Rockingham

[Jobbo]

If you want to argue something, probably best that you know the answer

That's an absolutely epic response I'm going to start using that and claim it as my own

It’s not terribly original I’m afraid. It’s a barrister saying: only ask a witness a question to which you know the answer.

[GG.]

Preferably an answer which you’ve fed them. *cough* coaching *cough*

[duncs500]

I suppose that's true, but one must weigh up whether it's worth one's effort. In this case nobody was really trying to argue with you so the satisfaction is somewhat diminished.

Hopefully Dave! will wade in and make it all worthwhile!

[NotoriousREV]

Preferably an answer which you’ve fed them. *cough* coaching *cough*

How often do you get to feed answers to witnesses?

[Mark_bt52]

What a shame. I have really enjoyed my trackdays there. More demanding than other circuits as it had a bigger variety of bends and heavier breaking, and more forgiving in terms of noise limits.

Location was pretty horrible though.

[Orange Cola]

Shame as a lot of people seemed to like the infield layouts, but it's a massive facility which is completely wasted the vast majority of the time, and the oval layout was always going to be a flawed concept with the uk climate.

I can't imagine they ever filled a fraction of the huge grandstands.

Biggest meeting in the year is the BTCC - they dont even open two of the grandstands.

There are no other ovals in this country to compete on so getting a race series to work with ovals was never going to happen.

That's not through a lack of tickets for the BTCC at Rockingham, it's because they can't afford the annual safety checks and they can't afford to take them down either so they've just left them there.

[Orange Cola]

It's been going this way for years, really surprised it's limped on this long.

The events it managed to get were through the palace being the cheapest venue available and not through the merits of it being a decent track. A lot of clubs went there because they could add on another race weekend for a relatively small sum of money and not because it was a challenging circuit like Oulton, Caldwell or Donington.

I believe it's going to become a car storage facility, the contaminated ground it's built on prevented people being able to sleep there for more than a night at a time so that would put the axe through anyone wanting to put a housing estate in.

[V8Granite]

I suppose that's true, but one must weigh up whether it's worth one's effort. In this case nobody was really trying to argue with you so the satisfaction is somewhat diminished.

Hopefully Dave! will wade in and make it all worthwhile!

It's still a festering shithole which makes PeterBosnia feel like a quaint village in the Cotswolds.

It's on Anglia Action, as is Rutland Water. This is surely more official than any kind of grid reference and hundred year old paperwork B)

For example I'm in Peterborough, but I'm looked after by a Lincolnshire council.

People who do county lines are clearly permanently drunk.

Dave!

[Coaster1]

Had a great day yesterday at Rockingham.

Wet to start but it was sunny by lunchtime. As expected I was pretty slow; it reminded me of my first track day in my old Carrera at Donington Park three years ago, trying to learn the track and the car at the same time.

I got better throughout the day but still not quick. In fact judging by Jon's pace in his Megane, I would have been faster in the Carrera than the GT3. I'm going to need a lot more track time to master the car.

Anyway, spun once when I was behind Jon, and I managed to out-brake myself in the damp and ended up driving round the whole oval circuit

I'm going to miss Rockingham; it's a lovely track, challenging and technical, with very good facilities on site. I wished I had visited it earlier.

[Foz]

Final ever event today wasn’t it?

[ste]

Final event is next weekend. I think our trackday there on Sat was the final ever trackday. They didn’t even bother to noisetest and let people get away with more nonsense than usual.


Was an absolutely fantastic day, loved it. Nice to meet Coaster again and JonMad for the first time too.

[JonMad]

Is that one Brian's dad took? That came out really well.

[GG.]

Agreed - an excellent shot (though presumably you weren't driving down a hill!)

[JonMad]

Great to meet you too Ste - you flew past me on the banking in your Polo early on in the day. You were going really well indeed. I assume the Boxster met your expectations?

I really enjoyed the day at Rockingham after last driving it 8 years ago in my CLK55, and before that in my 306 Rallye (where I remember spinning in the wet on the sighting lap coming out of the Tarzan corner). Was getting some good laps in but I know there was much more speed in there. Shame to not get another chance to drive that circuit. Only a couple of excursions putting a couple of wheels onto the grass this time round.

Pics: more on my Flickr

RenaultSport Megane 250 Cup by Jon Maddison, on Flickr


RenaultSport Megane 250 Cup by Jon Maddison, on Flickr


RenaultSport Megane 250 Cup by Jon Maddison, on Flickr


RenaultSport Megane 250 Cup by Jon Maddison, on Flickr

Video: in this session I caught up with this yellow Golf, not quite getting their attention enough for me to be happy to pass, then I let someone through myself, so then caught up with the Golf again, and repeat. So if you like yellow Golfs then there's something to watch. Another red flag ending this session - so if you want you can watch YK's GT3 pootling around for a lap, sadly not whilst he was going for it. A surprisingly rapid Fiesta was well driven too, which I let by at 9 minutes in.



Speaking of the GT3. What a car, and what an engine in particular. Where mine is all done at 6k rpm the GT3 seems to be just getting going. YK's description of it being like a big VTEC makes a lot of sense, it does seem to get an extra wind. The gearing means that to enjoy that on the road, if you want to hit the top of 3rd you'll be doing 110. Thank you for the p-ride - again, curtailed by a red flag - and great to catch up with you as ever.

[Coaster1]

Is that one Brian's dad took? That came out really well.

Yeah, he sent me a couple.

..... Shame to not get another chance to drive that circuit.....

100%

Some great pictures of the Megane there; the photographer did a good job.

GT3 was faultless. Can’t wait til the next track day; spring can’t come soon enough.

[JonMad]

For fun, I check my old video....

Both times on a dried track, sunny afternoon, same layout (Rockingham International Long Circuit).

Both times, three consecutive flying laps with minimal hold ups

CLK55, 380bhp/380lb ft, 6/11/10, RWD
2:23
2:21
2:22

Megane 250 Cup, 285 bhp/325 lb ft, FWD + LSD
17/11/18
2:11.8
2:10.8
2:11.0

[dinny_g]

I can never get shutter speed right when I try similar - When I try, either the wheels aren't blurred (to give the effect of motion) so it looks "parked" or capturing motion in the wheels blurs the car outline etc.

Great shot and the car looks great!

[GG.]

I've no experience of taking these kind of shots myself but I think the technique is to pan the camera in the direction the car is moving to allow you to use a slower shutter speed creating the blur on the wheels/background but still getting a clean shot of the body of the car itself. No doubt it take a lot of experimenting to perfect.

[integrale_evo]

At the speed on there 1/240 or 1/320 will probably give a decent bit of blur and set the ISO and fstop to suit.

I usually just set it to Tv so I can set the shutter speed and let the camera do the rest.