HotRod

Doing the Palmer 'Motorsport Sensation' day at Bedford soon and can't wait!

Anyone done this - what are the best drives, and any tips to get the most out of the day??

cheers, HotRod

Brendan Hughes

Take an exhaust bung.

davyboy

I did it a while a go. Naturally I was the winner

Drive as fast as you can - faster in fact!

The instructers will be egging you on to go quicker all the time!

You will be buzzing after you day!

TopBanana

Did it a couple of years ago. Was the fastest on my day too Davy - perhaps we should go head to head one day

I'd say the same... don't be nervous as you don't get much time in either car - go for it. Make sure you're aware of other cars on the track. You'll be amazed how easy the single seater is to drive.

Cupramax

Yep I've done it too. Excellent day, booked in again in a few weeks Just go bonkers in the VX220T's 360'd mine at 90mph which was an experience...

phok

done it a while back....absolutly brilliant day. particular impressed with the vx220t but the palmer jag is just something else!

AllanB

Did it a few years ago and think the cars are different now.

DId it when they had the S3 and Audi TT both of which I hated. Elise was fantastic in the wet . However the single seater was very hard to drive and I spun it on some mud in the braking area at 140mph and managed to guide it down a bit of tarmac off the main stright and ended up wuite near to a wall ! Rather scary really !

You'll love it !


AllanB

tmo

Did it about two weeks ago (the 4th time)

You are well looked after allday, nice breakfast to start with, you are allocated a “team leader” of the female variety and a mini bus which stays with you all day to transport you round the various activities. Each circuit has its own suite with toilets, TV’s, drinks etc.
Lunch is usually chicken, but last time they shocked everyone (even the instructors) by serving beef, then tea and buns at the end of the day.

Caterhams - total fun, listen to the instructor and for the first lap or so take it "easy" and learn the track. Two lots of 5 laps I think.

Clio cup cars - even more fun, sequential box, LHD stick like **** to a blanket. Uses the same track as the FPA, around 10 laps. Top car love it to bits

Evo - New bit of track this year, you are scored out of 100. Basic idea is to get the car sideways for as much of the lap as possible (drive it like it's stolen) and you are encouraged to do so, quick opposite flick before steering in the direction of travel sits the front end down nicely, eradicating understeer.

VX220 - top car, sticks well, goes like a rocket

Palmer Jag JP1 on the South Circuit ...... well what can you say, 600kg LeMans stlye open cockpit. 6 speed sequential box, 3 ltr V6. Does exactly what it says on the tin!!!
Awesome machine, not many people are privileged enough to drive something like this. Makes you realise just how quick it is when you pass a VX220 (they use the same circuit)
Straight out of the pits down the straight banging it through the gears (flat change) pulling approx 130mph then a quick lift and back on the power though the chicane. Area round the pits is tight and good fun, chicane before that section takes some getting used too !!!
Takes some believing but it just sticks to the road !!!

Palmer Jag again !! But on the smaller circuit east circuit loads of fun, launching it down the straight is great. Got told off for pulling 5th gear, they like you to stay in 4th on the straight
Vauxhall Frontera - doesn’t count in the points this year but is a great off road experience.
Karting – Great fun – First time I went Justin Wilson was looking after this activity!!!

FPA – Want to feel like a “proper” racer ?? well this is it, you are allocated a car according to your size, your mechanic gets you seated and straps you in, make sure you can reach the pedals comfortably if not they can put a bit of foam behind you.
Gear change is 5-speed dogleg on your RH side. Be brutal with it it’s the only way if you don’t you will find yourself fumbling for a gear going into a bend, by which time it is too late …..
Give it a couple of laps to warm the tyres and brakes up (first time I went I didn’t bother and just did the “***** out “ attack, it doesn’t work believe me )
Make sure your helmet is tightly strapped on as it buffers and lifts if not (same on the jag)
The chief instructor during the briefing will tell you that if you are not comfortable with the gear change you can leave it in 3rd for the complete lap, THIS IS TRUE, its amazing the lap times some of the lads get leaving it in this gear.

A lot depends on the instructors, most are youngish up and coming drivers and encourage you to drive to your limits (and beyond),
My instructor in the Evo was a bit of a tw@t, think he was having an off day so I just got on and did my own thing.

I have been both in the wet and dry, both days are equally enjoyable, hope the write up helps, bit long winded but its worth explaining.

GaryK

Yep do it you will NOT regret it, I did the motorsport sensation back in 2000 and it was the best organised event I think I have ever attended. As tmo says you get a 'chaperone' who carts you around in a mini-bus from activity to activity, breakfast in the morning good lunch and award ceremony at the end, it is a full day 8 till 5pm and unlike other motorsport stuff I had done they let you absolutely drive the **** out of everything. Even when you are waiting to have a turn driving on something they have a little go-kart track (Was I think waiting to jump into the palmer audi's). Yes and speaking of the FPA's they are awesome, you get a piccy with you sat on it and a print out of all your telemetry, I ended going round in third cos the gear change was tricky. All in all a fantastic day out. O and hit a cone at about a ton in a UK impreza turbo and smashed the offside foglight and didnt get charged for it!

Gary

TopBanana

Sounds like I was talking about a different event!

Brendan Hughes

a) OK, it sounds brilliant. What cost? (and is it a single person thing, or do you have to have a minimum group booking?)

b) How much is tuition, and how much is hooliganism? I can't control a car when the wheels lose grip - should I go for such tuition rather than doing this?

HotRod

Thanks for the feedback guys - sounds like I'm in for a great day. tmo- sounds like you'd better get a season ticket!
Any advice what to wear - do they provide overalls or do you need a waterproof coat for the open cars??
Cheers HotRod

TelBoy

I thought it was fun. On the day.

But i'm not sure i got much out of it to take away with me.

If it's a course to improve your driving you're after, this isn't it. As an indulgent day out, it's good.

the moose

I enjoyed it, particularly the Palmer Audi. I hated the VX220, and wasn't especially inspired by the JPR1, but it was a very wet day, so perhaps that made the difference.

The racing Clio was fun, especially coming onto the straight past the pits on pretty much full lock and the instructor screaming at me to keep full on the power (cos those tyres would have hurt if we'd hit them at that speed).

I was nowhere near fastest; we seemed to have a semi-pro team of ringers on our day.

GaryK

Last I saw cost it was about £600 per person and you need a team of 12, they provide overalls and plimsoles for the FPA and lids for everything for the open top stuff yes best to take wet weather gear.

As said its not about tuition although the instructors do you give you guidance as well as telling you to completely ignore the braking cones and go faster on each lap!

Also they change the cars as well, I would go back because they didnt have the vx220 or evo's when I did it, I drove an S3, TT, Elise, FPA, UK turbo, 'teg type r and a caterham.

tmo

Think its now teams of 20, but I believe if you are in a very small group they will place you with a bunch of others.
Not sure on cost, I have always been on freebies!!