G
Guest
Guest
The show gets back on the road after the briefest of interludes while we patched up the cars from the track day!
Lydden is a small but good circuit in deepest Kent, not far from Dover. It is the one that McLaren are buying to convert into their private test track, or something similar.
It has a lenght of approximately 1 mile and is up and down as well as challenging on the flat.
This event is a very speedy organised event in that it is normally over by lunchtime so that some circuit racing can happen in the afternoon.
You start from the pit lane going slightly uphill. Immediately you have a gentle right hand curve but you take this flat in the gears either getting to third or fourth as you crest the rise and start dropping downhill trying to find a straight braking line.
Big right hander follows as you climb out of the dip and basically balance the car on the throttle in third gear as the corner seems to go on and on forever. It is tighter than I remembered when we visitied earlier this year but if you get it right you can get a super drift on that is very satisfying. keep the foot buried on the exit and line up for the tightest corner on the circuit which you need to take in second gear. Again, find that straight line to brake on and turn in. Don't get it wrong here as if you have too much speed the kitty litter won't stop you and there is a hard bank. You will stop there and look up to see smiling marshals who now have a bit of work to do in extracting you! Get it right and you power out with the back end feeling loose or in reality, being very loose. Lots of spinners here. Up the hill to a corner very similar to Druids at Brands Hatch. Again a second gear corner and as you exit this you are at the top of a very big hill. It really looks high when you are in the car. You also get lots of acceleration as you descend. That's why they call it Hairy Hill! And at the bottom you start lap two with the gently right hand curve now becoming a full bloodied right hand corner with odd cambers and not a lot of run off. Last visit here and this is where Ray and Roy discovered their brakes weren't working! This is another popular spinning point, and not because there is an excellent spectator area right next to it.
Survive another lap and then return to the paddock. Don't go far from your car as the way this event works is that you will be out quite soon for your next run! And the organisers get right miffed if you are late to paddock exit.
It is a great spectator venue as you can see 95% of the circuit from a most vantage points.
Whilst I am not at this event, the usual crowd of drivers and cars are expected. If someone gets the entry list perhaps they could post who is going. However I understand that Martin Weigold is going to debut his competition career in his 40 here so the best of luck to him. Remember Martin, start slow and work up to a good time.
There is a video taster of this venue on the club website at
www.gtd40club.co.uk
Oh, and if it is raining it gets very, very slippery indeed!
Malcolm
Lydden is a small but good circuit in deepest Kent, not far from Dover. It is the one that McLaren are buying to convert into their private test track, or something similar.
It has a lenght of approximately 1 mile and is up and down as well as challenging on the flat.
This event is a very speedy organised event in that it is normally over by lunchtime so that some circuit racing can happen in the afternoon.
You start from the pit lane going slightly uphill. Immediately you have a gentle right hand curve but you take this flat in the gears either getting to third or fourth as you crest the rise and start dropping downhill trying to find a straight braking line.
Big right hander follows as you climb out of the dip and basically balance the car on the throttle in third gear as the corner seems to go on and on forever. It is tighter than I remembered when we visitied earlier this year but if you get it right you can get a super drift on that is very satisfying. keep the foot buried on the exit and line up for the tightest corner on the circuit which you need to take in second gear. Again, find that straight line to brake on and turn in. Don't get it wrong here as if you have too much speed the kitty litter won't stop you and there is a hard bank. You will stop there and look up to see smiling marshals who now have a bit of work to do in extracting you! Get it right and you power out with the back end feeling loose or in reality, being very loose. Lots of spinners here. Up the hill to a corner very similar to Druids at Brands Hatch. Again a second gear corner and as you exit this you are at the top of a very big hill. It really looks high when you are in the car. You also get lots of acceleration as you descend. That's why they call it Hairy Hill! And at the bottom you start lap two with the gently right hand curve now becoming a full bloodied right hand corner with odd cambers and not a lot of run off. Last visit here and this is where Ray and Roy discovered their brakes weren't working! This is another popular spinning point, and not because there is an excellent spectator area right next to it.
Survive another lap and then return to the paddock. Don't go far from your car as the way this event works is that you will be out quite soon for your next run! And the organisers get right miffed if you are late to paddock exit.
It is a great spectator venue as you can see 95% of the circuit from a most vantage points.
Whilst I am not at this event, the usual crowd of drivers and cars are expected. If someone gets the entry list perhaps they could post who is going. However I understand that Martin Weigold is going to debut his competition career in his 40 here so the best of luck to him. Remember Martin, start slow and work up to a good time.
There is a video taster of this venue on the club website at
www.gtd40club.co.uk
Oh, and if it is raining it gets very, very slippery indeed!
Malcolm
