Castle Combe 2009

[Steve]

Here is a video of Me and Graham going around Castle Combe. I have to upload the video in 2 parts due to the size for youtube.

We had a great day and was the high light of the year. I will let Graham write a detail report of the event.

Part 1

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Please note that part 2 does contain some adult language, so if this a fends you please don’t watch Part 2


Part 2

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Hope you enjoy.

[Deano]

Great vid :) Best not let your mum watch the second part Gr4ham :p

[ROADRUNNER]

Tell you what that was F----n unbelievable

[Gr4H4m]

mm to all sorry you forget that you have the camera running.

In short anyone who has wondered what there mini can do within the safety of a track its got to be the best show of the season. If you don't want to take your pride and joy around the track you can get a run in a mig or mighty mini for about £15-£y30 which goes to charity.

We had a great weekend and saw some friends from Snowdon. Geoff's new clubby is a work or art even thou he said it was rough, its far from it.

We short down to the track and were a little late, due to the amount of people entering the track. We went straight to the sound check, where they check your mini isn't over 100DBa at 4.5K. My little 998 with its twin box maniflow was an easy pass, Steve's single box was on the limit of 100.... Then to the drivers briefing where you are told not to be stupid, and the track rules, they do watch you on track....

We missed our first tack sessions, but with some sweet talking, the officials swapped our tickets which was very nice of them.

Steve and I line up for the next session, me in-front of Steve. You get the tense felling before going out on track, you are sat in the car with a helmet on, in the pits waiting for the last session to end. All of the cars waiting are in two long parallel lines. You feel hot, and the adrenalin starts to run... You are then given the get ready signal, at this point you start your engine's..

I turned the key and nothing, it just turns over I try and Try, choke out still wont fire... I put my hand up yo attract the marshal's, we push the car out of the way so that when the session starts everyone can pull away.
The session starts and the two lines file out one after the other onto the track. I have a quick look under the bonnet to find the rubber inlet pipe that holds the carb on has split and the carb has popped off. So I get pushed out if the pits F1 style..

I go to watch the action but can't find Steve. Who I later find out gets black-flagged for fuel spilling out of one of the tanks. We brimmed them just before arriving at the track. The fuel cap wasn't doing its job... I did say they watch you whilst you are out.

Steve gives me a hand to push the car back to the stand. I then spend about 1 hour looking for some 45mm ID pipe.. not easy at a mini show. I find a SAAB inter-cooler with some pipe... and its a close fit so £5 and We are back in action. Steve then empties some fuel and gives it away so we are ready for the next track time..

We jump in Steve's car and head for the pits.. Now this is the first time the car has been run hard with the new setup, (Megajolt, full coil overs, neg arms, adjustable tie bars, beam axle, etc). This is where the vid starts.

Now last time I was out on the track in Steve's car was last year, where he was running Hydro the same as we and we had a 5K misfire. This year we are out in front of the pack with some sorted minis behind us. When we fire out of the pits and up the hill Steve didn't let off.. I think we are not going to make the first corner he's over cooked it; I was worried that the the stiff suspension would be twitchy on the limit, how ever over the rise into the first right hander Steve arrested the back end sliding, and off we went. I was relieved that the car was controllable at the limit. when we hit the first chicane under braking I didn't think we could make the corner at that speed but the car just grips and grips its unbelievable. After those first few corners I was very relaxed the car was un-stoppable, even to the point we were side-ways in a long corner whilst I was waving at the crowd... :)

Hence all of my bad language at the end of the lap; the cam doesn't show the true speed, I will post the vid up of my car so you can see the difference. On my vid we were off the clock past the ignition light so about 80-85 true speed, in Steve's car we hit a true speed of 96mph.. You can tell we were quick as the old cars to pass us were full blown race cars, with big budget engines.

Its an amazing experience, to be out on track picking a braking point, not sure when you should let off or start accelerating.

Big fun small price, got to try it IMO.

Again sorry for the language, but if you were in the car I would say you might have done the same..

[Steve]

Looking forward to your video Graham as part 1 of yours will not open from the disc.

[Steve]

Have to say that your comments on the vid part 2 make the video for me. Could not stop :):)

[Gr4H4m]

The vid should be uploading to you tube as we speak. as a wraning there is some bad language on it. The quality has dropped with the conversion but should give everyone the difference between the two cars.. and the fact after being in your car I didn't want to over cook it with the different feeling of speed with my bouncy old suspension..

With Steve holding onto the seat with both hands in the corners and the tyres squealing in the corners I thought that was the limit of my comfort zone and I didn't want to run out of talent..

oh one other thing, you can't over-take when you pass the red markers so that us beginners know the corner is yours to turn in without worrying that a car is there, hence why you see cars lifting off and holding back before the corner.. except those mighty minis or migs who don't seem to care and under brake you in the bends...

[Gr4H4m]

WARNING - Contains some bad language..

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[Steve]

Great vid, where is the second one.

[Gr4H4m]

edited them both together. Sorry for the language...and updated the above

[Steve]

Both me and Graham didn't see this happen, but here is the video of the mini crash that happened.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBy8-Pg7P28

[Deano]

Love the sound of the charger :) Dont worry about the corners if in dout Flat out !

[Steve]

The car which went pass me in video part 1, which I said was a mig race mini. Was infact Julian Howells extreme mighty mini, a series which i told it was unlimited a few years back when he used to race and has a
insanely lairy 1380 5 port in it, making monsterous power like 150bhp++++

Very fast car.

[Deano]

Sounded like auto power to me :p

[ben92]

Looks and sounds like you had a enjoyable day:):)

[RSP]

exactly how unbelievable was it!!!!!:D;)

Good work all round, sorry for the short reply, I am wiping tears from my eyes.

You both have minis that go fast and look great, what more can a mini owner want in life.

[RSP]

Both me and Graham didn't see this happen, but here is the video of the mini crash that happened.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBy8-Pg7P28

You have to be a bit gutted about that!!!

[Gr4H4m]

exactly how unbelievable was it!!!!!:D;)

Good work all round, sorry for the short reply, I am wiping tears from my eyes.

You both have minis that go fast and look great, what more can a mini owner want in life.

Rob, the funny thing is on the first corner of the first lap in steve's can I was thinking were neer going to make this.... nope were going straight on.. hes over cooked it then once we have done the first lap I was very comfortable.. so much so mid corner with Steve giving it death I'm waving to the spectators, god only know what they must have been thinking..:D

[RSP]

lol, they were thinking it was unbelievable!!!!!!!:D:D:D;)

Looked sure footed and planted and the laps looked like they got faster and faster.

[Steve]

lol, they were thinking it was unbelievable!!!!!!!:d:d:d;)

.


:):d:d

[snimeLic]

Im just started to read " The Man in the High Castle" does someone have a map of that world?

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