Oulton Park track day 2nd April

[DanDud]

Great to meet you all, cracking day.  We had it all, sun, rain, hail, wind.  Good fun.  Just uploaded 1 of the sessions.  I spotted some grass that needed cutting though.

 

[AdamR]

Going well there Dan! 

Glad you all had a good day.

[Andrew]

That was a good session Dan.  Will try and get my version up later today.

Well.. it wasn't a good start to my day tbh. Set off at the crack of 5am, and in the darkness and spray from a big old truck I managed to catch a kerb. Car and trailer got a good wooble on! Much further on when it got a bit lighter, while crawling along in the M6 roadworks, I could see one of the trailer wheels was flat as a pancake.  We manged to get off the motorway and found a spot to swap the wheel.. just like a formula one pitstop.. a little slower maybe. 

So, with the traffic and tyre problem, we eventually arrived at the circuit just as the briefing ended. I signed on and there was another briefing at 9-25. 

The event wasn't full, but there was a good number or cars, and good few race teams were all set up. British GT4 Mustangs in the garage next door to us.. thunderous beasts with an 18 year old at the wheel! Seemed to be loads of race Minis there too. Slicks, superchargers and sequential boxes.. nippy little critters. 

The day started wet. It wasn't swimming wet, but stayed wet until around 11am? At one point @Michael Whitworth came back in from a session and declared the track dry... Steve H reached for his slicks and there was an instant hailstorm.  Was a good dry afternoon though, with rain always looking close but other than a few spits here and there stayed dry all afternoon.

My car suffered a couple of little niggles. The alternator pivot bolt went awol at one point.. I found a replacement, but at the end of the last session I heard it hit the scuttle as it departed again! ..not sure why, but it was gone 4pm so we bunged the car on the trailer and got an early start over the rush hour traffic.

All things considered, not the best ever day I've done at Oulton, but definitely OK+

As I type this it's snowing outside! what is going on with the weather..

edited to add a couple of pics. My son was on camera duty, didn't manage to capture any of us on track, but here's a couple of the "others"

[Andrew]

A vid from me. Last session of the day. I led the four cars round for a lap or so .. then twigged they were all behind me and the Gopro was facing forward.  So let them past and gave chase. @DanDud pulled off for a picnic, Steve H cleared off, so I chased @Michael Whitworth for a bit.. got past and tried to pull away when there was an almighty bang down in the footwell accompanied by something rattling off the exhaust and flying past my head! It was the alternator bolt exiting stage left.. again! You can just make out the nut flying through the air as I turn through Lodge corner. 

 

[DanDud]

Enjoyed that last session!  ..I spotted a butterfly!