Cuprarstar Posted September 24, 2007 Share Posted September 24, 2007 Hello all, I'm glad to say my 2nd Westfield experience has started much better than my first! Some of you may remember the story of my MegaBird which lasted all of about 3 weeks... (the propshaft detached itself and this eventually caused engine failure.) Luckily I was put in contact with Mike Ellis at Autopro Motorsport who helped me sort out the 'Bird and also supply my 2nd Westfield - the car I really should have bought all along.... (you live and learn). I really can't thank Mike enough for all his help, advice and support, only wish I had bought from him first time! At home with our little fast fleet 07 The Sport 2000 is the car I really wanted so I am much happier with the overall package. I have finally been able to give the car it's first run out on track at Pembrey on Sunday (along with my Fiesta ST daily driver), which is where the pictures and video are from. Video http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=XeX8vGMhaUg I have waited until now to post just to make sure it was a happy event this time rather than another set of problems. So now I feel my Westfield ownership has begun for real and the driving experience begins. I am finding the Westfield a challenge to drive quickly on track so far – it’s quicker than I am at the moment that is for sure! In the wet with the Toyo R888’s the car was a real handful, especially out of the hairpin where it was almost impossible to get the power down (in the morning sessions our Fiesta ST was running as fast as any of the Westfields/Caterhams on track so you can tell how wet it was). Once the track dried things were a little easier but it still takes time to adjust the senses to the level and speed of input. Now I need more time on track to build up confidence and find the limits of the car. Oddly enough I happened to meet the new Technical Director of Westfield at Pembrey, where they were testing this 1800 zetec race car (the car was having a few teething problems as you will see on the video!). All he could tell me was there were lots of exciting projects on the go with more factory support for racing and trackdays which could be interesting. I have covered about 1400 miles in the Sport 2000 now, including 300 miles in one day which was a great blast (and something I didn't think would be possible after the 'Bird experience). The Duratec is a great engine and seems well suited to the Westfield, the throttle boddies certainly give the engine a great character and plenty of go. The noise on full throttle is awesome! Thanks again to all those who gave help and advice on the 'Bird - and who helped convince me to give Westfield another go. I look forward to sharing more Westfield adventures with you and maybe meeting some of you in the future. Cheers, Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sedsy Posted September 24, 2007 Share Posted September 24, 2007 great post glad you are happy!! did you video and on board lap in the westy to compare to the st? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuprarstar Posted September 24, 2007 Author Share Posted September 24, 2007 No we didn't get any on board footage from the Westfield - it was too wet most of the day. I was still geting the odd cold shower from water in the boot box even in the last session. We did have the PerformanceBox GPS Data loggers in both cars (yes I know slapped wrist on a trackday - just for fun of course) and in the wet the Westfield was running about 1.5 seconds a lap slower (eek!) than the ST but in the dry the Westfield was over 5 seconds a lap faster - and that was with me feeling like I was driving Miss Daisy most of the time. I still don't have the confidence to push on yet, the multiple movements out of Hatchets Hairpin was a new experience to me. I should be able to get some footage from the Westfield this weekend when supposedly it's going to be sunny....fingers crossed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen H Posted September 25, 2007 Share Posted September 25, 2007 Good video and great to see another happy owner all be it 2nd time round. That trackday looked more like a Test day for a couple of race series though - not always the best type of trackday to risk your Pride & Joy at - too much close racing, competativness and red mist floating around on these days. Just my opinion of how it looked on the video and might have been totally different in real terms though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lukeyboy Posted September 25, 2007 Share Posted September 25, 2007 Best of luck with this one, I'm sure you'll be happy as you've obviously got good taste and gone for the best colour scheme and engine setup Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuprarstar Posted September 25, 2007 Author Share Posted September 25, 2007 Good video and great to see another happy owner all be it 2nd time round. That trackday looked more like a Test day for a couple of race series though - not always the best type of trackday to risk your Pride & Joy at - too much close racing, competativness and red mist floating around on these days. Just my opinion of how it looked on the video and might have been totally different in real terms though Hi Glen, you were spot on about it being like a test day - those Mini's were a menace - a lot of 'all the gear no idea' going on. The evo days tend to be like that and trackdays at Pembrey are few and far between so I had to take what I could get, I missed most of the little summer we did have messing about with the broken 'Bird. This coming weekend is a more normal event so should be a little less umm...competitive. It was a little imtimidating (the Mini's tended to hunt in packs of 3-6) at times but still safe enough - plenty of track available once you let them go past. Amazing how everyone bunches up on trackdays - I prefer a bit of space to play in. Having said that it's always fun when you do show the odd 'race' driver the way! Ooh and I like your sig text! Cheers, Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Seabrook Posted September 25, 2007 Share Posted September 25, 2007 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrashBangWallop Posted September 26, 2007 Share Posted September 26, 2007 The section of footage where the first mini spins off... is that usual for that many cars to be on track? It looked awfully busy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuprarstar Posted September 27, 2007 Author Share Posted September 27, 2007 The section of footage where the first mini spins off... is that usual for that many cars to be on track? It looked awfully busy. Yep - it was that busy, the sun came out and everyone jumped onto the track - one of the problems of sessioned events! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisG Posted September 27, 2007 Share Posted September 27, 2007 It shouldnt really be a problem though if the organisers put a sensible amount in each session! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuprarstar Posted September 28, 2007 Author Share Posted September 28, 2007 It shouldnt really be a problem though if the organisers put a sensible amount in each session! I agree, sadly there wasn't much sense around that day, very disorganised all round - novices and mini racers in the same session was always asking for trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisG Posted September 28, 2007 Share Posted September 28, 2007 Yup, I prefer to stick to the likes of Bookatrack and Circuit Days etc because you can pretty much guarantee its going to be a well run day and not overly crowded unlike some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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