BURTON TRACKDAY AT SNETTERTON
Ade heads from his native Glasgow down to Burton’s Snetterton trackday to thrash his Saph and check out the other Fords on track too...
It was mere days after I had just got my Saph back from MJ Racing from receiving a good few upgrades to the chassis, so a trackday seemed in order. And with many of those parts coming from tuning supremos Burton Power it only made sense to join in on one of their trackdays! Snetterton was the venue, and not one I had ever visited, let alone driven. Apart from the dismal weather, first impressions were very good. Plenty of pit garages, and good food available during the well executed briefing. There was even a substantial prize giveaway from Burton before we got out on track!
Snetterton had undergone a multi-million pound redevelopment project at the start of 2011, and the freshness of this still clearly shows in the condition of the track and its facilities. Out on track the layout proved to be highly entertaining with a nice variety of corners varying in ferocity, and some with considerable technique required. The odd late line required in the final twisty section between Coram and Murray’s will easily catch out the unaware. Mix these bends with the long straights where it’s easily possible to get well into three figures and you’ve got a great mixture of both fun and challenging. Plus the fact that all the drivers seemed both respectful and capable on track means this experience added up to one that can be highly recommended!
ADE BRANNAN SIERRA SAPPHIRE RS COSWORTH
This trip to Snetterton was on one hand a bit of fun and a mag feature. But on the other a valuable shake down for the Cossie before its Nürburgring trip due to many recent changes in spec. The Burton supplied compression struts and adjustable track control arms had been fitted and dialled in with a nice added dose of camber and castor for front end stability. Along with this, a set of three door Cosworth front hubs were also fitted, which allows the geometry to stay in better shape when running extremely low. Also up front a monster set of BMW 8 Series Brembo calipers have been mated up to MK1 Focus RS discs in what is arguably the best value brake upgrade available for a Sierra.
Out on track in slippery conditions the Saph was surprisingly tractable and predictable, and on the straights absolutely nothing could remotely keep up! Also with some expert tuition from track regular and rally driver Ashley Davies I was getting around the track continually quicker and more consistently too. That was until things went wrong, and ironically it was a brake issue! Yes the standard solid disc rear just couldn’t keep up, especially not with budget pads fitted! Even though they were almost new when recently checked the temps on track were just too much and the pad came apart so quickly that the caliper extended so far that the seal actually burst! A vented upgrade is called for, and the lesson learned not to be a cheapskate with even rear pads! The day might have been cut short, but much better here than in Germany!
QUICK SPEC
MJ Racing/MSD 460bhp engine, Coilovers, compression struts, locked diff, Fifteen52 alloys, Falken tyres
“On the straights absolutely nothing could remotely keep up! ”
JOE ETTWEIN FOCUS 1.0 ECOBOOST
There might have been tuned road and out-and-out race cars galore at this trackday, but there were also some pretty unlikely contenders too. None more so that Joe in his bog-standard, nearly-new 1.0 EcoBoost Focus! He may have also bought a new ST with a mountune kit, but right now it’s the daily on track! Joe says that although it was a tad wallowy, the chassis is clearly more than up to the task, plus the sharp brakes and good feedback more than help. The 1.0 may be tiny, but the 130bhp did allow the Focus to reach 110mph on the longer straight with ease. Not bad at all!
QUICK SPEC
Standard 130bhp
JIMMY NEOPHYTOU FIESTA MK1
It wasn’t all modern metal turning up, Burton sells a lot of old school Ford parts, so it was to be expected that the likes of Jimmy Neophytou and his race Fiesta would be there. Owned for an impressive 26 years, this Mk1 has seen a lot of action, and has been continually evolving over the years - most recently with a rebuild and dry sump upgrade, as the previous engine came a cropper due to oil surge on a French track’s hairpin. The spec of the Fiesta is thoroughly impressive, with Gaz coilovers, Quaife gearset, Gripper diff, Twin 48s, Omex ignition all coming together to make a superb package. This year Jimmy is taking a year out from the Blue Oval Saloon Series and enjoying the more relaxed atmosphere of trackdays, but we’re sure he’ll be back again soon enough with this retro rocket.
QUICK SPEC
1660cc Crossflow, Twin 48s, 177bhp
ROBERT KEMP FIESTA ST
Robert is a local to the track, and this is his second track car after upgrading from a Mk5 Zetec S Fiesta running a 1.7-litre Puma engine. Looking at the work, and hearing the spec of this ST it’s no surprise that he is also a mechanic by trade. Handily enough he knew what suppliers to hit up on the day too, as he was another casualty of brake pad destruction! Thankfully for him though there was no lasting damage, just a new set of pads sourced from the local factors and he was back in the thick of the action. QUICK SPEC ITB 48s, Fully forged, 219.3bhp
ANDY BURTON FOCUS RS MK2 & 3
Andy may have been at the forefront of running the day, and even arranging students to go out in passenger laps, but he still had time to get behind the wheel too. The Mk2 is a trusty favourite of Andy’s, and has seen plenty of track action, with a windscreen crammed full of souvenir stickers. Previously the car saw a lot of use in its 375bhp incarnation where it was ideal for road use with good bottom end, but since a hybrid turbo upgrade to 420bhp it’s now much more suited to high revving circuit use. Other mods include 6-pot APs and a sticky Yoko rubber which really help in the twisty stuff. But even with these mods Andy still claims that the Mk3 was much easier to drive on the limit with its amazing cornering abilities. Also the smooth and progressive linear power delivery may be a delight to drive, but Andy thinks the more involving Mk2 will remain the main track star. QUICK SPEC 420bhp mountune Mk2, Standard Mk3
“Andy claims that the Mk3 was much easier to drive on the limit with its amazing cornering abilities”