Guran's NA6 "Little Reddy"

[Guran]

16th September 2012
NSW Supersprint Round 7 – Sydney Motorsport Park GP South

This was the second Supersprint for the year run by NSWRRC, and our first try of the new South Circuit. Considering these two factors, we were expecting a bit of a shambles ... and were not disappointed. There were 83 drivers entered, including 26 non-championship entrants - many MX-5 Club regulars skipped this round, expecting the worst.

Weather-wise, it was a glorious sunny day with temperatures ranging from 15 to 22°C. The field was divided into TEN groups, which was two more than necessary. Some groups ran with as few as 4-5 cars. We were given six minute runs (5 laps) and unfortunately the large number of groups, lengthy delays between groups, extended lunch break, etc all conspired to give us only four runs all day. Pathetic!

The numbering of turns on the South Circuit will take some getting used to! The official numbers are: T5 (fast left), T6, T7, T8, T9, T10 (slalom sequence of lefts & rights up and over the hill), T11 (left hairpin), T12 (right uphill hairpin), T13 and T14 (easy corners for MX-5s), T15a, T15b, T15c (slalom sequence of lefts & rights).



Run 1: Paul Bower was back for his first supersprint after crashing his Fiesta last year. He's in an NC now and I started behind him for the first run. Paul was slowly settling in and he let me past near the end of the second lap. I pushed on after that and my last two laps were 1:10.307 and 1:10.269.

Run 2: This time I started behind Russ Maxwell's NC and had plenty of clear track. It was a very consistent run with laps of 1:09.832, 1:09.888, 1:09.803, 1:09.996, 1:09.580.

Run 3: Another start behind Russ and another consistent run although my times didn't quite improve: 1:10.018, 1:09.835, 1:09.601, 1:09.619, 1:10.039. Prior to this run I had downshifting to 2nd gear for T15a, T15b and T15c. However, I found it worked better for me if I took them in 3rd gear and avoided banging the rev limiter.

Run 4: Last run of the day and I managed to get an extra lap (whoopee). My times were 1:10.810, 1:09.426, 1:09.338, 1:08.764, 1:09.239, 1:09.199. I was really pleased to finally drop into the 1:08s. However, for reasons I can't explain, I was holding a slower and tighter line exiting T5 rather than running over the kerb onto the pit lane exit. There's another 0.3-0.4s to be gained with a wider/faster exit from T5. I also ran wide exiting T12 and lost 0.2-0.3s there too. With more practice, I suspect a high 1:07 will be possible in my car. Bearing in mind that I was running on R888s today, and Star Specs might even be quicker for me around here.




Sydney Motorsport Park - South Circuit by Guran5, on Flickr

First impressions of the South Circuit? Lots of elevation changes and two sections of linked slaloms where you need to be careful with the weight transfer. T10 is the most exciting corner because it's relatively fast, off-camber and descending after a crest. The walls never came into play for anyone, although it was a close call for a C63 AMG that spun on the last turn! This is already proving to be a fantastic circuit for MX-5s. Huge fun and very busy ! Spectating and photography areas are excellent too.


Thanks to Guy for this photo

My time of 1:08.764 placed me 4th in Class 1B behind Alexander Ball's Elise 111R (1:05.076), Anthony Crott's NB (1:08.465), Tony Chan’s Celica (1:08.636), and ahead of four other drivers. Keith and I were baffled by the pace of Anthony Crott since I usually beat him comfortably. Turns out his NB is "almost standard" with coilovers and catback exhaust - the cheeky bugger ! The eligibility officer will be speaking with him soon.

In the championship, I'm still 2nd in Class 1B and Type 1, but only 3 points ahead of Anthony Crott (until his class eligibility is tested). The MX-5 Club of NSW had a poor return of club points due to the low turnout of only 9 drivers. However, Ralph Thompson won his class (2B), and second places went to James Horne (2A), Russ Maxwell (2B), and Steve Green (3B). With one round to go, the MX-5 Club is still first (650) but our lead was slashed by ARDC (607), and NSWRRC (457). We will need a strong turnout at the last round to make sure we win the championship.

Natsoft Results

[Guran]

Well it's been a really hectic month and I haven't had much time for forum posts as a result. Time for a little catch-up.

27th October 2012
The First MX-5 Club Track Day at Sydney Motorsport Park GP South

Clear blue skies on a Spring day greeted our club's first ever track day in Sydney. The event was run under a CAMS permit which meant that heaps of extra flag marshalls and officials were required, and the drivers needed a CAMS L2S to enter and some extra scrutineering items (blue battery triangle and fire extinguisher). The tougher requirements and the intimidating walls at SMP-South meant that entries were a little down with 69 drivers. Still it was a great turnout. Overnight temperature was 5°C and the day maxed at a pleasant 23°C.

The field was divided into seven groups of 10-11 cars each. We started with a 5 lap untimed run for everyone to learn the new track. Then we had a couple of 6 lap runs, before they were shortened a little to 5 laps, and 4 laps for the last go to make sure all drivers got five runs each. I had 26 laps in total, plus the full warm-up and cool-down laps so we were treated to plenty of track time.

Run 1: I went out second behind Glenn Thomas' NB8B for the practice run. We had both dríven it once before, so we pushed on and started overtaking the backmarkers by the end of the second lap. The run was untimed, but my PBox indicated that I did 1:10.26 on the fourth lap.

Run 2: Started second behind Glenn again and kept catching up to him and backing off to make some space. Glenn was spraying me with dirt every time he cut turn 7, and on lap 3 gave me a great show with a tankslapper on the same turn. My best lap was 1:09.47, which put me onto page 1 of the timing chart! But after this one, I received word from Mike to stop running onto the pit lane when exiting from turn 5 (first one after finish line). Whoops! Suitably chastened, I held a tighter line exiting turn 5 for the rest of the day.

Run 3: I started in front of Glenn for this one, and must have gone out harder than expected because the last car was still exiting pit lane when I came around to start my first lap. Had to overtake a couple more backmarkers on the next few laps, and finised with 1:10.18 and 1:10.17. Consistent but disappointingly slower than the previous run.

Run 4: Joe moved me up to Group 3 and I started behind David Hilling's Evo. My first three laps were all mucked up when David held me up through turns 15a to 15c, so I backed right off and let Glenn overtake into turn 6. Then chasing Glenn with a decent bit of clear track ahead, I did a 1:09.62 ... still fractionally slower.

Run 5: My last run was a beauty. With a near empty tank, I had plenty of clear track and could really focus on nailing every corner. Times were 1:09.26, 1:09.50, 1:09.28 and 1:10.11 - that last lap got messy in the turn 11 hairpin and the uphill turn 12 hairpin. A video of this entire run can be viewed below.



That 1:09.26 was my best time on the day and a PB on street tyres. It was only 0.50s slower than my PB on R888s from a month earlier. I was surprised to find that I comfortably won Class 4 (Clubman), and I'm now leading the pointscore too. My rivals, John, Brad, Allan and Lindsay will obviously take a bit more time to learn the South Circuit.

This event was a real challenge for Mike and his team, and they did not disappoint with an excellent day. After packing up, we headed up to the ARDC Garage for a couple drinks (on the Club!), and Mike presented some track day trophies to recipients who missed the AGM. A small group of committee members then headed to Royal Cricketers Arms for dinner before retiring to Greg & Lesa's place at Regentville for more drinks and chat. Greg & Lesa generously gave me a room for the night, which saved me a long drive home and back the next day for the Supersprint at SMP-North. Thanks guys!

Photos by Scott Walker


IMG_6128s by Guran5, on Flickr


IMG_6134s by Guran5, on Flickr


IMG_6336s by Guran5, on Flickr


IMG_6383s by Guran5, on Flickr

[Blesif]

Bryan, I've really been enjoying reading your garage talk starting from the beginning. Only joined this forum recently. I'm about half way through reading but decided to skip ahead and put in a post. I've got a road registered NB8A which I bought in Feb 2011. Its got a few desirable mods and is a delightful little car. Started track days in May 2011 at Wakefield as a first timer and have done 6 now, I think. I share the car with my son who is, naturally, a bit quicker than me. We use the same data logger performance box as you. Earlier this year we were told at scrutineering to take it out but pleaded a case and it was passed as okay as long as it was jammed in the front corner of the windscreen a la a certain M. Shedden. Its a great tool for a shared car as we can impose my laps over Alex's and compare. We will be at Wakefield Dec 2. Its very busy sharing the one car and we find that the tyres, Adrenelin RE002s, get overheated into the early 40psi range (up to 44). Do you recommend letting out air to keep them around 40 max? Another point, I short change to 4th after exiting turn 5 right before turn in to 6. Also change to 4th briefly up the back straight. This means there are two turns, fishhook and 10 where I heel-toe from 4th to 2nd. I like this as one seems to set my mind up nicely for the other. Alex stays in 3rd from 5 to the fishhook. We are uncertain which is the better - do you have an opinion? On another racing point: we have a standard seat and belt but would like a harness. Is there a recommended harness that can be used with the standard seat? Greg and Leesa Bunn tell me swapping drivers with a race seat installed is very difficult. I can't imagine trying to lever in and out of a Sprint V in a hurry!! On another topic: I was at the last Illawarra branch meeting with Phil Reid who is having his first track run Dec 2. He's mad keen so give him a boost. Its great to see the Illawarra with its own group and I will lend moral support where I can.

[Muzdaman]

A harness with a stock seat is not a good idea from a safety perspective.

If you are tracking a car regularly you really want a seat, harness and a roll bar. Getting in and out of a bucket seat can be tricky but its well worth the small hassle at the track.

[Sailor]

A harness with a stock seat is not a good idea from a safety perspective.

If you are tracking a car regularly you really want a seat, harness and a roll bar. Getting in and out of a bucket seat can be tricky but its well worth the small hassle at the track.

Hmmm as opposed to a lap sash?
You're kidding!

[Muzdaman]

A Factory seat is designed with a stock 3 point in mind.

Try mounting a 4 point on a stock seat and telling me it looks in any way safe.

There is no way to get the shoulder straps directly over your shoulder, the seat is too wide. Factory seats with harness slots are obviously a different story.

[Guran]

Bryan, I've really been enjoying reading your garage talk starting from the beginning. Only joined this forum recently. I'm about half way through reading but decided to skip ahead and put in a post. I've got a road registered NB8A which I bought in Feb 2011. Its got a few desirable mods and is a delightful little car. Started track days in May 2011 at Wakefield as a first timer and have done 6 now, I think.

Hi Nero. I'm guessing you're Neil and your son is Alex? At first I was guessing that you might be Kenny and your son Amos - they were my first-timer students at the May 2011 track day! They also have a modified NB8A.

I share the car with my son who is, naturally, a bit quicker than me. We use the same data logger performance box as you.

The Performance Box (and similar units) is a brilliant tool. If you'd like some advice on your track driving, please email your best Performance Box file from the last club trackday and I'll do some analysis for you (president@mx5.com.au). Then you can practice the tips next weekend.

Earlier this year we were told at scrutineering to take it out but pleaded a case and it was passed as okay as long as it was jammed in the front corner of the windscreen a la a certain M. Shedden. Its a great tool for a shared car as we can impose my laps over Alex's and compare. We will be at Wakefield Dec 2.

I've not had any problems at our club trackdays over the last four years, but the scrutineers at Supersprints are tougher about suction cups. I used to put it in the glovebox but have recently been using race tape to secure it to the steering wheel hub in front of the speedo. It's very secure there. I also use a remote antenna when mounting it out of direct view of the sky.

Its very busy sharing the one car and we find that the tyres, Adrenelin RE002s, get overheated into the early 40psi range (up to 44). Do you recommend letting out air to keep them around 40 max?

I've not tried the Adrenalin RE002s but went through three sets of RE001s. I preferred to set them at 39psi hot. Letting them go up to 44psi will cause them to be very skatey. Just let some air out to bring them back to 39psi. Better still, after these ones wear out, get yourself a set of Dunlop Star Specs from Gary's Motorsport Tyres up near Eastern Creek. For $190-$200 they are a superb tyre and have given me similar times to Toyo R888s.

Another point, I short change to 4th after exiting turn 5 right before turn in to 6. Also change to 4th briefly up the back straight. This means there are two turns, fishhook and 10 where I heel-toe from 4th to 2nd. I like this as one seems to set my mind up nicely for the other. Alex stays in 3rd from 5 to the fishhook. We are uncertain which is the better - do you have an opinion?

Alex is faster so I guess that gives you a hint. You're better to hold a lower gear as long as possible because when you change gear you're not accelerating. I hold 3rd gear all the way from turn 2 to the fish-hook. I imagine the taller diff ratio in the NB8A will offset the extra power/weight vs my NA6, so you ought to be able to get away with 3rd gear too. Turn 9 is flat in 3rd and I usually need to shift to 4th on the back straight - unless there's a strong headwind. I find the 4th to 2nd change for turn 10 can be tricky to master.

On another racing point: we have a standard seat and belt but would like a harness. Is there a recommended harness that can be used with the standard seat? Greg and Leesa Bunn tell me swapping drivers with a race seat installed is very difficult. I can't imagine trying to lever in and out of a Sprint V in a hurry!!

Using a harness with the stock NA or NB seat is not a great idea. If you mount the harness to the rear plate of a BD rollbar, they are both quite a distance from your shoulders, and there's a risk that in a frontal impact, the harness straps will slide off your shoulders. The MX-5 Plus rollbar can mount the harness on the torque box section which is much closer to the seat back, and there's probably less risk of losing the straps off your shoulders. However, in both cases, you might consider using the harness AND the standard seatbelt underneath. The stock seatbelt will give you restraint if you crash, and the harness will hold you down in the seat for the other 99.999999999999% of the time.

As for sharing a harness between two drivers, the main problem is that if you're very different in size, you'll need to adjust the waist straps every time you swap drivers. The shoulder straps usually have a fair bit of adjustment in them and are easier to accommodate two different sized drivers. It's possible to manage it, and I don't think it'd be any more/less difficult with a race seat. If you like, I have an old "out of date" harness that you can use to experiment with. Let me know and I'll bring it on 2nd December.

On another topic: I was at the last Illawarra branch meeting with Phil Reid who is having his first track run Dec 2. He's mad keen so give him a boost. Its great to see the Illawarra with its own group and I will lend moral support where I can.

That must have been the only meeting I missed because I don't remember seeing you there. Yes, I've been giving Phil lots of tips and advice about the club track days, and it'll be great ot see him give it a try in a couple weeks. He'll be nervous as hell, but will absolutely love it!

[mazmad]

There are a few people in the club running a '4' point harness ( no crotch straps) on a standard seat. The crucial thing is to get the waist straps really low and tight. And yeah it works well with the MX5 Plus tall boy rollbar.

Monza is a good 6 point harness, just use the waist and shoulder straps. And having just gone to a Sprint V - yeah getting in and out is not a quick operation

[Sailor]

A Factory seat is designed with a stock 3 point in mind.

Try mounting a 4 point on a stock seat and telling me it looks in any way safe.

There is no way to get the shoulder straps directly over your shoulder, the seat is too wide. Factory seats with harness slots are obviously a different story.

Maybe on an NA / NB.
On the NC the harness fits tight along the side of the headrest and attaches immediately behind and slightly narrower.
When I'm strapped in I need to ensure that my gloves are in my lap, the door is slightly closed and my helmet is on the console.
If not I need to unhook to reach them , NO WAY can I get out from under the shoulder straps.
Lapsash..easy, just reach across..hell I can even fish around in the glovebox.

I guess that if I rolled the car my chances of survival might be slightly increased
if I was thrown out of the lapsash rather than do a Bevan Gibson and be ground down to the shoulders IF the NC rollbar and screen collapsed.
You're welcome to have a sit in the seat and see just how secure you are at Wakefield.

[Muzdaman]

Fair enough, I haven't looked closely at an NC.

[Blesif]

That's a very comprehensive and helpful reply, Bryan. Alex is quicker than me slightly out of 10 (so more speed down the straight) and noticeably out of 2. Otherwise the data shows us pretty much identical in speed and cornering line. Put it another way, we could both be making the same errors. He's in the mid 1:16s and feels there's more to come even on the Adrenelins. He has the data sheets so I'll get him to email them. I feel that we need to get a race seat with a harness and forget the other compomise I was suggesting - was exploring an idea and I appreciate the feedback from everyone. We already have a BD roll bar fitted. The car has a PSS9 Bilstein suspension, 15x7 6ULs, extractors with matching exhaust, toda cams, gredy piggyback computer, Mania cold air intake, larger slotted front discs, Hawk pads, so ...its a nice little unit but aren't they all? You were at the meeting by the way. Phil has been on the track before in his Alfa days and he is a very capable driver so will be respectable pretty quickly I'd say. Thanks again, certainly enjoy your exploits in Little Reddy.

[Guran]

Ah OK, I think I was way down the other end of the table. Well I'll have to make sure I say gudday at the next Illawarra meeting.

You should find the race seat helps a lot. You get much better feel for what the car is doing. Just make sure you fit it with the stock rails so you retain the longitudinal adjustment. If you're interested in a Sprint V, make sure you try sitting in one first (I found it didn't suite my body shape).

Looking forward to playing with your Performance Box data when it arrives.

[Guran]

28th October 2012
NSW Supersprint Round 8 – Sydney Motorsport Park North

Last round for the 2012 NSW Supersprint season, with ARDC running the show. I enjoyed a more relaxed start to the day after staying overnight with Lesa & Greg at Penrith, and having a much shorter drive to the track. The day started a bit murky but remained dry and mild. Temperatures ranging from 16°C to 21°C, and atmospheric pressure was 1026hPa. Pretty favourable conditions.

The MX-5 Club needed a good points result to ensure a win in the club championship, with ARDC only 43 points behind us. Of the 98 drivers entered for this round, ARDC had 29 to our 16. Thankfully, that included a lot of non-championship drivers from ARDC, and the number of championship entrants was 14 from ARDC and 15 from MX-5 Club. Yet ARDC drivers were split across more classes though, and sure to gain more points. It would be a close finish!

Again, the re-numbering of turns on the North Circuit will take some getting used to! Turns 1 to 3 are the same as the original circuit, turn 4a and 4b is the left/right flip-flop, then we have turns 16, 17, 18 which used to be called turns 10, 11, 12. Essentially, it's eight turns in 2.8km with an average speed (in my car) of 125km/hr. Hence it's fractionally faster than the 4.4km circuit at Phillip Island. It's also very light on brakes since there is only one big brake for turn 2, a light dab for turn 4a, and a medium brake for turn 17.



Run 1: Gradually built up some heat into the R888s and beat my old PB 1:21.588 with 1:21.509 on the third lap! That was improved to 1:21.230 on lap 4, and then 1:20.922 on lap 5. On that last lap I was gaining quickly on Rob Young's modified NC but didn't need to back off for the last turn - it was his first run on the North circuit. I experimented with downshifting to 4th for the short straight between turns 1 and 2 - it seems to shave off a tenth and I stuck with it for the rest of the day.

Run 2: Building up on this run with 1:22.779, 1:21.700, 1:21.312 and 1:21.007, I was all set for a last lap flyer but then made a mess of turn 2 with a slide, catch, slide, catch, slide & give-up. Bugger - trying too hard.

Run 3: This run was a write-off. After building to 1:21.848 on lap 3, I was overtaken into turn 1 by a Porsche 944 Turbo which badly compromised the start of my lap. Then we were robbed of a fifth lap with the run ended early for unknown reason.

Run 4: An excellent clear run that built up with 1:21.334, 1:21.039, 1:21.065 and then a new PB of 1:20.903. I was starting to catch Rob Young's NC on the last lap, was all set to lop another couple tenths off my PB ... until I overcooked the last turn and visited the dirt. Bugger - trying too hard again.

Run 5: The fifth and final run was a corker! I started with Glenn Thomas behind me in his standard NB8B. Overtook an MR2 on the first lap (1:21.207), and then improved my PB to 1:20.672 on lap 2. Glenn did his own PB of 1:20.087 on that same lap and was right up my clacker through turn 1 on the next lap. Going through turn 1 at a true 170km/hr with another car only metres off your rear bumper takes huge trust from both drivers - it gets your heart rate going too! However, I had a slight brake lock into turn 2 , ran wide and let Glenn through on the inside. I was forced to back off a couple times on the next two laps in order to give myself some space behind Glenn. Then on the last lap of the day, I set my final PB of 1:20.652! That included a very slight lift into turn 1 as the R888s were starting to overheat.

At the start of this day, I didn't have a particularly high opinion of the north circuit for our MX-5s. But I've now changed my mind - it is huge fun when you really attack it. The turn 4a/4b sequence is a good technical challenge, and turn 1 will always get your attention.

1:20.672 on run 5 lap 2 (includes nice footage of Glenn on two wheels through turn 4a)


PB 1:20.652 on run 5 lap 5 - last supersprint lap of the year


I finished the day 5th in Class 1B & Type 1, behind Alexander Ball's Elise 111R (1:13.369), Stewart Temesvary's NC (1:18.234), Carl Kosutar's "standard" NC (1:19.348), and Glenn Thomas' NB8B (1:20.087), with Keith Monaghan's NB8B and John Mansell's Pulsar behind me.

So at the completion of the supersprint season I finished second in Type 1 and Class 1B by steadily picking up points throughout the year . Better still, the MX-5 Club of NSW won the club championship for the eighth time!!! With 761 points, we were only 35 points clear of ARDC (726), but well ahead of arch-rivals NSWRRC (531) who have also won the club championship eight times. ARDC have never won it! This is a fantastic effort from a single-model club.

Anthony Crott's NB8A was bumped to Class 2B for the last round because it was judged to be modified. Sadly, it was one round too late. They didn't backdate the pointscore to round 7 which means Keith Monaghan was deprived of the third place in Class 1B & Type 1 that was due to him.

Natsoft Results

Thanks to Scott Walker for taking the photos!

Exiting turn 2

IMG_6863 by Guran5, on Flickr

Approaching turn 3

IMG_6898 by Guran5, on Flickr

Two wheels through turn 17

IMG_7212 by Guran5, on Flickr

Exiting turn 18

IMG_7205 by Guran5, on Flickr

[Guran]

2nd December 2012
MX-5 Club of NSW Track Day – Wakefield Park

This was our first club track day at Wakefield Park since 29th July, and it was booked out weeks in advance. There were 84 drivers listed on the gridsheet which is the absolute maximum we can cope with: divided into 7 groups of 12 cars. Four drivers didn't show, and Ray Estreich had a plumbing issue with the oil supply in his SE and lunched his turbo. So there were 79 runners in the end.

On the drive down, Little Reddy was loaded up with a set of used NC tyres that I sold to Patrick Bramston. Good to be rid of them. I met up with Peter & Jill Feutrill at Sally's Corner and we travelled the rest of the way in convoy, passing Dominique on the way.

The heat and humidity of summer track days are often a massive physical challenge. For this one, we had to cope with 29°C and 65%RH . It was awefully hot and sticky, especially sitting in a non-airconditioned car with a black roof, clad in full race suit and helmet! I drank four litres of fluids during the day in an effort to keep hydrated. At least the forecasted thunderstorms never showed.

I was rostered to train a first-timer but my student was sharing Ian Caldwell's NA8, which didn't have a passenger seat. Nigel already had a full day on the track the day before, so he was good to go anyway.

Run 1: I started behind Ian Vickers' NB8A in group 3, and caught up to him on the second lap. He eventually let me past, and I had a decent lap of 1:17.23. At the end of the first run, Barry Jones led Class 4 (1:16.89), John Karayannis was second (1:17.07), I was third, and Allan Cruz was fourth (1:17.39). Only half a second splitting four drivers! Ian Vickers is usually in the mix too, but struggled in the heat with a 1:18.28 (improved to 1:18.13 on the last run).

Run 2: Ian and I swapped places for the next run, which I proceeded to undo on the first lap, when I spun at turn 5. Ian, John Burgess (NC) and Gus Elias (NB8B) all flew past and I got going again. The next four laps ranged from 1:17.09 to 1:17.42 on my PBox, and my official time improved to 1:16.97. That put me into second in Class 4, with no improvement from Barry, John and Allan.

Run 3: Gus started ahead of me on the next run. I had to lift in turn 2 after John Burgess had spun his NC (rolled the tyre of the rim!), but still did a 1:17.38 on the first lap. Then I had four nice consistent laps with times between 1:16.84 and 1:17.11. That slowest lap included a rallycross exit from turn 5 onto the dirt! John Karayannis also improved to 1:16.41, which put him into first in Class 4, with me second, and Barry Jones slipped to third. Allan Cruz improved fractionally to 1:17.34 but stayed fourth.

During the lunch break, Ian Caldwell gave me a drive of his modified NA8. I didn't get any lap times but it felt very quick with huge reserves of grip in the corners and very strong brakes too. Great fun and very easy to drive! Ian's best on the day was 1:13.19 and the car felt even quicker than that.

Run 4: I had another consistent run of six laps, with times ranging from 1:16.87 to 1:17.28. I mucked up the third lap with a big slide at turn 2 (1:17.52). Moments after returning to the pits, I had a few people congratulating me for doing a new PB of 1:15.30! Clearly a mistake had been made in the timing and I let the ladies know - my PBox said it was 1:16.98. Zan deleted it from the final results. There was no change in Class 4 times and rankings.

Run 5: Last run of the day. The first lap was not timed (1:17.28 on PBox). The PBox told me that I improved on lap 2 with a 1:16.59 but the official time was 1:16.88. Lap 3 was better again with a 1:16.42 on PBox and 1:16.37 official - my fastest on the day and only 0.57s slower than my 1:15.80 PB. For lap 4, the delta-t was showing that I was a tenth faster approaching turn 2 ... and then I had to take quick evasive action to avoid hitting Gus Elias' NB8B which was facing the wrong way on the turn 2 exit. It was a close one! I let Glenn Thomas past at turn 3, and then followed him for the last lap, finishing with a 1:17.08. Unfortunately the memory card on my spycam ran out and I didn't get any video of this run. At least Gus got it!



That last run put me into first place in Class 4 (1:16.37), fractionally ahead of John Karayannis (1:16.41), then Barry Jones was third (1:16.89), Allan Cruz fourth (1:17.34), Lindsay Burke fifth (1:17.65), and Ian Vickers sixth (1:18.13). Once again, the first four drivers were within one second (top three within half a second), and there were plenty of order changes through the day. Class 4 is great competition and hugely entertaining!

I now find myself in the rather embarassing situation of leading the Class 4 pointscore ... with a standard NA6 and none of the four performance modifications that I'm permitted. It wasn't supposed to work out like this!

[Guran]

For ages I've been wanting to overlay my GPS data onto track day videos, but never seemed to get around to it. Well an email from DashWare with a "holiday offer" of US$39.99 was too good to miss and this afternoon I bit the bullet. It took me a few goes to get it right, but I'm pretty happy with the results. Here is a new version of the video from my 1:15.80 PB at Wakefield Park on street tyres (Dunlop Star Spec Z1).