Eurofest Action Day @ Castle Combe

[Mad Mart]

Eurofest Action Day
Saturday 6th September 2008

I'd completely forgotten about this one. Anyone interested? or have we all had our fill of CC for this year?

[2Toledos]

Hmmmm ?...... Got the next month off work - Wonder if I'll find the time to sort the car out in between re-arranging the entire house; decorating a nursery; and doing umpteen other baby related chores ?

MoT is due in a couple of weeks; need to get the OS bottom ball-joint swapped out and fix the bloody exhaust (AGAIN !); damned thing started 'blowing' again on the way back from CC last time out.

[DavePoth]

I'll come along, although I don't know whether the orange car will be ready for the track. It has a rev counter though, which is always a good start.

[mbellinger]

Yes yes yes!

Mart if you are booking please put me down for four sessions, two am and two pm, thanks.

If you are not co-ordinating please let me know and I will go direct, so as to speak. Need to try my new brakes (and steering gear, and suspension - been busy...)

[Mad Mart]

OK, I'll book it.

Dave & Chris, let me know for definite (by the end of the week please) if you are going & how many sessions you require and approx. times please.

[2Toledos]

Sorry, Martin - Going to have to pass...... Hundred and one things to do at home, and the car is way down the list of priorites for a wee while.

[Mad Mart]

Martin, I have the passes & will send yours off in the week. Dave, I got you one as well.

[Mad Mart]

I have quite a few free admission passes to this event if anyone wants one. This gets you into all areas of the track & paddock. Usually cost £10 on the day.


I also have one track session for sale £20. (SOLD)

[trackerjack]

Just had a brilliant day out with the TDC boys at Combe, Martin Bellingers Tolly red top was damn fast down the straights, I had three trips round with Mad Mart the first was in the wet with no grip and the next two were in the dry with oodles of grip good scrap with a 325I Beemer and then a scrap with a VXR which was the best cos the guy clearly did not like being whuped by an old car..................tough, boo hoo Mart grows horns when a scrap is on the cards good man
we were also joined by Bruce (Brad) nice guy from the Club Triumph plus Gary and sorry forgotten the other name.
A better day than we all expected weather wise.

[Mad Mart]

What a smashing day (quite literally for some ). I hadn't really been looking forward to it because of the carp weather we've been having. The first session the track was wet so I left my road tyres on (Falkens) big mistake, they were next to useless, with the back stepping out going down the back straight as I flip it in to O/D. Cornering was very slow. But we got round in one piece, which is more than can be said for some (SAABs).

Luckily the rain stayed away mostly, with just a few spots here & there, but not enough to make the track wet. I took Jon (Trackerjack) out with me for the first three sessions (lets forget about the first one) and Bruce from Club Triumph came round with me on the last one. As Jon has said, we had some good tussles, the one with the BMW being the best as there wasn't a lot between the cars in a straight line, although I think the Sprint definately had the advantage round the twisties. The Astra VXR I passed twice (he got past me once when I came up behind slower traffic) & don't think the driver was best pleased. Was good fun though. I had a little tussle with Martin in his red top Tolly. That thing has some awesome straight line speed, as I found out as Martin pulled away from me down the main straight. I did catch him through the twisties but I'm sure Martin will be working on that over the winter.

In the last session, with Bruce, we passed a few more SAABs (they seemed to be everywhere today) and I came the closest I've ever been to being taken out, by a bloody SAAB!

All-in-all it was a great day & I hope some more of you will come out to play with us next year.

May have some video footage tomorrow (depends how long it takes to get Dave's gearbox back in).

Oh! and thanks again for the "Old Speckled Hen" Jon, my favourite. (Dave, I may have a thick head in the morning, blame Jon )

[mbellinger]

Gosh, just about back in the land of the living. My day began at 6.00am with a two hour drive through pouring rain with crap old car wipers just to get to the Coombe. By the time I arrived I was about ready for a lay down.....

My first session in the rain was delayed an age while they cleared the track from a massive shunt in the session prior, which laid down a slick coming out of Tower. I sat on the pit lane for over 45 mins then went cautiously out on the track. Unlike Mart, I only had road tyres so was blessed with a level of grip akin to ball bearings on ice. I managed to keep the car in one piece (unlike others in the session), but by the time I finished it was time to go out immediately for my second session.

The track was drying nicely now so I could be a bit more adventurous, though there were still some treacherous spots. Half way through the session I noticed the temperature gauge fall away to zero, so backed off and came in only to find the car had blown all its coolant.

This coincided fortunately with the lunch break so I delved under the bonnet for about an hour on and off, with much help and advice from Mart and Jon and a very portly gentlemen who had been throwing a Sunbeam Lotus about at frightening velocities (thanks guys ). I tightened the main bottom hose joint which proved loose and replaced a busted clip on the top hose. I also found the expansion bottle cap was fooked so courtesy of Merlin Motorsports on-site shop replaced that, and quickly established that my problem was airlocks. Then I began the tortuous process of re-filling involving suspending the expansion bottle at arms length in mid air whilst my erstwhile assistant squeezed the hoses to expel air (thanks Mart).

Satisfied that I had managed to refill the system I went out in the 2.30 session and took the first two laps easy limited to 4000 rpm, tucked in behind an Alfa Romeo, and watched the temperature gauge like a hawk, whilst amusing myself that only Sprint owners were supposed to do that . Anyhows, all was well, and I decided to go back to full throttle and overtake the Alfa and do my last couple of laps at proper speed. Just as I looked in my mirrors to pull past the Alfa the rear view filled with blue and black Dolly Sprint and we were game on. Had a really enjoyable lap and half going round with Mart in close company where I discovered that my car is faster than his between corners, but that his is a lot faster through them. So, some work to do over the winter, and I simply must buy some of those grippy tyres too.

I decided to blow out the last session, but watched Mart and Bruce go around, then packed the car and settled into a repeat of the morning with a nice (not) two hour drive through torrential rain back to Bromley. By the time I got home and unpacked the car I was shattered.

But what a great day! Many thanks Mart for sorting the passes and the Club stand, and to all of you guys for being such great company on the day. I never want days like that to end. Ah well, roll on next year, when I will be back with a vengeance

[straylight]

looking forward to the vids. What you guys do on the track is inspiring.

[mbellinger]

A couple of rather nice smudges from the pro photographer trackside.

I couldn't resist these.





Even though I say it myself, the Tolly does look sweet hunkered down like that.

Great day.

[2Toledos]

Nice pics, Martin. Tasty looking motor.

A bit sad that I missed out on this one; but, there was no way I was going to have the car ready. My month off just 'vanished'; baby daughter arrived on the first Sunday I was off; then, did nothing but look after her (and Mum) for the rest of my time off.... not complaining though - wouldn't have changed a minute of it.

Sounds like you guys had a good time, though - looking forward to more pics and videos....

[Mad Mart]

Hi Chris, hope all is well with the little 'un.

Great photos Martin!

A quick video for starters. A SAAB losing it at "Camp Corner", he did recover to pass me again later on.

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


A great scrap with the Beamer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHQQWC4QoL0


More footage. Martin's Red Top & the VXR

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksjCOqDUHq4


More SAABs than you can shake a stick at. Nearly had the front end rearranged!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp7ySuXskNI