Clio Big Steve Raider’s - Clio 200 Raider

[Big Steve - Raider]

F***ing Renaults…. Give them your all, and they still break your balls……

Long time planned Trackday at Nurburgring this weekend, and @Millie_Bee and I were on the 6:50 Eurotunnel over to Calais:


Car is stripped of all non essential stuff, but still packed to the gunnels for what we need for the weekend:

Great crossing, and super easy ride over to Nurburg. Even taking a screen shot of my GPS showing 190kph (118mph - yeah I know if you were driving, it would say 150mph, but I’ll let your own Autobahn picture tell that story….)


We made REALLY GOOD time, and got to the Nurburgring at 13:40, which was BY FAR our fastest time to get here from Calais!!!

It was the lack of long convoy that was the secret, just one stop, and keep on trucking, that smashed the journey out in 4hr.

When we arrived at the Nurburgring, I noticed a pronounced whine coming from the engine…. That didn’t sound too good…

After a little self diagnostics and remote support from the TR Remote Breakdown Team @Moggy @Adey @andybond & @Chromeo_R8 (Thanks guys ) We soon ascertained that the brand new Aux Belt kit is fitted on the car, wasn’t happy, and the Aux Belt Bearing was whining…

So I soon found myself in the local Renault Dealer in Adenau:

And a new Aux Belt kit was ordered for delivery tomorrow.

Interestingly, this dealership has some awesome old posters up:



New Belt kit should be with them tomorrow morning at 07:00, but then I need to get it fitted… of course they don’t have the time to fit me in…. So it was down to the local hardware store to buy a few tools (Yes I know I should have brought some… but the reason I bought this car was because I thought it would be bloody reliable!!!) and then I just bought some WD40 as a last resort…

Gave the Aux Belt tensioner bearing a little spray with WD40….. and the whole thing now sounds as good as new!!!!!!



Nevertheless, I’m not going to trust a few drops of Lubricant, so going to Try & wrestle this new Aux belt kit onto the car tomorrow sometime… and enjoy the FULL-DAY Trackday at the Nordschleife I’ve come here for…

To reiterate…..

F***ING RENAULTS

As some conciliation, I got the obligatory Nurburgring photo with the car this evening:

 

[Ricardo]

When you think you've ticked ALL the boxes.......

Hopefully you'll have it all sorted

 

[Big Steve - Raider]

Track currently closed, so great time to give you Lovley people a quick update on the situation…

8:00 this morning the sighting laps started and I was the 2nd car behind the pace car.

2 steady laps following him, then he pulled in and we had 2 more. Decided to pull in, but then as we approached the pits, the session was Red Flagged as there was a Clio that lost all its fluid on Hatzenbach!!

Whilst the session was closed, we nipped back to the Renault Dealer and they relieved me of €112 for a £60.13 (at RPD) Aux belt kit and we then went to a friendly hotel who let @Mart and I use their ramp:

Came back to the pits and heard there had been another HEAVY accident, and a Blue Focus RS smashed up, and (apparently) threw its Engine onto the Track!??

Hope the drivers are ok…

Session then re-opened and @Millie_Bee had a drive and did really well.

I then went and did 2 more laps, and we came in, at which point, the track then closes again…

Still too many idiots on track chasing best lap times I guess…

 

[Big Steve - Raider]

Oh dear… barrier repair team just gone out…

Someone’s credit card is going to be taking a hit…

 

[Duncan Grier]

Good to get done and confidence its not going to cause issues.

Fingers crossed track opens soon and plenty of time to rack up the laps

Enjoy

 

[andybond]

went to a friendly hotel who let @Mart and I use their ramp:

What kind of hotel has a two poster ramp ?

What a stroke of luck.

 

[Ricardo]

What kind of hotel has a two poster ramp ?

What a stroke of luck.

One with a 4 poster bed?

 

[DaveL485]

Heroes chasing laptimes, the bane of the people there to enjoy the track and not be a massive spastic.

 

[Big Steve - Raider]

So it’s the day after the Nordschleife Trackday and the photos are in:

Not a FANTASTIC selection for 15 laps… but from what I’m told Circuit Days photos are often a little below par…

Anyways, after a night to sleep on it, what did I think….?

It was BLOODY AWESOME!!

1. Circuit was a lot quieter than on a Touristfahren day, so you really had some long sections where you had the track to yourself, and I noticed that as I got A LOT FASTER through the day (Thanks to the Instructor) there was a lot less cars passing me.
2. The Trackday gave me the confidence to go out there and drive 15 laps! Usually after 3/4 TF Laps, I’m just pleased to Survive.
3. The ability to have an instructor with me for 4 laps, really helped me to understand the “Flow” of the track, and even link a few corners together.
4. The car park around the Devils Diner, was never too busy to find a space (unless the track was closed) during the day, meaning you could come & go as you pleased.
5. Nice friendly atmosphere, spoke to a load of chaps about their cars/laps/incidents.
6. Unfortunately, even though there was a strict briefing and instruction on how the day should go, there were still too many plastic Stefan Bellof’s chasing their best lap-time and making risky overtakes.

So will I do it again…? Dam right I will!! I think I’ll probably sack off the regular TF Days now, in preference for doing the Trackdays there instead.

 

[andybond]

15 laps is a heck of a stint!

 

[Duncan Grier]

15 laps.....bet you slept well last night

How did the clio compare to other cars you have driven there?

While a track day is not cheap there, can see the attraction of non Tourist day setup if wanting to actually focus on driving it....guess with cost of a lap there is also a natural tipping point where the up front cost not as bad

Must get bk out there....such an epic place

 

[Renny 5]

Mate, I’m proper jealous! I love the ring… it’s really a special place and you get an amazing feeling just being there. locals are inviting, the food is great and the area is beautiful. was supposed Togo this year and the year before but obviously both have been cancelled. I’ve heard they’ve built on that field across from the grand stand?

 

[Big Steve - Raider]

Just arrived home after a truly EPIC weekend with great friends and loved ones. An enjoyable 1228 miles clocked onto the in Clio Raider:

And of course, after completing its tour of duty, It’s earnt it’s stripes:

Sugar Puff sticker the only way to go @Duncan Grier
Really bonded with the car over the weekend, as this was by far the longest I’d been in it since I’ve owned it, and it took the trip in it’s stride, as soon as I got over the defective Aux Belt Tensioner.

Found some MUCH BETTER photos of us on-track during the day, on the Racetracker Website (Can see me buying some of these and printing a few):

I was really lucky with the timing of the weekend, because on the Saturday, one of our friends married her husband in Düsseldorf, and @Millie_Bee and I were invited to share the day with them:


Needless to say, by the end of the night, there had been a few beers consumed and I wasn’t fit to drive home this morning:

So thankully @Millie_Bee stepped in and brought us back to Calais!

Just 2 weeks before we do it all again and get together as a club for the ClioSport/TurboRenault Festival….. GOOD TIMES!!

 

[Big Steve - Raider]

Realised I had these two pictures, same place, different cars, but a year apart:

 

[Big Steve - Raider]

Following a fabulous year with the Clio Raider, I decided to hide it away for winter in my Council Garage / Lockup:

Will be coming back to it in January for the MoT.

 

[DaveL485]

Garage knocked down by a flying lawnmower in 5...4...3...2...

 

[Big Steve - Raider]

Will be coming back to it in January for the MoT.

Dug the Clio out of it’s council garage last weekend in preparation for its MOT on Monday 30th Jan 23.

Had a CHECK EMISSIONS light come on the dash, but it didn’t restrict any power. Had a quick google search and it seems to be an issue with one of the Lambda sensors, so given that it doesn’t seem to be restricting any power to the engine, I assumed it was the secondary Lambda AFTER the cat.

Ordered a new Bosch one one online with the part number 0 258 010 110:

And boshed it on this morning, fitted like a treat, and identical to the one removed:

Hoping it behaves itself for the MOT test tomorrow!

 

[Big Steve - Raider]

Hoping it behaves itself for the MOT test tomorrow!

Sailed thru, no advisories, no problem!

 

[Ian M]

you sold this Steve? wasnt it there Thursday?

 

[Big Steve - Raider]

you sold this Steve? wasnt it there Thursday?

No, didn’t sell it Ian, just lent it to @Duncan Grier for the day so he could:

1. Get to the event
2. Re-ignite his Renault Passion…