Castle combe - 4th April

Weather permitting, I'll be there.

 

I may pop along if it's dry, not on track though, just to watch.

 

Semi-open pit lol

Is it only open for some or not open all the time?

 

Castle Combes way of saying open pit but limited numbers on track and if very busy they will do groups but not limited to 1 session per hour like some do..

 

I did an afternoon there last autumn with PCGB, the daft system really wound me up as I spent more time sat in the car waiting for the light to go green than actually driving on the blooming track. OTOH I did 5 or 6 15 to 20 min sessions with Goldtrack at Thruxton in one afternoon, no daft limitation on cars on track ISTR at Combe its something like half a dozen cars at anyone time. For these reasons I see Combe as really bad value now and will be avoiding it except to do one or two days or half days with PCGB purely because I have data from running my race car there with them over the years (looking to get down under 1:18, obviously only checking the logger when I get home...).

 

Its just Castle Combes way of screwing around with the existing two good systems of open pit or sessions. Confusing and complicated. They even describe it as sessions but you can go out in any session. People just love to screw about with more control and rules. Probably driven by noise and limiting track useage.

Anyway, you can still get a traditional open pit lane trackday there if you chose the right Track Day organiser. Semi open for people that can only manage to raise a semi.

 

I will pop over over I live nearby

 

Or check the logger while you are having a No 2.

Surprising the number of people you see openly staring into a laptop and checking timing on a trackday.

 

Lol yes. The worst of it was when I was having tuition a couple of years ago. It was hilarious as I could see my coach for the day stood on the pit wall with a stop watch no more than 3 foot from the organiser. Track days at Silverstone are another example, nobody with any sense does the Silverstone test days as they are full of international GT race teams, Radicals and all that such that it is impossible to get clear laps in. Its an open secret really amongst club racers that you do your setup and learning for the GP circuit on the track days there run by a couple of well known organisers. The thing is I have never once had a problem with another car caused by me or for that matter with another race car on a track day including the many I have seen very obviously putting testing times in, bloody loads of daft incidents with utter knobbers in road cars unfortunately of all makes and values.

 

To be fair a trackday is open to anyone, so a fair share of muppets is to be expected. The price to pay for a bit of cheap testing.

I'm always more amused by the regulars that turn up with all the mods, spare wheels, coilovers, roll cages and spoilers etc but can't even put a decent lap together. They are always interested in what mods a quicker car must have lurking somewhere, but it never seems to occur to them that it's just got a better driver. When they get home out comes the Demon Tweaks catalogue again.

 

I agree with the last comment there on driving skill..
last year purely on improved driving (small bit of tyre management) and I gained not far of 3 seconds per lap

 

Castle Combe is a great track though when its dry, nice and warm, and you get some clear laps in. A really intense blast of a track. I feel quite lucky to live within an hour of two great drivers tracks, I can't keep saying enough though how awesome Thruxton is its my favourite track to drive by some margin.

 

My mate and I did Thruxton last year and we both agreed it was a brilliant track and we've both done a fair few tracks around the country, well organised and not particularly harsh on the cars, its certainly one of my favourites and we will be going back there in September.

 

Shaun between Goldtrack and MSE there are 6 days there this year, the first this coming Wednesday. I will be doing all the ones apart from this coming week which don't clash with PCGB days at Combe.

 

I reckon Thruxtons reputation as UK's fastest circuit puts a few people off. Some arse clenching sweepers teasing a flat throttle.

Numbers are also down with people staying away to avoid bumping into Tiff Needell in the paddock doing his BMW rides to help pay for his mortgage.

 

We will be doing 9th September organised through Trackdays.co.uk with whom we booked though last year. The only thing with Thruxton is the low db sound test limit, but my 250 with decat and full Ktec system was only 78db at Brands recently.
I'd recommend Thruxton to anybody, church corner at over 110mph is amazing lol.

 

I'm going though not on track - is a show too so mine will be parked up looking pretty on the ford rs owners stand lol!