After the Brands Hatch race my plan for the winter was to get a couple of track days in and start getting used to the car. Oulton Park was the obvious choice as it is my local track. The organiser was Lotus on Track again so I was hoping for better reliability this time. Ian was there once again with his Peugeot 306 loaded to the roof with tools, and with the passenger seat firmly bolted into the MR2 he could also have a ride. Having a bit more confidence in the car, and Oulton Park being a fast and entertaining layout, Ian climbed out grinning from ear to ear, with me doing the same.

The track was damp but it was slowly drying all day, but with it being cold the tyres never really got up to temperature. The main concern was the rear brake pads which were overheating and wearing rapidly, but they would be OK for the rest of the day and the drive home. The car was sold with EBC Redstuff on the front and EBC Greenstuff on the rear. Tell this to EBC and they’ll spit coffee across the table, but this is the combination the Stoner Racing cars apparently run. The overheating and wear rates of the Greenstuff was simply because they aren’t really designed to be used on the track, and the MR2 is fairly heavy on rear brakes as that is where all the weight is.

I also had some instruction booked for the day. Like with my ARDS test I explained I raced the car and the instructor tailored his instruction accordingly. A lot of people had said this guy was very good and he was. Where some instructors just say ‘yeah, well done, nice line’ etc. he was critical of your driving, showed you what to do instead, where to make improvements and also gave some tips to driving this particular circuit. I learnt a lot, and judging from Ian’s reaction the next time he went out with me I was a lot more committed and faster too. Things are heading in the right direction then.

Despite the cold weather and damp track there were no dramas on track. There were however ones off track. On the way home we stopped in a McDonalds, and dopey me hit the kerb when parking, somewhat flattening the front plastic skirt under the bumper. I think the words ‘oh cock’ were muttered.