Back and settled now from a huge trek to Snetterton (not made much easier by no less than two closures of the M6 on the way home..
It was the first round of the 2017 Javelin Sprint series.
So with my camping gear and helmet all packed I gave my new rig it`s biggest test.
I found it took a few stops to get the car just balanced on the trailer.
But I have now found it`s `sweet spot` with no snaking and the steering not feeling too light.
There`s tons of campling at Snetterton and we really spread out..
The gazebo thing is a Khyam pop up type affair and one of the best camping purchases I`ve made in years..
So, onto the competition...
This was my first visit to Snetterton and a sprint not the ideal way to learn a track..
It`s a quite long track (3 miles) with twelve, quite different, corners. Very tricky..
I would certainly come back here for a trackday.
There were one practice and six timed runs, I spent the morning getting a feel for the track and working on lines and braking points.
In the afternoon, I started to push the limits.
And I found at least one of them.
On the second run after lunch I tried not backing off through Hamilton. The fifth turn, a fast left @75mph
I might have got away with it on a trackday with properly warm tyres, but not on a sprint.
Big spin onto the grass and that run over.
Now there`s another car coming! So you need to try to get going and beat it to the line to save screwing up the timing.
So off I went...
Now I knew my mate had gone down to the final corner with his cameraphone so I barrelled into the last complex from the Bomb hole, through Coram and round Murrays. Going faster than my brain told me was right.
Here`s a vid from his photo`s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hsI_q8Jm0M
Lots of fun, but not exactly fast..
I had my camera on and this was the one run that didnt record!
The sound and picture quality of my chinese cheapocam is awful so I`ll not be posted the others.
I went faster with each run all day and shaved nearly 5 seconds off my first run to my fastest time of 2:31.30.
This time was good enough to get me second in class.
Only the Pumesta had me!!
This was always going to be a place that the wee Puma would not be able to keep up with the big boys (there was a 458 Speciale there amongst other turbo`d exotica)
Overall I came 65th out of 75. (Nothing like a long straight to negate any skills in the twisties!)
With the sprint series allowing us to drop two results this year, I always figured my overall result here would yield few points (it did) so will probably be one I discount (Croft is the other power circuit)
So, with this in mind. I kept my brand new Toyo R888 SG`s in their little hidey hole.
Driving on my trackday tyre of choice. The Dunlop DZ03G`s which are quite hard and wear well, but take an age to warm up.
The Toyo`s are realy REALLY soft and will wear by looking at them.
So I want to save them until the rounds where I am competitive...
They`ll be on for the next round, which is Blyton Park on Easter Sunday.
Overall a good day (The car behaved well and only wants for it`s splitter. Could have gone better with it)
I`m looking forward to the next round. (No Pumesta at this one)
So a class win and at least 15 places netter overall is my target.