My Puma.. Maximum Track Attack!!

ProjectPuma

Help Support ProjectPuma:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Went to Trax last weekend and did a session in at lunch time. Weather was pretty poor all day but it did dry about an hour before my session and the drifters had been out for a bit before which helped to dry the track a little bit.... It did start to drizzle as I lined up ready to go out which made the track uber slippy!

It took 3 or 4 laps to really get any heat into the tyres and I had to tip toe round all the corners until I gained a bit of confidence that the car would grip and not just try to put me on the grass.

Having never driven the Silverstone National circuit either it was also a little bit of a learning curve to pick braking points but its a relatively simple track and I was soon on top of it.

I managed 12 laps in the 20 minute session and went from 1:28.80 on my first flying lap down to a 1:22.56 on my fastest and last flying lap.

I was quite impressed with the Nankang AR1's as well, the fronts we're due for replacement and I was hoping for dry weather to get them through one more session but even with a very greasy track they still performed pretty well... even though they are a very worn set now.

Only 2 cars to overtake me we're a BMW M3 and a Golf R.

Anyway... here's the onboard

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utUF5CAlPq0[/youtube]
 
I did a session at Trax years back when I was new into trackdays, know what you mean by a learning curve, the tracks quite intimidating and I was poodling along to begin and not using the full width of the track at all, looks like you went well! You at Ford Power Live on 22nd October at all at Snetterton and if so having any track time? I know there's one other puma so far as well as me.
 
I wouldn't say the track is intimidating, its just a road at the end of the day. I just take it one corner at a time and build up the speed with each lap, using a bit more curb each time. Woodcote and Copse were he tricky ones, the front was just wanted to wash out wide.

I've now driven all of Silverstone's configurations,old, new GP track and now the national and the national is by far the best for a small car. The GP track is just too big.

I wont be at Snetterton, Trax was the end of the year for me and the Puma, it'll be tucked away and fettled a bit more over the winter ready to brought back out around March ready for the next #TrackAddict track day.
 
Hi Jay, looks like you`ve had some good tracktime in the last month, and your car seems to be going well.
I actually prefer the Eastern layout at Blyton, the tight technical nature of the track suits the little Blue Oval. (I can embarrass some very exotic machinery)
I almost made Curborough this year, but it never quite happened. It`s right up there on my to do list.
The National layout at Silverstone is the choice for show tracktime. It`s not too complicated and wide enough for a well mixed field.
I don`t find understeer a problem in those fast corners, but I have shied away from overdoing my rear downforce.
It could be that on the fast circuits you may need a little less wing (downforce at the back is upforce at the front)
I hope the cars wrapped up warm, ready for 2018 ;-)
 
Cheers Stu. It wasn't the wing causing the understeer it was just the cold tyres on a wet track, once I had some heat and the circuit began to dry it starting to grip quite nicely. I remember doing silverstone on a scorching day a few years ago and it the back would be unsettled through woodcote and copse, the wing seems to cure that now.

The Eastern circuit at Blyton was good fun and yeah you can push some much more expensive cars around the tight infield section. On balance though I still prefer the outer layout.

The car has served me well this year, I've done quite a bit of track driving this year and I'm more than looking forward to being back out next year!
 
Didn't look that busy? and you seemed to have a clear run, which is preferable as less chance for things to go wrong!

Was it busy at Trax in general?
 
moondustka said:
[post]365870[/post] Didn't look that busy? and you seemed to have a clear run, which is preferable as less chance for things to go wrong!

Was it busy at Trax in general?

I was very lucky that I got an invite to the show from the organisers which put me in the "Trax Legends" display area and track session, there was only about 15 cars out on the circuit and they we're all seasoned track day guys and girls. I was asked by the event organisers to recommend a bunch of cars for the display area so picked people I'd already previously driven against on track.

I wasnt witness to many of the other track sessions but I heard people saying the driving standards where a bit poor.

The show itself was packed which suprised me due to the awful weather on the day. It was nice to see a lot of cars turn out for the event though.

I hadn't been to Trax for a couple of years and it hasn't really changed much since I last went. That said though its always nice to get out and talk cars with like minded enthusiasts and I'l be heading there again next year!
 
moondustka said:
[post]365900[/post] Sounds good! .. the weather for me always puts a downer on it if it's raining.

Couldn't agree more, I'm all about the sunshine. It was certainly fun being out on well worn semi slicks in greasy conditions!
 
Decided it was time to make the most of the fact that Lucy and I moved house a few months ago and get the garage ready for the Puma to go in. It's been stored at my parents house since June and I think they might be starting to get a bit tired of it being sat on their drive.

At our old hosue we had parking for 4 cars but the new one is a double driveway with a single garage, obviously with moving the garage had become a bit of a storage area for our stuff and there was no way of getting the car in.

So it was time to start making some space and clearing the boxes but first..... I'd had 3 days off to look after our new puppy but while he was sleeping I got bored and bought myself a new tool box. Its a fair sized thing but its pretty much swallowed all my tools and loads of other stuff.

Untitled by Jay Hardy, on Flickr

Untitled by Jay Hardy, on Flickr

Untitled by Jay Hardy, on Flickr

Tool box in and the garage looking a bit of a state.....

Untitled by Jay Hardy, on Flickr

Put my wheel rack up, this saves so much floor space

Untitled by Jay Hardy, on Flickr

I've thrown away/ebayed a hell of a lot of stuff in the last few days and I'm close to be able to get the car in the garage. Just a bit more tidying and it'll be ready!
 
:cool: Starting to take shape that, I really want to re-sort my garage but it's a highly daunting prospect, I know I have junk in there that I haven't looked at or touched since I moved in.. in 2012..!
 
red said:
[post]366052[/post] :cool: Starting to take shape that, I really want to re-sort my garage but it's a highly daunting prospect, I know I have junk in there that I haven't looked at or touched since I moved in.. in 2012..!

I've putting this off for a little while now, I'm opening boxes with stuff I had in boxes at my old house, I'm going on the basis if I haven't needed it in the last 6 months its going in the bin or on ebay.

I'm a self confessed hoarder and I look at everything like it might have some value to me or someone at some point in the future but I'm trying to get out of that way of thinking so I can start a fresh.

Fingers crossed the car will be in the garage at the weekend.
 
I finally got the car in the garage, after moving house over 5 months ago the garage had been a bit of a storage area and the car has been kept at my parents house.

Its not perfect in there yet but the car is in and its out of the way for a little while. I still need to have a good clear out and throw/sell some stuff.

Untitled by Jay Hardy, on Flickr
 
Been a while since I updated this but nothing much has changed really. Will be doing some routine maintenance over the next few weeks to get the car ready for 2018 and more track days. Should be having a few parts arrive in the next few days so I can start to get a move on with it.

Had the car out at the Autosport International show again this weekend which was a great success, couldn't find my camera so I've had to rely on stealing photos!

Puma by Jay Hardy, on Flickr
 
looking great jay!

is the front splitter a custom job too?

loving the rear wing
 
mada said:
[post]367227[/post] looking great jay!

is the front splitter a custom job too?

loving the rear wing

Yeah its made from a sheet of HPDE plastic. Wasnt the cheapest but it doesnt splinter like I've seen some of the wooden ones do. I just need to sort a more solid way of mounting it to the chassis of the car rather than the bumper. Some custom brackets will need to be made I think!
 
Track day No 1 for the year done last weekend at Rockingham for the annul #TrackAddict track day.

Started off as a wet morning and with nothing other than semi slicks with me the grip level was very low, something I discovered when braking for the Tarzan hairpin...

29513328_10155388975859142_3382834564729291809_n.jpg


A trip through the gravel but no damage done.... took me a little while to clear the car out so I could head back out again, that gravel just gets everywhere!!

The car ran faultlessly all day which for me is all that matters, I dried out in the afternoon so I could really start to push and try to set some quick times. I started off at a 2:01.59 in the morning wet sessions and by the end of the day I had it down to a 1:46.88... No idea if that's a quick time for a Puma round that track but I was pushing as hard as I could!

No other pictures at the moment as I'm waiting for them to come through but I have this video of me battling with my mate in his 172 powered Renault 5, much quicker in the corners but his extra power meant he could get away on the straights.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GddiXDvNXAg&t=3s[/youtube]
 

Latest posts

Back
Top