The winter training regime

No. It' not what you're thinking. I'm NOT going on a health kick just yet!

I've been planning some track time in the VX to get my skills in shape for next season and have already managed a couple of great days.

First off was a trip down to Kames for a test day last month. The weather was awful but the car handled it superbly. Fresh from setting a new PB in the racingFive, I practiced my new found lines and discovered that the VX has much more grip, much more acceleration and much better brakes. So much so that I reckon I was lapping in the low 100s in the very wet conditions. Mid-90s in the dry is my target time for next year.

This week, I ventured all the way to Essex for a session with Lotus driving guru, Andy Walsh. I booked one of his famous 4-person car limits days and I have to say it was the best £200 I have ever spent on my car activities. I learned more in that one day than I've learned in 10 years of trackdays and 3 years of competiive events.

The theory covered in this introductory day was already familiar to me through my reading of 'Speed Secrets' and 'Going Faster' but I realised I had never actually had the opportunity to have it explained nor had the chance to try out sliding and drifting.

The infamous high speed bend exercises were great fun - I spun more times than I can remember but soon got the hang of catching the big slides, top gear stylee.

The best part of the day for me was the mini sprint circuit at the end when we got the chance to put all we had learned into practice. Andy takes you out first and sets a target time in your own car (55 secs for me). Then its your turn to show him what you've learned. I took it nice and steady and he gave me a few pointers for the next run.

He then gets you to take one of your fellow attendees out for the last run so that they can critique you. I went out with Steve, a nice Elise owner, on his first 'track' experience. He drove first. Nice and smooth, lacking aggression but a good effort given his experience.

Then he jumped into my car, I guess expecting much of the same. He got a bit of a shock when I braked a good second and a half after he finished shouting BRAKE for the first cone, turned in, immediately started a huge slide, caught it, power on and before he'd caught his breath we were braking for the next cone. He didn't say much after that! He just laughed all the way round as I understeered, oversteered, drifted and generally ruined my tyres on every corner!

At the end of the run, we got out and Andy was grinning broadly - "that was pretty good" he said - "you did a 60 second lap, not very smooth but very entertaining". "Thanks", I said, "I've been wanting to do that for years. Smooth is so yesterday!"

The VX? It was sublime - so balanced and controllable. I can't wait to drive it in anger again. The 900 mile round trip was ok too - I got a wee bit wet and the ABS light came on briefly but nothing fell off. Need to buy some new tyres though!

Anyway, I had so much fun that I'm already planning my next foray - possibly a Lotus On Track day at Rockingham in a couple of weeks. Watch this space......