MX-5 Club Track Day - Wakefield Park - 20th January 2012

[Guran]

My car had 6 good runs plus some lunchtime rallying experience. I reckon that's an excellent effort by the officials on a pretty interesting day.

He he he. Thanks again for the drive of your car. It's a sweet thing and nicely balanced. If there's a "next time", remind me to bring a cushion so I can see over the dash and reach the pedals with more than my big toes! Damn fixed seat.

I had seven runs in the end, and I needed to duck into town for fuel after lunch. Tribute to restricting it to 70 drivers, split into only six groups - more track time for everyone. And that was after a few long delays for recovery and clean-up ... and a grass fire! Kudos to Mike and all the crew.

[manga_blue]

The grass fire was pretty funny too. While it was only 2 meters long and half a meter wide there were 5 of us, still in helmets and race boots, shoulder to shoulder stamping on it. Every time you smothered a bit it would just flare up again a few seconds later. It was like trying to crush mercury.

[Suspense]

I totally missed that incident. Did it happen to be on the outside of the T9 exit? I went off-roading there in the afternoon and saw a small black patch in front of me!

[Guran]

Yes, the grass fire was just after turn 9. David Hilling's Evo started it when he was parked for a bit too long on the dry grass following a spin at turn 9.

Just after this, the ladies minding the flag system were a bit worried when they noticed a burning smell. It was the ash on Phil's boots they could smell!

[doctor_bob]

If he did hold his nerve then there could be some great shots out there. Does anyone know who he was?

I believe he was a friend of Josh

[PeterB]

I have started to pull Britney apart and she doesn't look too bad, given she is starting from a pretty average condition anyway.

A new door and front guard from Carco will get her well on the way. She will need some panel pulling out on the rear guard, but there doesn't seem to be any real sill damage. Luckily the load was spread over a wide area from the tyre wall.

She drives true, so looks like there was no under body/mechanical damage, but a trip to the wheel aligner and a session with a tape measure will prove that theory.

However it was a great advertisement for using a race seat and harness if you are doing desperates. I must have hit a little rear first as all the force was taken on my left shoulder into the wing of the seat. I need to check more carefully, but it feels like the seat has bent around the wing area under the force. The seat wing limited head movement as well.

If I had been in a standard seat with a lap-sash belt I think it would have been pretty nasty as I could have ended up in the passenger seat, with no side support.

This is the reason I started with a poor condition NA6 as I know that I will push it to the limit and beyond and a race car has to be expendable.

Sunday was the best day for grip I can remember and I knew it was the day to set a time so I gave it everything and a bit more as I was determined to do a 1.13. My big stuff-up was underestimating the loss of grip in the hotter conditions, and then not being able to deal better with the situation I created when I threw her in way too hard, so I got away fairly lightly considering.

Probably karma for teasing Ian Vickers about his khana-cross style !!

[Guran]

The results are now posted on the club website. Incredible job by Zan - driving home from Sydney to Barrington yesterday and she's already got the final results ready. Some very impressive PBs on Sunday:

Todd Herring 1:07.15 in Class 10 (FTD)
Phil Ashton 1:09.65 in Class 9 (first sub 1:10 lap)
Steve Green 1:09.88 in Class 9 (first sub 1:10 lap)
Peter Feutrill 1:11.59 in Class 7
Peter Browning 1:13.53 in Class 5 (first sub 1:14 lap)
Chris Gough 1:14.65 in a Mazda2
Tiit Saul 1:25.74 in a 1992 Corolla AE92 (I won the bet that he wouldn't finish last )

... just to single out a handful.

edit: and Tiit's photo collection is up on Flickr too.

[tiki]

I had an awesome day with my corolla Bryan gave me quick lesson. Awesome experience being thought by a great driver! Thank you Bryan.
My driving is still a big mess, but i will go back there as soon as possible and practice some more.
Thank you everybody.

I didn't shoot too many photos but some are here http://www.flickr.com/photos/tiitsaul/

That lowered mazda2 looks pretty cool.
Are brakes bit worn?

[zero00]

My car had 6 good runs plus some lunchtime rallying experience. I reckon that's an excellent effort by the officials on a pretty interesting day.

He he he. Thanks again for the drive of your car. It's a sweet thing and nicely balanced. If there's a "next time", remind me to bring a cushion so I can see over the dash and reach the pedals with more than my big toes! Damn fixed seat.

I had seven runs in the end, and I needed to duck into town for fuel after lunch. Tribute to restricting it to 70 drivers, split into only six groups - more track time for everyone. And that was after a few long delays for recovery and clean-up ... and a grass fire! Kudos to Mike and all the crew.

What time did you start, how long for lunch and then finish time, so I guess I'm asking how long was the actual 'running time'? 6 groups with 7 runs = 42 'events' for a full day but asking 'hours on track'

We managed 5 runs with 4 groups yesterday then a 'combo' of groups 1/2 then 3/4 for the last as we have to finish by 4pm, kick-off was 12.30pm, so 22 'events' in 3.5 hours

Next Lakeside is an 'ALL DAY' similar to what you guys run, hope to squeeze in 9/10 runs maybe more, depends on how many 'offs' there could be [details on thread posted by JBT]

Thanks

[Suspense]

First on track would have been about 9:30, lunch at about 1, restarted at 2, last runs by about 4. That includes about a half hour stop for Hayden's beached SP and close to that again for PeterB's incident, and possibly more for the grass fire. 69 competitors on the day.

Limiting entries to 70 seemed to work well in my opinion.

[manga_blue]

Roger, I think the six groups all had 5 runs and then there were 2 extra runs, one for the stayers in run groups 1 and 2 and then one for the other stayers. Also one group had a short re-run to make up for a session cut short by a red flag. So I think that makes 33 runs in the day. hjt's broken wheel delayed things by about 20 minutes. Peter's realignment of the flag hut probably cost 15 minutes. The grass fire was trivial in terms of time lost.

The NSW MX5 club sets the start/finsh line half way around the track at Wakefield, not at the tower. Each group goes out and does 1/2 a lap warmup then 6 minutes flying which starts when the first car crosses the start/finish. All cars have only half a lap cool-down before exiting at the start of the main straight. As the last car exits then the first car is let out from the next run group.

The MX5 club in Victoria often run in partnership with AROCA, with AROCA controlling the event. AROCA run longer sessions (10-15 minutes) and get a faster turnaround by leading the pack out behind a pace car as soon as the last car of the previous run gets the chequered flag past the pits. With this arrangement AROCA provides many more laps per day than any other club but the fields can have problems with bunching in the first few laps.

[zero00]

Thanks guys! Lakeside there is really no 'short cut' available except maybe at Hungry's and that would be very dangerous to pull them in there, so full warm up, 5 x flying and then 7/8 lap cool down back into the pits

Doing the numbers it's very much the same, we were lucky no delays yesterday, there was one 'off' and he managed to get the car back into the pits with no real delay and next group was lined up and ready to go as soon as the last car entered the pits proper. Our finish time is governed by QR/Lakeside and we have a 95dB noise level limit that is strictly adhered to, Council [who actually own the complex!] were actually there yesterday doing noise checks, all good!! We had 36 entrants and 4 groups

We have managed 7 runs each before but that was with three groups in a half-day event, March being a full day at half-day entry fee [now that's value!] I'm hoping we crack 50 entries, would be four groups I'd imagine and with an hour for QR/entrants lunch break I'd think we could get 8 runs at least given no incidents, so very similar to yours

Thanks for the replies, much appreciated!! If you visit the thread for yesterday there are 712 photos taken by a Professional Motor Sport photographer who also just happens to have an MX5 now!! Included are the 2 sub 60:00 cars of Charlie_91 and Tim and the red NC [car 53] that was at Wakefield for NatMeet 2012

[Zane]

....a 1:25 in a 21 year old stock Corolla!!!!

Definitely my vote for drive of the day.

Well done Mr. Saul

BTW, fantastic pics on Flicke as well

The results are now posted on the
Tiit Saul 1:25.74 in a 1992 Corolla AE92 (I won the bet that he wouldn't finish last )

edit: and Tiit's photo collection is up on Flickr too.

[PeterB]

If he did hold his nerve then there could be some great shots out there. Does anyone know who he was?

I believe he was a friend of Josh

Does anyone know our intrepid photographer from flag point 4. I would be interested to see any photos of Britney during her little incident.

I would be happy to reimburse some costs if there are good photos to be seen.

Peter Browning at petbro@grapevine.com.au

Britney is back on the road with just a little cellulite on the rear guard for her trouble. I can now say I have speared Britney !!

[Luke]

I had an awesome day with my corolla Bryan gave me quick lesson. Awesome experience being thought by a great driver! Thank you Bryan.
My driving is still a big mess, but i will go back there as soon as possible and practice some more.
Thank you everybody.

I didn't shoot too many photos but some are here http://www.flickr.com/photos/tiitsaul/

That lowered mazda2 looks pretty cool.
Are brakes bit worn?

If he is using pads like Hawk Blues or some other carbon metallic pad, I would say his pad levels are good.
I used to have some fun at night with my hawk Blues. When bedding them in, it was like having flares inside your wheels. You would have a fire trail behind ya.