SpinEcho
October 22nd, 2006, 03:36
Calabogie Motorsports Park, a new track in my area, has been several years in the making, and was just paved this fall. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to try the Beast out, never having subjected it to a circuit before!
Quick facts: track length 5 km, total elevation change 65 feet, runs partly through forest, partly next to an old gravel quarry (which made it easier to build!)
The Beast did, as I suspected, act as a very heavy and understeery car. As the conditions were a mixture of damp and outright wet areas, this at least made the car predictable, and the ability to get on the throttle early coming out of the turns seemed to give an advantage over some of the mid-engined exotica present. The brakes didn't fare as badly as I expected, based on several posts in this forum, but they are quite grooved and scored, and with a couple more track days, especially if it's dry, they will be completely finished (and they were replaced under warranty only a few thousand km ago!) :rolleyes: :cry:
My biggest problem was the NA-spec 'seats' - more like benches! :vgrumpy: Both of my knees still hurt from where I braced myself against the door and centre console!
All involved had a great time and there were many comments from the most experienced drivers on the quality of the track and level of challenge it presented.
Sorry about the crappy quality on the photos - they were taken with a compact, older digital camera, on my second visit a couple of days ago.
Quick facts: track length 5 km, total elevation change 65 feet, runs partly through forest, partly next to an old gravel quarry (which made it easier to build!)
The Beast did, as I suspected, act as a very heavy and understeery car. As the conditions were a mixture of damp and outright wet areas, this at least made the car predictable, and the ability to get on the throttle early coming out of the turns seemed to give an advantage over some of the mid-engined exotica present. The brakes didn't fare as badly as I expected, based on several posts in this forum, but they are quite grooved and scored, and with a couple more track days, especially if it's dry, they will be completely finished (and they were replaced under warranty only a few thousand km ago!) :rolleyes: :cry:
My biggest problem was the NA-spec 'seats' - more like benches! :vgrumpy: Both of my knees still hurt from where I braced myself against the door and centre console!
All involved had a great time and there were many comments from the most experienced drivers on the quality of the track and level of challenge it presented.
Sorry about the crappy quality on the photos - they were taken with a compact, older digital camera, on my second visit a couple of days ago.