Anglesey track day - Mon 12th September

[Andrew]

3.42 am

Hours sleep so far: 0

Don't camp at Anglesey.

 

Ha ha! I refer the right honourable gentleman to post No2.   You'll have a good day when the adrenaline kicks in.   

[KugaWestie]

Are you still asleep in your tent Russ?

[TAFKARM]

Haha! Track day review and video coming soon...

[Terry Everall]

? where is the video

[TAFKARM]

Review coming tonigjt

[TAFKARM]

So trackday review time, apologies for my tardiness. 

 

I decided to camp the night before the trackday (this was a mistake) so my first problem was how to fit all my camping and trackday gear in the westie. 

 

 

Ta da, problem solved. Managed to get all my kit on / in!

 

##

 

Off i trot on the 4 hour drive to Anglesey, leaving sunny Derbyshire 172 miles behind. A couple of stops for fuel and a leg stretch and i was there.

 

Oh my god. I had never known wind like it. I was expecting Anglesey to be a little exposed but this was just silly. Anyways tent up....kind of:

 

 

The kind circuit staff did suggest I pitched the tent in a garage, but i thought the roller door rattling would keep me awake. Instead I pitched it in the open where it would be much better. 

 

3.42am

 

 

I managed an hour and a halfs sleep between 5 and 630 :/. 

 

So, up with a lark to mve gale force wind and rain. I wasnt too impressed so far. The cafe didnt take card. That was annoying. 

 

No noise test, briefing then sighting laps. It was slippy. 

 

It rained all morning pretty much. Did the international circuit which if i'm honest, I was a little underwhelmed with. Perhaps it was the rain. 

 

 

One thing i did like about Opentrack was free tea and coffee, donuts and tuition. I had 30 mins of free tuition which I was a little disappointed with. The instructor didnt want to go out in my car in the rain, so we went in an M3 that I didnt drive. He showed me the lines and not a lot else. I prefer the AdamR approach. 

 

Session before lunch...wet....obviously

 

 

The rain stopped a little at lunch time, then the sun actually came out. We switched to the coastal circuit in the afternoon. Much more fun. The coastal is better suited to our cars as is the sunshine!

 

Couple of afternoon sessions

 

 

 

 

Was getting tired so decided to call it a day around 4. Managed 156 miles on track. An hour and a bit later I was all packed up and ready for my overnight in Manchester. 

 

Off to the pub with a mate and far too many pints later time for some well earned sleep. 

 

Next morning, set off at rushhour through Manchester, which wasn't great fun but eventually home...ironically to the hottest september day since 1911. 

 

 

Nearly 600 miles, car performed faultlessly. My gearknob came a bit loose but that was all. 

 

Would i do an opentrack day again? yes. 

 

Would i do Anglesey again? I'd do the coastal circuit in the height of summer, otherwise Cadwell offers the same thrill and is a heck of a lot closer. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Marto303]

Great review Russ, made me smile 

[Terry Everall]

excellent 

[Andrew]

Ha ha, that tent looks very similar to mine. They should come with a government health warning, "Not suitable for use on Welsh islands" 

 

Anglesey's a beautiful circuit when the sun is shining, unfortunately when the weather's grim, it's the circuit from hell!   Glad you got some dry running, and I agree, that GP loop is just a waste of space. 

 

Good write up, and nice smooth driving..   I think the old guy in the Manta was at the last one I did there too.

 

Opening three seconds of this vid is me in my tent a few years back.