johndglynn Posted January 10, 2007 Posted January 10, 2007 Melindi has just sent me through the new dates for Spa: Thurs May 31st Fri June 1st The days will be available to book on our website very soon... No prices yet, but TBH I don't think I can get away with it at end of May as Sarah is doing her first year of exams all that month. Anyone fancy it? I could be swung by a huge posse of IBers all lapping Spa on the same day. I would do the Friday, so drive out Thursday, come back Saturday. I am not filling the space left in July, will just keep it to the Euro Tour (which we need to get on with planning now).
AirCooledExcellence Posted January 10, 2007 Posted January 10, 2007 Not sure about that one JG, it's gonna be a bit spendy, then we have Snet & Euro tour shortly afterwards!
johndglynn Posted January 10, 2007 Author Posted January 10, 2007 Not sure about that one JG, it's gonna be a bit spendy, then we have Snet & Euro tour shortly afterwards! Yes it is a challenge, but Snett is bloody cheap at £140, plus is right at the end of the month. Euro Tour will not be mad money and is last big thing before Donington.
JezHill Posted January 10, 2007 Posted January 10, 2007 Melindi has just sent me through the new dates for Spa: Thurs May 31st Fri June 1st The days will be available to book on our website very soon... I would love to do SPA, but it's too close to Le Mans. Dont think I would get a pass from the other half for both events.
bruceb Posted January 10, 2007 Posted January 10, 2007 would be nice, but June already busy with le mans, family hols and possibly IB Snetterton, I think spa will be next year for me
Richard Bernau Posted January 10, 2007 Posted January 10, 2007 Oh come on ! This is the best track anywhere in the world and it now fits my schedule I will either do Autotrack or Goldtrack during that week for 2 days. FYI - you can drive back from Spa in the evening after a day at the track - I have done this the last 2 years after 2 days at the track. I have sacrificed the last 30 mins of track time and blasted up to Calais, then boat or train to Blighty. For me in Kent, I am home before 10pm UK time and ready for work the next day RB
johndglynn Posted January 10, 2007 Author Posted January 10, 2007 Cool, if you go I will too, you only live once. I will mail Mel for a price. See you at the Tunnel.
semprini27 Posted January 10, 2007 Posted January 10, 2007 I might be able to swing it too - baby's not due until 23rd June so might be my last outing for a bit. .....and, as Richard says, Spa to Kent is only a couple of hours.....ish.....should junior arrive early !!
Lesworth Posted January 11, 2007 Posted January 11, 2007 I may be interested too depending on the cost. I dont do track days as a rule but as far as Spa is concerned - I can make an exception.
Richard Bernau Posted January 11, 2007 Posted January 11, 2007 I wouldn't quite class myself as an instructor, but I certainly know my way around Spa so I can lend a helping hand for anyone learning the circuit and give a few pointers. Its a GP track so its very safe with big tarmac runoff areas. There is admittedly some risk at Eau Rouge but there is a sfe track day line for the dry that makes it relatively easy. In the wet, you just have to tip toe around everywhere and stay off the paint. I can also recommend a decent place to stay. http://www.spa-info.be/beausite/ RB Compulsory Spa pics:
jevvy Posted January 11, 2007 Posted January 11, 2007 Awesome photos Richard - please can you both keep me posted on what happens with this as I may be able to make time to attend!
johndglynn Posted January 11, 2007 Author Posted January 11, 2007 Awesome photos Richard - please can you both keep me posted on what happens with this as I may be able to make time to attend! Just waiting for the prices mate and then booking the Chunnel. I plan to do every GP track in Europe in mine.
andy tims Posted January 11, 2007 Posted January 11, 2007 RB have you been round with John Chesters in his GT2? - I did in 2006 & it was better than any fairground ride I've ever been on. Sideways on exiting the pits (just like in the picture), again through the right, left, right after the Kemel & I just pissed myself laughing. JC turns to me & says "you only live once & I like to live it as sideways as possible". He then got up behind a friend of his who was driving an M3CSL and we followed him at 45degrees to the direction of travel (about 12ft from the back of the BM) for the entire lenght of the short straight before Stavelot. "If this doesn't put him off, nothing will" said JC - With anybody else this would have been terrifying, but JC is a properly good wheel man IMO. His GT2 is now for sale @ GT Classis for a cool £125k. Can't wait to have a ride with him in his new CGT. I'm probably going to give Spa a swerve this year - tax bills, wife wants a new kitchen etc. but it truly is a must do track for anyone with a hint of petrol in their blood.
JezHill Posted January 11, 2007 Posted January 11, 2007 Great pics How stiff is that suspension Richard ? - there is not a hint of body roll ! I take it you dont have any fillings
flatsix777 Posted January 11, 2007 Posted January 11, 2007 I'd like to do this one also if there is a few of us going. David
johndglynn Posted January 11, 2007 Author Posted January 11, 2007 I'd like to do this one also if there is a few of us going. David You know it makes sense mate
johndglynn Posted January 11, 2007 Author Posted January 11, 2007 Just pricing up the Tunnel - between £90 and £110 to leave midday Wednesday and return Friday night or Saturday off-peak. I would favour a relaxed drive back via a hypermarché on the Saturday
jevvy Posted January 11, 2007 Posted January 11, 2007 cool, sounds good. Wonder if I can persuade my old man to drive up with his camper van and a load of tools...?
johndglynn Posted January 11, 2007 Author Posted January 11, 2007 Wonder if I can persuade my old man to drive up with his camper van and a load of tools...? Would be good to see him Just priced up ferries and about £85 for out Wednesday noon & back Sat noon, £115 to return Sat before 2300hrs, so no contest has to be Tunnel (thankfully) in case anyone was wondering. Also just priced up RBs hotel and is as follows: Rates for 2006 : Bed and breakfast - from 64 € up to 96 € (rate per room and per night) Fullboard - from 61 € up to 82 € (rate per person and per day) Half board - from 47 € up to 70 € (rate per person and per day) So three nights half board would be say €180, that is £120, plus £110 Tunnel is £230, plus the fuel which is at least two tanks for me, probably closer to three, so that is about another £160 so £390, plus the cost of the trackday and a bit for beer and food.
andy tims Posted January 11, 2007 Posted January 11, 2007 (edited) How stiff is that suspension Richard ? - there is not a hint of body roll ! I take it you dont have any fillings RB's car is the firmest / most roll free IB I've ever been in. Thankfully only on track Jez - notice the ride height too - nice & low. Yours sorted yet? This could be you next year:- To emphasize how stiff Richards cars is compare the body roll in mine (which was hardly sloppy) on a similar(ish) corner. Of course my corner speed will have been much higher :stir: Actually after uploading the picture, there is not that much difference in body roll between the cars, but my CS did have a more compliant ride on standard (for CS) roll bars & OE dampers. Edited January 11, 2007 by andy tims
JezHill Posted January 12, 2007 Posted January 12, 2007 Jez - notice the ride height too - nice & low. Yours sorted yet? This could be you next year:- Actually after uploading the picture, there is not that much difference in body roll between the cars, but my CS did have a more compliant ride on standard (for CS) roll bars & OE dampers. That is pretty cool Andy However, my picture of the same corner would look totally different. I would have missed the apex by about 10 feet due to my 'fast in, slow out' cornering technique and I dont look like Steve McQueen with those glasses ! More like Stevie Wonder in my case. I shall get JAZ to do their magic on the car, when I get round to it, but I can't believe how little spare time I now have with a 4 month old daughter !. Not that I'm complaining. Hope to see you at Silverstone Andy, if you can make it
Richard Bernau Posted January 14, 2007 Posted January 14, 2007 That is pretty cool Andy However, my picture of the same corner would look totally different. I would have missed the apex by about 10 feet due to my 'fast in, slow out' cornering technique and I dont look like Steve McQueen with those glasses ! More like Stevie Wonder in my case. I shall get JAZ to do their magic on the car, when I get round to it, but I can't believe how little spare time I now have with a 4 month old daughter !. Not that I'm complaining. Hope to see you at Silverstone Andy, if you can make it Wait until the second kid arrives! Tell Steve you know me - it can't hurt. He likes to look after people who are enthusiastic and god knows he has enthusiastically done everything I have asked and then enthusiastically billed me! Actually, he is very good on set-up and really quick, so low labour costs usually. If you want to tell him you want a ride height "like Richard's" or "a tad higher/lower than Richard's", he will know what you mean. Print of pictures and talk to him as he can forget stuff. Like most mechanics he is prone to forgetfulness unless you push him. That pic was 22/29mm t-bars and Bilstein HDs. I have bespoke bilsteins now that are stiffer. The car is a fraction soft for track work but its not too bad a compromise given how bumpy some UK tracks are. I have all my fillings. The ride is not too much worse than a modern Golf GTi on 18s. RB
johndglynn Posted January 19, 2007 Author Posted January 19, 2007 OK, this event is now a definite Melindi is quoting a regular price of £250 and giving IB Supporters 10% off that at £225 (per day). This is only £4 less than Autotrack wil be charging for their days starting June 6. I raised this with Melindi and she said they took fewer people, hence the difference. She says her Spa events are more relaxed; last year over 2 days they lost a total of 27 minutes to stoppages, mainly breakdowns. It's a very chilled event but does rely on low numbers. The garages are £75 a day thanks to the track needing to pay for the work they have just done. They are huge, but forget it; that is too much. So car park it is unless it is totally pissing it down, in which case we can get a few garages if there are some left. This is an open pit lane event, OPL is growing on me very fast. It was OPL at Silverstone last weekend and the atmosphere was unbelievably relaxed, I loved it, so Spa will be bloody great. RB is doing two days as far as I know, I am doing the Friday deffo but will prob try to do some instruction and pax laps (as well as vid and photos) on the Thursday. We are staying in Stavelot at the Dufays (looks dear but is highly rated and I got a killer deal) - use this link to check for accommodation. The area is very busy so get to work on booking a hotel ASAP. There are a few B&B places further out that look great too, so email me if you are struggling with finding a place to stay. Travel arrangements will be: Chunnel out on the Wednesday lunchtime and back on the Friday: late night. Hypermarche beer and wine stop on the way home. Will be a blast and a half; am really looking forward to this one. I will post the IBSC online discount code in the forum when I get it
art 1 Posted January 20, 2007 Posted January 20, 2007 Just as an aside I cooked for the Embassy racing team (Porsche of course!) at the Spa 24 hr in 2005, hard work but if anything it strengthened my resolve to have an IB - at one point we were leading the field, after the guys almost totally rebuilt the car during the race, trans, engine, suspension, body work etc etc we ended a credible fifth being up against high calibre "works" Astons, Masers, Corvettes & of course Porsche I managed to drive round the circuit (in the teams tyre buggy!!!) but what an absolutely awesome place - by far the best one I have ever been to perhaps next year I will join you - house sale & tax man permitting - you will undoubtedly have a blast - by the way it pissed down nearly all the time & boy can those mechanics drink!!!
johndglynn Posted January 20, 2007 Author Posted January 20, 2007 A 3.2 laps Spa in 2006- lousy quality but good to watch whatever.
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