Rockingham Trackday

[Jim]

I went to Rockingham yesterday with CP and MC and there 1.4 16v Nova on TB's. It's the red one with the old Vauxhall Touring Car red, white and grey chequered graphics on for those of you that might have seen it in the past.

I wasn't racing myself, I just went to lend a hand and take in the day. It was my first time at a track day so I was enjoying the variety of cars that turned up.

It was a long day, but thoroughly enjoyable. The Nova had a couple of teething problems, but once it was running it was flying round the circuit. There must have been about 50 cars and the Nova was up there with the quickest, even managing to keep with the Ferarri 355 challenge car that was in the garage next to us.

The quickest cars were the 'Caterfields' and an Ice Blue S2 Elise that was very quick! There were a couple of GT3 RS' that were pretty quick, but I suppose when you're behind the wheel of a ?60k car you're not going to be pushing it as hard as you could, especially with a concrete wall only inches away from your O/S wing mirror, lol.

Unfortunately the fuel pump gave up in the afternoon so they had to cut the day short. The two guys who own the Nova want to do Rockingham before the year is out and I'm very tempted to join them as the circuit looked suited for the Nova.

I took some pics of the day, but I made a rookie mistake of not checking which setting the camera was on, so the pics have come out really badly :(

If anyone want's to do a trackday I can't rate Rockingham high enough. The organisation, venue and driving attitude of everyone was excellent!

[Jim]

Pics:

Got there nice and early for around 8am:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1354/697857639_b82d492b5f.jpg

All suited and ready to go:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1390/697867931_6c1a9193c7.jpg

Leaving the pits ready to join the track:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1402/697868811_95533ca76f.jpg

It was the loudest car of the day. You have to hear this car on full chat. The noise was echoing around the grandstands, it was awesome :thumb:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1277/698737916_c2febbb731.jpg

One of many GT3's:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1226/697869917_d4d6ed1230.jpg

One for Stu ;):

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1248/697862901_c066d08778.jpg

As you'd expcect the "caterfields" were some of the quickest cars of the day:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1184/698736818_2fac95cc5f.jpg

I can't think of any other venue where you would have a Nova and a Ferarri next to each other:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1157/698725186_3609094f47.jpg

[Jim]

Whilst the Nova might have been the loudest car, this was one of the nicest sounding:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1262/697858787_cb59029826.jpg

The 355 spent most of the day on the track, the only time I saw it being worked on was when it ran low on fuel and they changed from slicks to wets. The rest of the time it was being driven :clap:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1127/698738446_d4fe3bc548.jpg

The owner of this had driven down from Scotland. Wouldn't it be nice to have the money to have a GT3 as a weekend car. Also, his mrs was fit! lol.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1431/697860505_5561e45fab.jpg

It was a shame the Nova had a couple of teething problems. This was when the fuel pump gave way :(

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1332/697874765_490b065143.jpg

The new Tarox brakes did there job though :thumb:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1317/698725788_229adf887a.jpg

This was one of the fastest cars on the day. Unfortunately I never found out what he was running. I suspect a supercharged Honda engine as you couldn't hear any TB noise nor a Turbo, I'm probably totally wrong though, lol:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1261/698739424_d9e7453f85.jpg

[Jim]

This made a nice noise too, sounded like a jet engine, lol:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1043/697874271_d22e8c2fe2.jpg

As the rain came down these boys had some fun doing some nice drifting round one of the hairpins:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1239/697878381_5daf245876.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1417/697879023_25a2dd9310.jpg

As I said, I'm really sorry with the pixilated quality of the pics. I'll make sure I check the camera settings next time and take the laptop with me so I can preview the pics on a decent sized screen.

There are some more pics here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72286523@N00/sets/72157600610025490/) but the above give the impression to the day.

[Dar]

Sounds like it was a tops day:thumb:
CP's Nova looks so nice :D As well as going like the clappers!!

[Mike]

Sounds and looks like a top day out!

Cant believe the size of the brakes on the E46 M3 tho!

[Nick]

Looks great Jim

A similar kinda turn out to oulton park, where i went on tuesday

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1155/640240363_d749980fdd.jpg

This was at Oulton, Lots of Carbon. HUGE slicks, Sequential box ! Chap also had a CLK DTM, v8 Vantage !

[burgo]

ooo i might have to try a rockingham track day. rude not to with it bein 20 mins away :p

[BigStan]

Looks cool, i think i need to attend a track day at some point to see what its all about !

[CP]

Car's still crook - not sure whats happened yet - as far as we can see its not injecting fuel :confused: . Need to download the engine data to see whats packed up. I thought I had dropped a valve mainly cos I'm always expecting it to die that way but a compression test showed it wasn't that. At least its not terminal internals.

The big thing about the day for me was the braking. After fannying about forever with not very good brakes for one reason or another I finally decided to shell out some silly money for some proper brakes. I've always known brakes are key performance parts but to have brakes that allowed us to stop to competition standard was an eye opener. I was scaring myself to death to start off with thinking that I was heading for the tyres for sure each time I left my braking to the last minute but all I found was that I could leave it even later. The new slicks were great as well but the ATB diff was a pain in the hairpins

[Ash]

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1155/640240363_d749980fdd.jpg

This was at Oulton, Lots of Carbon. HUGE slicks, Sequential box !

RUF?

Hope the repair is easy CP.

Need to get mine done and out on the track.

[peester]

im gutted theres no lil vid.. fancy hearing the thing screaming out..
Inspirational, for me, mixing it with the big bwois.. or rich chaps...whatever.

[Stuart]

tbh no video gear can do CP's caar justice lol. it would max out any soundtrack :)

Charles, I assume the rears are no longer ghey and locking all the time then.. :D

[Jim]

There is video footage, I just need to get it from MC, edit it and then upload it.

[MARTIN KELSON]

That Porsche was there at Oulton last month when i went with mate in his Pug 106 Rallye on a track day.

[CP]

I assume the rears are no longer ghey and locking all the time then.. :D

nope - we downloaded some stuff about how to set the biassing and worked out we had the wrong master cylinders powering the wrong brakes. On the principle of the ladies stiletto vs the elephants foot it dawned on us that you need the smaller bore MS to exert the greatest pressure on the fronts even tho the fronts have the biggest brakes not the other way round as i had it:roll: . When it locks up now they all lock up together

[Stuart]

sweet :D (or not lol)

[CP]

better than the rears only lol

[Stuart]

wuss

[Riggy]

i love cp's car so much :thumb:

sounds like you all had a top day ,

and lol @ jim bitching over his pics being crap , have you seen some of the pics posted on here lol

[Jim]

and lol @ jim bitching over his pics being crap , have you seen some of the pics posted on here lol

I said the quality was crap. I was quite pleased with some of the shots, just gutted they were pixilated to f**k :(

[Riggy]

lol well there still better then most of the pics that ive seen lately lol :thumb:

[MC]

We finally got the car plugged into the laptop today, looked at the data log which was appeared ok. Checked the output of a few sensors such as the throttle pot and all was ok.

Next we ran a diagnostic on the injectors and plugs which all fired as expected (2001 space odysee) and finally looked at the full diagnostics whilst turning her over. Straight away the crank sensor generated errors and on closer inspection it turned out that the crank shaft pulley bolt had come loose allowing the timing pulley to rotate.

Problem solved. Just need a new sprocket as the key has sheared and new timing pulley as it is damaged. CP has decided to do some maching and make some better washers and bolts to ensure it doesn't happen again.

MC

[Riggy]

great news :thumb:

[Lee]

Stop press!: CP in Mincing Shocker :eek:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1354/697857639_b82d492b5f.jpg

I know a few of you are planning a Rockingham visit soon, if i have funds, i may join you.

[CP]

:roll: I should have checked - I've had a lot of problems with the crank sensor pulley in the past but it had been alright of late after i had swapped one off a 1.4 astra on to it. Its nigh on impossible to keep stuff tight on my car. Note to self- start marking important bolts so they can be easily checked to see if they are coming loose:tard:

Never mind at least the engine isn't toast like I thought originally which is a relief.:D :D :D :D

lol @ lee - you aren't the only one to have commented on this issue:p

[Dan]

ahhh the crank sensor pully, would that be the one that we bodged up of an evening at a freinds house in the middle of weston many years ago so you could get home ?

[MC]

No, that was the hybrid Nova/Nissan Bluebird item! This is the pukka one!

For you interest I have provisionally booked the 23rd Sep for Rockingham. Booked with BookaTrack.com. Not the cheapest but in my opinion well worth it. I have reserved a garage as well.

I'm scouring the net to find some more days for this summer too, possibly Silverstone or Donnington. We missed out on Brands Hatch GP circuit as the car wasn't ready.

P.s. He goes one further than the hands on hips. You should see "I'm a little tea pot"!

MC

[Lee]

If funds allow, id like to try and make one due to my mishap at the beginning of the season. We'll just have to see, ive had my eye on Rockingham for a while.

[Dan]

well i will be doing this one :thumb: unless something goes wrong in the next 2 trackdays as i am far more overdue than any of you lot lol lol lol

[Riggy]

might come a spectate that day should be a good one if a few of you boys are on track :thumb: