QLD Club: Motor Sport Program

[Barry.L]

I appreciate where your coming from Mazlot, and I agree with what you've said.
Having said that, I've instructed my daughter for over 50 hours of driving now, and I wouldn't contemplate letting her on any track, if I wasn't confident in her ability to drive responsibly and stay out of trouble. I love both her and our MX5 enough to not put either in danger

Cheers

Barry

[NMX516]

I love both her and our MX5 enough to not put either in danger

Cheers

Barry

So she won't be driving at Lakeside then...

Lakeside holds a few records within Australia. One of those is highest average lap speed of any circuit within this country, yes, Bathurst and Philip Island included. Another of its records is that of most fatalities at a race track within Australia. While the second of those records has not been added to in a while, the track has not changed since - there is no room for error at Lakeside,

I too agree with mazlot.

Welcome to the club

[JBT]

I've got a foot in both camps here. I'm pleased to see that QR are prepared to issue Clubman Licences to L platers (or to those 16 and over as best as I can determine) with parental acceptance/responsibility. I think they need to be a bit circumspect though.

Lakeside does have history, but so does the Bruce Highway. At least at Lakeside, everyone is going the same way, sober (we hope), drug free (we hope), alert and respectful of each other. The problem arises when the red mist descends and the adrenalin flows - individuals respond differently. Maybe your daughter will be fine. The problem is that she can't go out for a couple of dual instruction runs before being sent solo and even then, preferably, in a group of tyros supervised on the track by an instructor/minder. It's also possible that she could get the fright of her life and be lost to motorsport or future events.

On the other hand, if she keeps a level head, practises/consolidates her current skills and potters around at a safe pace she could end up with some valuable experience and a strong desire to get more involved.

I guess you know her best.

[MINX]

That makes sense John.

But i wouldn't want to be in the same group as a L plater. (shouldnt be a problem with existing times sorting groups)
Some respect for driving skill and etiquette is required, and expected by the club members driving together on the track.
Hopefully she would drive within her limits- but we all hope to do that dont we?
But i expect a lot of us use the track days to find those limits.
Hopefully the L plater will be safe, but there is also and expectation that they will not increase any risks to other drivers aswell.
eg by following too close trying to keep up, or causing a hazard driving too slowly.

Track days are a great experience though. Looking forward to LS.

[Barry.L]

Guy's I appreciate the concerns being shown, and I do understand where your all coming from.

I think the fact that I've said my daughters an "L" plater has perhaps given the wrong impression. My daughter is a competent driver. She's been driving cars alone since about the age of 13. At that age I was allowing her to drive around paddocks in our Landcruiser (manual) when we'd go away trail bike riding, and long before that she would often sit on my lap and just steer the car in appropriate circumstances where it was safe to allow her to do so.

She's a competent trail bike rider, and she also drives my jetski responsibly whenever we head out on that too. So while she's a "L' plater, she's no dottering indecisive novice as I suspect some of you have perhaps imagined, though that's understandable.

Yes, she will be nervous on her first few track sessions, and will probably be the slowest car on the track. She will be aware that she has to consider faster drivers in her group, watch for them in her mirrors and keep out of their way, and I would hope the same courtesy will be extended to her by those same quicker drivers.

I don't see this as an opportunity for her to go putting her "race face" on and go hell for leather as that would be foolish. I see it as an opportunity to build her own confidence at driving solo while in a safe controled environment.

In saying all of that I am "anticipating" there will be a "slower" group of drivers on the day, and that she will start at the back of that slower group? If any safety concerns are raised by other drivers in her group after her first session, then we'll exclude her from any further sessions. If the track is wet on the day she won't be driving. If she beats anyones times on the day, then they owe me a carton of beer!

As John mentioned. I know my daughter best, so let's wait and see how she goes on her first run before getting too worried about it. Personally I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Cheers

Barry

[NMX516]

Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that she's keen on motorsport, and that Barry is willing to hand her the keys, I just don't think that Lakeside is the best place for her to make her track debut - QR is a much safer option in SE QLD. But, it's not our decision, lets hope that if she does debut at Lakeside that there are no unnecessary incidents as a result

[Steampunk]

Sexism (is that really a word?) aside... ANYONE pushing 10/10ths their first time at Lakeside deserves it's repercussions, but AFAIK, there has only been one MX-5 driver who has done it and paid the price, and AFAIK he had at least three offs (one I witnessed) before hitting the barrier.
And people who was speaking to him on the day, told me that he was talking himself, and his apparent skill, up a fair bit, plus the fact he was running giant 17" wheels and probably inappropriate tyres.

I seriously doubt she'll be pushing 10/10ths guys.

The few times I've been at Lakeside, I think I was only brave enough on 5 or 6 laps to push 9/10ths.

What I say to people who ask my opinion on QR and Lakeside; QR you have to go quite fast to have scary-fun, but it's "safe". Whereas Lakeside you travel considerably slower cause it's more "dangerous", but you still have the same amount of scary-fun.

So Barry and daughter-of-Barry... GO FOR IT!

PS: Don't forget to get factual advice from members regarding how best to prepare yourself and your car, ie. helmets & clothing, tyres & pressures, brakes, suspension checks, alignment settings etc.

[rwf]

hmm


i would say any driver start at qr

when that car snaps sideways for the first time you want room to stop it

lake side there is about a meter to stop

have not seen her drive so cant say if she ready for the fastest track in australia

the guys in the (slow ) group are not like the rest of us that do lots of track days and know how to get out of the way when sh*t hits the fan
thats why they are not in the fast groups

up to you mate




wont be at next track day as racing the week before

have fun out there

[project.r.racing]

Start anywhere. She'll probably run rings around a few in group 4.

She can drive it at 110kph down the straight and do a lap time of 1:45.xx. And yes it has been done in MX5.

I say boo to all the nay sayers.

[timk]

Speak of which... where are the track days advertised now?

[MINX]

Speak of which... where are the track days advertised now?

Same place they always have been.
http://www.miata.net.au/mx5_motorsport1.php

[D-Train]

I approve of moar girls on track.

Totally agree!

Going back a bit, every track is dangerous not matter what. Hence the first line of all motorsport entry forms, Motorsport is dangerous; accidents can and do happen which can involve damage, injury or death. Everyone thinks QR is safe, even at national levels, but, remember the Mini incident last year! Even something as a simple as a spin off could turn into a 5 on its roof or lack thereof.

I say to anyone who wishes to take on the track "Go for it!", but get comfortable and view the track for lines on the first day, next track day then slowly up the pace and shorten brake zones. That all comes in time. It should not matter whether it be a young L plater or older ladies and gents.

On a slightly better note while rotating my wheels after QR's antics i found i flat spotted my right rear tyre . Must have been my lose at turn 1 that seemed to go for forever. After seeming like i came in way too hot video footage showed me having 3 goes at correcting and after the third find out that i was almost 3/4 lock to the left, hit a dry patch and looking like i just got T-Boned flicked back the other way into a 2 rotation anti clockwise spin, brakes fully locked all the way. only to stop just on the side of the track between 1and 2. I let off a little Woo Hoo! i and took of again Ah motorsport how i love the little things you do to me.

[Barry.L]

I'll just clarify a few things as I think some may have misunderstood the intention behind letting my daugter participate ina track day.

My daughter is not interested in motorsport. She is not interested in racing the clock or anyone else. She won't be out there to improve her lap times. She will be circulalting around at her own pace just to pick up experience at driving solo. Thats all.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, if everyone else in her group is happy with the way she is circulating around the track on her first run, great! If they think she's a hazard, I'll pull the plug on her then and there. If all goes well she'll probably do a few more sprint days just to build her solo driving experience until she gets her P plates. If I had any doubts about her ability to do this safely I wouldn't allow her to do it.

Looking forward to the sprint in June.

Cheers

Barry

[MattR]

Barry,

A bit late to join in, but I say get your daughter out there and have fun. Lakeside is a great track and if you treat it with respect won't bite that hard.

I was just at Lakeside on the weekend for a Z car club event and we had numerous people turn up for their first track day ever.

The only casualties were one Z32 that overcooked it out of the carosel and touched the embankment toward the bustop, his own fault by admission driving too hard, and a couple of spins on a damp track that were harmless.

Truth be known, your daughter will probably be amongst the fastest in her group by just being sensible and driving within her limits. If speed differential was a problem for these days they wouldn't let half the cars out there to play.

[Boags]

Minx,

I had a look at your video where you did a 1.08 and say the street tyres are the limit. I'd be happy to give you a few pointers about where the other 4 seconds a lap are... It's got nothing to do with not wanting to bin it.

Mike Marsh did a 1.04 on street tyres in his SP. Only mod is Whiteline sways - your SE is probably on par power wise and has much better suspension setup.

PM if you'd like to.

Boags.