Castle Combe, The Outcome....

[TheNissanMan]

What a superb day, I met up with Lauren (Mk1 NA) and Stuart (Mk1 SC Kameleon) from IMOC at 7am in Oxford and got to Castle Combe around 8.20 this morning for what was going to be what I can only describe as "OMFG that was such an unbelievable day..."

There was a good turn out from The Mk1 Register & IMOC and had to be the first meet where the TOC members outnumbered the LOC members, Badger (oops mean Witch) and Scot were there from TOC and Fidgets came down from LOC, great to see more faces....

There was a professional photographer there in the morning so an amazing photo will be posted next week when I get the digital copy....

Now for the track....

I didn't bother to get my Mk1 so took my Mk2 and was very nervous about taking her out as both beginners and advanced drivers were out at the same time (oh missed the nutters in there as well), I managed to get a free session in the morning courtesy of IMOC where I was definately the most nervous driver on track and slowest as I didn't know the circuit or corners and had a lot of warnings about the unforgiving Quarry Bend. I then bought a second track pass for a later session and what a difference it was, knowing the corners and what the car can do and not worrying about the other drivers as much made so much difference, I had the tyres screaming around every corner, drifting through the Quarry bend and hitting both chicanes properly screaming at myself through utter enjoyment. A good battle with a Calibra and Pugeot of some description made the second session as it was the first time I managed to overtake anything on Combe.

All type's of car's turned out from old, old audi's to Supra's, GT40 kit cars, you name it, it was there and it was being pushed around the track, some amazing spins and the smell of rubber filling the air all day, it could not be beaten and had money allowed (and the rain hadn't have started) I would have been on track as much as possible, it was a truely amazing experience that won't be beaten in a long while.

Photo's will be posted early next week when I have time to play with them and sort them all out......

Good to finally see LOC members outnumbered by TOC members at a meet :P :P :P

[jerry phipps]

Hi rhaines sounds to me that you really had a great day out. So did you really push the MR2. Does this mean that you will be going to buy a set of tyres again :D

jerry!!

[witch]

Hi Rhaines

Your description of your experience today at Combe was excellent... Have you ever thought of applying for a job on "Top Gear?" :D

Good to see everyone again.. Shame I had to work 'til 4 and arrived in a Renault!!! It gave me a good drive home though, what boring b**tard invented rev limiters?

"A full 2 litres"...Isn't that what the !Removed! on the ad says????

[Fidgits]

Raines... thanks for not mentioning that the only LOC member present turned up in a Honda... (it was raining, and the car was dry and clean in the garage .... and staying that way!)

Oh and badger/witch/sarah.... you wernt driving that hard... we were only 2 cars back from you all the way into Chippenham.... and we didnt top 70 once! :P

[Fidgits]

Oh and in my opinion the best car of the day goes to the white EVO VII .... carbon fibre bonnet, and sounded very tuned (flames from the exhaust at change ups!) ... The guy was giving it a thrashing..

:D nice!

[witch]

Fidgits!!!

you are such a !Removed! :D I didn't grt out of third until Chippenham!! and 70?... in the lil' honda....I bet you were flat out... lol <_< Only joking matey, honest!

see you on the 17th

Badger

[zee007]

Couldn't make it....... gutted............ :(

[gus]

didnt know about it. even more gutted.

that'll teach me to pay more attention to the forums

[TheNissanMan]

Didn't expect so many responses over the weekend, now I'll have to try and repsond to them all in the same response, wouldn't want to be accused of being a post freak or anything :P

The first session out I was very, very nervous as I was in my daily drive and not the Taff Trap and was scared of damaging or injurying my little gem (no proud father syndrome here at all of course). Soon got the hang of the track and got the speed up a bit on the last lap of the first session but there was that inner feeling that we (the car and myself) could have done a lot, lot more, so, there was only one thing I could do, buy more track time, it just had to be done :D

Scot came down with me and was passenger on the first and second session and it feels easier on a track if you have someone in there with you spotting where you are going wrong. On the second session I was giving the 2 as much welly as I dared (OK I'm no shcuey and don't have a lot of track experience so am sure she could have been pushed harder around the track in other hands, although.... On every corner except Camp Corner (ooer missus) and follies the tyres were screaming for forgiveness (or was it joy, couldn't tell the difference) and I managed to drift (amazing how drift and ***** rhyme) myself around the corners.

The tyres at the end of the day didn't look to bad (oops still have them at track pressure must let them down soon) so not to much wear was put on them and I checked the brake pad's today and apart from the stupidly large amount of brake dust on the alloy's aren't showing to much wear at all, plenty left for a couple more sessions at Jap Fest....

Wouldn't have dared embarrass other TOC/LOC members by mentioning what they turned up in as it would just be rude !!

I know that Combe has another CCC day soon but not sure when yet, will find out and post.

IMHO it's not the most sensible 'first' trackday event to do as you do get a few nutters there which wouldn't exist oin a club meet environment but it definately is worth a go an a huge giggle, the best part for me going in a group is that others in the group know what experience you have and people were very supportivew when stupid questions were asked.

I started off in the morning asking the... What tyre pressures are best, tell me about the corners etc down to best way to brake/.accelerate through the bends (was nervous as hell) but the help I got from other owners was amazing (if you guys come accross this site/post thank you very much)...

[scoobyspanker]

I was there! ;) I'm WEE WEED off that I didn't look out for ur car, were u in a red MR2?? I saw a couple of black ones, a white one with a &#33;Removed&#33; great air intake pipe coming out the engine!! My mates were in a white Golf GTI, (they did say the MR2's drove like BAD WOMEN!!) but, my mates are the crazy PEOPLE that u see going round on 3 wheels, they only paid £100 for it so they drove it like they just stole it

I got to sit in the beast for the last race, thats when it was tippin it down wiv rain, our crappy wheels couldn't handle it, we spun the BLIGHTER 3 times then crashed I thik we were the only people to crash?

It was a great day, some wicked cars, that black BMW Alpina!! man he could drive, that yellow GT40 rep was cool, saw a Supra spin on to the grass at quarry! Did u see that white Evo?? My CRUMBS it was fast, it made every1 else look sooo slow..

You going in June???

[TheNissanMan]

Yup, I was the red 2, couldn't miss me I was the only MR2 to go out with the roof off, I couldn't fit the helmet on with the roof on :P

You were the nutters in the golf, ah now we know who stopped the session :) The rain did make life more interesting and thought the black metro who crashed at quarry on the out lap was amusing. The White Evo was running at 560bhp and was extremely quick....

I had a chat with the owner of the white MR2 with the HKS logo's everywhere and his car is identical to mine (I have the scoop on order, lol), same induction, suspension etc. It would have been fun to go out on track at the same time and seen how we compared, will work on the photo's this morning and see what I can do...

[scoobyspanker]

this might be a silly question..but is ur's a turbo?

[TheNissanMan]

Am guessing you haven't noticed my Signiture.....

It's an NA with HKS Induction, uprated suspension, 16" Racing Sparco Alloy's and de-cat pipe, Autopista Side Skirts and Spoilers (soon to have revision 6 led clusters and mongoose exhaust), apart from that she's as standard as they come.....

[scoobyspanker]

very nice, me pal had a lovely black MR2 turbo, it was FAST!! he the got a delta intergralle(selling?) which was fast but the handling was amasing! Are u going to the next 1?

[TheNissanMan]

Is the pope catholic, do bears s**t in the woods, does a falling tree still make a sound in the forest and are men still wrong if no women are around......

I think that would be a definate YES

:D :D :D

[scoobyspanker]

I will try and get there but I have to work on Saturdays I want to buy my own track car. I want a 205 GTI, I used to have 1, i need a real cheap 1.9. I would feel to worried taking my RC round. Are u going to the Jap meet? (nice sig!)

[TheNissanMan]

Buy a Mk1 MR2 as a track car, great fun for only a couple of hundred quid, don't worry about taking your daily drive on track, as long as your sensible you'll be fine.....

I've uploaded the photo's, no fancy bit's and bob's just a list of files but they can be found HERE

[TheNissanMan]

OK, My favourite photo of the day so far has to be.....

But then again, I would be a little biased :P

[scoobyspanker]

great pic's, ya beast looks class, u shud get that 1 framed! I can't believe theres no pic's of our crappy Golf, will it is a VW!! (ugly :P ) I was stood on Quarry all day, those pic's are just from my view! I was sat in me mates Seirra Cossie for most of the day, it was blue with nice wheels.. I saw some guy taking lots of pic's!

[TheNissanMan]

Thanks m8y...

I have the original 10" x 8" Photo which will definately be framed, am trying to get the digital copy but they want another £10 for that.....

The copy I posted was scanned so can't do as much with it....

Can't wait for thenew toy's to come for mine, I have the TOM's scoop coming (same as the white HKS MR2 at combe) and the revision 6 lights shouldn't be to far away, and mongoose sitting on my breothers car to get stripped so nearly there with the MK2 then can concentrate on getting the wackiest looking Mk1 around :D :D :D

[Fidgits]

Fidgits!!!

you are such a !Removed! :D I didn't grt out of third until Chippenham!! and 70?... in the lil' honda....I bet you were flat out... lol <_< Only joking matey, honest!

see you on the 17th

Badger

If I was being bitchy... I would of mentioned the fact you stalled it when you tried to set off :P

See you at JapFest :D

[Scot]

Nice Photos mate, shame some of them didnt have my best side :D

How are the rset comming? the ones from us on track, and at mine :P

How do i get in contact with steve to see if i can get into Jap fest??? dont want to miss a chance to take my car on track!!!!

[TheNissanMan]

Will call you tonight and contact Steve this afternoon......

LOL @ Fidgets oops I mean Badger, you didn't stall it leaving Combe did you lololol..... there were no Badgers in sight to spook you either :P

[witch]

Hi you !Removed!!!

YES I DID STALL the french rubbish... I've never been good at communicating with the french (well apart the kissing!!) lol

See you soon in proper car!! which I can drive

Your pics are good Ryan!

Badger

[Carlgolsby]

Yeah great pic Ryan, now more than ever I'm p***** off that my car's a damn auto. :(