Goodwood, 3rd August

The last in our marathon run of events....

This coming Saturday the club ventures to the famous Goodwood circuit where the Goodwood Revival meeting is held and where the original GT40's were tested in the 60's.

It is approximately 2.5 miles long around the perimeter of an airfield, as so many of the UK circuits are. It is also the last unchanged layout circuit left from its heyday.

Brighton & Hove Motor Club are putting on this event so a wide variety of cars will be entered, ranging from the modern to the historic so there should be something of interest to everyone.

Off the start line and up into fourth gear before the first long right hander at Madgewick. Miss the first apex by about 3 feet and be careful over the hump where the car will go light. At full speed the car may jump left by a couple of feet! Hit the second apex and drift wide to the outside of the circuit. Depending on rev range you may need to change into fifth down this straight as you approach Fordwater. This corner is a gentle right hander that goes down hill and is now one of the fastest points on the circuit. Anything over 115 mph is fast here but if you slicks and the power, a lot more can be achieved. Get the exit right (you do not want to go off here!) and line up your braking in as straight a line as you can for No Name. This deceptively fast right hand corner is a fourth gear corner and often can be taken faster than you just took it. It takes monster cahoonies to do it at the correct speed. Ok for Paul then! Keep right on the exit so you are in the correct position to turn left for St Mary's. I often aim for the curb here but tend to just miss it as a result but that puts me in the correct place for a fast exit as you power down a small slope and then up a gentle rise using the full width of the track on the exit. Then again, try and align the car for straight braking, down to third gear for Lavant. This double apex corner is quite hard to get the trajectory right to keep the same steering lock on throughout the whole corner and to use the full track width. It has become bumpy in the middle but this doesn't yet upset the balance of the car. A common spinning location as you power through to the exit (see last years club video for how to do this). Some change gear during this corner as you run out of RPM in third and so snatch fourth. Be careful not to unbalance the car if you try this. The long Lavant Straight now lies before you. It isn't straight! Normally you change to fifth as you approach the slight left hand kink and then keep your foot buried up to 155 mph (power permitting, more often 130 mph) before you start to worry about losing all this speed and changing down to fourth for Woodcote. Robin once had the Marshal’s running from their post here as he came down so fast they didn't think he would make it! He did so they slinked back into position. Woodcote is a tricky corner to get right as you really miss the first apex by almost the whole track width. Get it right and you are well lined up to get to the second apex and then the approach to the chicane just falls into place. Down to second or third gear for the chicane, hard right then hard left onto the pit straight using some curb (and grass) if need be. Bury your foot to the finish line and the flag.

Anything below 1 min 40 secs is fast here. The most developed cars with top drivers will be in the low 1 min 30's. Paul did a blistering 1 min 32 last visit which can be seen on the club web site from his on board camera. That is an average speed of about 98 mph for the lap.

Shame that no records have come to light to show what the original cars did here but if anyone knows please post the times.

Entries from our club this visit include

Paul Big Cahoonies Thompson
Dave Leadfoot Parker
Roy Spinner Smart
Ray Wily Coyote Christopher
Roy Boy Blunder Wing
Robin Batt
Roger Burston
Julian Kingston-Smith
Martin Hacon
Hell's Granny Mo McNicholl

I won't be taking my 40 down as I remodelled it last weekend so Wendy will be driving her Lotus 51c in my place. This means I am baby minding!!!

Last week 3 more GTDs came and joined us putting their cars on display and it was nice to catch up with Julian West, Stuart Watson Davies and Ron Farmer. If you are minded to come and watch (no entry fee payable as far as I am aware) please come and say hi, it would be great to see you.

Malcolm

[Paul Thompson 'Hooligan']

Hi all,

Just posted results from weekends sprint at Goodwood + Pics. Also updated Wiscombe pic's.

Well done to Robin, took a second in class (to loony-tune 6R4 Turbo) beating Dave by 5/100ths and myself by just under a second.

Roger Burston was also well chuffed with his 96 second standing lap - Andrew will have his work cut out next time they compete.(Lydden Sep 7th?)

All in all a great day and although the rain arrived later on, (makes life interesting!) we all finished early for change, a tribute to the organisation and driving standards.

Anyway - check the Club Web Site for the latest.

regards

Paul Thompson
[img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Gary Gibbs]

Looks like great fun. Wish we had events like that over here. Maybe we will soon.

What is the deal? 700 HP? Is that guy a crazy American dreamer? [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[ August 04, 2002: Message edited by: CCX33911 ]

[Paul Thompson 'Hooligan']

Hi There,

No dreaming - the 6R4 in question has a full Rally Cross Spec V6. Twin Garret T03 Turbos and runs 20+ PSI Boost + 9500-10000rpm!

I would have estimated at 600 but speaking to the owner / builder on Sturday, he claims 700 on an engine dyno....

Mounted in a lightweight 4WD car with Slicks all round, the launch and acceleration is awesome!

If it makes us fell better, speaking to Ric Lee about his 86s run, he did indicate that there were occasions that he did'nt think he was going to stay on the track!! - Scary.

best regards

Paul Thompson