Mettet April 6 2010

The first Atomic track-day of 2010

First time in the circuit of Jules Tacheny in Mettet, Belgium, renowned for a famous bike (and superbike category) racing...

This new circuit was built just end of last year and after missing a first event for it which was fully booked, overly cold and wet forecast, but got a late reservation for but for which i couldn't go due to the bimmer having an engine failure, the weather being really crappy... Another Atom was there (right Popol?) but i think he might not want to relate it

But i had a second chance to another track-day next Tuesday (the 6th) with a "tuning" group and which was option-reservation (not prepaid in case of rain). Then Sunday i get an email saying that's fully booked, sorry but do please contact us for our next track days email... Hmmm An email and a call later, the good luck charm got me in! The guy didn't tell me another 2 atoms would be there!

So comes the morning... -4 degrees C, icy windshields and frosted grass everywhere but dry! Awesome forecast of 13C... My media man/copilot buddy comes over at 7h30 on the dot and we go join my Lotii buddies 20 kms away coming along (they had prepaid Wink) The highway is semi humid, the windchill is unbearable on my OMP gloves and one jacket is not enough! I discovered how make a telluric laser at certain speeds but don't tell anyone!)

Anyway, bla bla bla freezing fingers, added an extra jacket, ski gloves (still not enough)... we get there...

Car list for a tuning group is rather flattering! A couple Hondas, a few Nissans... a GTR, 2 Gallardos, 997 GT3s, Gineta (?), Alpine A311, 211, Exiges, Elises, 2 cats, 911s, M3s, Honda Civic (R? Grin), a Viper... And only 2 atoms since one had a wheel bearing or upright problem...

You can see some pictures here:
http://www.as-pictures.be/v/Divers_001/album_001/racing2010/mettet1/part1/
(navigate around for more - i sent you to Atom related album directly naturally)

Not a drift crowd at all, everyone respected the rear view mirror etiquette + indicator (im parked here) and it was all really without any incidents... Except the Viper loosing it's oil stocks on the pit lane... An Open Kaddet with a lotus badge making smoke screens and a Sub going of its rails into a sand trap (better suited terrain?)....

Anyway, the track is short (1:14 a lap avg in an atom, 1:15 for a good Elise 160 pilot), technical, a good learning track... 2 nice straights, lots of twisties, 2 hairpins and a corkscrew... As it's my first track day of the year, a new track to learn and the temps are cold, the Atom is nervous, tires don't warm up, grip is scarce but damn it's fun... I keep forgetting all the buttons and missed launching and turning off the camera, dl1 4 out of 6 times! (im ordering a display for that matter)

I kept all the suspension settings and pressures the same just to get the feel of the car... Remember all the reflexes and damn it was fun... No late braking scares, just a few oversteer when i didn't get the brake-let off-accelerate rhythm right...

Anyway, i'll skip all the talk and let you enjoy a few videos...

First credit to the Atom guy there that was going faster than me!