ACOC Track Day - Castle Coombe - Thank You

[AC Ace Bristol]

Bruce.
   
   Thank you for Organising a Great Track Day,  Really enjoyed the experience of a New Circuit.
   
   The whole day was very relaxed & professionaly run with the bonus of clear blue skies and a dry track.
   
   I would like to thank Andy Shepherd who took me as a passenger in my Ace  for a demonstration of his driving skill and the Ace limitations prooving  that I will never be a Hamilton, a Schumacher or Moss, this was then magnified still further when  Keith Jecks  took me for 8 or 10 laps in his R500.(I will not be giving up my day job)
   As Clint Eastwood once said " you have to know your Limitations"
   
   The 5 Cobra guys who travelled so far, to learn what 100 decibels are...  ...  ...   We all learnt that Racing exhaust systems are anything from 2 to 20 decibels quieter that Road going Cobra exhaust systems.
   
   I took a couple of the Cobra Guys out for a few Laps, hopefully all 5 got a drive or some laps as passenger in various other cars.
   
   It was nice to meet up with a lot of familiar friends and meet some very interesting new ones.
   
   Last but not least,  Bruce ...   ...  Hopefully your CRS will be back in one piece and on the road in the near future.
   
   Any chance of some  ACtion  photos on the Forum, Gallery and for ACtion magazine.  I'm not a Schumacher or a photographer, there's no hope for some!!
   
   
   Thank you all (Including Staff & Marshalls) for a Great ACOC track Day at Castle Coombe.
   
   Keith

[MkIV Lux]

A great day at Castle Combe!
   
   Having travelled 410 miles to Wiltshire to spend a day in good ACOC mood on a track that I was to discover, I was initially "shocked" by the scrutineering marshal when he showed me the reading on his pressure meter: 106 db at 4500 rpm for my standard EFI cat converter equipped MOT passed Mk IV ! However there was remedy at hand, with a pair of Merlin mufflers available at the on-site Merlin shop. Good business. They extended the Mk IV's already long tailpipes another 40 cms. I had to pass the scrutineer twice more until he was satisfied and put a yellow sticker onto the windscreen.[:)] Came a bit late to the briefing [:I] and learned that here you only overtake on the right. Of 13 tracks that I will have done when this season is over, this is the only one I experienced where overtaking is restricted. However rules are made for being respected and so we all did. Anyway the Mk IV not being the fastest, chances of overtaking would be remote. Finished to secure the mufflers solidly, I missed the introduction laps behind the pace car. So when I finally got the green light with a batch of a total of six cars on the circuit at one time, I had to discover it by myself. But thanks to the documentation and explanations that Andy Shepherd had given me the night before, when I made a pit stop at Andys and Karen's home near Basingstoke, the driving lines were not too difficult to find, though the difficult Quarry corner (that accounts for 30% of all accidents occurring on UK race tracks !! ) remains a challenge each time, especially when pressured from behind by another car. A great experience. With its road suspension setup, the Mk IV was of course not ideal for going too fast  and knowing that I was due to drive back home the next day in an intact vehicle, made me do my rounds with some safety margin. It was still a lot of fun and pleasure.  Breaking hard before the two chicanes Esses and Bobbies made me wish the Mk IV had a proper racing harness, the fantastic and well balanced original brakes on this car biting hard and the new Michelin Pilot Sport 16" tires doing a good job.
   Many thanks to Bruce Claessens for the organization of this event. I hope your car will be easy to fix and that we can meet you again with a smiling face soon.
   Many thanks to Karen and Andy Shepherd for their hospitality for me and 13 year old Alex during this short w/e. A common passion for race cars and dressage horses greatly helped that we felt like at home.
   Many thanks also to the Castle Combe marshals who were so kind to allow Alex to access some restricted areas for taking photos and arranged for two extra lunchtime laps behind the pace car where Alex could come along. I'll post some of his photos later.
   Another great weekend in good company.
   With hindsight I only regret not to have offered a ride to one of the guys who's Mk IV Lightweights did not pass the noise test.
   
   Constant

[shep]

What a great day at Combe. Beautiful weather and company to match. Many thanks to Bruce for his excellent organisation and let's hope that with "a little help from his friends" his CRS will be out again in fine fettle. As a last resort, does anyone know of a spare CRS body cluttering up their garage, just in case the repairs estimate is silly?
   On Saturday I had a fabulous race at Thruxton in the AMOC 50s Sports Cars Team Challenge. Robin Pearce was driving his dad's Ace seriously well, and I'd like a pint for each time we were side by side battling for the next corner. Mark Morgan is getting quicker all the time and thoroughly enjoyed his race. Well done team.
   Bruce, all power to your elbow, thanks for giving ACOC members the opportunity to get out On Track. Now we've got the ball rolling, let's make it a frequent option. Next stop Nurburgring?
   
   All the best, Andy

[C9OBY]

Thank you to everyone who supported and attended the ACOC Track Day, an event that will remain in my memory for a very very long time to come!  Fantastic weather, a great collection of cars and good conversation with fellow enthusiasts - what more would you want?
   
   Thanks too to Linzi Smart for coming along and taking so many fantastic photos, some of which I have included below.  Look out for a short write-up and further pics in a future ACtion magazine.
   
   Based on the numerous messages of thanks and support that I have received over recent days, I am already looking forward to arranging another event next year, perhaps at a track with a little more run-off area!
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Tailpiece - open boot anyone?
   

[MkIV Lux]

some more pics
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

[shep]

Thanks Linzi,fabulous photos! Constant, for the track it looks like you need stiffer springs and stiffer anti roll bars, look how the rear outside suspension compresses and the front inside wheel lifts compared to Bruce's CRS behind! My own attempt at McLaren Mercedes aerodynamic brakes similarly needs further development.
   
   Great memories, Andy.

[MkIV Lux]

Indeed Andy, my MkIV is totally road set-up, and does not sport antiroll bars. I have a pair lying in my garage, acquired from Redline some time back. Just need to fit them and maybe change the springs. Some job for the next winter if I find time between looking after the true horsepower[:)]
   
   On the Wednesday after Castle Combe, I drove down to Monza in the MkIV, over the Gotthard pass where it started to rain and did not stop until I reached destination. So got a bit wet[:(]. On Thursday I had a wonderful track day with 4 x 25 minutes + 1 x full hour on the F1 track. Mystical, I tell you. We were about 20 cars together on the track, no restrictions, just a minor shunt in the first chicane between a Lotus Super 7 and a Porsche. Most cars were fast Lotuses (Exige and Elise SC)of members of my French Lotus Club (www.club-lotus.fr).
   The MkIV turned round after round without any problems. Of course I did keep a safety margin as I still needed to drive home the next day. When we had our first session in the morning at 9:30, the track was still wet from rain, but soon it dried out and cars got faster.
   I was very pleased both at Castle Combe and Monza with the behavior of the Michelin Pilot Sports (on the original 16" rims).
   When the track day was finished at 5 pm, I drove back to Switzerland to find the Gotthard tunnel closed by the time I hit it, so had to take the mountain again, in the dark. Encountered snow and freezing roads at the very top (2200 m) and decided to stay overnight in the nexte village. It's not real fun to drive a mountain pass down in the dark. Next day the sun was out again so I decided to climb another 2 passes (Furka 2436 m and Grimsel 2165 m) before heading north. And did a few more hill climbs in the French Vosges on the  way home.
   The MkIV is such a fine car for travelling (ligth this time, no copilot).
   Tomorrow morning I hit the road again in the truck with boxed trailer and the Lotus Eleven packed for 700 kms down to central France and a day with the CLF on Mas du Clos track on Sunday.
   (www.masduclos.fr). 40 cars enrolled, all Lotuses.
   
   I'll post a few pics from Monza later.
   
   cheers
   Constant

[MkIV Lux]

a bit out of date but here are the promised pics from Monza ....