RGT Silverstone GP Circuit, Yesterday in the GT-R Options

[QuickNick]

I went to Silverstone yesterday to do a track day on the old GP circuit, was the first track day I had done in the GT-R since the Nissan Race Academy, and I must say it was great fun but was slightly dissapointed with gearbox and tyres..

I absolutely love the car, and first impressions following the NRA day was that it is built to do track work and can handle it all day long BUT...

Felt fast at first and well balanced but perhaps I was pushing the limits too hard (I doubt it) but the brakes faded quickly and so did the tyres, and at £600 per tyre that also takes some of the enjoyment out with not wanting to do too much damage lingering at the back of your mind...

Problem was, at NRA it is the first time you drive the car, you do a couple of stints under instruction, which is a lot to take in, and then you go home full of adrenaline. In your car, unfortunately it just isnt the same.

I couldnt drag my eyes away from the gearbox oil temp which climbed fairly quickly at full pelt, which meant after 20 mins of track time I wanted to come in and cool the car down.

Shame really, because of course on the road you cant imagine anything with better performance! Here are some nice pics though all the same:















Looking at these pics now actually perhaps it wasnt the GT-R being difficult perhaps it was all the crazy machinery there making us feel slow! An amazing exhibition of cars there, and the best thing was that all these rare cars were out lapping hard!

Enjoy.

Nick.

[paul_k]

I think most cars would be getting hot brakes after 20 minutes so its sensible to let it cool down around this time otherwise you will get cracked discs Tyres are now £950 for a set of Bridgestones.
Gearbox temps can be a problem in hot weather though...
You must have been driving it slowly because nothing touches it on the track!

[QuickNick]

You must have been driving it slowly because nothing touches it on the track!

It wasnt so much driving slowly just that V8 Lola's with serious downforce and supercharged Atom's just have the edge on track...

Still I know what I would rather be in on the road!

[3FIDDYZ]

Nice work Nick and some lovely snappery as usual!!

Looks like things are doing well and the new venture is going well.

Mark

[WoREoD]

Not sure you need to worry about the tyres - unless you're drifting of course! My Dunlops lasted 17k miles include 50 laps of the Nordschleife (some of which were quite quick!)

Not sure the Bridgestones are as fast on a lap though - will find out for certain in August when I get some instruction from Colin(CATDT) and Dirk Schoysman)....