Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) Trackday preparation

Great write up
Much appreciated as intend to do a few track days with mine.
I bet you were having more fun than most the other cars there!
Tom

Steve,

I used to ride motorcycles and always liked going fast on country roads. But you have to drive with a reasonable safety margin there and in a way to keep your license. So you never really can test the limits of you and your car/bike. And since the Morgan has a good balance and stiff suspension, I thought it’s worth a try.
So I picked a save environment with enough space around the track to be able to search those limits. I don’t intend to go racing (never say never), but more capable brakes would give me a better feeling and I could focus on braking points and the best line.

Tom, some remarks: Make sure to fill in enough gas, consumption will be much higher than on the road and the needle will not show anything useful during the sessions. In my case, the consumption was 13,3 mpg, more than doubled.
Tyre pressure: I started with 25psi all around, after 5 laps front was still the same, rear was 30psi, which I then adjusted to 27psi. So check your tyre pressure.
Track: Consider a smaller track, which suits the car better in my opinion, but a save one.

Regards,

Beltempo

Do some initial trackdays on the airfield tracks. They tend to have much more run off space, less armco barriers etc. A good place to start learning track driving as the penalties of exceeding the limits of car/driver are less. That will allow you to tune the car and yourself before going on full blown barriered tracks.
Also drive in short stints as that will help reduce overheating brakes etc. With cooling down/car check sessions and driver rest.

Before you are tempted with a 911 GT3, remember, you were having more fun at 80mph than you would at 180mph in the Porsche.

Thanks for sharing your experiences Beltempo. That trackday drive seems to be a lot of fun and thrill. BTW why did you drive hood up? I thought the range of vision when driving hood down could be higher.
Do you have a roll bar? That I would consider as a first alternation before changing other stuff.
Please don't get me wrong I like and share your fun. But if you go over the curbs in an unlucky angle, and it must not be your fault, you would be glad to have a rollbar, the way this guy in the video below had one in "his" Mog, even if he obviously was an untrained driver, it can happen to everyone.

https://youtu.be/WAU6Lv8zPXA

I think that driver was Luther Blisset.
Ex footballer taking part in the celebrities race.

Yes indeed, I was at Silverstone in the celebrity drivers paddock hoping to say "hi" to him as he is an ex-Bournemouth player - c'mon you cherries!

Good old Luther.

The rumour was, when AC Milan paid watford £1m for him that they thought they were getting john Barnes (tho I always thought that was rather fanciful).

The one that tickled me was on his return he said that he didn't think much of Italy as he couldn't get Rice Krispies there.

Hallo Heinz,

recommending a rollbar is a good advice. I’ve seen the video before and I know that there are tracks, which only allow open cars with such a device. I was looking around already but so far, I couldn’t find one that fits under the easy up hood and offers enough head clearance without helmet. And to be honest, the Morgan is mainly my weekend car, so it would be nice if it wouldn’t destroy the look. Maybe I need a splitted one, where you can remove the upper part for the road.
But how could I drive with the closed hood in such good weather? Simple answer, I went to the track with hood open, expected to start with the instructor and thought for communication it is better to close the hood. And when I started driving, I was so focused on driving, I just didn’t care about that during the day. When I left though, I opened the hood again and removed the screens for the drive on the Autobahn. I’ve passed two of the track cars on their way home sitting on their trailers, the drivers in their tintops. Waving them was fun.

Regards

Beltempo

Hi Beltempo,

Next winter I'm about to let install this rollbar made by Librands. I would add 100 GBP to get it black powderd (info by phone call with the manufacturer). The benefit is that it comes in two sections. The lower part will be fixed mounted into the car and will stay anyway. The upper part offers three choices, install the road going bar which fits under every kind of hood, old style or easy up, or 2. leave the upper part away for nicer looks or 3., you can mount a taller racing rollbar upper part, fixed at the same base, this one is higher than the weather so you are safe on the track but w/o the hood.

http://www.librands.co.uk/products-category-13.html