Next year and a new Sprint virgin

[dopdog]

I have spent many months this year looking into sprinting and speaking to as many people as i can on the subject. I have been following Jeffs escapades by video and joined Rob at goodwood for the day(thanks again). I still have my car in bits in the garage but should be back together by the end of this weekend.

I have been looking on the web and just wanted to know when next years calenders get posted.

My next question is what is the difference between the sprint series and the sprint challange? Just basic stuff but also am looking forward to putting myself to the test. Seems like a lot of stress to put a hot lap in and only get a few goes at it rather than on a track day where you can build your speed up during the day.

[RobMsport]

If you read the Challenge and Championship lists of venues from 2011 you'll see that venues are different also that how many count from different numbers of venues is different. Check out the ACSMC website to find this year's venues for each plus all the rules .
From memory there were 10 challenge and 14 champ'p events. Regarding time on track --- once you start sprinting you will forget all about track time. Imagine having to qualify as in F1 BUT not on a flying lap !!!! Because it's from a standing start and just one lap or run , you can't make decisions as you drive around like trackdays or circuit racing . You have to have all corners driven in your head while you wait in line for the off. In circuit it's about track position but with sprinting or hill climbing it's totally about the ultimate lap/run .
It's a totally different dicilpine and requires consentration ---- how many rev's to leave the start , what entry speed and gear to be in at any given point then attempting to do your best possible speed at all points on the track and on the same lap , hence Jeff's gismo's that tell him what he did at every point during his run .
You will love it Simon
My offer's still there for you to ride shotgun with me on a test day as long as you pay the extra fee for passengers
Regarding 2012's venues , it'll all be listed on the ACSMC website early in December or January at the latest .

[David]

Hi Simon -- and (potentially) welcome to our addictive little sport.

Rob and Jeff have probably filled you in, but most answers to beginner questions can be found at http://www.wscc.co.uk/download/Beginners-Guide-2011.pdf.

I'm afraid that, if your preferred measure is track time per pound spent, you are going to be stuck with track days for ever. As Rob points out, sprinting is a different (and more concentrated) discipline from racing.

I assume you are south of the Thames, but there are many different championships available if you are prepared to do a little travel. Essentially, though, there are three types of course on which "speed events" are run: racing circuits (Brands, Lydden, Silverstone, etc.), improvised circuits (often marked out on an airfield with traffic cones), and hills (frequently using the service roads of country estates). Each championship has a different mix of these three types, and each type requires slightly different disciplines. Circuits tend to have the highest speeds (at Brands, for instance, there are no "second gear" corners and you can hit 120mph in a 1600 kit-car; Goodwood is just insane) and are generally wide enough to require a lot of decisions on "the optimal line". Airfields tend to be bumpier, dirtier, more difficult to see to judge the line (they are flat, by definition), and a bit slower (there are exceptions: Honington) -- but they are generally much cheaper. Hills tend to be narrow and less fast (not slow), and feature tight corners; there is often no run-off so most drivers try to take fewer risks. See Jeff's youtubage of Brands and Debden for a comparison of the first two types.

Because there are not that many "proper" circuits around, most local/regional championships tend to use a good proportion of improvised tracks. National championships offer a broader range of tracks, but require more travel.

Oddly (for a Striker owner), my preference has always been the Westfield SCC "Speed Series". You may understand if I list the 2011 venues...
Castle Combe (circuit)
Gurston Down (hill)
Silverstone
Goodwood
Aintree (circuit)
Harewood (hill)
MIRA (Motor Industry Research Association test track)
Wiscombe (hill)
Snetterton (circuit)
Pembrey (circuit)
Curborough (purpose built sprint track)
Shelsley Walsh (hill)
Three Sisters (big purpose built Kart track)
Llandow (circuit)
Hethel (Lotus Cars test track)
Lydden
Ty Croes (circuit)
Brands Hatch
Loton Park (hill)
Thoresby Park (all the usual features of a hill, except gradient!)

You can find good footage of all these except MIRA and Hethel (camera bans) on the web.

One small tip though: you can try the sprint format with Javelin Trackdays, who run some "single lap, one at a time, against the clock" days under the title of "sprint format" or "RWYB". They are non-competitive, but you get a lot of runs (20-30) in a day for your money -- and you'll soon discover the addiction of trying to shave half a second off your best time.

HTH

David

[dopdog]

As always guys thanks for the replys. Will take you up on the passenger ride rob as long as i can get the time off work . Will do some more homework on events and cant wait to give it a go.

Dave i am in oxford so nice and central for most places and do not mind the travel, just running out of time this year getting my car ready so have resigned myself to wait until next year.

I see there is one trackday in december at goodwood so will hopefully get a test session outing at this one.

[dopdog]

As always guys thanks for the replys. Will take you up on the passenger ride rob as long as i can get the time off work . Will do some more homework on events and cant wait to give it a go.

Dave i am in oxford so nice and central for most places and do not mind the travel, just running out of time this year getting my car ready so have resigned myself to wait until next year.

I see there is one trackday in december at goodwood so will hopefully get a test session outing at this one.

[dopdog]

Took my car to procomp yesterday to get the suspension set-up. Had a good day and learned a lot. found out that all of my wishbone mounting holes are 12mm with 12mm bolts in? That's OK apart from the wishbone bushes are half inch . Once we had the bolts loose all of the wishbones have loads of play in them. This means I now have to either sleeve all of the wishbones or drill the mounts out to the correct size!!!! i have to take the car to bits again.

[matt_gsxr]

The old 12mm half-inch thing. Sorry to hear it has bitten you. It comes up about once every couple of years.

[dopdog]

I can get to all the rear brackets but does anyone have any ideas for drilling the font ones?

[Taff Striker]

Maybe you could try a long series drill bit? It looks like for a 1/2" bit they are just over 8 inches long and cost around the £20 mark.

Rich

[pigeondave]

I used a 1/2" hand reamer and a spanner.
It did involve cut knuckles though.