NATIONAL KIT AND PERFORMANCE CAR SHOW -
DONINGTON RACE CIRCUIT – Nr. DERBY - SATURDAY and SUNDAY 14th and 15th SEPTEMBER
2002
Gavin Pressler cannot believe it as
club chairman Stuart Kynoch insists on putting his tent up for him and using the
club gazebo to keep it dry - what other club offers this sort of care?
The Karmeleons arrive
A yellow supercharger all the way from Wales
Phil Bood's rare late Supercharger
Richard Morgan trying to look calm...
...son Thomas looking worried inside Formula 3 driver Seb King's
helmet...
....as we follow Lauren (blue) and Gavin (red) down the pit lane
ready for the 20 minute track session
Seb and John wait their turn
The sleek Black Karmeleon screams past the pits on its first lap
around the famous Donington circuit
This day was my return to the National Kit and Performance Car Show and I was
certainly keen to get back on track as the last time I drove Donington was in
Mark Nias’s supercharger where I managed a 720 degree spin through the Craner
Curves at 105mph! But that’s another story.
We arrived early and woke Gavin and girlfriend in their tent and told them to
get the bacon on! From then we waited for Richard et al. Just as soon as
everyone arrived we went through the relatively painless task of getting our
track passes.
Then it was a question of waiting an absolute age for everyone to get
organised (lucky I brought the electric tyre pump then!). Finally we were off to
the circuit proper only to be told on arriving that we had to wait forty minutes
for the drivers’ briefing. Arrggh! A feeling of déjà vu was happening here as
memories of Silverstone came flooding back. Briefing over and the mad scramble
to get the sought after ‘sexy’ green bracelet and we were in the pitlane. I had
none other than our chairman, Stuart Kynoch who was still looking fairly relaxed
in my passenger seat as we awaited the off.
Well it was some wait and for some reason all the other club members were
behind me in the queue! I eyed up the competition in the form of some rather
tasty looking AC Cobra’s five cars in front of me. And then we were off with an
easy first lap, I was just starting to get a bit of rhythm going as the tyres
warmed up and red lights. Not already surely! I was to find out later that Gavin
in his pristine red MK1 had found a nice scenic spot to get beached in the
gravel! With three cars still in front I was already planning where to get past
these guys so as soon as the green flag was waved it was a bit of a dive down to
Redgate Corner. I managed to take one of the cars out of the Old Hairpin but
could tell that the AC Cobra replicas were cruising round. Another lap and the
last Cobra was well in my sights, but the brute of a guy in his ‘muscle’ car
would just not let me past! What was quite funny is that he didn’t really pull
away much on the straights and on the corners he was taking it very easy. Cue me
with lights on full trying to get past, but no this guy just was not going to
have it. A few choice words were said at this point! Eventually I went round him
on the outside of McLeans Corner slightly sideways! Two minutes later and
another incident.
We were all pretty dissapointed by only having four or five laps with so many
stoppages so we persuaded the marshalls that they should give us another
session. It worked and this was a good one!
With no real stoppages I was starting to really enjoy myself now and the car
was working so well. It’s fair to say that I did get a little carried away!
I really got the car on the edge and beyond. It was amazing with the slip
diff and I quickly worked out that I can't do the Craners flat anymore but
managed just about 105mph going thru the 'dip' before braking for the old
hairpin. It is pretty hairy stuff, but what a circuit! The more I drive
Donington, the more I appreciate and respect it.
Redgate (first corner) is a typical late apex though as the corner is quite
long it is hardly a hairpin and if you get it right (the car tends to swing the
back a touch on turn in) the car will kind of lazily drift to onto the kerbing
where you bring it back to line up for the infamous Craners. A quick clip of the
kerbing as you start the descent towards the 'dip' foot to the floor in 4th,
90,95, 100...and then hold onto it as the car gets very light at the back end
and the road just falls away beneath you. Then whatever you do keep your right
foot steady and nudge the throttle as the rear o/side loads up. If you don't,
expect to spin and in a floaty/weird way the car grips even though it feels like
it's going to spin off at any moment. It's a fine line.
Then heavy onto the brakes as you desperately try to scrub the speed off for
the old Hairpin. A quick lift off and turn-in desperately trying to get the rear
of the car to come round and help turn-in and straight back onto the power with
a hint of opposite lock, right foot just balancing the car.
I did actually manage to over-do the Old Hairpin as on one lap coming through
the Craners I just had too much speed and the car swung round. Though I caught
the slide I had now compromised my line too much and as I left the Old Hairpin,
lifting slightly off the throttle to avoid understeering and going wide the back
stepped out and I didn’t quite get enough lock on quick enough and, yes you
guessed it the car did a long spin at around 85 or so and I ended up in the
infield with a little finishing pirouette on the grass!
At this point I realised that Richard would come round and get me back for a
very naughty bit of late braking as we went into Copse and I fairly (or not so
fairly!) pushed my way round the outside and narrowly avoided the gravel trap.
He did it but I eventually caught him again and managed to stay on the black
stuff well mostly, for the rest of the session.
Track sessions over with and after the usual buzz of reliving all the best
moments and hearing the others’ stories of sliding and spinning it was time to
look at the rest of the show.
Although the show is getting smaller there was still some pretty impresssive
machinery to see. As always there was plenty of Ultimas on display. Getting
close to this exotic machinery and standing somewhat in awe at the sheer
brilliance of Lee Noble’s engineering skills admiring the beauty of form of the
GTR and Can-am is always a dreamy experience. I did fall though for a favourite
in the shape of the Lancia Stratos replicas, wonderful stuff and I must build
one! As usual there were plenty of Caterfields interspersed with the eccentric
and downright weird kit cars on display. Something for everyone I think.
A big thanks though to Richard and co for organising the stand and the
discounted entry tickets. It was also good to see the Karmeleon kitted MR2s.
it’s a pretty extreme kit for the car totally changing it’s appearance. I think
if one of those got behind you on the track you’d get out of the way pretty
quick!
Lauren Blighton : Trackday Queen
