2b First Track Day

[baj25]

Well, took the 2B to Oulton Park for it’s first trackday on Wednesday morning. It was meant to be a ‘novice’ only session, but there was a mix of 911s, M3s, scoobys, some of which arrived on trailers and were running slicks, so I think the organisers were flexible on this point! It was organised by MSV, and was very well run. The track was wet from overnight rain, but dried nicely during the morning. When wet, I couldn’t believe how slippy it was- I span twice on sighting laps, which was very embarrassing, and 4 of my group were off in the first 10mins. My 2B is pretty standard (2 litre pinto, proxes, gazzes all round), but it went really well and didn’t miss a beat. The handling was really satisfying in the dry, and doing the same corners over and over getting closer to the limit was fun, if somewhat nerve wracking after my earlier spins. Was definitely outpowered in the straights though- I think I only got up to about 85-90 (5000rpm in 4th ?, I assumed 5th would be overgeared and slower) before having to brake, but I doubt if the others ‘felt’ as fast as me! Cooling system was fine, never above 80C, nothing fell off or broke, but I’m still shocked how hot the brakes got. Overall, a good mix of terrifying/exciting, and definitely the only way to really push your car to the limits. Brian

[Guest timswait]

Nice one, it's wicked fun isn't it?

5th in my car is also slower than 4th, but it's nice to have as an overdrive for long distance cruising. It's better to spin on a track and only hurt your pride than to spin on the road, it is amazing how much less grip there is in the wet isn't it? Having said that, I think tracks get more slippery in the wet than normal roads do, the tarmac on the track gets so polished by the tyres sliding across it, and the layer of rubber that's been laid down gives you extra grip in the dry but reduces it in the wet. Not to mention that tracks are more likely to have had oil or coolant spilt on them in the past, and that gets lifted up back to the surface when it starts raining.