Reyt then - Blyton Park 26/10/2024
So this trackday felt like a bit of a weird day going into it. But then again it’s been a bit of a weird year! So it’s my third time at bylton this year. Don’t get me wrong I love this track for what it is. A glorified car park / air strip with some turns and kerbs. It’s not the most complex track in the world but I do enjoy it. It’s fairly local to me being under an hour to get there from home, it’s cheap, everyone buggers off at lunch and the staff and Marshall’s are lovely to speak to and let you drive your car in a slightly more spirited way if it’s under control and you’re not near anyone.
I was joined by
@greenrocketdude in his Cammed 200 running Gaz golds now too and our friend Harry formally of TT QS fame. Now opting to use his old 987 cayman for track stuff.
We’ve all done a trackday so as you’ll know sighting laps came and went. I decided to go out straight after these. The first proper session lasted less than two laps. Thanks to a focus RS mk1 blowing up right in front of me. I felt like a much slower fatter verison of Kimi Raikkonen at Spa in 2002. I couldn’t see anything through the smoke from the Rs’s blow up.
The session was naturally red flagged (only flag of the day I think) and oil cleaned up began. That drenched bunga bunga in oil for the rest of the day making any attempts at improving lap time over my last visit impossible; even after most of the track dried out in the afternoon.
I know everyone has mechanical failures but these always slightly irk me as I think they’re avoidable.
I have this pre set thing in my head that all stuff like this is from Scotland as an old boss who used to race Jags once said to me “oh it’s all turbo nutter stuff in Scotland, they’ll do two laps and either be in the pits with it broken or heating issues”. I know this is most likely wrong but it does make me smile.
During the red flag ; I decided to take to the opportunity to switch over the MRF’s on
The white x85s. The track definitely wasn’t ready for them as I would find out but just thought sod it. What’s the worse that can happen.
After the red flag I ventured out on the mrfs to discover that it was like driving on ice so took the time to begin learning car control a bit more and sliding the car through a few corners. Amazingly I caught up to Harry in the cayman and through the Ump I managed to have the car complete sideways at 90 degrees for both parts of the chicane. Convinced I was a driving god I attempted to do the same thing in the next session in front of Bean in his clio only to nearly get T boned. (D’oh!).
As the track went to wet to wet ish and dry; I naturally started picking up the pace, chopping at a new M240i driving by a guy with a painted helmet and racing boots which awash gives me a boost.
View attachment 3166466C-2C6F-4D16-9C14-73F9EA8A1B28.jpeg
View attachment 9026D885-F352-47DE-85E8-4A2F12F33BAF.jpeg
The rest of the day functioned for the most part as a normal day the track was fairly green and bunga bunga was like ice but a good day was had. Until…. Puncture time.
I was giving some passenger rides to friends who had made the journey up and was possibly taking a kerbs a bit too agreesively then pop. The right front went out under breaking into bishops. Causing me to nearly end up in the field.
Managed to limp the car back to paddock without damaging the wheel.
I don’t think that hole is meant to be there right?
In addition to the blow out, I started getting some gearbox issues later in the day. As the car didn’t seem to like to select fourth or second. I have a feeling this is going to be the synchros going on the gearbox (it’s a tl4 after all). But the lads seem convinced that it’s going to be the shifter inside the car. Though I’m not overly convinced. I’m not heartbroken as I wanted to wait until the box broke to stick the lsd in i bought last year. So it’s a win win I would say. Gives me a reason to take the box off. Tight Yorkshire nature wouldn’t want to do that twice.
Despite the issues the car made it home safe. Ready for winter works to begin.
So all in all a good day. I want to do more wet days in the car as I enjoy sliding it around quite a bit! Sadly no footage from the day. (Winter job is 100% go pro set up.
Though I now think it’s time to start towing. As that would make me a lot more comfortable going to tracks further afield. And be a lot more comfortable too.
Winter jobs so far:
Inner tie rod and bush change
Box off to be built with lsd
Aftermarket exhaust manifold on
New tyres for the x85s
Battery relocation
V6 airbox (maybe)
Ported manifold
Mapped.
Go pro / action camera