TOTALKITCAR & pic's !
Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2007 11:35 am
We (Tim and myself plus son) were on a photo shoot yesterday for Totalkitcar , along with around 20 other '' SYLVA '' based cars. 160 miles and nearly 4 hrs for me , I think longer for Tim. After hanging around for what seemed ages we were offered coffee in the circuit restaurant and eventually the first photo session. We were told after signing on that briefing would be at 9-15a.m. sharp. WELL 
it didn't happen 
Next thing , once all pic's in the pits were done , we moved down onto the track for more pic's . This bit of track is about 1 in 3 ha ha 
so being asked to move up down left right etc for 20min's was amusing.
After about 40 min's all pic's were sorted here and we were allowed onto the track slowly convoying around and return to pits.(Had to be slow cos nobody had helmets with them during the photo shoot .)
Now we were allowed a little play once helmets were in place so in our own time off to the track which was mostly wet/cold. Remembering that NO BRIEFING had occured plus I'd never seen Cadwell before and certainly not driven on it , we trot around at a pretty careful pace , quickening once confidence grew through my backside ----------- now we are shifting
Apparently this was the club circuit and therefore just before a hard uphill left hander ---- YOU SHOULD go through a barrier and return onto the club circuit again ------------ NO MARSHAL pointing this out / or sign and the adrenaline just kicking in , mean't I went straight on , only to see in front of me around the bend TWO Z Cars mini's smack in the middle of the track having a photo shoot .
I was very busy for a few split seconds , Z CARS guys had mouths open and Stuart(passenger) thought , '' oh , dad's done it this time
'' However , after braking it was obvious the damp tarmac wouldn't stop me so off the brakes , across the grass banking , ending up 3 or 4 metres back on the tarmac infront of the Z Cars at a halt
Appologies all round
then went off for a chat 
with the marshal who was stood behind a pile of soft barriers and not visible when we drove by before the mishap. Asked him where the circuit went(no other cars in front as a guide unfortunately) and he said through this gap. So off we went now knowing the circuit - sort of .
Even with ammater marshals on our sprint events direction is always indicated either by sign or a marshall pointing it out. Amazing
Back on track and things were hotting up learning all the bends through hills/hollows , a great fun experience if you've never been there. We did 10 or more laps then in to check fluids etc. Chit chat with Tim , coffee , lower the pressures. Out again , this time pushing quite hard , smoke coming from front left tyre at the barrier turn in . Tim moved over to let me chase an AUDI and a PORSHE but they wouldn't move over and were painfully slow in the corners. Tim had brought an RT with a TOYOTA 4AGE 1.6lt in it. Tim reckoned we were the quickest thing out there in that session. BUT , sadly , the front left tyre grabbed my quad headlights ripping them out , resulting in a split tyre wall . This I'm sure was down to carrying a passenger plus Cadwell is tighter than any place I've been round so needed more lock than normally would be the case. Off to LOUTH to buy a tyre but no joy
then the 3rd thing happened -------------------- stupidly I reversed into a car parked behind me , just didn't see it sitting below my vision UGH 
We did enjoy it though , just sad we didn't get back on track when the sun had dried the track out.
So at some point in 2007 an article will appear in Totalkitcar including a Stylus
Rob.
A few pic's taken by Tim at CADWELL
None on track as Stuart couldn't hold the video still
it didn't happen Next thing , once all pic's in the pits were done , we moved down onto the track for more pic's . This bit of track is about 1 in 3 ha ha so being asked to move up down left right etc for 20min's was amusing. After about 40 min's all pic's were sorted here and we were allowed onto the track slowly convoying around and return to pits.(Had to be slow cos nobody had helmets with them during the photo shoot .)
Now we were allowed a little play once helmets were in place so in our own time off to the track which was mostly wet/cold. Remembering that NO BRIEFING had occured plus I'd never seen Cadwell before and certainly not driven on it , we trot around at a pretty careful pace , quickening once confidence grew through my backside ----------- now we are shifting
Apparently this was the club circuit and therefore just before a hard uphill left hander ---- YOU SHOULD go through a barrier and return onto the club circuit again ------------ NO MARSHAL pointing this out / or sign and the adrenaline just kicking in , mean't I went straight on , only to see in front of me around the bend TWO Z Cars mini's smack in the middle of the track having a photo shoot .
I was very busy for a few split seconds , Z CARS guys had mouths open and Stuart(passenger) thought , '' oh , dad's done it this time
'' However , after braking it was obvious the damp tarmac wouldn't stop me so off the brakes , across the grass banking , ending up 3 or 4 metres back on the tarmac infront of the Z Cars at a halt Appologies all round
then went off for a chat with the marshal who was stood behind a pile of soft barriers and not visible when we drove by before the mishap. Asked him where the circuit went(no other cars in front as a guide unfortunately) and he said through this gap. So off we went now knowing the circuit - sort of .Even with ammater marshals on our sprint events direction is always indicated either by sign or a marshall pointing it out. Amazing
Back on track and things were hotting up learning all the bends through hills/hollows , a great fun experience if you've never been there. We did 10 or more laps then in to check fluids etc. Chit chat with Tim , coffee , lower the pressures. Out again , this time pushing quite hard , smoke coming from front left tyre at the barrier turn in . Tim moved over to let me chase an AUDI and a PORSHE but they wouldn't move over and were painfully slow in the corners. Tim had brought an RT with a TOYOTA 4AGE 1.6lt in it. Tim reckoned we were the quickest thing out there in that session. BUT , sadly , the front left tyre grabbed my quad headlights ripping them out , resulting in a split tyre wall . This I'm sure was down to carrying a passenger plus Cadwell is tighter than any place I've been round so needed more lock than normally would be the case. Off to LOUTH to buy a tyre but no joy
then the 3rd thing happened -------------------- stupidly I reversed into a car parked behind me , just didn't see it sitting below my vision UGH We did enjoy it though , just sad we didn't get back on track when the sun had dried the track out.
So at some point in 2007 an article will appear in Totalkitcar including a Stylus
Rob.
A few pic's taken by Tim at CADWELL
None on track as Stuart couldn't hold the video still
