My birthday Pressie (reporting back as promised)

Hi guys Seeing as you showed so much interest here's how it went. We (myself and my brother - official photographer) Left home at 5:30 and arrived at Palmersport at 7:45. Had registration (BAR team ) - breakfast and a briefing including a video from Jonathon Palmer. There was 4 teams of 15 drivers who went round the activities in different orders, for us it was the Vauxhall VX 220 first. We each had one lap where the instructors showed how it was done ( there was generally 5 cars and instructors ) then 5 laps with the instructor and 5 alone. The instructors were all great and really encouraged you do drive much faster than you thought was sensible ( much different to other driving days I'd done where rev limits were imposed and it was more about learning the lines - here if you went fast enough that if you missed the line you were off !!). So off in the VX220 - braking, turn in and apex points are all marked on the circuits so you follow the instructions (usually POWER POWER !!) there's no way that if you were driving on your own you would attempt to go round corners like that but if you do what they say, then usually it works. anyway a couple of laps in getting faster, approaching a 3rd gear fast right hander I was a bit late on the brakes so turned in a bit late, the back end stepped out so I put on some opposite lock and had my first tankslapper spinning off anticlockwise into the grass :-),

Sorry pressed send instead of save, I'm still writing. Ignore this bit. Craig

Hi guys, Seeing as you showed so much interest here's how the day at Palmer Sport went. We (myself and my brother - official photographer) Left home at 5:30 and arrived at Palmersport at 7:45. Had registration (BAR team ) - breakfast and a briefing including a video from Jonathon Palmer. There was 4 teams of 15 drivers who went round the activities in different orders, for us it was the Vauxhall VX 220 first. We each had one lap where the instructors showed how it was done ( there was generally 5 cars and instructors ) then 5 laps with the instructor and 5 alone. The instructors were all great and really encouraged you do drive much faster than you thought was sensible ( much different to other driving days I'd done where rev limits were imposed and it was more about learning the lines - here if you went fast enough that if you missed the line you were off !!). So off in the VX220 - braking, turn in and apex points are all marked on the circuits so you follow the instructions (usually POWER POWER !!) there's no way that if you were driving on your own you would attempt to go round corners like that but if you do what they say, then usually it works. anyway a couple of laps in getting faster, approaching a 3rd gear fast right hander I was a bit late on the brakes so turned in a bit late, the back end stepped out so I put on some opposite lock and had my first tankslapper spinning off anticlockwise into the grass :-). The Instructor very calmly explained what happened and off you go again, another spin at the 2nd gear hairpin (too much power too early) and it was time to go on my own. Surprising on my own I had no spins and went a second quicker ( all laps are timed and the fastest recorded). Next up was the Vauxhall Frontera driving up and down steep hills, water and stuff then we practiced changing a tyre on a Formula Palmer Audi. Back to the proper driving, Renault Clio Cup car - In a word F****ng awsome A racing car based on the Clio as used as single make Touring car series. Inside it bore no resemblance to a Clio at all, just the bare essentials needed to race, just a 190 bhp engine, a Momo wheel and a sequential shift gear stick - once you're up to speed you don't need a clutch or to back of the throttle, you just push the stick forward and it goes up a gear, same slowing down, brake - no clutch just pull the stick back. These cars were incredibly fast and went through the fast left right bend like it was on rails. Unfortunately I clipped a chicane and a bolt broke in the rear suspension so I lost the last couple of laps Next up the Formula Palmer Audi Detuned from their standard 300bhp to 200 these are only capable of 0-60 in 3.4 sec and 160mph !! We had a separate briefing on these before being let loose on these. These were beasts you need 4000 rpm to pull away nearly everybody stalled because 4000 rpm right behind your head sounded scary. The grip you got from the wings and slicks was incredible but the gear change was very awkward so many of us ended up going round in 3rd gear, still managed 100mph on the main straight though. You got a telemetry print out of your best lap overlaid against a pro driver - he won't be losing sleep !! A quick go on some Karts, I was 6th fastest all day (out of 58) and I've only driven them 3 times before ! After dinner we went on to the Caterham 7 Superlight These were great fun but very difficult to handle, there was so much power and so little weight that they would spin very easily given too much throttle, at the briefing afterwards we were asked who didn't spin the Caterham? 3 out of 58 put their hand up !! Next were the Lotus Exige and the Mitsubishi EVO VI Tommi These were both on the same circuit but with a non racing section by the pits, so it was slow down the pits then boot it for the start line and slow down after the finish line. The Exige was fantastic, Booting past the start line reaching 100 mph the dabbing the brakes at 50m then through the s bend at 80 mph before a short straight and a slowing for 90 degree bend before some more esses, Every lap was 1-2 seconds faster than the last and no spins but loads of squealing. Then the same in the EVO, a big car but you just couldn't seem to get it into trouble, if it under or oversteered you just booted it and it would straighten itself out, a great car and only a second slower than the Exige. Then the briefing and prizes for the best driver in each car, you got a printout of all the best times and ranking for each car and overall and the telemetry from the FPA. It was a great day, bloody expensive but worth it, and the BAR team won overall !!! Here's a couple of pic's, the main photo's are on film so I won't get them for a couple of day, I'll post the best ones. The Evo http://www.the-solicitors-band.co.uk/craig/mse/evo.jpg The Exige http://www.the-solicitors-band.co.uk/craig/mse/exige.jpg The Caterham http://www.the-solicitors-band.co.uk/craig/mse/caterham.jpg The FPA used for the pitstop http://www.the-solicitors-band.co.uk/craig/mse/fpa.jpg Craig

Awesome! "Craig" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:ae0h7h$2s7kg$[email hidden]...

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> Hi guys, > > Seeing as you showed so much interest here's how the day at Palmer Sport > went. > We (myself and my brother - official photographer) Left home at 5:30 and > arrived at Palmersport at 7:45. > Had registration (BAR team ) - breakfast and a briefing including a video > from Jonathon Palmer. > > There was 4 teams of 15 drivers who went round the activities in different > orders, for us it was the Vauxhall VX 220 first. > We each had one lap where the instructors showed how it was done ( there

was > generally 5 cars and instructors ) then 5 laps with the instructor and 5 > alone. The instructors were all great and really encouraged you do drive > much faster than you thought was sensible ( much different to otherdriving > days I'd done where rev limits were imposed and it was more about learning > the lines - here if you went fast enough that if you missed the line you > were off !!). > > So off in the VX220 - braking, turn in and apex points are all marked onthe > circuits so you follow the instructions (usually POWER POWER !!) there'sno > way that if you were driving on your own you would attempt to go round > corners like that but if you do what they say, then usually it works. > anyway a couple of laps in getting faster, approaching a 3rd gear fastright > hander I was a bit late on the brakes so turned in a bit late, the backend > stepped out so I put on some opposite lock and had my first tankslapper > spinning off anticlockwise into the grass :-). The Instructor very calmly > explained what happened and off you go again, another spin at the 2nd gear > hairpin (too much power too early) and it was time to go on my own. > Surprising on my own I had no spins and went a second quicker ( all lapsare > timed and the fastest recorded). > > Next up was the Vauxhall Frontera driving up and down steep hills, waterand

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> stuff then we practiced changing a tyre on a Formula Palmer Audi. > > Back to the proper driving, > Renault Clio Cup car - In a word F****ng awsome > A racing car based on the Clio as used as single make Touring car series. > Inside it bore no resemblance to a Clio at all, just the bare essentials > needed to race, just a 190 bhp engine, a Momo wheel and a sequential shift > gear stick - once you're up to speed you don't need a clutch or to back of > the throttle, you just push the stick forward and it goes up a gear, same > slowing down, brake - no clutch just pull the stick back. These cars were > incredibly fast and went through the fast left right bend like it was on > rails. Unfortunately I clipped a chicane and a bolt broke in the rear > suspension so I lost the last couple of laps > > Next up the Formula Palmer Audi > Detuned from their standard 300bhp to 200 these are only capable of 0-60

in > 3.4 sec and 160mph !! > We had a separate briefing on these before being let loose on these. These > were beasts you need 4000 rpm to pull away nearly everybody stalledbecause > 4000 rpm right behind your head sounded scary. The grip you got from the > wings and slicks was incredible but the gear change was very awkward somany

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> of us ended up going round in 3rd gear, still managed 100mph on the main > straight though. You got a telemetry print out of your best lap overlaid > against a pro driver - he won't be losing sleep !! > > A quick go on some Karts, I was 6th fastest all day (out of 58) and I've > only driven them 3 times before ! > > After dinner we went on to the Caterham 7 Superlight > These were great fun but very difficult to handle, there was so much power > and so little weight that they would spin very easily given too much > throttle, at the briefing afterwards we were asked who didn't spin the > Caterham? 3 out of 58 put their hand up !! > > Next were the Lotus Exige and the Mitsubishi EVO VI Tommi > > These were both on the same circuit but with a non racing section by the > pits, so it was slow down the pits then boot it for the start line and

slow > down after the finish line. > The Exige was fantastic, Booting past the start line reaching 100 mph the > dabbing the brakes at 50m then through the s bend at 80 mph before a short > straight and a slowing for 90 degree bend before some more esses, Everylap > was 1-2 seconds faster than the last and no spins but loads of squealing. > Then the same in the EVO, a big car but you just couldn't seem to get it > into trouble, if it under or oversteered you just booted it and it would > straighten itself out, a great car and only a second slower than theExige. > > Then the briefing and prizes for the best driver in each car, you got a > printout of all the best times and ranking for each car and overall andthe

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> telemetry from the FPA. > > It was a great day, bloody expensive but worth it, and the BAR team won > overall !!! > > Here's a couple of pic's, the main photo's are on film so I won't get them > for a couple of day, I'll post the best ones. > > The Evo http://www.the-solicitors-band.co.uk/craig/mse/evo.jpg > The Exige http://www.the-solicitors-band.co.uk/craig/mse/exige.jpg > The Caterham http://www.the-solicitors-band.co.uk/craig/mse/caterham.jpg > The FPA used for the pitstop > http://www.the-solicitors-band.co.uk/craig/mse/fpa.jpg > > Craig > > > > > > >

Lucky bastard...<vbg> -- Edward Commissioner MARA Middle-Aged Racers Association

Craig, Tell us where you are (US?) and where this thing was please, I musta missed it in the earlier thread? Sounds awesome... "Craig" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:ae0h7h$2s7kg$[email hidden]...

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> Hi guys, > > Seeing as you showed so much interest here's how the day at Palmer Sport > went. > We (myself and my brother - official photographer) Left home at 5:30 and > arrived at Palmersport at 7:45. > Had registration (BAR team ) - breakfast and a briefing including a video > from Jonathon Palmer. > SNIP

Hi Plowboy, It's near Bedford in the UK It's owned by ex F1 driver Jonathon Palmer http://www.palmersport.co.uk/tms/ Craig

On Sun, 9 Jun 2002 22:24:05 +0100, Craig <[email hidden]> wrote: > Hi guys, > > Seeing as you showed so much interest here's how the day at Palmer Sport > went. I'm turning green with envy here.... nice write-up, thanks for sharing, Craig! How much did you pay then? Uwe -- Uwe Schuerkamp //////////////////////////// http://www.schuerkamp.de/ Herford, Germany \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ (52.0N/8.5E) PGP Fingerprint: 2E 13 20 22 9A 3F 63 7F 67 6F E9 B1 A8 36 A4 61

> I'm turning green with envy here.... nice write-up, thanks for > sharing, Craig! How much did you pay then? > > Uwe �600 It was my 40th birthday present though :-) Craig

And it was worth every penny !! Craig

Forgot to mention that all the two seaters had dual foot controls. Once or twice I felt a force pushing the brake pedal back off the floor Craig

On Mon, 10 Jun 2002 11:28:05 +0100, Craig <[email hidden]> wrote: > It was my 40th birthday present though :-) > Ahhh, I see. Only five years to go!!!! ;-) Uwe -- Uwe Schuerkamp //////////////////////////// http://www.schuerkamp.de/ Herford, Germany \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ (52.0N/8.5E) PGP Fingerprint: 2E 13 20 22 9A 3F 63 7F 67 6F E9 B1 A8 36 A4 61