Mondello Park

Volvoboy

I was at Mondello Park today on the clubman course, great bita craic!

Got brought into a room suited up (jump suit left nothing to the imagination)

Then into another room told on the basics Flags what have ya.

Then into the car a 1800cc Mazda 6, whatever the instructor told me went outa the window, round the corners sideways then for a bit for a few laps.
After that i was put into a single seater, i was 1st behind the pace car (****ting it incase i cut out) it was a 1800cc white yoke RWD, 5 speed RHD shifter:eek:

Got the times and a video (i'll try and upload them)

My best was a 1.02.421 Lap:D

Now to scare a few passangers tonight.

/Guess where i was today:D

Volvoboy

LIGHTNING wrote: »

Who was your instructor? I was working today so their is a 1 in 9 chance it was me By the by the saloon is a 1600cc Mazda 3 but I`ll let you away with it.

Didnt catch the chaps name, he was a big fella. Having the chat with him he was a ex-taxi driver.

mickdw

Are these still the same single seaters as used 3 years ago. I did the clubman course and at the time my best time was just under 59 seconds but only got one clear lap due to the other guys. I lost lumps of time due to not being used to the right handed gear change, I was nowhere with it. I would love to do a few more laps and get used to it, then put in a proper time. Im sure 20 laps or so would do it.
What is a proper time around the clubman circuit in those single seaters? Lightning?

My instructor had a dublin accent with brownish red hair and aged about 23 at the time.

chris85

will be doing this is a few weeks time myself and really looking forward. gonna be strange with the gear change on the single seaters so will see how i get on.

Black_Knight

chris85 wrote: »

will be doing this is a few weeks time myself and really looking forward. gonna be strange with the gear change on the single seaters so will see how i get on.

Made no difference to me when I did it. Great auld craic now, id defo go again if it wasnt so damn expensive. Twould be great if it was cheaper to go a 2nd time round.

On a side note, my day was kinda ruined in the end. I never got my lap times off them, spent about 30 mins waiting after finishing only to be told they couldnt find them and would email it on to me (never happened). They said I could get the video off them (I stupidly thought this was an offering for loosing my times) but they wanted €50 :mad:. Great day, but left a bit peeved that they lost my times and didnt seem too bothered about it.

Black_Knight

Ah yeah, twas just annoying at the time. Id defo go back, have to get the girlfriend on it again. Its hilarious how its mostly lads driving, and then all their wimmins standing by watching.

Seth Brundle

I've done it several times (as a member of the MRMCI we used to get a free go every year).
It was great craic and myself and others were black flagged more than once for racing - must head down again sometime soon!

skibum

I did the "clubman" last november and I really enjoyed myself, and had a great instructor who was very cool and calm in his instruction, giving me great confidence to go harder and harder with each lap in the rover. I had a great time in the single seater but it does take a couple of laps to get used to a completely different driving setup, the very low seating position, gear stick on the right, the noise, vibration, balance of the car etc, then you have the very nervous cautious drivers on the track, I'm no Senna behind the wheel, but it was anoying when been held up by people driving at about 60% when you are trying to give it your best. On my day out I had 4 "clean" laps that were bloody fantastic, the rest were "good", but it was over too quickly.

No problems with the track, well marked for braking points etc, but I felt very frustrated with slower drivers, just when you were getting a nice flow going, you get stuck behind some much slower, wait for the overtaking area and start all over again.

I think that they should time you when in the rover with the instructor and group you accordingly to your abilitly / times. Anybody I talked to agreed that it was great but over too fast and a bit frustrating when been held up.

My lap times were:
best time's 57.68, 58.26,
worst laps, when waiting for spinners, 2.56.99 and 3.15.35

Having said that I'm doing the "Home Straight Course" on the 20th and I can't bloody wait

Slidey

HEY Lightning,

I did the course about 3 years ago, lapped every car bar one on the track.

Just wondering would the fact that I had a 4 speed make any difference?

My instructor on the day got on to me to come back, said my driving impressed him....

Is this just sales talk - do ye say this to eveyone?

Heroditas

I did that course a couple of months ago - best Friday afternoon I've had in years.
Thought it was very tricky to get the car into 5th .... kept putting it accidentally into 3rd so eventually left it in 4th and kept it in that gear all the way around. Got somewhere in the region of 1:02 for my best lap.