Conference terri::cars_uk

What's the current conversion rate for US $?

Dave

Not sure of the current FF exchange rate with anything, but it used to
hover around FF10 = 1 pound, and the US$ to Pound xchange rate is about 1.56
today.  So as a rough cut FF5500=$860.

Plus the air-fare :-)
Martin

    
    
    The current exchange rate is ff5.2 = $1.00 so the drive would cost
    around $1057. assuming the rate doesn't drop any further. You can 
    get RT air to Paris for about $350.-$390. 
    
    
    -mike
    
    

    Patrick,
    
    >>The AGS team, based at LE LUC EN PROVENCE circuit near TOULON, FRANCE
    
    What happened to the name of "Circuit Paul Ricard"?
    
    Is the entrance free for those that come along and just watch as it
    could be a nice day out with the wife and kids?
    
    You say that the 19th July session is sold out - out of interest how
    many slots are there for each session?
    
    Anyone got FF5500 spare? :-(
    
    Dave

    > Should we organize a DEC F1 day ?
    
    It would be rather rude not to !
    
    How about 5 Sep. The Bol d'Or must be round about then.
    
    Rob

    I have just been reminded that the 5th Sept is a no-no, as is the 20th
    Aug :-(.
    
    Any chance of planning something for next year ?
    
    Rob

    RE: .7
    
    >>The Circuit Paul Ricard is another circuit (bigger one) located near
    >>MARSEILLE. Le Luc is a smaller place than Paul Ricard. It is located
    >>50km east of Paul Ricard, about halfway between MARSEILLE and VALBONNE.
    
    Now that you come to mention it I did see another circuit marked on the
    map when we were looking at taking a drive around the wine growing area
    a couple of weeks back.
    
    
    >>Apart from the circuit there is little to do. I think there is a bar
    >>and a minigolf. The nearest town is something like 8km down the road.
    >>The seaside (St Tropez) is some 40km south of the circuit (count 1
    >>hour because of the twisty little roads, unles you practice rally
    >>driving ...).
    
    No problems concerning the other facilities basically we would take a
    picnic with us and stay around for a couple of hours to watch a few
    cars and then go onto other places for some wine testing :-) 
    
    
    >>Don't know but can easily find out. Other possibility is to book a
    >>whole day for 10 DECcies. Would you be interested ?
    
    Don't worry it was just a casual question. If we had the money spare
    even my wife say do it. What with a few major bills coming up over the
    next 3 months I think I'll have to skip it this year :-(
    
    Dave

    Well as long as it doesn't rain again tomorrow were going down for a
    couple of hours to have a look around and watch a few folks having a
    go. 

	Re .0

	Patrick,

	Have you got any contact details for this - where did you find out
	about it?

	Rob

    Well we went to have a look - for those who are thinking about going
    down to the cicuit it took under 30 minutes from Cannes to the Le Luc
    exit and then it's about another 5 minutes after this on the D33. 
    
    The F1 cars that they used yesterday had race certificates from the 
    Hungarian GP 1989 and Spanish GP 1991. The Spanish GP car had the
    drivers name of Tarquini on the side.
    
    First car went out - no problems. Concerning the second car the first
    driver out in it managed to land in a gravel trap on his first full
    lap (the circuit is not that big at all so a lap is pretty quick). They
    had to tow the car back to the factory to clean it out! Not sure about
    the state of the drivers overalls but I imagine he was glad that they
    were tight around the ankles :-) 
    
    We then went over to the factory and had a look around - shame we could
    only spend about 5 minutes there as we had to leave to come back here.
    
    For the kids (aged 3 and 5) we took them to a Turtle "village" which
    was only 10 minutes drive away. Basically you turn right out from the
    cicuit entrance and carry along the road until the D33/D75 junction
    where you turn right, direction Gonfaron. For the adults there is also
    some decent vineyards around where you can do some wine tasting and
    pick up some reasonable stuff in 10 litre containers (which we bottle
    at home). 

    RE: .12
    
    Patrick,
    
    >>I'll spend some time there next week. Do you need anything ? For the
    >>present time I've only got their price list (in french and FF). You can
    >>obviously choose to do more than 3 laps in a AGS F1 but the prices go
    >>up steep !
    
    Do you have anything planned while you are there...?
    
    I've got plenty of holiday days to use up :-) It's a shame Stuart B.
    will be giving a course here next week otherwise I could have dragged
    him along.
    
    Dave

Patrick,

Is this place the same as Le Luc airfield? 

Cheers,

Graham.

    Just called AGS/F1. The Aug 19 session is full. 
    
    Seats available for the Sep 5. I'm in. Anyone else ?

    Patrick,
    
    If you've got a video camera do you want me to pop along and film you -
    hopefully not taking a plunge into the gravel trap like a guy before.
    
    Dave

Can we get one in the NA format or will the 8mm work on PAL and ours too?

Dave

    re .22
    
    Your turn Dave. Tell us what it really looked like ...

Great report Patrick.  Wonder if they could install FIA cameras on the cars and
make some more money selling tapes of your laps?

Dave (the other one)

    re>> noise upon starting an F1
    
    You think that's loud, try standing next to a funny car with open
    headers when they start THAT up! Ringing for the next half hour....
    
    (And try breathing when they switch the thing to run on alcohol, it
    eats so much surrounding air and replaces it with burnt gas, you
    physically find it hard to breathe!)
    
    Dan$draghead

    Minor (?) detail to bear in mind when discussing acceleration and
    braking distances:
    
    Weight to Power Ratio
    
    				Empty weight	Power	  W/P ratio 
    				    (kg)        (bhp)	 (kg per bhp)
    	-------------------------------------------------------------      
    	- city car		    900		 60	     15	
    	- family saloon		   1200		150	      8
    	- GM Euroseries		    450		180	      2.5
    	- AGS F1		    505		600	       .85
    
    This shows that a difference in payload has little influence on a
    family saloon but will make significant changes in driving a F1.
    
    The other thing to consider is the aerodynamic load vs speed. At
    whatever speed the family saloon will have an equal load on its
    suspension and wheels (or get slightly lighter load due to wing effect). 
    Whereas the racecars will end up with over a ton even at medium speeds.
    This definitely helps high speed braking (and cornering).

    I read somewhere that, although it's not official (ie. nobody's done it
    in an F1) an F1 car could drive along a ceiling at xxx mph upside down and 
    not fall off.
    

    Yeah, I heard it aswell Dan...
    
    ...it was quoted onlong the lines of:
    
     last years Williams Renault doing approx. 160mph could drive upside
    down because of the downforce it creates.
    
    ...I think you must have read it in one of Dan RRs Mags last year,
    because that's where I remember reading it!

Doesn't M-B have a test track with banking that bends past vertical?

Dave