Stutopia Posted May 4, 2014 Share Posted May 4, 2014 Today I've been up to Croft for my second ever track day, thank you kindly Jaaaaag owners club. It was an introductory format with four groups getting four 20 minutes stints over the day, which is perfect for my level as it stops me getting tired on track and gives the car a nice break in between sessions, as well as time to check out the stunning Jaaaags - old and new. Not much Jap action on show so The Shark got some great attention, which I was quite proud of, the kids especially seemed to like her and the sprinkling of ladies on show. I also bumped into a couple of former Zed owners (one who bought a 3250 new and only ever ran it on regular :scare: ) who were very interested to have a look at The Shark and chat about Nissan, no one had a bad word to say which is nice as there were some premium cars on show, as you'll see. Conditions were much improved over my first track day at croft, where it hammered down rain all day, so I got to learn about the Zed's dry handling today with OEM suspension components all round. Naturally, I was tentative to begin with as the surface was wet from overnight rain and you don't want to be the guy who spins out in the first session (take a bow Cayman driver!). I was really impressed by the Zed today, it felt really nice and planted and the few times i probably got a bit over confident it gently crept over the surface in a well balanced way, but did let me know that the edge of grip was fast approaching. There was none of the drifting I'd enjoyed during last weekend's stag do karting grand prix (fastest lap holder and overall winner - no big deal ), it was much more controlled and smooth than the wet track day, which was great. My proper mount for the video camera didn't arrive in time, so I had to just wedge it in the passenger sun visor then crop the video down, so it's not the greatest footage you'll see from a car, but it gives you a decent view of Croft, which is a circuit I massively enjoyed driving. It's not got a huge straight, the Zed gets up to about 95mph before Tower Bend (it's not a bend it's a bloody hairpin!), you think it is a 90 degree corner on approach but is more like 120 degrees when it creeps up on you . The Jim Clark Esses and Barcroft are high speed (not for me, but defo for good drivers!) so you can be as aggressive as you want to be and there's a bit of run off there too so you don't feel too scared as you build up your confidence. The Complex is a nightmare in the Zed, its too tight for the big heavy beast and it's somewhere in between 2nd and 3rd gear. Clervaux, at the end of the start finish, is a really great little bend as you're obviously braking in quite hard but you can carry speed if you're brave enough and it's really satisfying when you do AND avoid the gravel on the outside All in all I'd recommend Croft for track day noobs like me, it's got plenty to offer in education and the armco is a nice distance from the track! I'll let the pictures do the talking but a very broad mix of cars, with naturally a heavy Jaaaag presence. How they take some of the classics out on track I'll never know, I'm terrified in my Zed and it's worth a fraction of some of the classics that were out. Beautiful C Type Makes the Zed interior look plush! Massive Rims - I think they're about 24" Beautiful new Jaaags as well as old ones. The bonnet alone is a work of art! Cheeky bit of Fezza action too. And some muscle too in this replica Viper, Rover V8 powered! I fell in love with this little thing, it's just so cute. Loads of classics out today. As well as modern classics. To top it off, some BGW action... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stutopia Posted May 4, 2014 Author Share Posted May 4, 2014 (edited) This won't win any Oscars but I'm quite pleased with it, please don't judge me too harshly, I'm only learning and the Zed is my daily, so I can't afford to push it too hard out there. Just a clean lap and brief bit of me coming up behind an E type - oh and getting passed by a caterham Edit: apologies, in my excitement I neglected to edit out a 'Category A' bad word (don't worry it wasn't a Clarkson). Clean version uploaded. Edited May 4, 2014 by SuperStu 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humpy Posted May 4, 2014 Share Posted May 4, 2014 Great pictures Stu and some absolute stunning motors Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Netnomad Posted May 4, 2014 Share Posted May 4, 2014 Lap looked very smooth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMballistic Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 Some lovely pictures SuperStu and glad you're having fun on track. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetpilot Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 Great to see some lovely cars being driven and enjoyed I dont like open pit lanes as the temptation to stay out is too great, 20 min sessions in a road car is perfect, plenty of time for the car too cool down and time to reflect, take break and for you to cool down too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stutopia Posted May 5, 2014 Author Share Posted May 5, 2014 Great pictures Stu and some absolute stunning motors There were some real beauties on show and it's good to see a few different marques, once in a while! Lap looked very smooth Thanks, I tried to keep it that way, more Button than Hamilton I had some less smooth moments earlier in the day but sadly I only had the camera out for the final session and we'd lost a few cars by that point, so the track was quite quiet. Great for trying new lines, but doesn't make for great TV. Some lovely pictures SuperStu and glad you're having fun on track. Ta. I actually think the Zed will retire from track days now and something lighter and less important (to me) will have to arrive for next time. Great to see some lovely cars being driven and enjoyed I dont like open pit lanes as the temptation to stay out is too great, 20 min sessions in a road car is perfect, plenty of time for the car too cool down and time to reflect, take break and for you to cool down too. It works for me. In my first session I had a great tussle with a Carrera 4, if it hadn't been for the chequered flag, I'd still be out there now chasing it down Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhackyWill Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 Lovely pics and cars. Vid is good too. Sounds a great day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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