Silverstone Single Seater Experience (Part 1) - Stowe Circuit - 31Jan09

[Largallama]

hi,i notice that you did this in feb,i have one in feb,do you need gloves or not,just thinking of the cold and holding the wheel.Also what was your fastest lap time?

[godzuki691]

hi do they restrict the cars ? been watching other experiences at places like brands hatch and the cars seemed alot slower and are apparently restricted to 4000 rpm

[RMspeedfreak]

Hi - There are no rev limits or speed limits and you can overtake on any straight - as long as you are back in single file for the braking zone. Only rule is if you spin - your session is over! I am not aware of any other 'experience' that allows this - or gives you as long in the car for the money. Only reason they can do this at Silverstone is because there are only the single seaters on the Stowe circuit together with no other 'exotic' cars around you. Beats 4 laps in a Ferrari easy! RM ;-)

[godzuki691]

@RMspeedfreak excellent thanks- planning on doing it in january for my 20th cant wait. just hope i dont spin 

[RMspeedfreak]

Hi - Someone else is planning to do this in Jan - so I have uploaded some footage of following the 'pace car' around the track to show him what happens first before you are let loose for the free-lapping session. This gives you the opportunity to see the racing line and learn the layout before putting the hammer down. They build the speed up gradually so you can get a feel for the grip too - so you shouldn't spin off at the first corner. Give it 3000 revs to pull away without stalling!! RM ;-)

[rafa281]

@RMspeedfreak whats the fastest you've been on this session?

[joyde2007]

@RMspeedfreak hello what type of helmet cam do you use?

[0208thebreed]

Type, the single seater thrill in HD, uploaded by 0208thebreed

[DrivingExperienceDay]

Wow so fast.

[saphrox]

That was pretty cool. Did you have a more powerful car, cause your over takes were easy, and more often than not, you had gone wide in the last of the SS's and the car infront had got a better exit, yet you still just drove past them, and you wern't in their tow for long. Infact I would have said you were in the dirty air, rather than it helping you. but needless to say. Ausome vid.

[RMspeedfreak]

Hi - all cars were supposed to have same performance - so if you get right up behind the car in front at the end of the straight they can get a blue flag - and sometimes i might have changed my line to get on the gas early to make sure i could blast past quick enough on the short straights - as no overtaking is allowed in the braking zones..... RM ;-)

[cardiffguy85]

pretty good driver i see :P

[ApocalypseBrown9]

I went today and all can I say is WOW! Simply an exhilarating experience driving with such grip, so low down to the ground and in wet/muddy conditions. The staff were excellent, though some weren't too impressed when I didn't come into the pits and mistakenly did another lap at the end lol. 40 mins doesn't seem longer enough to drive whilst you're out there, but it's more than enough to leaving a lasting impression in your memory forever!

[mwhill1987]

Did this yesterday! i was in No. 6! had an Amazing time, would recommend anyone! the are actually quicker than they look!

[Pedro15641820]

I'll be having mine 29 Sep 09, 25th bithday, let's see if I can do better !!! loll

[ApocalypseBrown9]

Looks so great, must be such a adrenaline rush driving the Duratec. But why shorted the track? As with the amount of other drivers out there you won't be the chance to really tear round at full speed, but I still want to go no-the-less.

[mjwilcox1]

How did you go about recording the day?

Did you have to take your own camera? Or was there an opportunity to buy a recording?

I'm doing the shorter Single Seater Thrill next Saturday and would love to stick footage of myself on my Facebook.

[RMspeedfreak]

I took my own helmet camera - but they do have a few cars with a camera mounted on the bodywork that can record your session. You have to book it at sign on and you get the footage at the end burned on a dvd for about £50 - RM ;-)

[ndlsavage]

that's 35 pound not 50 for the DVD

[mjwilcox1]

I'm doing the thrill next Saturday, which is a shorter version. You need a year or two on the licence for that one, can't remember which.

[mjwilcox1]

oh, and you need the counterpart as well, the paper bit.

[harwoodmichael]

Yeah stalling is easy to do, the best tip I could give anyone is to play with the clutch before you start the engine and notice how short the range is, and then when pulling away you have to REALLY slowly let the clutch out less than a millimetre or two, its not like a road car where its quite spungy and you can let it out a long way before it bites, with these clutches just REV the engine loads and let the clutch out REALLY slowly. That way you'll be fine :-)

[harwoodmichael]

Forgot to check back on these comments after my track day, but yeah the gears are very different to road cars, but dont worry as you dont need to use them that much, they have 4 gears and you only really need 3rd and 4th when racing at full speed, the clutch only pushes in about 2 centimetres, the gear stick is on the right in a H format and again only has to be moved millimetres to change gear. I was lucky enough to get a dry day and it was AWESOME! The most amazing and exhilarating thing ever!

[RMspeedfreak]

The hole in the air from the car infront does make a bit of difference - but the straights aren't really long enough to tuck up behind someone - get a bit of a tow - and then pop out from behind them and still get the overtaking manoeuvre done before you get to the next braking zone. Best way to overtake is to get up their tailpipe going into the braking zone - then get on the gas earlier coming out of the corner to get past as quickly as possible on the early part of the straight. RM ;-)

[harwoodmichael]

I'm also quite interested to see if you can feel or make use of slipstreams too in these cars, that would be great. Did you feel it helped with your overtaking?

I suppose I will find out myself tomorrow before anyone gets chance to reply to this, so looking forward to it as the cars sound great by the sounds of things! :-)

[harwoodmichael]

I'm going tomorrow (22nd Feb 09) to do this too, been watching your two video's loads

to pre learn the track and get a feel for the corners. Your driving is great, hope i can do as well tomorrow :-) I imagine the gears are not automatic, and doing quick gear changes on the straights will be key for overtaking, along with accellerating as you leave the corners apex and into the straight to get a head start on the guy in front hopefully, which is what you seemed to do well each time. Awesome!

[RMspeedfreak]

You got the right idea from the video footage - hope you enjoyed it. It was cold again yesterday - but dry at least - so pretty good conditions for late Feb. I was racing with Club100 on their 'Extreme' TKM 115cc 2-strokes yesterday at Buckmore Park - great fun too! RM ;-)

[captainmonkey7]

Are the cars easy to drive? Are the gears automatic?

[RMspeedfreak]

Cars are pretty straightforward to drive. Racing clutch is quite heavy and manual 'crash box' will never be smooth like a road car. You need to give it a good 3000 revs to get away without stalling and just bash it through the gears as quick as you can when you are out on the track. The quicker you go - the easier it is! RM ;-)