Mas du Clos 2002

[DutchBlackNsx]

On August the 24th it will be the Mas du Clos event in France for the Honda NSX Throphy.

The Mas du Clos circuit is a very nice circuit, layed out in the middle of France, just 200 Km under Paris.
The circuit is privatly owned, and is very clean and well maintained.
The circuit itself is not that long, but very impressive to drive.
There are some very tight hairpins, at the front of the restaurant, such as you only would see in the formula1 track at Monaco.
Going uphill with 15% at some points.

Having lunch is a new experience, with racecars comming towards you with 150Kmph, and taking a hairpin, just 3 meters away from youre so well deserved plate, leaving rubber from the tires in your food.

Most definetely the best NSX Throphy experience i had last season.

A link to the circuits homepage is here

The circuit includes a very impresive Ferrari collection

presenting F50, F40 and a bunch of other famous and rare Ferarri models (i was told it's in the top 3 of best ferarri collections worldwide).

The circuit does also have a swimmingpool, though i do not know if it is open to public.

Hope to see you guys overthere!


Last year:

[This message has been edited by DutchBlackNsx (edited 25 July 2002).]

 

[Andrie Hartanto]

Man, you guys are extremely lucky to have such beautiful track all over Europe.

making me jealous...

 

[DutchBlackNsx]

Originally posted by Andrie Hartanto:
making me jealous...

Then i have to point you to Andrea's post in the picture forums.......

 

[Enzo]

I can't come to the Mas du Clos because I have to work the 24th August !!!!

DAMN WORK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

David

 

[MvM]

Yes,
I'm going to Mas-du-Clos on August 23rd with a couple of other Dutch guys. Arranged a day off from work to do it (someone else will come instead). Will be my first track-experience!
Am curious, apart from the Dutch group, who will be coming as well.
And Michel, thanks for pulling me over the line. I've got a helmet, now I need some gloves.

 

[Gerard van Santen]

Besides the Dutch Group, who is also going to Mas du Clos?
It would be nice if there are more then only the Dutch NSX's at Mas.

 

[DutchBlackNsx]

Well...Mas du Clos 2002 is history.

Great weekend, with the NSX, friends and wives.
We left at Friday morning, ready for an 8 hour drive to Mas du Clos in France.......sure......8 hours.......
First we where in some huge trafficjams in belgium, and then we suffered from a flat tire on Maarten's (MvM) NSX. Luckily Gerard took some of those tire repair kits with him, and we where able to repair the thing with it.
Then we came in an incredible rainstorm, leaving Maarten behind coz his tires where already doing very bad on wet roads as well.
After that, everything went better, Maarten catched up, though we where stopping every half hour coz someone had to P, taking up another 15 minutes. Actualy, those stops where big fun in the end.

Knowing the drivingskills of the french, you wouldn't expect the french to like japanese exotic cars, but that opposite is true. Thumbs up every half hour, yougsters hanging out of there car, trying to take a quick picture.

Great ride.

Our accomodations where taken care of by Peter (Imola orange 97 NSX), which he did extremely well. First night in some sort of old farm, changed into a bed and breakfast, second night in a very nice sort of cottage thingy, with pools on a stunning location.
Well done Peter!! Thank you.

Saturday was raceday.
Went there pretty early in the morning, ready for the briefing. Gerard went on the track straight away, not leaving it until we left in the evening. Maarten spend some time on the track, getting his first experience with his NSX on the circuit.
Peter did some laps as well.
Also met No100 (Enzo, no not Enzo

) again. Always great to see and talk to him.
Next day, back home........sure......what a day.....
The first 8 hours we only drove 400 kilometers. Gerard's NSX just simply died on the motorway, having to let it stop, and then take off again .... and that every half hour or so. Then my water temperature went through the roof, having that fixed, Maarten to suffer a completely ripped tire.
So we had to leave Maarten in Paris, so he could find himself a set of new tires on monday. Leaving us to drive home.
Then everything went great. 2 hours of full speed driving over the french motorway doing 200K p/h. Then disaster struck again. Gerards NSX went out again. After some fidling with it, it started again, and we where able to drive our last 200 kilometers home....sure.....until just past Antwerp, where Gerards NSX died completely, not starting anymore. Luckily we brought some tools, so we bridged some wires on his voltage doubler (Comptech stuff), and we where able to drive all the way home.

Left France at 11:30, came home at 00:30, thats a 13 hour drive for 850 kilometers.

We felt very sad that Guus couldn't come along with us. We sure thought about him a lot.

It was a great weekend after all, learning to know Maarten a bit better, spending even more time with Gerard and his wife Simone (you guys are great), and having loads of fun and laughter with Peter and his wife Will.


We booked the hotels for next year already...........

Pictures, unsorted 5 pages:
http://short-circuit.xs4all.nl/masduclos2002/thumbnails/

[This message has been edited by DutchBlackNsx (edited 26 August 2002).]

 

[Gerard van Santen]

Hi Michel,

Whow what a pictures. Yes this is what Europe can offer the NSX addicts. It was a fantastic weekend and you have made a very good impression of our weekend.

Btw: WHERE ARE THE NUDE PICTURES AT THE SWIMMINGPOOL????

Gerard

 

[Enzo]

Hi Mich,

Thanks (from us poor NSXers that had to work last saturday) for your great report and pictures,

Seems that you had a fantastic weekend even if some parts of your trip sound more like Ferrari's owners stories than NSX's drivers !

Hey, the only NSX enthusiasts I have encountered in France are the cops who arrested me while returning home from Dijon !

Enzo ( well, not the real one...sorry "No100")

PS : PLEASE, TELL US MORE ABOUT THOSE NUDE PICTURES? LOL



[This message has been edited by Enzo (edited 26 August 2002).]

 

[DutchBlackNsx]

Originally posted by Gerard van Santen:
Btw: WHERE ARE THE NUDE PICTURES AT THE SWIMMINGPOOL????

You've got mail

 

[pimp42]

What kind/size are those wheels?

 

[gheba_nsx]

Dutchy,
congratulations for the weekend! I was also thinking: WTH happened to the NSX reliability?

Me, Enzo and some other NSXers went last year for a 2000km and more trip to Germany to watch the German 500 CART race and noboy had one single problem!

Did Peter buy Roger's Imola Orange?

PS: I am interested in the photos too!

 

[gheba_nsx]

Opps, I saw only now the photo of last year and there already was a Imola Orange NSX-T. Roger sold his '97 coupe only a couple weeks ago.

 

[DutchBlackNsx]

Originally posted by gheba_nsx:
I was also thinking: WTH happened to the NSX reliability?

FYI, ALL problems we had where not Honda related.

- Tire trouble: Tire was old and worn, should have been replaced way before.
- Coolant: Result of aftermarket product, confirmed by vendor.
- Engine stopping: Result of aftermarket product.


Yes, i know.....pretty sad......


Mich

 

[MvM]

Ok guys (and girls of course)
I'm back in one piece, alive and well and so is the NSX.

First of all I want to thank Michel, Gerard, Peter and Ton and all the girls as well of course for one fantastic weekend. Despite my tire-trouble (entirely my fault) I had a great weekend and lots of fun.
Everyone has been of great help. Gerard, espcially you, your tire-repair kit was great in that it allowed my to continue my journey to Mas-du-Clos. And also many thanks for allowing me to race on the circuit using Gerards street rear-tires. A great circuit and great fun. I've learned a lot during this weekend.
Driving to and from Mas-du-Clos was absolutely great. It's much more fun to drive at speed with a couple of other NSX'es than doing it alone.

The tires I used were indeed old (older than I thought) and I had planned to replace them after the weekend.
That is one wise lesson learned. DON'T POSTPONE YOUR TIRE-REPLACEMENT.
After spending the Sunday-night at a hotel a searched for new tires (265/35ZR18) but a nearby tire-centre didn't have them in stock. A Porsche-dealer I found did have them but later said he was not allowed to work on any other car than a Porsche so that turned out to be a dead-end.
Finally, I had the tire-centre order the tires (Marshall) which would be there Tuesday around 3 PM. After spending another night I was at the center around 12 PM and see the tires just being delivered. They replaced the tires but then found out they couldn't balance them out. So, with unbalanced tires I drove the last 450km home at an easy pace.

First thing now is to replace my front-tires (not taking any chances now) with Bridgestones and have all my wheels balanced and get ready for Spa Franchorchamps next month.

 

[Gerard van Santen]

Originally posted by MvM:
Ok guys (and girls of course)
I'm back in one piece, alive and well and so is the NSX.

First of all I want to thank Michel, Gerard, Peter and Ton and all the girls as well of course for one fantastic weekend. Despite my tire-trouble (entirely my fault) I had a great weekend and lots of fun.
Everyone has been of great help. Gerard, espcially you, your tire-repair kit was great in that it allowed my to continue my journey to Mas-du-Clos. And also many thanks for allowing me to race on the circuit using Gerards street rear-tires. A great circuit and great fun. I've learned a lot during this weekend.
Driving to and from Mas-du-Clos was absolutely great. It's much more fun to drive at speed with a couple of other NSX'es than doing it alone.

The tires I used were indeed old (older than I thought) and I had planned to replace them after the weekend.
That is one wise lesson learned. DON'T POSTPONE YOUR TIRE-REPLACEMENT.
After spending the Sunday-night at a hotel a searched for new tires (265/35ZR18) but a nearby tire-centre didn't have them in stock. A Porsche-dealer I found did have them but later said he was not allowed to work on any other car than a Porsche so that turned out to be a dead-end.
Finally, I had the tire-centre order the tires (Marshall) which would be there Tuesday around 3 PM. After spending another night I was at the center around 12 PM and see the tires just being delivered. They replaced the tires but then found out they couldn't balance them out. So, with unbalanced tires I drove the last 450km home at an easy pace.

First thing now is to replace my front-tires (not taking any chances now) with Bridgestones and have all my wheels balanced and get ready for Spa Franchorchamps next month.

Hi Maarten,

Glad to hear that you came home OK.
I'm also glad to hear that you come to Spa.

I already arranged a double bed for you for 27th - 29th of september near by the track.

BTW: Michel and Peter, I also arranged the hotel for you (and wives)

Cheers,
Gerard

[This message has been edited by Gerard van Santen (edited 28 August 2002).]

 

[MvM]

Gerard,

Thanks for your reply. And thank you for calling me in France to see how I was doing. Hope your NSX is doing fine again so you won't have trouble on the trip to Spa.