2011
10/12
Caterham Christmas
How to collect your Christmas Tree in style, as done by one of my fellow competitors in the 2012 Academy...
Nice one, Alex!
Nice one, Alex!
2011
28/11
Picture from Oulton Park
One of the nice things about OpenTrack as an organiser is that they offer free photography. So here I am, going round Oulton Park.
You can see what I mean about needing a lower seat...
You can see what I mean about needing a lower seat...
2011
27/11
More building...
A little more work on the build today. Yes, I know the car is officially finished, checked by Caterham, and officially declared road-legal, but there is actually a little more to do.
You see, there are certain items that are considered necessary for racing, but which cannot be brought within the rules of the IVA test. These need to be attended to after the car is registered; it seems that the IVA test demands a stricter compliance with rules than is required for the rest of the car's life - utter madness. Also, some of the items actually increase the safety of the car, but in a way that is deemed unacceptable - again, utter madness.
So, today I re-fitted the pull handle for the fire extinguisher and connected the cable to the e...
You see, there are certain items that are considered necessary for racing, but which cannot be brought within the rules of the IVA test. These need to be attended to after the car is registered; it seems that the IVA test demands a stricter compliance with rules than is required for the rest of the car's life - utter madness. Also, some of the items actually increase the safety of the car, but in a way that is deemed unacceptable - again, utter madness.
So, today I re-fitted the pull handle for the fire extinguisher and connected the cable to the e...
2011
27/11
Blat 3 - Oulton Park
Friday was the climax of my first proper outing for the 7; a three day, 350 mile round trip to the Midlands to stay with family, then to Oulton Park for a track day, then back home via a stopover with family. Exhausting, but great fun.
The big question has to be, how did the 7 perform on track? The simple answer is, of course, "far better than me"! It really is lovely to drive on a circuit. The day started with sighting laps, which should be slow, smooth and gentle - except that they were being done by bleary-eyed drivers on cold tyres trying to cope with cold, soaking wet tarmac. I counted several spins, even at sighting speeds. In the 7, I found myself distinctly sideways several times, but able each time to gather her up and g...
The big question has to be, how did the 7 perform on track? The simple answer is, of course, "far better than me"! It really is lovely to drive on a circuit. The day started with sighting laps, which should be slow, smooth and gentle - except that they were being done by bleary-eyed drivers on cold tyres trying to cope with cold, soaking wet tarmac. I counted several spins, even at sighting speeds. In the 7, I found myself distinctly sideways several times, but able each time to gather her up and g...
2011
20/11
Back to School
50-odd blokes descended on Caterham Midlands yesterday for the "2012 Academy Seminar", which could alternatively have been dubbed "Everything You Wanted To Know About The 2012 Academy But Were Too Afraid To Ask".
For me, this also gave a chance for a really long run in the 7, two hours there and two back adding 200 miles to the 7's tally and taking it to 400 miles... close to the 500 at which I can get rid of the running-in oil and put the proper Motorsport stuff in there instead. I seemed to be the only 7 in the carpark, though!
The run was useful to start getting the hang of the car. It is really quite different to any other that I driven, mainly due to the lack of space inside (perhaps I should slim down a bit?) and the very low ...
For me, this also gave a chance for a really long run in the 7, two hours there and two back adding 200 miles to the 7's tally and taking it to 400 miles... close to the 500 at which I can get rid of the running-in oil and put the proper Motorsport stuff in there instead. I seemed to be the only 7 in the carpark, though!
The run was useful to start getting the hang of the car. It is really quite different to any other that I driven, mainly due to the lack of space inside (perhaps I should slim down a bit?) and the very low ...
