NitroDann's Long Awaited Garage Thread

[NitroDann]

Yeah no pressure...

Dann

[PaulF]

You're welcome.

[slug_dub]

Someone... be a dear and take some video of this car please.

[PaulF]

Hmm, you reckon there's any chance of rigging up a camera system Dann? My still camera takes reasonable videos.

[plohl]

how'd you go about doing the alignment yourself? tracking bars and string?

[NitroDann]

Ive a mate who owns an award winning panel shop who has a brand new 17k aligner so instead of 200 at a race shop, its a six pack down the road.
I wish I had the skills/patience to do it the old fashioned way.

As for the camera, I suppose... Maybe this weekend at wakefield?

Oh man im feeling the pressure, I havent done a tar event in about a year !

Dann

[NitroDann]

Confirmed camera and mount Its 'xats' race camera setup, should be good.

Dann

[PaulF]

Maaaad.

It does weigh something though, so it might be thrown out if things get serious towards the end of the day.

[slug_dub]

Tsk, bloody weight weenies... worse than these guys I tell ya



I kid I kid.

[Sailor]

Just think..That guy could ride a Speedie if he lost a few kilos and save thousands on the light bike.

[NitroDann]

Lol... Ive removed many a thing thats lighter than his camera....

Dann

[NitroDann]

Supersprint
NitroDanns first ever time on a circuit!

So this message will be posted from a phone, apologise if it doesnt make full sense, as I cant read it through very well.

So the car was just finished in time, expect my hawk blues didnt show up till monday, 1 day late... My fault, Bill Wilner at Miataroadster (site sponsor) was absolutely fantastic, and shipping was super fast, with my 5 or 6 emails replied to within 24 hours every time, by Bill himself.

Basically 'Paul F' and myself left newcastle at 3:45am towing the car behind my mothers corolla, It towed it really well.

We arrived at 8am, quickly swapping on the 6 year old dunlop semi's that 'Patrick bramston' Brought down for me. 205-50R15's.
Put on a taped on a battery triangle, emptied the car, and drove it to scrutineering.
It was all fine except the few nuts and bolts in the corner of my boot I forgot about.

I put pats recommended 27PSI in the tyres and waited for my run to come up.

I met with Bryan my trainer ('Guran') and we hopped in the car, bryan used the sexy satin red pillow we brought for paul just to move him a bit closer to the pedals.
As we sat in the pit the car was running and as I dont run fans, it was already quite hot before we left off, ill get to that
Bryan told me very sternly that this run he and I would only be going eight tenths max. He took off and aimed at the first few corners.
Bryan was about right when he said 8 tenths, but his version of 8 tenths is pretty bloody fast (see multiple records, for his version of ten tenths ).

The car got a little hot, and on 'Paul F' 's first run with the trainer the needle showed about 3/4 (pretty hot).

So I reluctantly removed my brake ducting, which actually takes up about one third of the radiator mouth. Problem solved.

So the rest of the day it was all learning and trying to get used to the track.

I ran some 1:19s, then 18s 17s 16s and then at lunch I went for ten odd laps with 'Patrick Bramston' in casper, the turbo na6 on slicks.
I learned a few things, including correct lines, and that I really dont need to drive as sensibly as I had been. A bit more agression was in order.

After lunch I was moved to group 3 and although I passed a couple of drivers it felt about right for me at the time, I ran a 1:15.2.
Unfortunately, the tank was down below 1/4 and around turn 2 and 10 I got slight surge for maybe 10m, and around the fishhook I got 100 odd metres where I had a stalled engine, due to the long left after braking. So with some more fuel a better time would hopefully come.

The last run of the day I missed getting to the grid in time for group 3, so I went with group 4, at the front. The day had cooled considerably and many commented that the best times were an hour or 2 late.
By now Id learned where the corners were and really only felt like + had one thing right properly, the turn 2 braking point. It still didnt feel like I was driving, rather steering and braking etc, it didnt come naturally yet.

So I went out in the front of the pack ( no one to follow and get the lines right ) and tried to just get into the flow of things. I drove ok, but still wasnt going near as fast through the turns as the car was capable. I was actually unwinding the steering at the corner exit and yet still not swinging out all the way to the corner exit. On the last lap, I took it easy up the straights and has a go at turn 5 (right hander downhill at the very top of the track) and hit it a fair bit quicker, with the attitude 'If it runs wide and I go off thats ok, its the last lap of the day, and no cars around me'. So I went a lot quicker and held on for dear life....

And the car stayed inside the ripple strips by about a car width...

So the car is a lot qucker than I am

I ran a 1:14.46 on that last session in lap 3 or something. A good start.


Next time, Ill have race pads, and the brakes wont overheat, like they did every run by the last 2 laps coming into the fish hook. That really made it even harder, I only hit it once all day anywhere near the correct line..

I think some tyres that arent 6 years old will help also.

Dann

[Okibi]

Thanks for sharing, glad times were dropping. Once you get track time it's easy to be bitten and addicted for life.

[NitroDann]

Yeah the circuit is certaintly a lot more exciting than a hillclimb... The forest though.. Well... That place scares me. And I love it!

Dann

[Hjt]

Haha i told you when we met that you don't have to be powerful to screw up the fishhook Glad you enjoyed it, i wish i could have made it but i was clearly to smashed from the night before to even contemplate driving to the servo let alone goulburn.

next time, we will all be prepared has your brake ducting been perma removed now? the new pads may fix the heat issues anyways