2012 NSW Supersprint Championship

[Charlie Brown]

Looking at the videos posted on the new section, there's no chance to overtake but you should be able to overtake after T5 before entering the new section and over the hill as the new joins the old circuit, if you have the power.

Otherwise you'll need to leave plenty of room to the next car on your warm up lap so as not to be held up.

Looking at the videos I can see that I'll need to setup the car differently. The corner two before rejoining the old circuit looks like a big understeering corner as it tightens up on itself.

[PeterB]

I have sent my entry in as it will be interesting to try the extended layout. The MX5 should be more competitive with the extra tight sections. There is a fair bit of time to be gained when I get my head back around the Creek.

Somehow I have ended up in the lead of Class 3A by 2 points (as Chris Peterson only seems to be running at Wakefield so far) so I had better run some more rounds and see if I can stay there for a while - good points for the club.

[PeterB]

Unfortunately I have had to cancel my entry for Eastern Creek this Sunday.

Have fun on the extended circuit and I hope to see you at Wakefield Park at the end of the month.

[mazmad]

Hi all

After some advice - I am looking at doing the Supersprints next year (I am assuming you can't jump in once the season is underway......)

I plan on running as Type 2, and have a set of wheels which are 1 1/2 inches wider than standard on my NB8B (6UL 15 x 8s). By the letter of the law they are 1/2 inch too wide - I assume they will enforce this pretty strictly and am planning on selling them to replace with some 7 1/2 in.

Is this correct, are they sticklers?

Thanks
Newbie.... Craig.

[greenMachine]

Hi all

After some advice - I am looking at doing the Supersprints next year (I am assuming you can't jump in once the season is underway......)

I plan on running as Type 2, and have a set of wheels which are 1 1/2 inches wider than standard on my NB8B (6UL 15 x 8s). By the letter of the law they are 1/2 inch too wide - I assume they will enforce this pretty strictly and am planning on selling them to replace with some 7 1/2 in.

Is this correct, are they sticklers?

Thanks
Newbie.... Craig.

First up, you can run at these events without entering for the State Championship, and you can (AFAIK) enter the championship at any time - the Club would love to get a new competitor, as there is a Club championship run in parallel to the competitors.

As a newcomer you will probably get some leeway, especially if you are running down the back of the class, but you need to get legal ASAP. What will probably happen is that one of your fellow competitors will ask a few pointed questions ... scrutineering (in my now somewhat dated experience) tends to be more about safety rather than class compliance, but best not to push your luck especially on something that is pretty clearcut.

You will find that this is a great fun series, and though it can get pretty serious at the pointy end of the classes it still remains a friendly competition - at least that was my experience.

[Guran]

Just to support the answers from Ed, Craig you will be very welcome to enter any supersprint round at any time of the year, regardless of being a championship entrant. You can still pay your $50 fee and enter the championship and the points you earn will help the MX-5 Club in competing for the club championship. Your tyre width issue is unlikely to be a concern while you're getting started.

I believe there are still spots available at this Sunday's round, so if you have an L2S licence and your car is ready, you can still enter. Everything you need is at http://www.supersprints.com.au. Even if you don't enter this weekend, please drop by for a visit and chat about any questions you have. I'll be in garage 17 and the rest of our gang will be nearby too.

Peter - sorry to hear you will miss this one.

[mazmad]

Thanks greenmachine / bryan

I am going to come along for a look this Sundaay at EC / or whateveritiscallednow.... Will come say hi.

Need one or two more track sessions (having amassed the sum total of one in my green machine ). But will take your advice and leap in this year, hopefully in time for the Sep round.

Car is pretty much ready apart from bonnet clamps and stickers.

And the subtext I am getting is....no-one will care about the wheel size...unless I start threatening the point end of the class positions

[Charlie Brown]

Thanks greenmachine / bryan

I am going to come along for a look this Sundaay at EC / or whateveritiscallednow.... Will come say hi.

Need one or two more track sessions (having amassed the sum total of one in my green machine ). But will take your advice and leap in this year, hopefully in time for the Sep round.

Car is pretty much ready apart from bonnet clamps and stickers.

And the subtext I am getting is....no-one will care about the wheel size...unless I start threatening the point end of the class positions

Craig, you don't need stickers to compete or bonnet straps provided you still have the standard double locking system provided by Mazda. Most of us though add another one, just encase.

With only one event under your belt, I don’t think any of us in 2B know anything about your wheel width, not until you get into Group 1 at Wakefield on Club days anyway.

Adding to Bryans invite to come down and have a chat, we will be in Garages 1, 12 & 13.
You just need to stand aside when we come in and madly run around the car with air pressure and tyre temperature gauges. After that we’ll chat for another hour before we go out again.

[mazmad]

Great, will see you then.

[frog_a_lot]

Well.. I had a really good day today, I really like the new EC circuit, a few fun new corners. Definitely favored the lighter and smaller cars like the MX5s. Wouldnt really like to be in a big car through there. Got 5 sets of runs which was good, so decent track time.

Still dont see the need for the 30min lunch break which turns into 45 mintues, oh well.

A good amount of MX5s around today. Hope everyone else had fun.

[Charlie Brown]

Ended up being a fantastic day.
I did to Ralph what he's been doing to me over the last 12 months.
Knocked him off on the last run of the day by a whopping 0.01 seconds to take the lap record for Class 2B.

[Luke]

I would normally commend a car club for the amount of sessions we got, but what they did for that last run was just plain stupid, not to mention dangerous.

Who thought it would be a good idea to mix Clubmans and Radicals with Commodores and GTR's and Civics with time variances of 30 seconds a lap.
Was worse than what I've seen the NSWRRC do.

They had the time to divide it into 2-3 groups but they crammed it all into one lunatic session. Sort of glad they didn't let me run in it, as I was stuck in the pit lane waiting.

And AHRG, there is now Porsche 911 GT3's in the 1C/2C class!!! They are pretty much top of the time board overall for closed cars, let alone in class.
Example 2:03.0473, 2:07.1964 and 2:07.3761. Are these things classed right, I guess yes since they are road registered. They have more Aero then alot of the race cars.
Next 2C is all the way here in a modifed 350Z: 2:13.2750
Then I'm at the middle of the group time (ignoring GT3's) with: 2:21.1079

On the plus side, no gravel rash this time.
The new South course looks interesting for first timers. It's a slow speed course with tar/concrete run off to slow down on. Gravel/grass if you are realy in trouble, but good luck getting into that much trouble with wopping speeds of up to 130km/h.
The elevation change is amazing though. You look up into the sky at some points.

[mazmad]

I am planning to have my first stab at the Supersprints on 16 September, EC South circuit. Came out yesterday to check it out and meet a few of the mx5 boys - great representation of mx5s!

And on that theme - as the "Promoter/Organising Club Mini Car Club of NSW" - where were the mini's?

[Guran]

That last lunatic session was definitely a strange and dangerous one. The supp regs said the day would end at 5pm and there we were being turned away from the marshalling area at 4:10pm? It spoilt an otherwise successful day.

Luke I'd suggest you email some feedback to Evan Jones (Clerk of Course).

Porsches in type 1 and 2? Why not. They're road registered and good on the owners for having a go (although that one isn't entered in the championship). I actually think it's funny that a whole bunch of low powered MX-5s rank so well in those classes when there are plenty of other very quick road cars out there. Who would of thought my little NA6 would be on target to finish second in Type 1? A loooong way behind the Lotus Elise but the trophy will still say "second".

[Charlie Brown]

The last session was MAD!!

I lined up with Russ waiting for the Yellow group to follow the Radical, Clubmans, Porsche’s etc out when we noticed that some in the White group were heading out as well. I said to the controller, what the hells going on, and he said if you want a run you’d better go now. We didn’t even have our helmets on!! So a quick strap on and out we went well behind the tail of the field.

I check the mirrors to see if the Radical was coming as I exited pit lane as it had been a while since they left and nothing was coming. A quick wiggle down the straight to T2 to warm up the tyres, check the mirrors, only Russ there, through T2, T3, T4, when exiting T5, BAM, one Radical doing 60kph more than me on the inside and I never saw him coming. Hell where are those Clubbies?

They were better, nowhere need the speed difference. I saw the first one coming after the old T9 and let him through and then held on for as long as I could. I managed another half a lap before the next one came up at T2 and I let him through after T5 and he couldn't loose me through the new section.
We were catching the slower vehicles from the White group quickly. He disposed of a Celica on top of Corporate Hill with me 50 metres behind and rapidly closing on the Celica when it spun 20 metres in front of me in T9. Luckily I was able to break a little earlier and slip through on the inside.
The last lap I was looking out for the next Clubbie while trying to shut down the distance to a Commodore, so I could get a toe down the straight. Unfortunately I didn’t make up the distance.

To close the track 50 minutes before the due time and to let a group of cars onto the track with such a wide variation in time was wrong. CAMS should have a word with the ARDC about the saftey issues involved and we as competitors should complain to the ARDC about the way the event was run.