!

Pictures from the Handling day, they're here, taken by Rick (awesome pics!). http://www.rick-wilson.net/Academy/2012/Handling-Day-Group-1/21977663_hkSTPf#!i=1753000601&k=SZLXFRD

A couple of me and the car, see if you can spot the rest :-D.

What a fantastic stupendous amazing day!

Today was the Caterham handling day in the paddock area at Silverstone. Myself and 27 other Caterhams turned up to hoon around a few slalom courses and generally have fun. Oh, and trophies were given out at the end of the day... more on that later in the post.

The day started with rain! Good old England never lets you down! However, before that events started, it stopped raining, and started to clear up. All of us were split into three groups, pink blue and yellow, I was in yellow. We took on the practice starts first, in the wet, which made for around 3k standing start and gentle release of the throttle. After the starts we moved to the small slalom, which were timed, but only to introduce some friendly competition. Both of those event I lead my group, so I was already pretty pleased with the day come lunch time.

After lunch we split into two groups, and did two new slalom courses. After some time practicing on those, switching after a while. They were joined together and we were told to start in our original colour groups, yellow of course last in the line...

Each car was given two practice runs around the full slalom Challenge course, then 1 timed run. That one timed run determined whether or not you got a trophy for placing first, second, or third...

And I place second! By just .08 of a second to! I'm seriously happy with that, it means I'm right where I want to be for this coming season. I know that's the amount of time for the dude with the stop watch to press stop, or going through a corner just a fraction too slow! Tristan (bloke who lives near me) placed 1st, well done! And Jason finished 3rd, .3 behind me, also very well done! So .4 of a second split 1st-3rd today, and we weren't even on a track!

I know for a fact everyone who went today had a blast, and loved every second of it. I had a fantastic day before I found out I won second. Judging by those numbers, this years racing is going to be very very close, the top 3-5 will battle endlessly I'm sure.

It was great to meet everyone today, I'm really looking forward to this season, there will be lots of competition and heated battles!

And here's my first Trophy! :-D :-D.

All sorted for tomorrow

I spent today getting my car as close to race ready as possible, in preparation for tomorrow. Tomorrow being the Academy handling day at Silverstone, Group 1 is tomorrow, and it involves hooning around in the paddock of one of the best known racing tracks in the world! i'm looking forward to it, even if the weather report can be trusted and it does rain.

The rain light and fuel sampler arrived post haste from Sean at Caterham (He was ill when I called wednesday, he must have been in yesterday and threw them in the mail, so awesome). So I installed those, both of which are simple and take less than 2 minutes. I also put fire sealant around the boot floor, and Aluminium tape, to seal the boot incase the petrol tank explodes... Oh, I also installed the hood bars. Even though I don't have a hood, they're still required, annoyingly.

After that it was time to pull the foam seat, still in its plastic bin bags, out of the car... this proved scary with the bottom half, it kept making noises like it was going to break in half. After getting both halves out, I took the bags off, and wrapped them in duct tape (preferred form of covering them). With that done I test sat, and it's oh so comfy. I think when the warmer weather hit I want to try for a bigger more supportive back, but the base is pretty perfect.

Fuel sampler installed, no leaking, no issues, still runs and drives just fine. It's the shiny piece with a cap on it.

"bag" seat all done, two pieces, it's the perfect fit.

Made sure I put all the roll bar padding on, everywhere your head can hit essentially. I also installed the "head rest", it's the square piece above the seat.

So many LEDs! According to some people, the rain light is all you can see when racing in the rain... unless you're out front ;-D

Also tonight...

Tristans brother in law was taking photos during the track day, and there are a couple decent ones of me. Good enough to share anyway :D. Now action shots, but still cool nonetheless.

In the car, all serious and ready to go.

Cameras.. got to make sure the cameras go on just right...

I believe I'm talking with someone at this time... but I think it's a pretty good shot.

All these were quickly scanned in because they're real photos (which is something I haven't seen in a long long time), hence them looking grainy, it's not a high tech scanner in any way shape or form.

Now that was fun!

Spent the evening creating the "bag" or "binliner-full-of-expanding-foam" seat round with Tristan (fellow academite). It went better than anticipated anyway! No leakages, the measuring might not have been quite right, but as a first go it worked really well. It's a really odd feeling. At first it's all warm and gloopy, then it gets properly hots and more rubbery, then finally solidifying into a foam. It's pretty crazy stuff...

I may decide to do another when warmer weather hits, since the foam works better when everything is hot, with more equal quantities. We'll see how this one goes, we may have managed to get it just right first time :-D.

However, it feels amazing to not move around, and be supported where it counts.

Pictures tomorrow! Of the seat finished in the car... didn't take any while making it, too dangerous having my camera around expanding building foam.

So I fixed my uncles Jeep Cherokee today...

After pulling the whole fuel system apart, draining the tank of its 5 year old petrol (smelt absolutely rank) with my Uncle a few weeks ago. Today I was about to put it all back together... but had a sudden decision to check out the in-tank fuel pump.

Was the reason why no petrol was getting to the engine. Replaced the tube, threw the tank back in, with the help of my uncle, then connected all the wires, fuel lines, bled the system and it fired right up!

There's something very satisfying about making something work, especially when it hasn't run for 2 years.

Now we find out if it moves... then head to an MOT to find out what else needs fixing... Yay...

:-D

Race license arrived today!

It's pretty cool, even if it does have my ugly mug on the back :-P.

There's a lot to be said for 100 quid Airfield track days...

They're bloody amazing.

Ok maybe not a lot, just 3 words...

I think it's possible to go this whole season without spending more than £150 on a track day, and I may not even need to go to any of the circuits we race at! There's every type of corner and straight to be had at airfields... well, except elevation change (paddock bend at Brands Hatch jumps to mind...). I'm already not allowed to do any of the sprint places, as was recently revealed in the regulations. So that knocks Snetterton 100/300 out of the list, along with Aintree and Curborough. Snetterton 200 should be ok since it doesn't incorporate the Sprint part of the area, but then again, we don't race Snetterton 200 until October, so why go in March?

Hmmm 12:01... probably around the time I should get some sleep... tomorrow brings a few check list items to the top of the list for the Caterham, also have a couple things to call Caterham about, missing the high intensity rain light. I should also finish putting on the roll cage padding, move the inertia switch. Right now it's located under the bonnet by the battery, not somewhere easy to get to if it trips during a race. Will probably make another little video from Friday too...

See, look at that, it's time to sleep and I ramble on.

Until tomorrow!

Video!

Hullavington trackday!

Looking forward to another track day this friday...

Now that I have my gear, I'm really looking forward to a track day in my own helmet! Hullavington airfield organized by Motorsports events (same as the last one). The nice thing about their track days is price, and they all seem to be based at airfields (couple at tracks) that are within an hours drive from me :-). Open pit, same as last time, but this time I think I'll take some tools with me and play around with the ride hight, rake, toe, and camber just a little bit... :-D.

Man in red :-P

Did just a little shopping today... :-D

I went and bought all my gear (except Hans device) for this coming season, and the ones that will follow!

Everything except the helmet is Alpinestars... When I decided on the red suite, it seemed fitting to keep with the brand. I don't normally do loud shouty clothing... but I tried on the red suite since it was my size, and I just had to have it :-D.

A picture to come of me in full gear!

Demon-tweeks tomorrow!

Awoohoo! Going to get all my gear, it will be a fun fun day :-D.

The other side of it is, it's another 320 miles on the good old Caterham, it will be touching 1650 by the time I get home :-D.

Also have another track day booked for this Friday, so more video coming :-).