On Monday 12th April 2021, two momentous occasions:
- First time on a Cadwell Park trackday
- The 986 Boxster S tipped over 80'000 miles
Cadwell Park Trackday
Cadwell Park is now just about my favourite track. I have done a small number of trackdays now - Goodwood, Croft, Hethel, Castle Combe, Snetterton, Donington Park - Cadwell Park is only my seventh. If you ever get a chance to do a Cadwell Park trackday, take the chance, it is fantastic.
Like all my other trackdays - this trackday was with Lotus-on-Track. Whilst I loved driving Cadwell Park, I'm not sure if I'm going to do many more trackdays in the future. The thing I did find a little frustrating was that everyone's lumped into the same session - that is fast drivers and slow drivers, people with fast cars and people with slow cars - so if you're one of the slow ones like me, you spend a lot of time letting people past. I actually left midday as I'd had enough of feeling like I was getting in the way.
My problem is a triple whammy. 1) The 986 Boxster S is heavier and less powerful than many of the cars on track with me - it's also not a track car. 2) I don't want to 'take my car by the scruff of the neck' - I'm happy to find a nice flow, be gentle on the brakes, be gentle on the gear changes, be gentle on the revs, just have a nice chilled out drive in the country. 3) Even without 1&2, I totally accept I am no Lewis Hamilton - Captain Slow would be more apt.
I need to find trackdays that do slow/medium/fast sessions, and I'd take the Boxster S in a slow session, and we'd have a splendid time!
The 986 Boxster S is the slowest and oldest car I've been on a trackday with (also with by far the weakest brakes). And unlike some of my other cars, it's not a car that needs to be taken on a trackday to be enjoyed. I probably enjoyed the drive to/from the circuit just as much as the time on track. The 986 S is simply not a trackday car. Will I take it on a trackday again? Probably no, but you never know.
I have to say that old Porsche did extremely well for it's 20 years. I was a little nervous about taking it on a trackday, but I shouldn't have been, since it took the little abuse I gave it without complaint. If I was to spend money on the Porsche to make it a better trackday car, I'd definitely do the brakes first (I was not super confident in the brakes), and could be something as simple as new quality brake pads all around would make a world of difference.
If I was to do trackdays properly, I'd get an Elise Cup 250, or perhaps a Caterham (my problem with Caterham's is that they aren't much to look at).
80'000+ miles on the Boxster S
On the way to Cadwell Park, the odometer tripped over 80'000 miles. It is now 80382 miles. I've nearly done 2000 miles in the Boxster since I picked her up at the end of November 2021. That's roughly 500 miles per month. Which is not much, but it's pretty good when you consider the Boxster only did 2000 miles in the whole of October 2018 to October 2020.
I think having a collectible low-mileage car would be wasted on me, because, if I have a car it must be driven!
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