Well, we can negotiate on the day, and based on how wacky the races are, but if you miss the driver briefing, we might be able to book my vRS out on an extra session on the day.

 

At the minute I will be doing 4 sessions, two with Brisky and two in the opens.

Awesome, looking forward to sat should be abit of a laugh!

The Brisky days at Combe are always great IMO.

I noticed someone is compiling their Checklist.

 

So for the day, some essentials.

 

For Starters,

At lease a match pair of spares with you. (get home legal Wheel/Tyres)

A Good tyre pressure gauge.

A good means of inflating tyres.

A Good Wheel Brace.

The bits and pieces needed, a wheel chock and a jack.

I noticed someone is compiling their Checklist.

 

So for the day, some essentials.

 

For Starters,

At lease a match pair of spares with you. (get home legal Wheel/Tyres)

A Good tyre pressure gauge.

A good means of inflating tyres.

A Good Wheel Brace.

The bits and pieces needed, a wheel chock and a jack.

 

Good advice George, thanks.  I am taking a full spare and will beg/cadge one off a fellow Fabia owner if all goes dramatically wrong.  Check on the other bits and pieces.

 

Getting a bit nervous now, just had another look at some videos of the circuit, quite a lot of crash videos, my word the run offs are short at Combe

Is it not worth putting a pair from your Winters in the back of the car,

and leave these with someone while on the track?

Is it not worth putting a pair from your Winters in the back of the car,

and leave these with someone while on the track?

 

I would do if I hadn't sold them to a member on here in January

Now.................should I shed my 25kg ballast tomorrow or not?

 

I already have a member who will stow my spare wheel kit in their car for me whilst I am out.

In all honesty it will make very little difference, changing your bhp per tonne by only 2 or 3 maybe.

Having a bit of weight in the back can actually help in my experience as the car is more balanced.

 

Don't worry about all the crash videos, that's people driving like morons.

Just enjoy the experience and don't try to get the best lap time ever and it'll be fine.

Last minute butterflies are normal.

I usually get them while waiting in the pits and then have an absolute blast once the green light comes on!

 

And don't forget to make sure you have plenty of fuel.

 

Last year someone was a bit low, sucked air on a hard corner and the sudden loss of power caused the car to unbalance and have a moment on the grass as they were going quite quickly.

Bossfox did you not go and remove stuff from the rear of the Yeti last Year?

 

What are the BTCC 'Success Ballast Weight' penalties,  

9kg -45 kg i believe.  

 So thats the same as the weights off and the Spre Removed.

 

vRS brakes even uprated ones overheat.

The XDS Disables its self when hot.  (Good)

 

More weight has brakes working harder and that will probably being over heating easier.

25 KG is worth having gone on the track.

Bossfox did you not go and remove stuff from the rear of the Yeti last Year?

 

What are the BTCC 'Success Ballat Weight' penalties,  

9kg -45 kg i believe.  

 So thats the same as the weights off and the Spre Removed.

 

I take the rear seats out, Yeti has heavy steel framed folding seats - 60kg.

But I leave the spare in as the weight is low and far back.

 

I just prefer it like that.

 

It's a fun day, I'm not sure many people would notice if they go 0.2 seconds quicker per lap.

By all means, take it out.  But I doubt it really makes much difference at all considering we are enthusiatic amatures.

 

Bare in mind BTCC success ballast is spread around the car to maintain it's balance.

Where as the rear weights and spare are all right at the back.

If you are used to how the car handles on the road it seems unusual to potentially unbalance it for your first ever track session.

The Twincharger with stage 1 is 210 bhp or so

and about 1,300-1,350kg track weight full tank.

 

So the 25kg lost will do no harm, and the rear seats out.

Might help both brakes and tyres,  not going to add to the heat they are getting to.

 

http://btccpages.com/btcc/regs.php#ballast

Clearly we have a different opinion.

 

My comment was aimed at Sparkly who is very keen and looking at doing his first track day.

I'm sure he has driven quickly, but I doubt very much he has pushed the car as hard as it will be on Saturday.

 

I personally favour running the car as it is, then making changes to see how that effects the cars poise and balance.

 

For example, with my rear seats out and spare in I can get the back loose under heavy braking and this makes the front very pointy and very good in the corners with little understeer.

If I take the spare out too, it's too prone to oversteer as the back gets lighter, meaning I have to be more gentle = slower into corners.

 

I used the Yeti with the trim in first, then started to make changes to see what I liked.

We know.  

You do lots of Track Days.

 

How is the Yeti Tuned now?

 

I did suggest to him he removed the weights 6 months ago in preparation, & not just before driving it on the track,

but he has evolved the car a bit in the time in between,

 

Just all good fun, but still no need to carry weight when not having lots of power.

Front wheel drive, no Haldex or the likes.

It's mapped and has Golf ARBs George, as on the stock ARBs it leaned quite a bit and the car electronics refused to let me accelerate out of corners.

When we did Bedford "How Fast?" I spent most of the day driving around the ESP.

It's actually relatively standard.

 

 

I'm not trying to tell people what to do, just sharing my concern with removing around 45?kg from the rear end of a nose heavy car the first time out.

I lightened the rear of my mkI Fabia quite a bit and ended up doing this...

 

Bossfox,  are we getting to know what it is Mapped to?

 

I am looking forward to seeing how the vRS Estates do this year.  (Or Sharkrider )

 

Not nose heavy with an estate, the balance works well.

Even with the Spare out of the Estate or Hatch,

the rear end of the estate behind the wheels is 95 KG more than a Hatch with the weights off.

 

george

I would do if I hadn't sold them to a member on here in January to fund my shameful wax addiction problem

FTFY

don't push it and exceed your or the cars limits first time out, like I did :(

Bossfox,  are we getting to know what it is Mapped to?

 

It's between 200 and 205 horses apparently.  Never had it checked.

But is bigger and heavier than a mkII Fabia by maybe 150-200kg.  Not to mention rather less aerodynamic.

It scores on the torque and having four wheel drive.

Quicker in the corners, slower on the straights.

Sorry for the thread derailment Sparkly.

Was out getting a sandwich, but by all means, don't mind me.

 

Much as you both don't see eye to eye, it's all good info for me.

 

You've both helped me a lot with input on many things over many threads.

 

 

 

Just keep it friendy, ok  

On the point about oversteer, this is a concern for me.  Since lowering and RARB my car has a twitchy bottom, so much so, this is a bigger concern than understeer.

 

I was in two minds whether the outhanging ballast would add or reduce oversteer.  Given how far out it hangs will it not increase oversteer?  I take the point on weight, but in my mind if I was to keep one or the other, surely better to lose the ballast and keep the slightly more inboard weight of the spare wheel?

 

Fair comment, I have pushed this car, but only within the realms of safety on the road and not on track where I expect to get to know it better.

I actually have quite a bit of respect for George, he knows a lot about the mkII Fabia VRS.

We just end up with a good discussion occassionally.

Is the Yeti vRS not planned to be putting out slightly more than 200-205bhp Richard?

I actually have quite a bit of respect for George, he knows a lot about the mkII Fabia VRS.

We just end up with a good discussion occassionally.

 

His depth of knowledge on it is very impressive. Would love to see him on Mastermind..... "and your chosen specialist subject is -the mk2 Fabia vRS..."!