I like engines, but.... As the crow flies I live about 2 miles from the Millbrook test track. It used to be owned by General Motors (I don't know if it still is) and has a big banked circle about a mile in diameter with various twisty cicuits inside that (a bit like Rockingham) and what they call an alpine section built on the side of the hill (I did a single stage rally using the alpine section once...marvellous swoopy bends and impossibly steep climbs and descents). These days it's very secretive with security guards keeping casual onlookers and press photographers looking for new car models well away. Since it's a couple of miles away with woods, fields and one or two hills in between I hardly ever hear what's going on there, but today now it's bright, dry and calm they've got some testing going on that's driving me nuts. It's gotta be some type of race car on open pipes. Don't know if it's Formula 1 or Le Mans type stuff but it's very high revving with hardly any pause between gear shifts on a seven speed (yes I counted) gearbox. I don't know if it's testing or some type of corporate day but whatever, the damn thing has been going round and round and round with a few brief pauses (refuelling?) since 8 this morning. I can hear it all the way round the circuit.... the net effect is like having a circuit at the bottom of my garden with an R6 on race cans thrashing around all day. It was all right at first but after a few hours it's like Chinese water torture. Gives you a bit of insight into what it must be like listening to a track day all day. |