Icetrack 2.0

bretti_kivi

bretti_kivi

Member
The Ice Track meet 2.0 is possibly on for the weekend of the 18th Feb 2011. Location will probably be Lehmonkärki, depending on the availability of the airport where we were last time. I know someone suggested Sweden, and if that happens then great, but right now it's Finland again.

Costs should be held steady, so around €250 for drivers, for two long sessions on the ice. We'll be running lots of exercises and I expect a complete track.
You do not have to bring your own car. You do not have to speak either German or Finnish, I will translate as necessary.
Avis reckons on €250 for a car for the weekend, you can work the rest of the costs out yourself.

If you wish to drive, then by all means do so, but you will *need* winter tyres. They are a legal requirement here and driving on summer tyres on sheet ice is plain suicide.

Saturday evening will be Sauna and beer and probably messing around with some console games or sitting around, talking and drinking
smile.gif


Last time the guys went to the glass factory at Iittala and also to a reindeer farm, including driving a reindeer sled and getting their "driving licence". Skidoos and quads and snowshoes are available on site at Lehmonkärki. I'm not going to say it's cheap, but if you're here....

Route Calais - Gent - Antwerp - Eindhoven - Hamburg - Kobenhavn - Helsingborg - Jönkoping - Nörrkoping - Kapellskär - ferry to Naantali.... is around 1700km one way. One very long day or several smaller ones. There will be a convoy of A2s from Germany driving up....

Anyway. If you wish to join us, add yourself to the list. If you want more info, post and I will see what I can do.

The original thread is here: http://www.a2-freun.de/forum/showthread.php?t=38537

Bret
 
Mmmm, lemon cake :p

I'd love to do this but not sure if I can make it workable, especially if I have to do all the driving :(
 
it really is quite a trek, I'll agree.

You can quite easily split it, though: Wed from Dover - Calais - Hamburg. Thursday join the boys on the A7 / E20 and follow the convoy. Most of Sweden is really relaxing - 90 or 110 and let the cruise do the work.

Flying is also an option - there will be several 1.4s around (including mine) but all will have different suspension setups.

It will be a hell of an experience and even more so if some the other ideas I have come off....The idea this time around, as last time, is to keep costs down.

Bret
 
Last edited:
another thought: you could do the lunchtime from Dover; Calais - Travemünde on Thursday for Friday 0300 sailing (be in Travemünde by 0100) and then in Helsinki Sat 0730.

There may also be A2-people on that boat, I don't know. It's around €500 return IIRC.
If there are people who don't get in until Saturday am, we'll move the start back so it's at around 10 or so, you'll need around 1h30 from Vuosaari Harbour to Lehmonkärki.

Bret
 
I got asked today if I want icetrack time.

I said yes.

This just got a *lot* more probable. I'll clear up some accommodation questions in the next few weeks and then come back; the guys who helped us on the track last time are probably available and we might have some interesting toys to play with (no, I'm not telling until I *know*)

Bret
 
What sort of tyres would I need for a trip up and how many sets?
Being a typical Englander I have just the one set of all-season:eek:
 
One option would be straight winter tyres - so we're talking Dunlop Wintersport M3 or Nokian WR G2 or some stuff from Goodyear. Mytyres.co.uk have a selection of winters. They're useful in the UK, too, even if not as much as here.

Nothing else really required from the car. Make sure the Antifreeze is up to -35 and the screenwash, too. Everything else is simply standard and it all works. We had "luck" last time that it was pretty warm (-2 - +2) as opposed to the -20 it had been for the weeks beforehand.

So just the one set and you can use them elsewhere, too. Studded tyres are the other way to go, but the Germans don't allow them, so you're stuck; plain, simple Central European Winter tyres are a significant step in the right direction.
I'm wondering if a rear ARB will make the A2 easier to flick. I think it will.

Bret
 
A rear arb will definitely lessen understeer :)

Winter tyres for the round trip sound good, I was worried two sets would be needed.


I'm not sure at all I can make it happen yet but I am trying:)
 
A quick update: I expect to have solid numbers next week and met the guy I spoke with last week today out of pure coincidence :D

THe location is looking increasingly likely to be Lehmonkärki and we will be running a lot of stuff if possible. There are lots of ideas being thrown around, most of which are very realistic. One of the villas will probably be rented until the middle of the week afterwards, so a slightly longer stay will also be possible.

Activities may be included in the pricing I get, I will have to see. We'll probably have a hot-smoked salmon meal on Friday for those who want and then Saturday evening will be with various saunas, jacuzzi and ice hole. Bar will be stocked by us with German, Estonian and Finnish beer.

I just now need a photographer... because there will probably be some very special stuff happening. I will also try to get my hands on as many goPro HDs as I can (i.e. 4-5) for a video of some of us going round the track.

Deposits are payable when we fix the date and the location, i.e. maybe still this month, latest mid Oct, and it will be €50 per car.

Bret
 
things are not moving as fast as I'd like but I expect to be able to confirm at least one track this week. I want to get something solid for those who are flying.

Bret
 
One Track has confirmed pricing and availability. If you're even thinking about this, work out please what the story is regarding holiday, ferry costs etc. I will be looking for deposits before the end of this month.

Bret
 
... and if someone feels the need, I can probably provide a set of rims and spiked winter tyres (with decent-enough tread) for the duration. I have a set of 7x15s in Germany for my summer tyres, my (new) winters are going on the Rials and that means a set of steelies is surplus to requirements. They have just this evening gone back on the car with the Hakka 4s - and the Hakkas are running at the 6mm mark, meaning I'll be wanting to change tyres at some point this winter.

This is as cheap as it gets for Winter tyres.... and the timetable for the weekend is looking very much like 10 hours or so of track time. With not many cars, either :)

Bret
 
Do winters generally need changing with that sort of tread depth left or is it a case of needing more for snow (sounds obvious now I type it...)?
I've acquired some 6x15 steels and was considering some Semperit Winters, 175 60 15 with 6mm on them.
 
Work may have knackered this for me.
Without the extra week I can't see how I can work it and it also means I'll have to try and get to Rinner this year.

I don't condone absenteeism but I might not condemn it either....






Insert expletives as applicable :mad:
 
those of you who weren't there should be kicking yourselves. This year was excellent, with oodles of track time, seriously cold temperatures (three from six A2s refused to start first time on Saturday!) and a great crowd.

The preliminary video I shot is here: http://vimeo.com/19001309 and I'll start cutting a new one in the next few hours, maybe :)

It's well worth the effort and expense to get here. We know where to find pretty much everything now, too ;)

Bret
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top