Elvington Trackday, Saturday 29 January 2005

[jonno]

I am considering this event but i have never driven on an airfield day before, anyone been on a trackday on an airfield before?

Event details are here
http://www.bookatrack.co.uk/-pB?541&showphotos

Anyone else fancy going? I quite like the idea of being able to push the car further than i would normally do on track due to the extra runoff - do they still red flag the circuit when you spin off on an airfield day? I also like the idea of seeing how my car compares to the Noble M12, especially after all of the jibes from the Noble Motorsport engineers whilst my engine was being built!,

Any help or experiences gratefuly received

Neil.

[michael]

I've done a day up at Elvington and had more fun than Donington because I felt a lot safer pushing the car way beyond it's limits, it's a confidence thing I guess, you don't seem to suffer that judging by my passenger ride with you

Certainly lots of fun but the tyre wear puts me off a return visit, had a few scary hight speed sideways moments into the grass and picked up a scuff on the back end after taking out a cone at daft speeds but it was huge fun.

Worked out very expensive for me due to going through a set of tyres, two tanks of fuel, a pair of glasses that I sat on and realising I needed better suspension and engine cooling, if I had the spare cash I'd do it again though. Should be a bit less abrasive if it's as icy and snowy as today, plenty of chance for some huge goonage fun.

Some pics and a small vid from when I was there on the IMOC day.

http://www.megaboost.co.uk/supra/mine/e ... n-trackday

A huge mix of cars there that day, including a Noble - chap had obviously just got it though as I passed him a lot.

[tony2311]

elvington is great fun, not much to hit when you slide off,but its jan so it will be freezing and food its a mobile cater van so no indoor warmth!
not much fun walking the pit lane and see other cars in freezing wet on a sunday afternoon, so i advise to go in march and not before. lots of track days at elvington if you look on uktrackdays.co.uk

[jonno]

elvington is great fun, not much to hit when you slide off,but its jan so it will be freezing and food its a mobile cater van so no indoor warmth!
not much fun walking the pit lane and see other cars in freezing wet on a sunday afternoon, so i advise to go in march and not before. lots of track days at elvington if you look on uktrackdays.co.uk

I grew up at freezing cold race tracks, i must admit to preferring a nice warm garage now i am 30 but somehow i doubt that the weather will bother me much.

Ideally I want some time to practice on the surface at Elvington for TOTB and also to have a crack at some drifting - naturally I drive in quite a strict quali style and my first reaction when the car slides is to make it stop so I dont have to get off the power, but after watching JJ and Pete Carrick at Donington drifting I have decided that I need to improve my high speed car control .

My main concern about Elvington is tyre wear to be honest - I also want to get another day in before Feb when I have some more mechanical work planned.

[jonno]

I've done a day up at Elvington and had more fun than Donington because I felt a lot safer pushing the car way beyond it's limits, it's a confidence thing I guess, you don't seem to suffer that judging by my passenger ride with you

Certainly lots of fun but the tyre wear puts me off a return visit, had a few scary hight speed sideways moments into the grass and picked up a scuff on the back end after taking out a cone at daft speeds but it was huge fun.

Worked out very expensive for me due to going through a set of tyres, two tanks of fuel, a pair of glasses that I sat on and realising I needed better suspension and engine cooling, if I had the spare cash I'd do it again though. Should be a bit less abrasive if it's as icy and snowy as today, plenty of chance for some huge goonage fun.

Some pics and a small vid from when I was there on the IMOC day.

http://www.megaboost.co.uk/supra/mine/e ... n-trackday

A huge mix of cars there that day, including a Noble - chap had obviously just got it though as I passed him a lot.

The supe was looking pretty chuckable in that video! - nice recovery too

I think i will give myself a couple of days to make my mind up though...i am really concerned about the tyre wear rate

[Rowland]

My main concern about Elvington is tyre wear to be honest - I also want to get another day in before Feb when I have some more mechanical work planned.

To be honest I loved Elvington for the same reason as Mr Canny.
Yes it works out expensive the travel up, the fuel, the tyres...

http://www.bookatrack.com/-PG?rev5mr2&1810&15601&640
http://www.bookatrack.com/-PG?rev5mr2&1810&15602&640

..but I felt I'd learned a fair amount on that day regarding car control, and my own limits. For the record I recall spinning off at least half a dozen times trying to find the limits of the car and my ability - one of which was around 70-80 mph resulting in a very near brown trouser moment!

I really do enjoy the airfield days, the circuit days for me I find a little more pressured. I've never had an 'off' once at a circuit day for fear of me closing the track to everybody else due to running out of driving ability!

A few pics from my day at Elvington last ---> http://www.bookatrack.com/-pg?1810

[BenF]

I am considering this event but i have never driven on an airfield day before, anyone been on a trackday on an airfield before?

Event details are here
http://www.bookatrack.co.uk/-pB?541&showphotos

Anyone else fancy going? I quite like the idea of being able to push the car further than i would normally do on track due to the extra runoff - do they still red flag the circuit when you spin off on an airfield day?

Neil, I'd highly recommend doing some airfield days, just to build experience and confidence - and getting used to what the car feels likewhen it is right on the limit. Normally they won't red-flag an trakday because someone has spun - marshalls will only be waving yellow flags.

Bentwaters near Woodbridge used to only be 30 minutes from my house, and I must have done 5 or 6 days there - really enjoyed them all.

Airfields are great as there's loads of run off - and if you don't think you're going to make a corner you can just go straight on between the cones braking in a straight line. There's always lots of grass run-off area available too if you really do spin it - I've spun at bentwaters at 80MPH and that was kinda entertaining. ABS gets a little confused but still works when in you're in the middle of a big spin.

I also like the idea of seeing how my car compares to the Noble M12, especially after all of the jibes from the Noble Motorsport engineers whilst my engine was being built!,

Any help or experiences gratefuly received

Neil.

Definitely go and do it - but bear in mind the trackday surface will be really really abrasive - doing much sideways on that track (if you can get it sideways as its so grippy) will very quickly eat the ouside edges of your tyres. If you can, get your hands on a second set of alloys onto which you can put some shockingly cheap (and crap) tyres for trackday abuse.

I've got a set of 16" rims with trackday tyres on spare now that I've retired the turbo from trackday use- you interested in them?

[michael]

The supe was looking pretty chuckable in that video! - nice recovery too

That was the corner next to the pits where all the cameras were, I had to make more effort

Some great high speed stuff up the top end too, massive corner just begging for a drift, definately fun to be had but you can hear the rubber peeling off

I had heaps more confidence at Elvington compared with Donington but I hadn't just got the car back after a 2 month absence so the track isn't the only factor.

I think i will give myself a couple of days to make my mind up though...i am really concerned about the tyre wear rate

Free tyres here if you want them:

http://www.megaboost.co.uk/tyres/

Not the best but they should do for a few sessions and the fitting people should be there.

[jonno]

Thanks guys!

Thanks for the offers of free tyres, I have 4 new 215x40x17's in my shed and i cant get any wheels smaller than 17's over my brakes!. I guess I need to source a cheap set of 17's for airfield days then? I like my S03's on tarmac tracks but I have always avoided concrete airfields because i was worried about destroying my tyres in one session!.

Ebay here i come...

Neil.

[Lauren]

I will be there as i do the recovery. I have done a lot of driving at Elvington hooning round in the MR2 and even the Hilux.

Its great fun and yes you can push the car further than you would on a track.

The only downside is tyre wear as its concrete.

In January it ought not to be too grippy and if you are lucky it will be wet which will save the tyres. There's an outside chance of snow which would be a real treat.

I really prefer circuits, but an airfield gives you a great opportunity to explore the cars limits in relative safety.

One thing i would recommend, get a ride out with Jonny in the caterham as he does his best gooning here.

[Ken]

Thanks guys!

Thanks for the offers of free tyres, I have 4 new 215x40x17's in my shed and i cant get any wheels smaller than 17's over my brakes!. I guess I need to source a cheap set of 17's for airfield days then? I like my S03's on tarmac tracks but I have always avoided concrete airfields because i was worried about destroying my tyres in one session!.

Ebay here i come...

Neil.

I have a set of 17" wolfrace ikons with 215/40/17 tyre's on, was going to keep them for the ring but if your stuck make me a offer mate, not bothered either way as i'm going to scrub a set off whilst i'm there anyway

[JJ]

I'll probably leave it till the last 2 days again and decide ! It usually always snows then jonno !!

Tyre wear, crikey ! the surface at elvington, I recon you can defy physics cornering due to the abrasion on the track... ! Cornering will be fantastic in the dry and the wet ! Even the nankraps stand a fair chance at holding the cars in line !

I'm 90% there as long as the exhaust is sorted out on mine and get to throw my turbocharger at some saxo !!

I'll provoke gtschris to come again !

[jonno]

I'll probably leave it till the last 2 days again and decide ! It usually always snows then jonno !!

Tyre wear, crikey ! the surface at elvington, I recon you can defy physics cornering due to the abrasion on the track... ! Cornering will be fantastic in the dry and the wet ! Even the nankraps stand a fair chance at holding the cars in line !

I'm 90% there as long as the exhaust is sorted out on mine and get to throw my turbocharger at some saxo !!

I'll provoke gtschris to come again !

Sounds good to me, I probably wont make a decision until late anyway!. I am currently thinking about buying a pair of 245x35's nankangs or similar to use on airfield days - i just need to find a tyre made of wood so that it will last the day BaT have the tyre guys - bookatyre? and I would get the rears swapped at the beginning and end of the day to protect my S03's but save the cost of buying and transporting a set of rims to and from elvington

Probably change my mind between now and then though...

[jonno]

Nankang seem to offer two "ultra high performance" products

NS-2 235/40 R17 90V for £59.90
NS-1 235/40 R17 90W for £63.40

You think the extra £3.50 is worth it?

Seriously though, anyone know anything about these tyres - especially what their life expectancy is going to be like on a concrete airfield? Can I expect to drive there and back on them and still be legal or will i need to have them changed at the end of the day?

Neil.

[michael]

It was my passenger side front that took the most wear, could have been down to my poor driving though

[michael]

I appear to have just purchased a 3rd set of Supra alloys with fairly new cheap and nasty tyres on so hopefully I'll be at this event to destroy them

[jonno]

I appear to have just purchased a 3rd set of Supra alloys with fairly new cheap and nasty tyres on so hopefully I'll be at this event to destroy them

The crowd roars with excitement!!@#

Looks like a full house then - except for Pete, Dino and Andy F - well ok then, not a full house at all but enough to have a good time

Come to think of it, Andy really has no excuse at all for not attending this - can I stay at somebody's house to save my hotel costs?

[gtschris.com]

here my tyres after elvington trackday last time (and i missed a good few hours looking for optimax)

Dont think my gts will be ran in mapped etc for the 29th but be tempted to run the bone stock gt!

[michael]

Andy seems keen

I have a spare room.....

Job done


Chris - how much tread was on those tyres when you got there? That's a lot of scary fabric.

Optimax is easy enough if you know where to go, BP Ultimate is even easier.....

We need a support van with our spare wheels and tyres in.

[Paul R]

Andy seems keen

I have a spare room.....

Job done


Chris - how much tread was on those tyres when you got there? That's a lot of scary fabric.

Optimax is easy enough if you know where to go, BP Ultimate is even easier.....

We need a support van with our spare wheels and tyres in.

Support van you say? My audi A6 is a bit like a van......lol