GT40 Goodwood reunion 2007

[Malcolm]

Well done Martin on your IoM victory. Can you post the results? Are the roads (bar Lerghy Frissel) any less bumpy nowadays?

I would say that every track day previously organised by either the GTD factory (many years ago) and the GTD40 Club have been open to GT40 allcomers and not a closed shop. 15 years ago a track day at Goodwood cost you a mere £50 for the day, £65 if you were being extortionately charged! And then it crept up and up and up.....

Currently getting a group together for the 5th June at Silverstone with Goldtrack. They have 2 alternating sessions, one for slower cars and drivers and one for faster machinery. From the comments posted above, it looks like JPC could be in one group and Martin in the other! Currently we have 7 cars coming (not all 40s) but there is room for more if you guys are interested. Most welcome.

Or if you are really dead set on Goodwood, another good organiser of days there, if they have space after their regular customers, is CKL Developments. Speak to Chris or Andrew and I am sure they would be happy to discuss availability.

 

Martin / Jon, I have entries available for a track day in June at Goodwood if you are interested in coming South, Frank

Sorry Frank - can't make it. When you go away on a boys holiday and you are married, you have to pay a very high price. Will be cruising around the med. with her who must be obeyed.

 

[Frank Catt]

Jon, have a grate time !

 

[Paul Thompson 'Hooligan']

Hi again John -

Nothing controversial in what you suggest, we have welcomed members of either club to the trackdays in the past and I see no reason why that should not continue (in either direction). There are issues however with a joint venture in that I suspect Goodwood would want to deal with a single entity and then there's the deposit and underwriting of the day, etc etc... To provide some 'helpers' - well both clubs could help with that too I'm sure, but the main issue with a club event at Goodwood this year - is still that there is no suitable date available.

Tagging on the back of another event at say Silverstone would be a much easier/safer option (for this year at least) and they too have spilt groups, for less experienced (novice) and more experienced (advanced) drivers.

Re the politics of club history, I'm not sure I remember what it was all about now and I wasn't about at the time, but I agree that the two clubs cater for very different interests. We have probably focused on the competition element, but then we have also been registered with the MSA pretty much from day one too....(I think)...

However people manage to end up 'on track' - anyone who has not tried it, should, where else can you have such fun and start to learn exactly what driving is all about? - oh, and not get 'nicked' in the process...

(All once again - IMHO)

 

[VCC56]

I have taken part in many track days at Goodwood the last few years, incl GTD club track days, and I have really adored the atmosphere at Goodwood. It's a place like no other, particularly for the 40's, being it's old test ground. I have even hired the circuit for a day myself in order to do a charity track day. I love driving the circuit when I eventually get on it.

I no longer enjoy the trackdays at Goodwood for a number of reasons:

1. Not enough time on the circuit. You spend max. 15 min on track and have to wait a minimum of 45min - 1 hour in the pit lane, to get out again.
You will get at least twice the track time with the Goldtrack concept, with the half hour on/half hour of the circuit, and open pit lane, so no queing.

2. Draconian noise limits, looked for 105db days available from Goodwood's own track days, only 98 db available.

3. Less than friendly service from certain people working there.

4. Seriously bad value for money.


Thanks Malcolm for taking the initiative to get a few of us together 5th June at Silverstone, sadly my 40 can't be there, so I'll bring one of the 'other' cars, even though some people seems to think I should not be allowed to mix 'other' with their precious 40's. What a generous attitude?!?

Also big thanks to Paul for slaving away at the track days, very much appreaciated. Glad you're making it 5th June with A11 GTD, good to see you will be driving, rather than looking after us!

Thanks Martin(007),Martin, Mike, Nadine, Andrew and John for a fab time at IOM. Hope that next year we can manage a few more entrants, and remember, slicks are for whimps!!

Bjorn

 

[Malcolm]

Slicks are for wimps? Ha!

First visit to IoM we arrived to find the hills all covered in snow. Uncle Ray made snowmen to mark the tunring in points as we walked the course. Fortunately it all melted overnight prior to first event. Then when on the start line at Creg Ny Baa, ON SLICKS in my car, it started to snow quite heavily. Also the clouds had come down and a marshal asked me to put the headlights on so the marshals at the finish line could see me coming! I had the window vents open and I remember flurries of snow inside the car as I left the start line, hoping that there would be some grip somewhere on the course. On that run I was roughly 2 seconds quicker than the next guy.....

 

[VCC56]

I agree that 'wimp' is not a suitable term for using slicks in the conditions you describe, I'll see if I can think of something appropriate......

The 'slicks 4 wimps' remark is a quote of Uncle Ray's. Apparantly a few people decided not to do IOM because no slicks permittet. I'm sorry about that, as I'm missing out on their good company and they are missing out on the best hill climb there is. Last year we only managed 2 40's, mine and Uncle Ray's, this year 3 40's graced the hills. My 40 didn't make it, but it will again next year with a 427 in place! It would be such fun if more of us went to the IOM, good for competition and the social aspect. So what if one can't use slicks, its the same for everyone else.

 

[Malcolm]

I agree totally. The Avons are proving popular so maybe they will end up as the most common choice in future. As a tyre goes that is a great tyre when you have to run road rubber. Did Martin Gough take his red GTD across or did he borrow someones elses car? Only on the IoM could you go to watch and end up compteting. Fabulous.

Now wasn't there a rule about engines over 350 ci?.....

 

[VCC56]

Martin did bring his 40 red w/gold stripes, complete with Gurney bubble and double nostrils, and he drove it really fast and well. I'm so pleased we got another 40 competing. We sure need it. 4 wheel drifting up Lerghy Frissel on your first competitive outing must be considered an excellent start!

I donno about any 350 ci rule???! If there is one, a few member are already in breach of it........so I might aswell join them!

 

[JulianBW]

It is unfortunate that we were unable to field a larger group, but two other cars, Dave with his R42 (now also with 6-speed straight cut UN1 conversion) and Julian Bailey-Watts (with the ex Bob Usher Sparks Chevy GTD) did also attend Gurston HillClimb on the Saturday which clashed with the Lherghy Frissell event. Both also had a fun time, with JBW managing a 360 degree spin I'm told across the finish line - and if you know Gurston, thats no mean feat.... QUOTE]

The Isle of Man sounds like a great time was had by all, I will do my best to get an entry next year for sure!

Gurston Down Hillclimb - was a great day, absolutely superb weather and rather thrilling viewing for me in full 380 degree technicolour at 90mph past the finish line (ohh - ahh! or something similar went through my mind!).

Still not quite got the hang of all that weight behind me thing!

Dave Parkers amazing R42 blitzed me on times, but suffered from a electrical gremlin on his second run - lets hope he gets this sorted for the next event - well done Dave.

Julian BW

 

[Paul Thompson 'Hooligan']

Now wasn't there a rule about engines over 350 ci?.....

Nice try Malc - but you're only allowed to wind people up IF you start having a go yourself....

Great show Julian - now that would have made a great bit of 'in-car-video'... Glad to see that you're 'testing the envelope' already - (and possibly the reactions of the marshalls too...) Dave called me about the errant sensor, it has given 'issues' for a while after possibly being clouted at some point, replacements are on order from Frasier and I'm sure he'll be back up to speed for the next event (God help us!) - complete with his new 6-speed UN1 that already he is 'raving' about - he loves it!!!!

 

[SouthernGT40]

A couple of pictures I received from a freelance photographer Paul Hardiman.

 

[Malcolm]

Nice try Malc - but you're only allowed to wind people up IF you start having a go yourself....

Sorry Paul, for now I am sticking with my decision to retire my 40 from comp. After 13 years of hillclimbing and sprinting I fancy trying something else competitive wise. At least thats the plan for now.....

It is good to see some enthusiastic blood coming into the competitive ranks now. Martin's car looks like it is positively hurling itself out of that corner in the top picture. Looks like the exit of the esses at Creg Ny Baa to me. Great pictures, Martin. As you mentioned earlier, not bad for a standard GTD (so I am told) to beat the established and developed opposition! Maybe there is something to be said for a standard set up after all? I hope so as that is pretty much where I am taking my car now.

Just thinking a bit, and remembering another thread about suspension set ups and angles etc, does the IoM event count as a back to back test that others wanted to see? Apart from different drivers, maybe it is?

 

A couple of pictures I received from a freelance photographer Paul Hardiman.

Martin - you should have explained how we rushed around like idiots (internet cafes and Tesco photo booths) to get you your licence and made that timing strut from bits out of a dustbin while your car was in scrutineering. The Isle of Man is used to the softy southerners - I don't think they were quite ready for the Dingles GT40 club.

 

[charles]

.... Maybe there is something to be said for a standard set up after all? I hope so as that is pretty much where I am taking my car now.

Just thinking a bit, and remembering another thread about suspension set ups and angles etc, does the IoM event count as a back to back test that others wanted to see? Apart from different drivers, maybe it is? .....

We're veering off topic here but I think Malc has raised an important point.

I know that many owners have spent **lots** of money on lowered this, revised that, "improved" dingles, dongles and dangles. The question is, does it always make the car faster?

Perhaps we should start a new thread????

Charles

 

[SouthernGT40]

I think its down to me being a complete nutter behind the wheel of a car (ask Mike Pass my passenger) and not frightened to take risks that probably helped me up the hills, my car handled like a pig understeering, oversteering, twitching and on the edge of what the suspension could manage. As for the brakes they did help but I entered a few corners a little faster than I would have liked. I enjoyed every minute of it but have to say a better setup would have been a god send and one of the main reasons I have gone ahead and started a build of my SouthernGT(see SouthernGT No8 build thread)
I have to say it was a nice introduction to competition but the best thing about the week was the taking part and the laughs we had. I was surprised that so few other club members and GT40 owners were abscent from the event, something about tyres had an effect I believe. Slicks or not I had a great time the avons certainly do a brilliant job.
Dingles rule!

 

[SouthernGT40]

John Bate posing.
Captions please!

 

How about -
here is a photo of an incredibly fast and handsome racing driver?

 

[Malcolm]

Sorry John, I am not in that picture so that has to be a totally false statement!

John, just to warn you I am sending you a PM on an unrelated subject!

 

[SouthernGT40]

Gay boy!