Oulton Park Track Day Dates

[Lucky Ed]

A few of us were talking about getting to Oulton Park at tonight's meet. The only dates I have found in August so far are;

Tues 5th Aug with MSV £229

Tues 19th Aug with Javelin £199 - early booking price

What do any of you Track Day Bores think of those? The later one would be better for me, but you guys might come up with some other dates

[robp]

I'm happy with either of those dates.

[dave_bence]

The 19th is best for me.

Shall we give Javelin a go? - I've not done a track day with them yet.

[Moleman]

I would love to but already booked in with trig at combe on the 18th August. Sorry. 

[Lucky Ed]

I'm up for the 19th with Javelin - shall we book it??

Shame you can't make this date Colin, maybe you could make it to Donington if we go?

[robp]

.....shall we book it??

Yes!

[dave_bence]

Booked and paid for the 19th

I've also reserved a garage.

[Lucky Ed]

I'm booked and paid as well for the 19th

I haven't booked another garage yet, I'll wait to see how many of us are going first.

[robp]

All booked too.

What are the garages like at Oulton?  If there as large as Donnington we could all get in the same one.  What about trailer parking, etc?

[robp]

I'm really happy I'm finally going to go to this circuit.  It is the one great track in the UK I have never driven around and I've heard lots of great reports. 

[dave_bence]

The garages are in pairs, just like Donington:



Two cars will fit in each half, but three would be a bit of a squeeze!
Tow cars and trailers go on the tarmac paddock area behind the garages.

You'll love Oulton Park Rob - a quick, well set up Westfield like yours will be an absolute blast
Lucky Ed and I went there in 2012 and it's the best track day I've done since Spa
Ed also enjoyed it, even though his car was down on power and wouldn't go round corners properly
With the mods he's done since then, I suspect he'll be rather rapid

[Lucky Ed]

I'm happy to book another garage if you guys think we need to, as it would be nice to have a pair (ooh er missus!)

You'll love this place Rob it's a scream. As Dave said my car was somewhat unstable, as this is where I found out I had toe out on the rear end, and there was play in the bushes, making it want to go straight on in the left handers I fought the car so much I ended up with terrible cramp in my forearms by the end of the day. I managed to keep it on the black stuff - just, but still loved the place, did a shed load of miles and used a truck load of fuel - and a bit more

Ps BTCC is there today and is on ITV4 from about midday.

[Iancider]

Well I can certainly rate it as a track having spent much of the aftenoon watching the saloon car racing live on ITV4. 

It's quite narrow and rises and falls as well as curving like a country lane.  It does look excpetionally good.  the weather today was much the same as Ed and I experienced - Sun - Deluge - Steaming track - wet in places and then bone dry track.  It was like the good old days of F1 relying totally on driver skill.

Ian

[TimC]

Very jealous - love Oulton.  This is me last-time out there:

[Bulldog Bri]

That's one way to avoid a crunch, we call it Moleman style I think

[benchmark51]

I think I remember a song about that.

We plough the fields and scatter the good seed all around................

or something like that

[TimC]

We plough the fields and scatter the good seed all around................

Sounds like a night out before I met my wife.

Best lap with 80-odd bhp on the International Circuit was a 2:08.  I remain pretty proud of that.

[Moleman]

That's one way to avoid a crunch, we call it Moleman style I think

Tim where are the cones? If your going to go off track at least find a cone to hit. 

[robp]

Looks like I'll finally be able to try out my racing wets on Tuesday.  Every cloud......   

[Lucky Ed]

...............and looks like I'll be going sideways.... a lot

[Moleman]

It could be possible that they may get it wrong? 

[dave_bence]

Lucky Ed, robp and I had a great day at Oulton park

After a rather tedious, start-stop journey up there on Monday afternoon, we were joined for our evening meal by Iancider and his wife Christine, who were nearing the end of their grand tour - I'm sure Ian will be giving a full report on that soon

After a good meal and an early night, we were at the track at 07.30 on Tuesday. The forecast was for heavy rain and showers in the morning and they weren't wrong Ian and Christine came and joined us again in our pit garage and Ian jumped in my car for the sighting laps. It was so wet that my car was aquaplaning at the end of the main straight. Just imagine the ribbing I'd get if I put my car in the kitty litter on a sighting lap
Rob finally got to use his full wets, which worked very well

Thankfully it did dry up and we got quicker and quicker and our grins got wider and wider. During lunchtime we all changed to slicks (Rob also had a morning stint on his 888s which he treated as inters ) and had a fab time in the afternoon.

No breakages or mishaps thankfully, just a really enjoyable day on a fabulous circuit. I expect Ian has some video footage to upload, but I bought some pictures from the trackside photographer, which can be seen here:

http://www.davebence.co.uk/photo_galleries/oulton_park_14/

Pembrey next - September the 27th. Can't wait!

[robp]

It could be possible that they may get it wrong? 

They got it slightly wrong.  First thing was very wet with heavy rain showers.  It stopped raining at about 11am and the track was bone dry all afternoon.

[Moleman]

Wow that was wet to start with. Nice photo's Dave. That circuit looks really good fun. I will have to put it on my must do list. 

[robp]

Rob finally got to use his full wets, which worked very well

Ho, ho.  These were fantastic!  I was a little unsure initially and I took it really easy for the first couple of laps.  However, as I started to push more they just gripped.  It was amazing.  I was passing everyone!  I got absolutely soaked but I had too much fun to care.  I ended up staying out until I was out of fuel.

Once it stopped raining and the track started to dry it was game over and in to change to 888's.  After lunch, with a dry track it was on to the slicks.  Three sets of tyres on one trackday.   

[robp]

There were some nice cars at the circuit

This Ultima sounded fab.


GT3s were quick.


These guys brought everything bar the kitchen sink!


Super quick Radicals


...and here we are all in a garage together.


I'll get some video footage posted up when I have some more time.

['The Gaffer']

Sounds like a great day guys's and wow that did look wet.

Rob, maybe next time you should take a pit crew as well Seriously, it's great you managed to try out all your tyres in one day, and even better knowing you are now equipped for all conditions. Interesting the wets were so good even on a light car.

[Iancider]

Thanks guys - your supporters had a great day and the rides were all truly impressive.  I'm still drying -out!

Yes there will be some video from me and should be available tomorrow. 

Moleman - you are right - it is a MUST DO!!!!

[Moleman]

Rob. What are those wets. If they are ok on a light car in that weather I may have to get a set. 

Phil I for one would like my own pit crew but to be honest I would settle for the umbrella stand. The Monster ones always seem the best to me. 

[Iancider]

Well here it is - the promised video.

There is an instant where I attributed an orange blur to Rob when I think it was Ed but that is a testament to the speed of the day!  It is in HiRes so select 1080p if your computer and download speed will permit it.  It is the first time I have captured four seasons in one video!  The highest observed speed was with Dave at 106mph.  Ed seemed to do the same but I could not hold my eyes focussed to be sure.  When I tried to turn my head to see Rob's less visible speedo , the wind nearly tore my head off!  So who knows but it was very fast!!!

[Lucky Ed]

As the other guys have already said, a great day was had by all made all the more interesting by the changeable weather. Rob was stunning on his racing wets as you could see his confidence even from the pit wall, and was simply flying past everything out there! - great that he got to use them at last, I think he would have been happy if it had rained all day

After lunch it was like learning the track again, in the dry and on slicks, but we were soon all up to speed. Dave's car was soon attracting the normal flow of curious admirers - time for an info board I think Dave There was some really stunning bits of kit on the day, the GT3's and the Ultima were really quick.

Big thanks to the guys for their company, especially Ian and Christine who made such a big effort to come and join us, it made for an extra special day!

PS Great video Ian, your rear facing shots were from our first run on slicks, so it was a bit in the steady side. I will attempt to post one of your last run of the day that was somewhat quicker

[Lucky Ed]

Here's the video of Ianciders last ride of the day.

You'll get a brief glimpse of an Ultima and a Radical disappear once it got to the fast corners

[benchmark51]

That was a brief glimpse, never saw a thing!

[Moleman]

Nice video mate. That track really looks good. 

[benchmark51]

That was a brief glimpse, never saw a thing!

Ahh, it worked this time.

[Lucky Ed]

I'm a newbie at this stuff, but I must have got it right in the end

['The Gaffer']

Nice vid.

Think I would have got lost trying to get on the track

[Iancider]

Ed,

Its a very good vid.  And on the previous run the last couple of laps were stonkingly fast.  Take a look at the final shots as you stormed away from your pursuers.  I was going to pose a question - How do you make a Lotus Elise look even smaller?  Well you drive much faster, look back and watch him shrink!  .  He only got past sneekily by using that hot Beemer's, blue flag.

p.s If anybody was wondering...at the begining of the video, we were not making rude gestures to the marshalls but showing our wristbands.    Just thought I had better make that clear. 

[Iancider]

Oulton Park fans watch this!

Stay until the end - there are some serious moments in this and I had sweaty palms just watching!