RAF Honington Charity Weekend

[chazpowerslide]

I have recieved an Email from this guy at RAF Honington regarding a charity track weekend on 23rd September.

Looks like it could be a cracking weekend, I'll be going if I'm not working, anybody else interested?

Description below.

RAF HONINGTON CHARITY DRIVING DAYS - 23 and 24 SEP 2006

General

Many thanks for the interest that you have shown in the Station Driving Days.  This note provides some outline detail on the event itself, where it is, and what it will consist of.   The Driving Day is a non-competitive event, similar to the track days held at a motor racing circuit or other airfield venues.  The event is defined as motor/leisure and is for drivers of road and race cars.   Bikes will be included on Sat 23 in a separate session group.

Location

RAF Honington is approximately 8 miles to the North of Bury St Edmunds on the A14, and 8 miles South of Thetford on the A11.  For those using Satellite Navigation the postcode is IP31 1EE.  

Sessions/Timings  

The event will be run with controlled access sessions.   Each session will be of up to 30 minutes duration.   Drivers may be divided into groups according to vehicle type and/or car performance.   Bikes and cars will not run at the same time.  The planned timings below are based on full capacity attendance on both days; they may change and enable more sessions for participants if there are fewer vehicles participating.  Groups merging and an open pit lane format may become possible in the afternoons.

Saturday 23 Sep 2006 - Bike and Car sessions.

· 0900 Gate opens.

· 0900 – 1000 Signing on

· 1000 Drivers Briefing

· 1030 – 1300 Morning sessions

· 1300 – 1345 Lunch

· 1345 - 1430 V-Max, Drift Ring open

· 1430 – 1730 Afternoon sessions

· 1730 Track Closed

Sunday 24 Sep 2006 – Car sessions only.

· 0800 Gate opens

· 0800 – 0900 Signing on

· 0900 Drivers Briefing

· 0930 - 1200 Morning sessions

· 1200 – 1245 Lunch

· 1245 – 1330 V-Max, Drift ring open

· 1330 – 1630 Afternoon sessions

· 1630 Track closed

Driving

The quality of the surface at Honington is very good.  Run off is tarmac or grassed and is extensive.  The 2 mile handling circuit is flowing, with tighter chicane sections and - unusually for the UK - is anticlockwise.  A single lane ¼ mile sprint, with timing apparatus (although times are not recorded or compared) is open throughout the day for unlimited runs.  The Station Kart Club will set up a track adjacent to the Administration Area for people to experience karting.  

Following lunch on each day, the 1.8mile runway will be opened for V-Max runs, and an enormous wetted drift area on concrete opened for entertainment.  Afternoon sessions resume then for three hours.

The Driving Days are non-competitive for insurance reason, therefore, comparative lap timing is prohibited; such use will result in exclusion.

Drivers/Riders/Passengers

If participants wish to share a vehicle, second drivers/riders are not charged for separately; however, second drivers/riders must be nominated before the event and it is compulsory for them to sign on and attend the driver’s briefing.

Passengers are permitted in cars, but must be 16 years old or over, and will be required to sign on.   It is the driver’s responsibility to ensure that their passenger is signed on and adheres to the same rules as the driver for clothing and helmets. The main participant is responsible for the behaviour of all people within their party.   For insurance purposes, spectators are not allowed.

Cars/Bikes

Cars or bikes must be either be either currently road legal or eligible to be entered in an RAC MSA recognised race series.  Unless fitted with a plumbed-in system, a hand-held fire extinguisher must be carried securely inside the car.   Suitable extinguishers will be available for purchase at the event.  Fire extinguishers are not required for bikes.  The driver/rider is fully responsible for ensuring the safe condition of the vehicle at all times, and will sign a declaration to that effect at sign-on.

The organisers reserve the right to exclude any vehicle from the event.

Administration and Pits Area

The Administration Area (i.e. pits/paddock) has plentiful hardstanding for parking vehicles and any support equipment.  The main Adminstration Area is located outside the track near the entry point.  Event Control will be located next to the Administration Area, as will the food, drink and toilet facilities.  Food and drinks (hot and cold) will be available for purchase at the event.

There is ample space for gazebos, trade or club stands etc, and these are welcomed.  Interested parties are requested to liaise with the organisers in advance in order that their needs are met, commercial concerns will be asked to make a charitable donation.

Camping

Provision has been made for camping within RAF Honington, on the Saturday night only.  This is a green field site with only limited toilet and wash basin facilities, however compensatory evening ‘refreshments’ and food will made available!

Environmental

No specific noise restrictions apply; however, if vehicle is deemed to be unacceptable or specific complaints are made, then the vehicle will be excluded from the event until appropriate noise reduction is made.

Photography

Hand-held cameras (still or video) are not permitted in cars or bikes on the circuit.   Any cameras carried must be securely and properly mounted inside the car or on the bike.  Photographers from RAF Honington will be recording the event and a CD of photographs will be available after the event.

Insurance

It is very unlikely that your normal road insurance policy will cover you for the event.   The event insurance will cover you only for damage to MOD property and third party liability to other people not participating.   Therefore, check with your insurance company and either through them or one of the specialist companies, consider if you wish to take out track day cover for your vehicle.   Also you may wish to consider personal accident insurance; track day accidents are very rare, but if you decide to take your car or bike on to a track, you must be aware that you are accepting the risk to the car, yourself and any passenger.  You will be required to sign an indemnity when you sign on at the event, as will any second drivers and passengers.

Charities

The RAF Honington Charities Committee will determine the range of station charities supported, these will include:

· The RAF Benevolent Fund

· The Royal Tank Regiment Benevolent Fund

· East Anglian First Response (paramedics)

Cost

Cars - £70 per day

Bikes - £50 (Sat only)

Saturday night camping - £20

Conclusion

This has all the hallmarks of an excellent weekend!  A great deal of time and effort has been put into the organisation of a unique event, offering a tremendous variety of activities at an outstanding location.  I have been delighted at the early response, and it certainly seems that we will have quite an extensive range of machinery here on the day.  Please lend it your full support, and we very much look forward to welcoming you here at Honington.

Jim Cameron

A J Cameron

Major

OC Station Driving Day

t: 01359236014

f: 01359237528

m: 07736435795

e: rafhoningtontrackweekend@hotmail.co.uk

It'd be great if we could havea good club showing at this event.

Places are limited so post up your interest here (so we know who's going) and contact Jim direct for booking and payment dteails.

Chaz.

[dabar]

Oh go on then

[ChrisF]

Hugh, Graham, Sam and I are doing a similar event at RAF Coltishall on the 1st Sept....if that event is a sucess I'll let you know    and I'll try for an entry for this one.

[minisweeper]

I'm definitely up for it if I can find a flatbed or some other form of transport to get the car there.  Anyone in the North Yorkshire area who'd be willing to rent me one?

[Johnson]

Put me down for this one as well,got a mate with a 350Z who also wants to have a go.

Have you any details regards payment etc Chaz?

Thanks

J

[Gavin]

Very Tempting, I will try and get to it. Will post up a definate yes or no soon.

[dabar]

Circuit layout.

[chazpowerslide]

If you use the contact numbers at the bottom of the event description and contact them direct for the payment/entry details.

If I have the cae back I'll probhably do the Sunday.

Chaz.

[Johnson]

Cheers Chaz,

Have spoken to the Major today provisionally booked four spots with him for the sunday.

My SE,a 350Z,911 Porsche and a 996 C2 I think it is(looks like a GT3 apparently    )

Might have an Ultima coming as well    

Cheers

J

[langy]

bump

[ChrisF]

If this event is as well organised as the recent event at RAF Coltishall, then I would thoroughly recommend it.  I think RAF Honiton is still an active base    in which case the airfield surfaces should be relatively good  

[scruffythefirst]

I reckon I might have a working car, well i hope so anyway.  Are there any places left and who else is going?  Which day or both

[ChrisF]

Hugh I'm not sure if I can make it yet....work commitments  

[scruffythefirst]

I quit, solved that problem as soon as my notice is up.

[samcooke]

Really?

That didn't last long.

Tis the wife's birthday that weekend so no hope for me