The latest Norris Designs Evo Crash (Castle Combe)

[ukaskew]

Another biggie, 2 cars in 3 races now. Long vid but worth watching right through, really interesting to watch, his power advantage is massive but not so good in the twisties...

http://www.norris-designs.co.uk/May day crash.wmv

 

[Ian_182]

That boy cant drive for s**t

 

[ukaskew]

To be fair this didn't seem to be his fault on this occasion, brake failure at 110mph is never going to be pretty, none of his options looked particuarly appealing at that point.

 

[Englebert]

Twisty corrected me earlier about this... but i still think he should try another sport tbh.

 

[clio__chris]

nice of him to take out the person who he was battling with lol clearly wrong place..... but was a good take-out

not a fan of his driving at all tbh. just doesnt seem very natural or smooth but i guess i cant really talk.....

 

[LeeP86]

drivers a right mong i think its good the way he doesn't have 2 hands on the wheels through one of the trickyest parts of the circuit.

 

[ukaskew]

650bhp or thereabouts apparently, pretty ridiculous for a racing saloon car. They really don't look comfortable on track, massive understeer around the corners, it's all about the power on the straights which thankfully for them Combe has plenty of.

Massive contrast to the Supercharged Elise and Escort Cosworth in the Special GTs, plenty of power but driven brilliantly and look right at home on the circuit.

 

[Henry]

don't know how he acquited himself after the last incident (which was clearly his fault - and he should have helped himself to a large slice of the old humble imo) but that just seems really unlucky to me

 

[cal46]

looks like they were trying hard and what else could he of done with no brakes at 110 mph, its just racing there was now where for him to go

 

[LeeP86]

he didnt seem to try and slow the car down at all, i no he had no brakes but he could of thrown it down a few gears. id rather ruin a gearbox than ram into the side of someone else and demolish there car as well as yours

 

[Daniel]

The bloke should seriously stick to building them.

Its quite clear he's not very good at racing them.

 

[Henry]

who's been into Tower at 110mph?! it might have been nice had he decided to try moving it down the 'box but it's a split second decision. nastiest corner on the 'new' circuit imo

 

[LeeP86]

for any half decent racing driver it should be an instant reaction to stick it down some gears as soon as your brake pedal sinks to the floor.

 

[Clart]

he was quick to get out of there!

 

[MaLicE]

he didnt seem to try and slow the car down at all, i no he had no brakes but he could of thrown it down a few gears. id rather ruin a gearbox than ram into the side of someone else and demolish there car as well as yours

your a dude lol!!! he is travveling at 110mph im sure he thought i know i will knock it down a few he stuck it on the grass to try and stop the crash, u can hear him pumping the brakes to stop but it didnt work...

plus if he shifted down the diffs would of locked solid and locked all 4 wheels just putting him in a slide anyway... he tried to save it plus that other evo driver was just as s**t tbh!!!

 

[mr_merc]

I've just sat through the nine minutes or so of that and, having watched the first crash he had, have to say that this was coming - brake failure or not, as unfortunate as that was.

Why they let him race is beyond me.

He changes gear mid corner, (no doubt he would say he was short-shifting to gain traction) and simple things like sympathy tailgating the guy in front of him through the corners, when he should be concentrating on his lines and the apex of the corner - no wonder he understeers so much.

Put this guy in the red mitsi, without the straightline speed and his abilities would be shown for what they are. Hats off to the chap in the red mitsi, much smoother, better under braking and better lines.

I write this, not for the thinking that I am the best driver in the world, because I'm not, but please... when will this guy be shown quietly off the track?!

I await comments from the likes of Mark, Yoz and other regular track drivers...

 

[R1XPH]

^^ Answer to your question is --> £££££

All he has is a fast car but he can't drive it properly through corners. They all right up his arse in the corners.

Hope his cars aren't built like he drives....fast and crap

 

[Rich]

After his last incident when he hit Chrissys car last year, I am going to say nothing this time.

Lucky he has lots of muhoney, I hope he takes a 'brake' from the championship and sticks to the time attacks.

He could not even be bothered to turn up with the correct stickers that are part of the championship regs that everyone has to run ....

 

[Rob_]

Guy is a totol nob and i know there will be people calling for him to be banned from coombe at least

Pebbs season is now probably over (Red Evo) he wont be able to afford to get the car back up to stratch and apparently chrissy lewis (Girl in red pug he took out at coombe before) is no where near the driver she was before the crash.

On MLR he's saying hes going to have time out for a while, i think he should stick to building engines rather than racing them the car and its power is too much for him

The white evo was only about 6 months old after being built and engine had done around 800 miles if that

 

[R20 CWH]

not good that, time to carefully disappear into the background for a bit, expensive mistakes are being made.

or is it just bad luck?

 

[Clart]

perhaps norris should keep building the cars, but hire a decent driver.

 

[ukaskew]

He changes gear mid corner, (no doubt he would say he was short-shifting to gain traction) and simple things like sympathy tailgating the guy in front of him through the corners, when he should be concentrating on his lines and the apex of the corner - no wonder he understeers so much.


I await comments from the likes of Mark, Yoz and other regular track drivers...

Funny you should mention these things and Mark in particular. I always remember a vid of Mark (at Goodwood maybe) with an instructor in the passenger seat telling him to stick to his lines whilst he had something (probably exotic) in front of him. I imagine it's a natural reaction to follow somebody and is obviously something you need to ignore and work around.

As for the mid-corner shifting, does look incredibly odd, and very very dangerous particuarly at Quarry where he doesn't seem to be in control of the car (one handed!) at very crucial moments. 650bhp + one of the hardest corners in the country + driving one handed doesn't sound particuarly clever.

I agree with Rob on the Chrissy incident, unfortunately (and very much understandably) she doesn't seem to be the driver she was, hopefully she will regain her confidence over time. Really pleased to see her out there though, can't be easy.

 

[Daniel]

is it just bad luck?

I believe he is suffering from a serious condition called L.O.F.T.

Its not to be laughed at...

 

[Rich]

Guy is a totol nob and i know there will be people calling for him to be banned from coombe at least

Pebbs season is now probably over (Red Evo) he wont be able to afford to get the car back up to stratch and apparently chrissy lewis (Girl in red pug he took out at coombe before) is no where near the driver she was before the crash.

On MLR he's saying hes going to have time out for a while, i think he should stick to building engines rather than racing them the car and its power is too much for him

The white evo was only about 6 months old after being built and engine had done around 800 miles if that

Chrissy is finding her confidence again now chap, completed the whole of qualifying and the race which was her aim for the weekend. Most importantly a smile was back on her face and she enjoyed the race meet this time round.

 

[ukaskew]

Been looking forward to your pics from this angle, I don't think I came away with a single useable shot from that angle for that race! Sun at that time of the day really isn't good for that location. Your picture shows you had more success than me though!

 

[Rich]

I chucked away loads mate, sun was crap (at least it came out)! I was stuffed as I could not go anywhere else. I am glad I got some keepers at least

Was fine for the race before - sods law, especially as I was trying to get pics of Chrissy and Nick. Most had loads of glare on the front screens.

Pic from the race before - ideal light at that time.

 

[R20 CWH]

that caterham is p**n

 

[Ali]

ooouch!! Some shunt that!

 

[Alan]

Evowned..

 

[Fred@BTM]

the cars are too quick for the championship, i keep saying it! both crashes have happened when coming up on back markers

600bhp evo's Vs 120bhp saxos?

tbh his driving isn't that bad IMO (ok well apart from the downchanges, and steering, but he is full of adrenaline, the other car is a bit all over the shop too) he's not smooth at all, a smoother driver with 100bhp less would be as quick


how quick is his car round coombe vs say a btcc car?

 

[Michael172]

He is a terrible driver imo.

 

[Rich]

Fred - Timings from the weekend.

http://www.tsl-timing.com/ccrc/2008/81968.pdf

Not sure what BTCC cars have lapped it in.


Luckily the Classes where split for the race A and B and C and D

 

[Day]

John Hammersley in an Ex Super Touring Honda did a 1.13.1, car is probably way off the pace of what it was back in the day though.

 

[-Leigh-]

God, if his car didn't have all that power, he'd be last I reckon. Actually, I think my Mum could drive better than him lol.

 

[Englebert]

I think its a shame that Championships that are desperate to fill grids allow such a wide range of cars in really.

I appreciate Simon is involved with Evos for a living but i just think he should turn the wick down a little and enter a lower class of another championship.

The accident seemed to be a freak, and its very easy to point out what he should of done whereas the reality is he had a milliseconds to react so i think its harsh to comment on that. That still doesn't alter my opinion that, from what i've seen, he hasn't yet got the ability to drive a car properly - especially one with 650bhp!

 

[Rob_]

Brakes failed because he boiled the brake fluid apparently

 

[Englebert]

Strange that he said he noticed no difference, it was literally on and off. Someone with a chip on their shoulder on the owners forum claimed he had the same problem in qualifying yet did nothing about it, the plot thickens!

Nice of him to offer to pay for the other guys repairs at least!

 

[Rob_]

He may offer money it wont cover costs though iirc he offered chrissy lewis £1k which was no where near enough as in the end she brought another gti to swop bits over

 

[LeeP86]

Brakes failed because he boiled the brake fluid apparently

exactly the chaces of the brakes just "going" is quite remote, they fade so he should have really seen it coming

 

[ukaskew]

how quick is his car round coombe vs say a btcc car?

Hard to compare as they don't come to Combe, but...

He was about as quick as a new Leon Cupra Championship Car from the LMA Series, which assuming that was still in Championship spec is about a second or two slower than current BTCC cars.

So I would say he is easily as quick as a mid to low runner in the BTCC.