OK, let's talk cars and Europe. I have a deposit on a trip to Germany next September which includes driving Porsches (I have 2009 turbo reserved) three countries - and 5 days in Italy. Going back to the Porsche Factory and new museum, Lambo and Ferrari in Italy too. Then a 3-day add on trip to Nurburgring. Will be taken on a trip in a GT2 by a professional driver around the ring and we will get to drive BMW's and Porsche's after some on track training. Very special trip, a once in a lifetime experience! We put our deposit down last summer. Now if the stock market would go back up so we won't feel guilty. I can't wait!!!!

 

ok, no more drivel.

Please forgive me, I am neck deep in the presentation that we give in a few hours. I'll post up my pics of my trips to London and Bath latter tonight. Of course, there is no photography within the Lotus grounds, so no pics or video of that.

I do have stories of fire, smoke, drifting, an incredible steak and ale pie, and a chicane that would scare Ayrton Senna himself. Ok, maybe not that scary, but everything else is totally true. Even the fire!!

more tonight. Back to my "boring" day job.

 

That sounds like a great trip, Greta. I'll post up video of the 'Ring in a couple of weeks. I have a private day on the 4th of November. Private in the US "Track Day" sense. Which is different than the Turistfahrt. (spelling?)

Heading to Italy later in November. Not sure where at. we're done with Venice and Firenze, so maybe Rome or the Northwest hill towns.

best,

Trevor

 

It was 8am in the small farming village known as "Hethel." A brisk day with a promisingly bright sky above greeted me as I stepped out of the rental car and looked out over the Lotus Test track. "I'm finally here," I thought to myself. Perfect weather too, for this time of year in Eastern England.

I turned toward the approaching blonde woman, Lisa Dann, our conductor for the days orchestra of driving and social events. Lisa guided me upstairs to the breakfast and meeting room. We watched some Lotus racing videos as I got to know the other 3 participants for the day: James, a Lotus Sport technician; Bea, a Londoner; and Jeremy, a Corporate Finance man from London.

We met our instructors. Paul, a 3 year veteran driver for Lotus with a number of years before that. His "day job" is as an "Anorak" in the factory. Basically, the designers give him the goals of the car and other bits of info, he compares that to what parts they have on hand/ already have designed, and puts together a cost estimate for the concept. A quote from Paul later in the day, "Engineers make everything out of unobtainium." Apparently, it is a very old element that all engineers understand?

Our second instructor, Shawn, was an 18 year veteran driver. Motorbikes, cars, freestyle, you name it he'd done it. Man could these two guys drive!! I have ridden with some good drivers and instructors over the past few years, but nothing like these guys.

The drills:

James and I teamed up with Paul for the day. Our first of three drills was the Slalom. A full 1/2 mile of cones in which we would be deep into 3rd gear during. Cones were of various distances, and various widths. Each set of cones was a gate of two cones that you had to go between, and still make the next set. The drill concentrated our effort on judging distance and speed, then adjusting the racing line accordingly. Oh yeah, the car is right hand drive, so shift with your left. mmmm, yummy. I absolutely crushed several cones that first run. But the rest of them were easy as pie. Which is also yummy.

The second drill was Heel-toe. We didn't spend much time here as both James and I already had it down. Just a few runs, a couple of comments from Paul (more foot on the brake), and we were off to the third drill and taking all of our extra time with us!!

The skid pad. We must have spent nearly 2 hours on the skid pad. This is really where you learn and perfect corner exit car control on the limit. They gave us an Elise with 175s all around and wet the pavement for us. Nice an slippery, but still real world enough that everything breaks loose at the right times. After about 1 million attempts I finally drifted the Elise in a circle. Not spun in a circle, but drifted. Balancing the front and rear, keeping the magic slip angle and smiling like a kid on Christmas.

We kept going on the skid pad because the lunch place was running behind, fine by me. Now I can't wait for the next rainy track day!! Pretty much every run I was drifting the Lotus with ease. Jeremy Clarkson, eat your heart out!

Lunch. yummy Steak and Ale pie for me. Great to hang out with the Lotus Crew and hear the stories. Shawn broke his back a few years ago on a bike. He just got back on the bike not too long ago.

The thrills:

Afternoon lapping on the test track. No more small tires, no more wet pavement (ok, a little bit as we crossed the skid pad section of the track), no drills, just drive. Wring it out!! First session is just 15 minutes to get you familiar with the car on the track and get a sense for the low grip areas and tight spots. The second and Third sessions are all out and then some.

We grabbed a black 2009 Elise S. 135 bhp, about 1800 lbs. (less?), not available in the US, no airbags. Tops off, wind in our faces (open faced helmets) and speed in our veins.

A lap with Trevor in the Drivers seat. Paul is ear to ear grins, front straight. Throed gear, the tire walls is closing on us fast, wait for it, wait for it, fourth gear, full throttle. Hold, hold, still full throttle, Paul's grin grows. Squeeze the brakes, both of us thrown ever deeper into the belts, strain on the neck, tires moaning in pain, clutch-blip-third gear, ease the brake out, slight throttle, right, full throttle, left, full throttle, hair pin approaching. Brakes, hard, off, Turn drift, throttle, hold the drift, see the exit, wind out the steering.

Catch your breath, we're 1/3 the way around. Next turn sequence is tough. it requires braking and turning with no room for error.

Heading down "Factory Straight" now. Third gear, fourth gear, turn is a blind left. Lining up on the right fog line, deep, deeper, turn left, Squeeze the brakes hard, harder, dial out the steering, more brakes, turn right, ease off the brakes, more right lock. Throttle just a bit to calm down that nimble back end. Full throttle squeeze, toward the sharp left hander, wait, wait, brakes NOW!, harder, off the brakes, light throttle, more throttle, right hander, steady on the throttle, the car is drifting all four tires now, hurtling toward the grass. 10 ft, 5 ft, 2 ft, 6 inches, tires find the fog line and the subtle sound change from the road wheels, hold the steering as it carries you back to the right side of the track, still in third gear here. Down to the traction circle, third gear, fourth gear, briefly. Hard on the brakes, Everything is hot now, gobs of grip. Clutch-blip-Third gear. Deep in the throttle for this high speed turn, then down to Clutch-blip-second. Traction circle. Turn in, let the car come toward the apex and add throttle until it is scrubbing the front tires. big lift, back end steps WAY out! Stay off the throttle, dial in Full lock then back out 1/4 turn. now add a little bit of Seasoning (Throttle) and your cooking with drift. nose pointed where we want it as we come around the corner. There's the exit point, track left, wind out the steering and add throttle. Full throttle, through the Senna curves, to the Chicane. Fourth gear, chicane coming up FAST! Deeper, deeper, way right, more right, on the fog line now. slight lift, turn in, throttle, full throttle, We are back onto the back straight, lap 1 complete. only a couple of hours left.



At the end of the day, we got a couple of laps with our instructors. Paul was about 500 revs beyond me at any point on the track. Unbelievable. Just when you think you are getting fast, you realize how slow you are. That you need to return to the basics to get more out of the car. Before the Lotus day I was this close to getting a S/C for the Exige. Now I am this close to getting a slot in a skippy school.


Some nuggets I picked up from Paul.

Clutch kick
the sweet spot in the suspension for drifting the car
The three turn questions sequence
more foot on the brake, less on the gas
keep pushing the brake pedal harder.
The importance of corner exit car control.

I'm convinced that the single biggest reason he was so much faster was his ability to carry speed out of the two hairpins. Don't get me wrong, he was faster everywhere. But the biggest gap was the two hairpins.

Lotus is changing the program next year to be 4 programs rather than 2. I felt that this program was the right level for me. it was my third school and the most advanced that lotus offered this year. next year they will offer one or two levels above this one.

 

Trevor, what a great writer you are! You painted a perfect picture of your event - I could experience your elation through your words ! Sounds like a fun time.

 

When your back stateside your teaching me how to drift a lotus

 

About 2 hours east of London is a wonderful stop. A place that will sending you reeling back over a thousand years to stand side-by-side with Roman conquerers, the first kings of England, and simply incredible architecture. The city of Bath is worth it. I don't normally enjoy traveling to the same place twice, but this is one of them.

I look forward to going back and I'll be taking my wife with me. Totally worth a few days. I'd give it one day just to sit in the square nursing a drink and listening to the bards play their melodies.

Here are some pictures and a couple of videos. Please let me know if the video's don't work. They may open in another window. I still haven't figured out how to embed a video.




Roman Baths 1


Roman Baths pic 2


The Abbey


Random residential street

 

Pics added.

I'll get to the London stuff later today.

I hope those videos above work. I wish I had an external mic for the camera. The bard playing in the square was actually quite good and the aqustics there were incredible. It was a good sound. You can kind of hear it in the video.

 

I visited Bath years ago and you're right, it really is a stunning place to visit. Did you get a chance to go on any of the tours? My favorite was the Roman Bath house for obvious reasons. When I went there, I also stopped by Stonehenge too.

 

I did. One of those videos and a couple of the pictures is from the Roman Baths. It was great doing that one.

 

The Roman baths in Baden Baden, Germany are a real treat although now a days some what pricey. You actually get to experience the whole ritual starting with a shower, body scrub, hot room, steam room, several different mineral pools of varying temperatures, all followed by another shower then you're bedded down for a nap in a darkened room. The whole thing takes several hours. WARNING! know the German words for coed bathing and men only or women only. I picked a coed day quite by accident.

 

It's snowing here in Zurich.

 

Just think less than 2 months and you will be home.

 

Spoken like a true Mother.

everybody say, "Aww, isn't that cute"

Seriously though, thanks mom. I'll be driving the most dangerous race track in history on Tuesday. Don't worry, I'll be careful and I am driving a relatively slow car. Besides, it doesn't come close to what I was doing in 2003!

Here is a picture of the snow for everyone.

 

I will be there first thing in the morning on the 1st. Wish me luck getting a seat in the M5.