With the majority of organised car- related activities drawing to a close as autumn beckoned, it was nice to participate in a sunny track day organised by the Skyline GT-R Register at Kemble. Having founded the Register back in 1995, I was allowed to bring the 'Fiat rag-top' on what was supposed to be a Skyline-only day. It was amusing to see a tuned Civic beat all the big-horsepower boys and I provided some entertainment with a couple of spectacular spins on the only fast corner on the circuit. I was trying to hone my Don Palmer/ Simon de Banke-tutored sideways driving skills, but whenever I got the F355 truly out of shape, I chickened out of trying to ride out the slide as the annoyingly large number of tyres that marked out the circuit loomed larger in my side window. Even more nerve-wracking was being interviewd by ex-Gladiator Rio for Granada Men & Motors, who along with Duke video were covering the day.
Having driven on Bridgestone S-01s extensively now, I stand by my original impression that their outright grip levels are considerably lower than the more common P-zero option, but with more progression and superior standing-water capability.
With fewer weekend demands being made on the Ferrari, now is the time to fettle a few niggling glitches. The driver's side window has started rattling except when closed, the handbrake light refuses to disengage even when the fly-off brake is firmly off, and the passenger seat-back is loose and moves under braking. Finally, two legacies of my detached heater hose incident in May remain: the boot carpet is still slightly 'greasy' from being immersed in coolant and the engine's still prone to over-heating, possibly due to a hidden leak somewhere. Looks like another job for Verdi. I wonder if I should buy shares in the company?
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