8 Sleeps till Porsche Days at Spa Francorchamps!

[svandamme]

Annual Porsche event hosted by the Porsche Club of Spa Francorchamps.
Did 3 casual laps with pace car last year.
Had left some room at la Source to get some speed through Eau Rouge

First time at some speed through Eau Rouge :


Nearly got my head slammed in the door from the G.
It's brutal

This year I'm booked for the entry level track session, 30 minutes & 45 minutes with the Cayman.She has a fresh water pump, oil, maf, plugs & coil packs
Got me a helmet, a spare set of older rear tires to shred (don't want to waste my fresh street tires)..

Weather forcast is looking great for next weekend.

[Noah930]

Looks like fun. Enjoy!

(And don't pull a Stefan Bellof!)

[LakeCleElum]

Have fun - Post Pictures

Visited the track twice. My good friend lives under an hour away in: Riemst, 3770, Belgium

[Iciclehead]

You lucky dog....I will join you one of these years.....when I finish my 6 speed '89 project and move back to good ol' NL.

Its things like this that make really want to get back to living there and away from the snow and cold@!

i am envious...

Dennis

[Eric at Pelican Parts]

Man, it looks so fun.... One day i'll drive at Spa Francorchamps.

Hope you have lots of fun, and take more videos too!

[svandamme]

Been going karting the last few weeks to refresh my reflexes and road to butt to steering wheel connections. My arms are killing me right now from Thursday evening's sessies.

I'm signed up for the Classic/discovery which is the entry level.
Not supposed to do any silly things like overtake and what not.
It's "gentlemen" driving, not racing..

Will have my Tom Tom Bandit charged up for action vid.
I just hope the weather holds.. still 7 days out, it normally moves up (further out moves to earlier days) as you get closer to the day.




I'll drive in the wet if I have to , but I obviously prefer blue skies or dry over cast.

[Bill Douglas]

Looking forward to hearing about this. Usual rules apply - pic's

[svandamme]

Originally Posted by Noah930

(And don't pull a Stefan Bellof!)

I am acutely aware that it is a big boy track.

Last year somebody screwed the pooch in a think Pouhon in a red GT3 with pax.. And got airlifted out to the hospital. Not fatal, or life threatening injuries, but a big hit none the less.

But at the same time, I drive fast on small farm roads, some only a hair wider then my car with sharp twisties and trees and ditches instead of Armco.

Or I can fall dead on the street while sucking on a popsickle from a dormant aneurysma. Or them rooskies might decide that they wanna demonstrate their power by dropping one of them Satan ICBM's on little Belgium.

Might as well live a little, cause death is certain whatever else happens.

But i did get me a reasonably priced, not a budget helmet, to protect the old noggin.
Went for closed face so I can also use it for karting which is pretty good exercise really.

[svandamme]

decided to get the rear hatch harmonic damper out
it had been clunking a bit lately

Will leave it all out for Spa.
Rear hatch trim : 4lbs
harmonic damper : 2lbs
2 struts : 1.4 lbs

user manuals : 2 lbs

frunk holder for and compressor/goo tire sealant :6.24 lbs (will carry hole plugger instead)
Michelin tire service is available for us on the track anyway

frunk plastic trim around GPS & brake booster : 3.5 lbs
power fire extinguisher : 5lbs + .9 lbs for fire stick chemical exinguisher.

So about 24 lbs so far, fully reversible and cheap weight gain.
2 hp more :P

I could probably leave the engine cover and sound insulation home as well
But the 300 km drive over there, i think i'll keep it for the noise reduction.

Oh yeah, no pax either on the track, unless she's hot, light weight and putting out. or Jacky Ickx offering to give me some pointers on the track, the rest can take a hike

[svandamme]

Arrived in Spa.
Got my papers
Last sleep is at la source!

Steak
Scotch
Soak for my back
Nap

[svandamme]

a little vid of my day in Spa
keep in mind, Not competition, not a track prepared Cayman
in fact mine is detuned for tax reasons to 211 bhp instead of the usual 245.
And am on 17 inch fat narrow tires, 235/50 instead of 19 inch 265 withs..

First track day ever so obviously not pushing hard and moving over to let the fast crowd by.
Lacked the power on the straights , especially going up hill



First session got 7 laps in 3m33.30 best
4 laps 3m26.97

Did need fresh rear pads, had forgotton to check those,
Porsche clinic onsite, luckily they had plenty of pads with them

Did not go through Eau Rouge as fast as last year, i think that was slighty overcooked and underestimated..
It's not an easy corner, and you can't really downshift mid way with a manual..
3rd would be to much revs and run out of revs on the end of the uphil
4th is good, but my gator lacks grunt to pull out fast in that gear

In any case , it's a regular production 07 2.7 cayman, not race prep, bit heavy and so am I :P

[Noah930]

Nice clean lines, Stijn.

[svandamme]

It was totally cool, the entire place is just amazing.
Had our briefing in the F1 pits on top, where presumably all races are briefed. The trackwas fully staffed with marshals, flags at every corner. medical and fire trucks, all present.
And with reason, last year a GT3 went off at Pouhon and helicopter was called in to airlift the passenger to the hospital.


In the morning before the session i went out to warm my car up a bit so I did not have to warm it with idling next or warm it up on the actual track..

So set my Satnav to the town of Stavelot, Masta road.
And did a run on the old track of Spa, which is now public road



The houses you see right next to the road, they were theren back when Jacky Ickx and others flew over that road at 300 kph+ in fiberglass and a aluminium tube frame chassis.
Just nuts really.

That Masta kink, on video and pictures looks like a gentle left.right.
But the camera lens warps it.. it's much sharper in person.
And they went a LOT faster through it then I did.

Amazing piece of road

[svandamme]

60 foot elevation from bottom to top.
When you get to the bottom and turn in right, you get pushed in your seat.
at the top, at speed, when the road levels out, without downforce, the car drifts at speed..
But you gotta go fast to get the speed going down Kemel straight, to les Combes.