SCOTTISH ELISES AT CADWELL
Video: http://prasad.it/misc/cadwell.wmv
From EVO (one of the best car magazines around)
Author: Tim
Well, a really successful trip, thoroughly enjoyable - it all started
last Wednesday morning, met up with Ali, then a blast down the A90 to meet Stu
in Dalkieth, we then picked up the A68 and had a very good run down to Scotch
Corner (best part had to be the roller coaster bit on the A68, those that have
done it will know what I mean!!) I then took the lead as we were on my turf and
we had a sprint on the back roads from Thirsk, helmsley and onto Scarborough, we
then headed up to Olivers Mount bike racing circuit, which is just a public
road. Bikes run round anti-clockwise, cars (usually a rally stage) run
clockwise, we did it both ways :) making sure we stuck to the 30mph limit. After
this we headed to my folks in Bridlington and got some rest ready for the early
start...
Thursday, on the road by 5.30ish as we needed to be at the circuit for 7.30
(actually in time honoured track day fashion, we didn't need to be there till
much later), had a very brisk run down to the Humber bridge in cold, wet, dark
weather which was pretty miserable but I know the road very well so we were able
to cover ground at a good pace, across the bridge (£2.50!! BOTH ways!!) and down
into Lincolnshire and onto Cadwell. It was raining when we got there so resigned
ourselves to a wet day but, as luck would have it the sun popped out at 10am and
never really disappeared all day, the track dried out incredibly quickly,
probably helped along by excellent drainage. The morning started in sessions, 1
for experts , 1 for 1st timers and people that had not done the track before
(which turned out to be 75% of folk) and to be honest I spent all of the 1st
session learning the circuit, then the 2nd learning how to drive it properly and
the 3rd (it was dry by now) I was beginning to show pace. The circuit is
incredibly technical, but this is made easier by truly phenomenal grip that is
available, wet or dry, it really does put the surface at knockhill to shame.
Before I knew it the morning was over, and so was my fuel content so off to
refuel in the lunch hour with everyone else. When we got back to the circuit one
of the Caterham superlight R drivers approached me asking me what modifications
I had done to the elise, err, none other than exhaust and filter were the reply.
I think he was hoping to see a TT260 conversion or something in the back!! Turns
out I had passed him in the 3rd morning session and he had totally failed to
keep up (Properly driven Elise, 1 - Southern pansy driven superlight R, 0) Back
into the pm session and it was onto open pitlane, this is where the fun really
started, the 3 of us really were rather quick compared to most others, managing
to shame some seriously expensive machinery (Noble, 911 rs, Exige (?????!!!) etc
etc) Putting this aside tough, the circuit is just something else, I really can
not begin to put into words how thoroughly enjoyable it is, its just got
everything in it, flat lefts & rights, tight twisty stuff, undulations (if you
get the line right and on the power well before the apex you can get airborne at
the mountain) . My little brother made an appearance in the afternoon (he lives
in Sheffield, not too far from the circuit) and I managed to get him out with me
as a pax, he's never been in my elise before. 5 laps later I was back in the
pits with a very green looking brother, I really don't think he had anticipated
the amount of G's an elise pulls on a high grip circuit, he sure does now! As
with every track day, its over before you know it and we trundling back up to my
folks for more much needed rest.
The return journey home yesterday was pretty uneventful other than yours truly
missing a turn off on the A68, but it actually turned out to be a blessing in
disguise as we found a great little B road that took us back to where we needed
to be. The general public behaved very well throughout the whole trip other than
some prick from Amsterdam in an Audi, 1st off all flashing Stu and offering him
a pint when he passed, then blocking me by driving in the middle of the road to
prevent me passing when the road was clear. I squeezed past and offered him
about 20 pints, and demonstrated several hand movements not dissimilar to a busy
gynaecologist!
Everyone from SE that tracks their car really should make the effort and get
down there, it will not disappoint. Certainly Stu, Ali & myself are on the next
trip for sure. There was a few other wee problems but I'll let the other guys
fill you in on them....
Tim
Author: Alistair Crozier
I was reasonably prepared for the trip with IPod charged
up and counter measure database updated. Less so the car, I was still concerned
about my recent coolant problem but hey...what's the worst that could happen?
Good weather setting off from Aberdeen for Tim and I so roof off we headed down
to meet Stu. After a couple of false starts (my bad) we met up in Dalkeith and
headed off down the A68. Pretty reasonable traffic and we made good progress on
the fast flowing roads. Tim took over once on home turf and past the worst of
the scameras and we headed for Bridlington. Sutton Bank was closed however and
the diversion and traffic meant slow progress and worries about overheating for
me. We cleared the worst of it but the car was stuttering on light throttle
openings then the MIL light came on so we pulled over. After fending off a
friendly old Yorkshire yokel
bloke I checked the oil and it was low, put in a litre (I hadn't checked it
before we left. Too pre-occupied with the coolant I guess). Back on the road and
I thought I was going to see little of the track the next day...
Arrived at Tim's folks and who had prepared a lovely meal for us and then a few
beers, another go at bleeding my coolant (which was high again) and a few more
beers and a blether before an early bed.
Thursday
saw a cold, wet start and hence a roof on run down to Cadwell. My mood
brightened when the MIL light went out which at that point I put down to the low
oil level. We were first there at the track and took shelter from the drizzle in
the Radical awning.
After registration the sun came peeping out so the roof was off again. The
morning was split into two sessions (with us in the novice/intermediate group)
and on the wet track I was just trying to figure out which way it went. The car
lasted 15 mins before venting coolant and I came in. Despite me using limited
revs and trying to nurse it round some cooling down laps this repeated each
session with me bleeding it again each time. Towards lunchtime it seemed to
settle down though and I managed to do the whole of the last session and with
the track drying out, start to up the pace. Previously I'd not been able to
concentrate properly and had been driving with one eye on the temp reading.
After lunchtime refuelling the afternoon just got better and better. Open pit
lane, a perfectly dry track and the car behaving perfectly I started to get it
together. I need too 'cos I was well behind the learning curve compared to Tim
and Stu.
What an absolutely fantastic circuit, so many great bits, the surprisingly fast
2nd gear left right then up over The Mountain, the flicks through Hall Bends
(can you tell I've been looking at the circuit map). Barn was great fun, a dab
of brakes turn in early and drift the rear, then running to the outside on the
exit. Coppice (or 'cahjones') probably could be taken flat but the best I
managed was just a lift (over 100 mph), paxing with Mick Hyde in the Radical SR4
we took it flat at around 125! Charlies was also really fast and technical (the
only place I was making up time on Tim) then after Park the flat out Chris
Curve, nudging the limiter in 3rd (again, over 100 mph) before the tricky
braking into the Gooseneck.The slower corners I found hardest, the Hairpin and
Mansfield are both tricky with downhill braking (Mansfield was the scene of some
gratuitous tail sliding though). :)
Overall a fantastic time, I'll be going back. :)
Cheers,
Ali