Driving at Thruxton

[kickstart]

Next season I will be racing at Thruxton. Does anyone have any mpegs of a racing lap.
I know that testing is very limited but does this mean there is no testing before race meetings, if so is the racing school an option to get a feel for the track.
Lastly anyone got an decent tips as how to drive a decent lap there

Thanks

[Alan Raine]

The TOCA Touring Cars Playstation game has quite a good version of Thruxton on it. Not ideal but at least you will know where the track goes!

[Al Weyman]

Lastly anyone got an decent tips as how to drive a decent lap there

Flat out and clean underwear, its quick. Only place I managed a pole im my old Camaro and that was purely because of the speed attainable down the back straight, I calculated I was hitting around 157mph, shame it rained in the race and I was off on the first bend ! I have a video somewhere of Frank Gardener totally anihalating every other car in the TT in his big block Camaro, he was going past the CSL's down the back straight like they were standing still, only trouble is I dont have a working TV card to make an mpeg file and I would probably have the copyright police on my tale if I did!

PS I love the track!

[graeme]

There'll be no day-before testing, although there will probably be a test day in February - phone BARC and book it ASAP if you want to do it.

The racing school will probably be running the day before, so you could go 'round in a school car, or they may do tuition in your own road-car at the end of the day (must be suitably silenced - no Caterhams, TVRs or the like). Give the race school a call...

http://www.rogerford.org.uk/video/ThruxtonRace.wmv is a video of last year's Caterham Super-Graduates race (but 46 Meg!)

[Bob Pearson]

If your running your 97 tatuus at the BARC rounds its flat from the chicane to cambell and flat from Cobb to the Chicane with a little lift into Goodwood if your chicken like me. If your running it at 40mm with F4 you'll probably have to get the bus back from andover if you try that.
Don't be sucked into the idea of running with hardly any wing unless you can raise top gear ratio aotherwise you will be on the limiter soon after Church and all the risk will be waisted.

[ianpearson]

Originally Posted by kickstart

Next season I will be racing at Thruxton. Does anyone have any mpegs of a racing lap.
I know that testing is very limited but does this mean there is no testing before race meetings, if so is the racing school an option to get a feel for the track.
Lastly anyone got an decent tips as how to drive a decent lap there

Thanks

You could try dear martin bloss, he does instructing with PI traces in a lotus elise around thruxton. There will only be about one or two test days a year, normally at the begining of the season. If you still driving your renault you idearly want to be flat through the last corner of the complex all the way to the chicane. Obviously you've got to work up to it, nobles is probably the easiest to take flat followed by seagrave, allard, church then goodwood, it is one of the last real circuits left, you'll love it! You want to be aiming at the 1.15's, as your running free ratio's you may be quicker than that, i have to roll of the throttle up woodham hill to keep it just off the rev limiter

[graeme]

THe race school do a Formula Renault experience, if you think you can handle it - http://www.thruxtonracing.co.uk/racingcar.html#

[Redracer77]

Nigel,

I spoke to the BARC early this week to book in for testing but they have not released the dates for testing yet but as other people have said there will only be a couple of days and they will be in Feb. They are normally swamped by TOCA on those days. Nige, if you fancy going down for the test let me know as we could share costs. I have a place booked (as long as they ring me back when the dates are released!). As F4 do not normally go to Thruxton it would be a good idea to test if you can.

[Redracer77]

I spotted on the Formula Renault regs that they have different tyres for Thruxton? This must be due to the amount of wear on your tyres. Would this effect F4 type cars? And could tyres be an issue?

[ianpearson]

only the FR2000 carbon cars run the harder compound tyres due to graining problems. Their grainnig issues were mainly bought about by teams running high pressures to try to gain a gearing advantage

[kickstart]

Thanks for all the comments, the video was great Graeme.
Redracer77 it really depends when testing is as to whether I would go. If it is as normal, namely a stand alone day at the beginning of season then I doubt I would go. I normally only go testing the day before an event as days off are a little difficult to organise.
I think the racing school sounds like a good option, but I will wait and see when the dates are for any testing.
As to the circuit being mainly flat...thanks for that everyone but I think I will take it gently and build up to any heroics.