Oulton Park, 24 Aug, £225

I've had a busy time at work recently, and have got a few more busy weeks coming up ... all of which means that I've had no track time for me for a while now, and won't for a few more weeks
However, I've just booked Oulton Park with Easytrack on 24th Aug

Anyone else fancy this? Oulton is a fantastic track, and it would be great to see some 'usual suspects' there, as well as some track newbies

Edit: Should have added, its an open pit lane day

I may have been up for this but had already booked the Combe date a couple of months back and funds won't stretch to both. I may be able to come along as a passenger if you don't mind?

Of course, Dave. It'd be great to see you there. And you are welcome to as many pax rides as you can stomach!

You're more than welcome to have a few drives, as well

Er.. FCCUK get 10% discount on Easytrack days. See 'Members discounts' on here etc (a bit late if you already booked!)

I'll see what else I can do. You have any 2nd drivers/passengers?

pm if easier

Thanks for letting me know I may have some 2nd drivers on the day ... will let you know

It might be useful to others who are considering booking, but I've already booked (and won't be a member for much longer )

Its the in 'Members discounts' section on this website Dave.

I'll sort something for you on the day

Thanks Tim

I'll be quite easy to spot on the day (unless several other bright yellow Westfields also turn up )

I'm tempted, My car blew up on it's last visit there

Sorry to hear that...

Mine went ok last time out http://forum.alfa156.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=60473&PN=1

Not far off now

Has anyone booked on track, or planning to pop along for passenger rides?

I've just tried to book a garage, but have left it too late and they are all gone. So I'm hoping for a dry day (or I'll have to sneak into the back of someone else's garage )

Hi Dave, I'm sorry to say that I can't get the day off on Wednesday (only the Monday and Tuesday). Since the redundancy in the department it has been difficult to get flexibility.

Hmm, I could come along to this one in the 20vt. Bit of a long trek though, would be much fresher if perhaps I had somewhere to stay closer to the circuit and drive up in the morning in tandem with a certain someone perhaps

There might be a bed available somewhere nearby, Dan ...

The only health warning attached is that my mum and dad are staying with us for a few weeks, to help look after the kids during the summer holidays ... so we've got quite a house full already!

But, if you don't mind that, then there is room for you to kip

No worries, Dave. It's a shame that you can't make it, but I'm sure we'll catch up on track soon.

I'm keen to learn how my car should be properly driven!

I've had a similarly full house lately!

I'd pitch a tent if you've no room at the inn! But if the offer stands, I'll book the track day later this eve?

Dan

The offer stands, Dan ... we'll find somewhere to put you

(a sleeping bag in the hedge?)

Much appreciated Dave

Will confirm booking later tonight when I'm home and off the iPhone. Sat in traffic on M25 right now

Not done Oulton before, should be a good day!

Dave,

Oulton park now booked. I may however have alternative digs for that night as may be taking a passenger with me.
Either way up, I'll let you know asap probably tomorrow, and at least will see you at the track, for some reciprocal passenger rides

-Dan

Sounds good Dan

Looking forward to a trip out in the old girl

You can probably give me some tips

"Bounce off the rev limiter in every gear"!

you'll teach me nothing then

Guys, please make sure you introduce yourselves, and please excuse me if Im a little pre occupied though, a busy day to run.

See you all tomorrow folks, heading north later today

See you in the morning, Dan

Make sure you go careful on the drive there Dave

I'll try to get the in one piece this time

Dan

I may have a garage ... a few came free this morning, and I tried to book one, but the online booking wasn't clear and I'm waiting for a reply confirmation

Have a look along them when you arrive

Good luck for tomorrow guys!

Dave, hope you make it to the track in one piece!!

Hope you're having a good day Dave. Weather looks good for it

What a great day, shared with Senny Dave, Dave_t and brilliantly organised by Easytrack (great to see you Tim!).

My first time (and definitely not the last) drive at Oulton, first impressions were that it was a very narrow tight and technical circuit, and as the day wore on I was able to really push the coop through it's paces. Deceptively quick circuit, and with the afternoon shower changing conditions quickly, it was VERY enjoyable!

Probably the finest collection of machinery I've ever seen at a track day, and some extremely competant drivers, from memory I remember 5 Ariel Atoms (one a carbon supercharged 330 brake), around 10 high spec Porsches, from classic 70's 911 flat 6's through to GT3RS's, a monster of a Morgan with a V8 BMW lump raced by Tom Andrews, a TVR Sagaris, Lotus 2-11, Noble, and some very nice Caterhams, Westfields and some very highly tuned and prepared others, the focus and M3 were really going well. The coop was definitely the cheapest book price car there. Great for punching above it's weight I thought

Here's a couple of vids from the day, taken in the afternoon after I'd begun to learn the circuit and started to wind up the pace, blatting past a mere Atom and Ferrari, and keeping 3 competitively driven quick Porsches a good distance behind me for 20 minutes. Gutted that the 10 minute limit on my camera expired about 5 seconds before my passing move of the day on the Lotus (blue one at the end of the Pt2 clip). 2 wheels on the grass, resulting in lots of squirming whilst squeezing round the outside of the Lotus. Foot stayed planted, the red mist had got me by this stage

Oulton Vid 1
Oulton Vid 2

And a vid of the work I put my carbotech xp-10's through.

Shhhhmoking!!!

Nice to get some favourable comments from some of the Porsche drivers about how quick the coop was. "It's only a little fiat " Always enjoyable to upset the odds

Can't wait for the next one...

Marco .. I managed to get there, get round the track and get home ... all in one piece (despite nearly collecting a large bollard when spinning on track )

Thanks Jonny. We had a fanatastic day. The weather was great apart from a couple of slight showers in the afternoon

Firstly a big thank you to alfatim, for all his help before and on the day
I must say that I was very impressed with EasyTrack .. the day ran really smoothly and there were just the right number of cars so that queueing was never any issue

It was great to see Dan (and my old girl ) and Senny Dave there ... and to have a little side by side track test with my new vs old toys

I'd taken my dad along for his first track day ... and he managed almost a whole lap (apart from his sighting laps) before spinning at Lodge, and being black flagged to come in and cool off! Tim was very reasonable with his 'just take it easy' talk ... and my dad managed to get quite a few laps in later on which he really enjoyed

There was quite a lot of nice cars out there ... lots of GT3 / RSs, a Ferrari, plenty of track ready Caterfields and a lovely race prep'ed Morgan Aero 8. Plenty of fun to be had (including Dan chasing a GT3RS round, with the driver then coming to us all in the pits saying "that can't be standard .. it's only a Fiat!" )

I am still very much learning my Westy and was slowly building speed and confidence through the day. And it was good to go out side by side with Dan in my old Coupe, to see how I/ my Westy performed. Each lap we went round, I'd slowly pull a lead (nothing in it on acceleration on the straights ... but me slightly faster through the corners especially Cascades) ... and then Dan would reel it all in at Druids! I soon realised how much faster I could go through there! And I also realised that I need to get off my road rubber and on to some track rubber!

Sometime after lunch, I took Senny Dave out for a few laps. And a Atom came out and slotted in about 200m ahead. Dave gave me the "let's catch them" sign and I tried to reel them in. I was trying harder and harder, but the spacing was remaining pretty constant ... til I tried too hard ... ending in me badly controlling a slide and heading us into a big tyre bollard at Hislops

No video of this .. but well captured by the photographer on the day ... YouTube slideshow of Senny Dave and I watching a bollard approach at high speed!

So all in all, a great day ...

Dan in my old Coupe, following me through Cascades ...


On my own, through Cascades ...


My dad driving ... and me giving him a for nailing the apex ...

Great video's Dan! I really must get something sorted myself

And those Carbotech pads are something else! I thought I'd got a pretty good set up on the Coupe, but the way you could haul that thing in from high speed was amazing

Thanks for the trip out

Some video of my Westy out on track captured by a guy from the Westfield owners club (driving a 190bhp Megabusa on slicks ) ....

You can see me from about 1:00, and he catches and overtakes me by about 3:20 in ....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sr0LgzgYAiY

I'm amazed at how much my Westy rolls, given how hard the suspension feels