Atom X was the tenth anniversary of the Ariel Atom factory in Crewkerne near Yeovil in the lovely Sommerset region in the UK.
The event started Saturday with a factory open doors and a parking full of Atoms!
The journey started at 5AM in the fog Friday morning and went on for 500 miles until we got to the factory at 5PM in a cozy 3 Belgian atom convoy!
Thanks go to:
David for the mechanical work, Simon for the help, Tom for the patience and persistence, Arnaud for the guidance in the monsoon, ...
It started months ago, with a leaking fuel tank - but let's skip the story and say that got fixed 3 days before the trip would start...
The bearings, almost blew in my face going to le french Vassim days atomique meeting 3 weeks before Atom X... The fuel tank stopped me and i didn't damage the upright too much just in time - the wheel was smoking when i noticed!!! It was close!!!
After all that stress, the trip started at 5 AM in the fog of Luxemburg and went unchallenged and under the sun until 5PM at the factory parking!
Thanks to all the Ariel factory, you're the best! Having a pit team helping us at Goodwood or reviving my battery before was totally awesome!
The factory activities were really nice!!! Im going to have to talk to my mechanic about how long it takes to put in the tank though...
The treasure hunt was bliss for the eyes in the gorgeous country side and it was hilarious meeting atoms left and right at any crossroads! A pigeon flew right in front of us no more than 20 centimeters from our dodging faces! The stupidity of not wearing a helmet was again made evident when the rain started and again when we took a dirt road to catch a missed turn... The Ariel Atom is just as fun on the dirt guys!!!!
The dinner was fantastic, the AA500 is just fingerliking good! And the ambiance was just totally awesome!
The trip to the karting was a little hectic but finally not so bad!!! We didn't get lost, which i still dont know how it happened, we made at least 4 U turns! GPS issues not helping of course! LOL
The karting was awesome! Memories of doing the 24 hours of Spa under the rain and mud and stones... I can't believe i got black flagged at the end! But i deserved it for spacing out the yellow flag rules! After the pit stop for the black flag, the race transformed into first to the flag! It was just bananas! Awesome finish!
The camping at the Goodwood hotel was royale compared to the factory field! Nice fairway grass, a bit hard but uniform at least... ;) The golf club's facilities were a notch up too... And the wake up call Monday by some wondering bird was really funny! We thought it was the other tent rookooling...
A great gala dinner, i was just sorry i hadn't rented a tux... Nah... it was just great! If anyone has got the video of the speech by Richard, please post!!!
The next day was just as awesome, i was careful learning the track but i really took off after a lap with Keith! He's really awesome!!! The parade was fabulous, it was all magic!
Like a 5 day orgasm!
The trip back was really under the deluge! The monsoon, aquaplaning, driving blind, and water in and out the visor! 12 hours of almost submarining or driving on ice! The almost slick front tires didn't help but surprisingly really gripped well! I managed to get home!
Thanks to Laurent, Popol, Elisabeth, Geoffroy, Jerome and Arnaud for their companionship along the road!
Thanks to all of your for the great time!
Thanks to Calscot for his ring laps and Ben Yeats for the message! Thanks to all again a million times!
I think i posted movies and pictures above! Enjoy!
Oh my, back to earth now!
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!
A bird view camera
View on the front A arm
And one from the copilot's view
What else can i say?
Let my passenger's view show you... Thanks Vincent for his filming...
A great sunny racing day! Just about the best way to start the season!
Thanks to Anthony for the filming and Coyote for the radars!
A gorgeous day to say the least! Spa at it's finest!
First time with the semi slick tires... And times dropped 3 seconds on average! 2009 was with Toyo C1T road tires and little experience and a crappy data-logger - a 2:58:59 recorded... This year with a season's experience, Toyo r888's times were 2:55 on average, a 2:53 minimum and a 2:49 theoretical... And they tell me my suspension is in need of a refurbishing... I know there's a couple curves I can take faster, but more laps needed...
Anyway, enough talk, here's the onboard movie of it, enjoy...