Ring Trip, 7-9-2007 - 11-9-2007 (56k beware)

[ciaranthemurph]

Just a quick round up of my 'ring trip (my first) that I have only just got back from.

It didn't start as planned




#5 plug decided to go through the coilpack and left me stranded in Perth on my way to Glasgow about 5 weeks ago. I got towed to Glasgow and after a month of heart/ball ache with various garages i eventually got my baby back the day before I was supposed to leave for the 'ring. During this time I also had all of the belts done, new water pump, braided brake lines and a general service with filters carried out.

Our convoy (myself, two 306 rallyes and a ZX9R) headed down to Dover on the Friday night to get the Saturday morning ferry across. We arrived at the 'ring early on Saturday afternoon, before the evening session had started, so it gave me a chance to look around the paddock.



This had the 4.2V8 from an S4 and had plenty of admirers, although my camera battery had run out by the time that the guy had opened the bonnet, so you'll just have to take my work for it.



God's own RS4

and nearby


Satan's own RS4



The RS4 from Gmbh, complete with full slicks and air jacks. Oh it was amazing, although I never saw it on track.



This guy was probably jealous of my S2



Three welsh lads who brought their immaculate, standard looking Mk2 Golf, which contained 250 BHP+ or 1.8T and an LSD. Very nice and very quick.

Eventually we got on track, which was terrifying for the first time! Although I soon got into it and clocked up a few laps during our long weekend there. My mate who had been before was worrying some serious exotica in his rallye

[ciaranthemurph]

The old 'grey whale' as it had become known didn't look too bad on track:



And I had an excellent time, although the list of parts now needed for the car is huge and we are already trying to plan for our next trip back.

The only problems that I had with the car were an oil leak from a breather hose that wasn't properly tightened and my brake warning light would come on every so often on track, although the brakes still seemed to be working fine for the entire time and there was no loss of fluid. (Any ideas?)

[s2driveruk]

great photos and write up, shame about the start. Whetting my appetite for my first trip next month

What was terrifying about your first lap.....be interested to know/prepare for mine

[ciaranthemurph]

Em.. the entire course in general...the stupidly quick 911s and M3 CSLs that seem to come out of nowhere with ridiculous speed! The massive gradients that you won't understand until you drive the course for yourself, no matter how many videos you see or games you play. After about four laps i was starting to get confident and was actually looking for the turn markers and getting the tyres howling! On my first lap I was passed by everything, even a Rover Metro! Although I am sure that it had a K-series in it as it was stripped and rapid. Once I started finding my feet it started raining and that put me back to square one! Although when it was starting to dry off and was just greasy i was having fun sliding it through the corners as there was much fewer people on track.

You'll love it!

[Acidburn]

Good pictures and the car does look good in that colour, sorry to hear about the spark plug and what happened, how long you owned the car as I was looking at one the same colour to that a while ago before I got mine, the one I was looking at was on pistonheads, 19's big red's etc.

[s2driveruk]

I'll be sh**ting a brick i'm sure for the first couple of laps lol

[Fat Audi 80]

Brake warning light could be fluid level in the master cylinder reservoir. If it is only just above limit, the cornering could cause it to beep.

Great pics, sounds like fun!

Cheers,

Steve.

[ciaranthemurph]

Good pictures and the car does look good in that colour, sorry to hear about the spark plug and what happened, how long you owned the car as I was looking at one the same colour to that a while ago before I got mine, the one I was looking at was on pistonheads, 19's big red's etc.

Yeah, this is that one, I got it from SR71 in Cardiff (it was for sale on the forum) and this was the first major road trip that she's had in my care. 19s are off as soon as possible, down to 17s. The Ventus tyres proved to be highly amusing as they seem to be made of granite or perhaps mahogany or some similarly hard material. They were howling at every corner and never showed any sign of wearing down or heating up. The red rallye was running R888s and you could probably drive it up-side-down they were that sticky after a couple of laps!

[ciaranthemurph]

Brake warning light could be fluid level in the master cylinder reservoir. If it is only just above limit, the cornering could cause it to beep.

Great pics, sounds like fun!

Cheers,

Steve.

They fluid was definately full, so I'm not sure, as I thought that as well. I'm sure it'll sort itself out!

[Doug_RS2]

The car looked good and went well on track - I was there is a noggy s4(one fo the many).

[ciaranthemurph]

The car looked good and went well on track - I was there is a noggy s4(one fo the many).

I've seen the thread on the rs246 forum and really should have asked for a passenger lap from someone! Next time definately. Which was you S4? How did you find it round the track? Where about did you see my S2 in action? haha

[SR71]

Ciaran,

Glad you got the car sorted although it sounds like it went down to the wire!

And awesome to see it getting a good beating on a proper track as it should have done under my ownership.

Sorry about the rubber...longevity has its benefits though!



Nice one.

Time to get my B7 down there....

[ciaranthemurph]

Ciaran,

Glad you got the car sorted although it sounds like it went down to the wire!

And awesome to see it getting a good beating on a proper track as it should have done under my ownership.

Sorry about the rubber...longevity has its benefits though!



Nice one.

Time to get my B7 down there....

It was probably for the best, as it meant that the car let go at much lower speeds than it would have with sticky tyres! Which is definately a good thing when I was noticing how close the barriers were!

As for being down to the wire, the garage the eventually did most of the work on it put in 0w30 oil! So I did a final oil change the morning we set off from Glasgow, although if I hadn't managed it there, there were talks of doing an 'on-the-fly' change at some motorway services Thankfully it didn't come to that.

[Doug_RS2]

mine is the s4 with black wheels on the left. It is good fun on the ring although lacks the grip off the widebody(wide tyres) cars beside it.