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The Hornet starts Sprinting


hms
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After a couple of years taking the Hornet out on track and airfield days, I have decided to get a little more competetive.

I am signed up to take the Hornet sprinting through Lotus on Track, (who I do my French track days with), who run two classes in the B19 sprint series.

I will be running with Lotus Elises, so I do not expect to win the series, just have some fun and improve my driving skills along the way.

The series starts this Sunday at North Weald. There are some tasty cars in the other classes, Ferrari OC will be there with 308's, 355, 430, 328, 348 and a Dino or two!

I have created a blog at:

http://sprintingfive.wordpress.com/

where you can follow the exploits of the Hornet and myself.

h

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Yeah,

really looking forward to this.

I'm not expecting to win anything, bu tjust have a good time and improve my driving skills.

I volunteered to take the trophys for the two LoT classes to North Weald as that's the only way I'd get my hands on one! :thumbsup_anim:

If you have a better WIM logo Tony, let me have it and I'll replace the one I pinched from your website on the sponsors page.

h

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If you have a good time at North Weald on Sunday, why not come back for more at our sprint there on 4th April?

7Oaks sprint 4th April regs

7Oaks sprint 4th April 10 entry form

 

I've entered my Eunos, but might use the Legacy if the snow comes back like it did in 2008...

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If you have a better WIM logo Tony, let me have it and I'll replace the one I pinched from your website on the sponsors page.

h

 

What size do you need it and I'll send you one? :thumbsup_anim:

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If you have a good time at North Weald on Sunday, why not come back for more at our sprint there on 4th April?

7Oaks sprint 4th April regs

7Oaks sprint 4th April 10 entry form

 

I've entered my Eunos, but might use the Legacy if the snow comes back like it did in 2008...

 

I have Honnington on18th April, so I'll give it a miss!

h

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If you have a better WIM logo Tony, let me have it and I'll replace the one I pinched from your website on the sponsors page.

h

 

What size do you need it and I'll send you one? :thumbsup_anim:

 

Largest size you have and I'll resize it to fit.

h

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Blog updated with a report on yesterdays sprint and North Weald. Click on the North Weald sprint page on the right hand menu's.

www.sprintingfive.wordpress.com

Some photo's of the Lotus classes that I was in, and the Hornet, can be found here:

http://www.mercury-photography.co.uk/galle...lasses-AL1-AL2/

h

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Last in class by a long way. 82nd out of 84 competitors. Faster than a Mini and Jensen tho'.

Derek turned up and offered some suggestions.

At this stage I'm not sure of the things I need to change. There is so little time to test and change things.

I think I need to soften the suspension, maybe loose some air from the front tyres, I was 30psi all around. I need to have a look to see how the tyres have stood up. I'd like these tyres to last the season as these are my tyres, not the Hornets!

As I said the other day, I want to leave the alignment where it is, otherwise we'll keep changing every couple of weeks. The variables will be tyres, pressures and suspension. That will be enough for me to think about at the moment.

Oh, and it was a really good day, great bunch of guys in my class, excellent organisation by Borough 19. Really enjoyed it. Roll on Honnington.

h

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  • 1 month later...

The Honington sprint was last Sunday, I have updated the blog, but at the moment cannot find how to upload video onto the blog,(www.sprintingfive.wordpress.com) so I'lll post it here.

Next Sprint will be at Hethel, the Lotus test track, on the 2nd. I may end up doing this in Lexie, my own supercharged 5, not the Hornet due to health issues with the Hornet.

Photography is not allowed at Hethel so there will be no videos.

 

th_353471a3.jpg

 

h

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Don't know about the no photographs... just read your last post and realise you mean at Hethel. Lotus won't allow cameras in case we photograph any new lotus mules/models that have yet to be announced. The Hethel test track is at the back of the factory, and I believe we drive through the factory to get there.

 

There is a little bit of the Hornet leaving the line from Neal in the car that ran behind me. (Neal was second fastest in class 99.88 compared to my 116.46!)

See:

 

The first is my 2nd practice run and an example of how NOT to do it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a83DFCxJ38

 

The second is my final and quickest run.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-OVf0jOwKY

 

I had 2psi above normal which was less than I had at North Weald. She handled better without the sidewall flex that I had at North Weald, which is why I'd upped the tyre pressures.

From my video on the first hairpin you can see the Hornet has a little moment, but iirc that was down to me releasing the clutch as I had turned in, I think it's called torque steer? (Or c**k up in plain English!)

As for an idea of speed, 12 o'clock on the speedo is 60.

Just had a look at Neal's video again, In hindsight I knew I would probably be faster if I allowed the Hornet to drift to the right on the first corner, but then I saw that Neal was running to the outside of the corner marker, whereas I went to the inside. That's the trouble with sprinting you only get so many go's, unlike on track you can change your approach the next time around!

Roll on Hethel!

h

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