First Drive

As i had never driven the Fury or Brands Indy i thought it would be wise to squeeze a trackday in before the race at Brands on 25/26th. I booked a day with MSV at Brands for wednesday the 22nd April.

I had been away with the wife and kids for a long weekend at Center Parcs which was great but i did a lot of running about, cycling, swimming, looking after 2 manic kids and driving, then when i arrived home on the tuesday spent the rest of the day decorating and fixing a toilet that decided to leak while we were away! I was pretty knackered by 8pm but really didn't fancy getting up at 4am for a 3.5hour drive to Brands so decided i'd be better off travelling down on Tuesday night and sleeping in the roof tent. Thanks to a very rude neighbour erecting scaffolding in the narrow lane to my house 2 months ago, meaning i cannot get my trailer in and out of my drive it was 10pm by the time i left!!! At 1.20am i arrived at Brands to find Adrian Moore parked up in his massive camper outside the locked gate. I pulled out the tent hopped in and was asleep in before the zip was shut.

I woke up to a fantastic clear morning and headed off to the paddock. After a sausage sarny, a cuppa and the usual boring safety briefing i headed out on track for the first time in the Fury. I was worried the car would feel totally alien, but within a couple of laps i felt right at home. I thought the handling on 7 was good and very progressive, but the Fury is even better! Its tighter, more stable and just feels so well planted! The only thing i quickly realised is that the blade engine has to be reved a lot harder than the ZX9. You could be lazy in the ZX9 and let it pull from lower revs, but the blade won't let you do that, you have to ring its neck, and as long as it up the revs its goes like a rocket. I think this isn't just down to the engine, but also the gearing.

From looking at last years times, and considering i was in a new car and on a circuit layout i hadn't done before i wanted to get lap times into the 0.54-56's. I managed a 54.08 so i was well chuffed especially as i felt i never got a proper clear lap. The car felt great and i felt right at home in it within a couple of laps. Roll on the weekend!!!!!