‘TRACKDAY', Bedford Autodrome GT (Bedfordshire) - ***Monday 24th June*** £199

[Foremanator]

Bedford Autodrome GT - Monday 24th June £199

A bit short notice, but thought I’d share as it would be great to see as many RX-8’s as possible! :thumleft:

This event is being run by MSV, priced at £199. The GT configuration is 3.8 miles long with some good technical sections and a chicane on the back straight. Enjoyed the circuit last year as it’s good one for beginners (large run off areas & little Armco) as well as old hands alike.

More details and booking
https://car.msvtrackdays.com/Calendar/C ... /2024/6/24

07:30 - Sign On
08:25 - Briefing
09:00 - Track Time Starts
13:00 - Lunch Time
14:00 - Track Time Resumes
17:00 - Track Time Ends

Noise limit is 101 DB(A) static and 87.5 DB(A) drive-by

Track layout: https://ik.imagekit.io/msv/d409a58b-f4c ... c0d238.png

Address
Bedford Autodrome
Thurleigh Airfield Business Park
Thurleigh
Bedford
MK44 2YP

Members attending

• Brad_wil (RX-8) - Paid + Garage (shared with CNWilson & Foremanator)

• CNWilson (RX-8) - Paid

• Foremanator (RX-8) - Paid

• MightyCondor (RX-8) - Paid

If you book a place, please post up here so we know who's going :thumleft:

[CNWilson]

Looking forward to it mate.

[brad_wil]

Can't wait!

First time the 3 of us will be on the the same track at the same time.

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[brad_wil]

Room for one more?

I've just booked. Seems rude not to given that the Purple car has been taxed this month and needs the use.

The garages were sold out, so would it be ok to store my tools and wheels in yours? Happy to contribute to the cost.

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[Foremanator]

Absolutely @MightyCondor, more than welcome to join and use the garage to store tools + wheels! Will add your name to the list.

Looking forward to it

[mrspiller]

I love Bedford circuit have a blast guys


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[casey]

Have a great time guys! Sorry I can't join you for this one.

[Foremanator]

Sprained my ankle so wont be able to make it anymore, gutted.

Major FOMO so have booked myself on the 15th July at Bedford, will put a post up in case anyone else wants to join.

Have a great day guys.

[MightyCondor]

It's a hot one. I can only do one lap before starting to overheat.

Looks like I'll be investing in a vented bonnet. Thanks to Brad for lending me his for a stint. It made just enough of a difference to allow continuous lapping.

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[Nickp47]

How’s the car feeling now the diff etc is done Alan?

[mrspiller]

It's a hot one. I can only do one lap before starting to overheat.

Looks like I'll be investing in a vented bonnet. Thanks to Brad for lending me his for a stint. It made just enough of a difference to allow continuous lapping.

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Beds a nice guy
Good on him
Strange about overheating though …….
It’s a nice open circuit


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[brad_wil]

It's a hot one. I can only do one lap before starting to overheat.

Looks like I'll be investing in a vented bonnet. Thanks to Brad for lending me his for a stint. It made just enough of a difference to allow continuous lapping.

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Beds a nice guy
Good on him
Strange about overheating though …….
It’s a nice open circuit


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It feels warmer here than the mercury is reading...

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[brad_wil]

Only 3 RX-8'S today.

Quite a few mx-5s

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[MightyCondor]

Diff good. Car had been feeling great.

However had to come in as started misfiring. Discovered catch can full and oil in intake.

Have cleaned but car won't start now. Have just checked plugs but they don't seem too bad. So time to start panicking

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[MightyCondor]

P0335 was a permanent one, the rest are new .

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[Kernow Rotary Specialist]

Unplug and replug the ess

[MightyCondor]

Have tested 3 plugs on jump leads. Car seems to have no or very minimal spark

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[MightyCondor]

Ah the ESS sensor was loose. However I can't fully tighten it. The bolt is turning continuously

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[MightyCondor]

Have managed to get spark, but will try and find some washers to try and get the ESS on securely

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[MightyCondor]

Needed a longer bolt. Used the one holding in the toolbox. Got a new code cropping up now.

Car is running again.


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[MightyCondor]

Well I got back out and running again. Car was fine on track but seems to have more gremlins. When starting the rev counter now seems to be dropping to zero fairly frequently just for a second and then returning to normal. The TCS light also comes on when this happens and stays on.

Despite losing nearly 2 hours of running and lunch, I had a fun day. I've only done Bedford once before back in 2018, back before I had managed to get a track alignment done on the old silver shed. This resulted in me pretty much killing a front pair of Federals and a best lap time of 3.15. Today I managed a 3.05 and my current set of Federals from 2019 still refuse to die. Happy enough with that given the heat issues and traffic and only managing 22 laps for the day

New alignment, diff and ratios made the car more fun. The diff makes the car feel broken on every slow bend on the road, but I think it's helping on track. The 5.1 ratios mean much more use of 4th and even most of 5th on the long straight. I did manage to out drag Clint's car down there, although hard to say if it's engine, ratios or a better corner exit that made the difference.

Anyway nice to be back on track for the first time this year. Thanks to Clint and Brad for the good company and garage space. Brad I need to give you your OBD reader back at Snetterton!

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[brad_wil]

Well I got back out and running again. Car was fine on track but seems to have more gremlins. When starting the rev counter now seems to be dropping to zero fairly frequently just for a second and then returning to normal. The TCS light also comes on when this happens and stays on.

Despite losing nearly 2 hours of running and lunch, I had a fun day. I've only done Bedford once before back in 2018, back before I had managed to get a track alignment done on the old silver shed. This resulted in me pretty much killing a front pair of Federals and a best lap time of 3.14. Today I managed a 3.05 and my current set of Federals from 2019 still refuse to die. Happy enough with that given the heat issues and traffic and only managing 22 laps for the day

New alignment, diff and ratios made the car more fun. The diff makes the car feel broken on every slow bend on the road, but I think it's helping on track. The 5.1 ratios mean much more use of 4th and even most of 5th on the long straight. I did manage to out drag Clint's car down there, although hard to say if it's engine, ratios or a better corner exit that made the difference.

Anyway nice to be back on track for the first time this year. Thanks to Clint and Brad for the good company and garage space. Brad I need to give you your OBD reader back at Snetterton!

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No problem mate. Glad you got sorted in the end.
I had a great day despite it being so hot and sweaty.
It was interesting to see how you pulled away on the straight...I think it's a combo of diff and porting that makes it so quick on the straight.
I remember when I met @mrspiller for the first time there and he absolutely slaughtered me

I'm always surprised at what these cars are capable of doing.
Like the story if the little engine that could

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[brad_wil]

Beds a nice guy
Good on him
Strange about overheating though …….
It’s a nice open circuit

The car has been overheating a lot on summer track days ever since last year. In its first year it was really good, and I don't know what's changed. Over winter I put as much armoflex as I could fit around the radiator to try and get air through it.

The afternoon was better. Car was getting to 110 fairly often but not really above. Oil also occasionally hitting 120.

A vented bonnet may be needed on this car, or a bigger mouthed bumper, or both. Will have to do some research.


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[Kernow Rotary Specialist]

That's 100% ess issues. I belive you've already changed it once? In that case it may be a wiring issue or a faulty ecu. The wiring issue seems more likely. I'd start with drag testing the ess connector pins to check pin tension. If that's acceptable I would meter from ecu to ess plug on each wire to check resistance, then shake test the loom to see if you have a partially broken wire. If the wiring tests show a problem you could run a jumper wire to the ecu and see if that clears your code. If it does, you can run more permanent jumper wires, or replace the engine loom.

[mrspiller]

Beds a nice guy
Good on him
Strange about overheating though …….
It’s a nice open circuit

The car has been overheating a lot on summer track days ever since last year. In its first year it was really good, and I don't know what's changed. Over winter I put as much armoflex as I could fit around the radiator to try and get air through it.

The afternoon was better. Car was getting to 110 fairly often but not really above. Oil also occasionally hitting 120.

A vented bonnet may be needed on this car, or a bigger mouthed bumper, or both. Will have to do some research.


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I had a standard evolve which had been stood for a few years out on track at pembrey on Saturday
With my spare Engie out in it to check over - it done well over 250 miles all day and 140 litres of fuel between 2 drivers , it did t stop for more than 15 mins except for lunch break
It’s doesn’t have aftermarket. Gauges but the one on the dash didn’t budge all day
It does have a vented bonnet , but they were some. Cheap E bday fiesta ones which we cut in
One thing which may help
When we installed the Engine , and ran up to temp it did start getting a bit warm , we realised the faster turning fan on the housing was blocked with leaves so wasn’t working
Blew them out and it worked fine
Hope any of that helps

On a separate note
We have the fan turned on at an earlier temp on the race car


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