Speed Trip 7 @ Bahrain GP Circuit
03-26-2006, 05:58 AM
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Speed Trip 7 @ Bahrain GP Circuit
We had a big event on the 23 of March at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) which was attended by about 43 drivers/cars... Jean and I participated. Khalid was also there… Good to c u guys.
The event was sponsored by RUF, Lamborghini dealership, Bahrain Porsche Club, Harley-Davidson, Michelin + others... In fact, Lambo shipped out 2 cars from Italy especially for the event - one of the cars was a maroon/reddish Gallardo Spyder, which I understand is the only "operational" one in the world. These beautiful cars were accompanied by the factory's own test drivers! Other cars included highly modified Skylines, a Ford GT, Corvette Z06, Caterhams, a 996 GT2, GT3s, GT3RSs, loads of 996tts, EVOs, etc. There was also a 959!
RUF was displaying an Rt12 and RK Spyder which were absolutely stunning. In the afternoon, we had a treat when a yellow bird and 993 CTR2 made an appearance!
The facilities at the BIC were excellent. Jean and I shared a pit garage (which was used by the F1 drivers for the Bahrain GP only a few weeks earlier). It was awesome...
I was armed with Kevin's Stage 1. Finally a chance to really test the upgrade with some race fuel and boy did it perform. The performance was simply outstanding and the sound of the exhaust down the straight at full throttle past the main grandstand, I'm told was incredible by a number of people there. I came across the Corvette Z06 on a couple of straights but I kept up with him no problem. He did not pull away from me but to be fair, the driver was heavier than me and he had a passenger. I was very impressed with my car.
We had a great day. The F1 track was open for practice from 9am till 1pm. Each car took about 15 minutes in the morning to do the Autocross. In the afternoon we had timed laps on the F1 circuit and in the evening there was a drag race!
During the drag event, I was put head to head against THE Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder. It was being driven by Lamborghini’s head of R&D. I had a good start and was off like a shot. He started gaining on me and for a very short while, we were side by side with me slightly ahead, but that was not for long, I started pulling away from him and before I knew it, he was behind me. I couldn't believe it. I'm trying to find out if anyone filmed it. Unfortunately, we still don't have the times for the drag, but I'll post something once they are issued. I only did one run (instead of 2) as it was getting late and I had to be somewhere else. I would have loved to have had another run against him...
Jean did EXTREMELY well on the timed lap, despite having his car sideways on two of the turns as well as a very dodgy gearbox (with a 2nd gear that didn;t want to engage), he still managed to come 3rd!!! The only cars that were faster around the track were a full-fledged 996 Carrera Cup Car (with slicks) and a Caterham G7 with 480hp/tonne (with slicks) – both drivers have driven on this track a number of times and were familiar with it. WELL DONE Jean, you did us proud. Get the new gear box in!
I have a lot of pictures I would like to share with you all and we are trying to get our hands on any video footage, so will post something over the next day or so.
The event was sponsored by RUF, Lamborghini dealership, Bahrain Porsche Club, Harley-Davidson, Michelin + others... In fact, Lambo shipped out 2 cars from Italy especially for the event - one of the cars was a maroon/reddish Gallardo Spyder, which I understand is the only "operational" one in the world. These beautiful cars were accompanied by the factory's own test drivers! Other cars included highly modified Skylines, a Ford GT, Corvette Z06, Caterhams, a 996 GT2, GT3s, GT3RSs, loads of 996tts, EVOs, etc. There was also a 959!
RUF was displaying an Rt12 and RK Spyder which were absolutely stunning. In the afternoon, we had a treat when a yellow bird and 993 CTR2 made an appearance!
The facilities at the BIC were excellent. Jean and I shared a pit garage (which was used by the F1 drivers for the Bahrain GP only a few weeks earlier). It was awesome...
I was armed with Kevin's Stage 1. Finally a chance to really test the upgrade with some race fuel and boy did it perform. The performance was simply outstanding and the sound of the exhaust down the straight at full throttle past the main grandstand, I'm told was incredible by a number of people there. I came across the Corvette Z06 on a couple of straights but I kept up with him no problem. He did not pull away from me but to be fair, the driver was heavier than me and he had a passenger. I was very impressed with my car.
We had a great day. The F1 track was open for practice from 9am till 1pm. Each car took about 15 minutes in the morning to do the Autocross. In the afternoon we had timed laps on the F1 circuit and in the evening there was a drag race!
During the drag event, I was put head to head against THE Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder. It was being driven by Lamborghini’s head of R&D. I had a good start and was off like a shot. He started gaining on me and for a very short while, we were side by side with me slightly ahead, but that was not for long, I started pulling away from him and before I knew it, he was behind me. I couldn't believe it. I'm trying to find out if anyone filmed it. Unfortunately, we still don't have the times for the drag, but I'll post something once they are issued. I only did one run (instead of 2) as it was getting late and I had to be somewhere else. I would have loved to have had another run against him...
Jean did EXTREMELY well on the timed lap, despite having his car sideways on two of the turns as well as a very dodgy gearbox (with a 2nd gear that didn;t want to engage), he still managed to come 3rd!!! The only cars that were faster around the track were a full-fledged 996 Carrera Cup Car (with slicks) and a Caterham G7 with 480hp/tonne (with slicks) – both drivers have driven on this track a number of times and were familiar with it. WELL DONE Jean, you did us proud. Get the new gear box in!
I have a lot of pictures I would like to share with you all and we are trying to get our hands on any video footage, so will post something over the next day or so.
03-26-2006, 11:20 PM
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HI Ziad.... So Sorry that I missed it... will surely be there next year... Congrats on both you and Jean. I heard he got first place in hsi Categ. Grat Job. Can't wait to see pics.
03-27-2006, 02:36 AM
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What a fun day that was. Even though I couldn't participate, I never felt bored for a moment.
the event was a huge success and it was well orgenized and run. I'll definitly be there next year. Jean and Ziad did very well, Jean set one of the fastest times, for what is essentially, a street driven car. Ziad did very well and had some tough competition but still managed to shine.
Looking forward to the pictures and a very well done to the organizers and participants.
the event was a huge success and it was well orgenized and run. I'll definitly be there next year. Jean and Ziad did very well, Jean set one of the fastest times, for what is essentially, a street driven car. Ziad did very well and had some tough competition but still managed to shine.
Looking forward to the pictures and a very well done to the organizers and participants.
03-27-2006, 05:50 AM
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Well it was indeed an amazing day with a very competitive racing atmosphere and top notch prepared cars, as well as some exclusive rides, such as an old mini cooper racer, a 959, a Ford GT, Enzo, Yellowbird, CTR2, RT12 etc as mentioned earlier.. Thanks to Khalid for talking to his cousin into bringing his RUF cars, he also owns the Enzo that you see here 
Here are some pics of the show cars that Ziad and myself took, I will post in a second post the cars that were racing..And as soon as we get the action shots, we will be posting them as well.
Check out the RT12 flown in from Germany to showcase for the event, it is a 2WD 650HP RT12 with 355s in the rear that make my 315s look whimpy. The rear fender openings are a functional straight shot to the intercoolers. According to the guy who drove them, the RT12 is much faster than the CTR2 however does not have the grunt of the CTR2 or Yellowbird.
Here are some pics of the show cars that Ziad and myself took, I will post in a second post the cars that were racing..And as soon as we get the action shots, we will be posting them as well.
Check out the RT12 flown in from Germany to showcase for the event, it is a 2WD 650HP RT12 with 355s in the rear that make my 315s look whimpy. The rear fender openings are a functional straight shot to the intercoolers. According to the guy who drove them, the RT12 is much faster than the CTR2 however does not have the grunt of the CTR2 or Yellowbird.
03-27-2006, 06:20 AM
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And here are some pictures of the cars that were competing. There were many others of course. RUF was the main sponsor of the event, so we had their stickers out of courtesy and to support their great contribution..
The cars getting ready for a group picture, I will post the good one once I receive it from the organisers..The black 996TT in the picture has a stage 5 ZC kit from Kevin with Protomotive software. It won all the events in its class by a margin, track, autocross and drag strip, it runs like a beast.
Two flown in Lamborghini special edition with 550+HP driven by the number 1&2 factory test drivers, the yellow coupe was running in my category... They were eclipsed
The yellow 996TTS in the back is prepared by 9FF.
Spanking new 959 that was raced at the track, it did not really have a chance.
C6 Z06 VERY FAST!!!
A Gemballa 993TT with a 600HP engine kit and full carbon fiber, doors, hood, fenders, tail, and a very skilled and experienced driver who looks as if he is cruising through the track while beating 37 of the cars out there including a good bunch of Caterhams. Several mechanics were flown in for many of these cars to have them optimized for the track conditions.
Ziad and myself sharing a pit, no mechanics around us
But who needs them! Air-cooled rock!!
The cars getting ready for a group picture, I will post the good one once I receive it from the organisers..The black 996TT in the picture has a stage 5 ZC kit from Kevin with Protomotive software. It won all the events in its class by a margin, track, autocross and drag strip, it runs like a beast.
Two flown in Lamborghini special edition with 550+HP driven by the number 1&2 factory test drivers, the yellow coupe was running in my category... They were eclipsed
The yellow 996TTS in the back is prepared by 9FF.
Spanking new 959 that was raced at the track, it did not really have a chance.
C6 Z06 VERY FAST!!!
A Gemballa 993TT with a 600HP engine kit and full carbon fiber, doors, hood, fenders, tail, and a very skilled and experienced driver who looks as if he is cruising through the track while beating 37 of the cars out there including a good bunch of Caterhams. Several mechanics were flown in for many of these cars to have them optimized for the track conditions.
Ziad and myself sharing a pit, no mechanics around us
But who needs them! Air-cooled rock!!
03-27-2006, 07:05 AM
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Beautiful pictures Jean!
One comment regarding the Lambos. They were indeed very special but I was impressed because these cars never stopped taking people out for test runs and even after running the whole day, nearly non-stop, they never shoed any wear or tear and didn't break down. One of the test drivers, was the legendary Valentino Balboni, by the way.
Too bad no pictures were taken by me of my friend's black Gt3 clubsport. He won overall by being extremly fast. Stock GT3, by the way, with only the addition of an RS rear wing, Pirelli Corsa system tires and a very capable driver. It was also the first time out on a track for the Zo6 driver, he's usually drag racing so he did pretty well considering that it's his first time out.
Nontheless, massive effort by both you and Ziad. Those aircooled cars can certainly show a thing or two to the more modern machinery.
One comment regarding the Lambos. They were indeed very special but I was impressed because these cars never stopped taking people out for test runs and even after running the whole day, nearly non-stop, they never shoed any wear or tear and didn't break down. One of the test drivers, was the legendary Valentino Balboni, by the way.
Too bad no pictures were taken by me of my friend's black Gt3 clubsport. He won overall by being extremly fast. Stock GT3, by the way, with only the addition of an RS rear wing, Pirelli Corsa system tires and a very capable driver. It was also the first time out on a track for the Zo6 driver, he's usually drag racing so he did pretty well considering that it's his first time out.
Nontheless, massive effort by both you and Ziad. Those aircooled cars can certainly show a thing or two to the more modern machinery.
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03-27-2006, 08:20 AM
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Agree, the amount of abuse they took was really outstanding, these cars are not the same as a few years back..
The GT3 Clubsport driver is an amazing driver who has raced twice in the Supercup World championship and was only 2 seconds behind the fastest lap set by Uwe Alzen and David Saelens 2 weeks ago, which is an amazing achievement. He took me as a passenger before the race to show me the lines and breaking points, I could not thank him enough.
I am getting defensive though. Let us give more credit to the air cooled cars
My car:
- Old 993TT
- lousy aerodynamics
- Run at 0.9 Bar
- Massive Protomotive torque
- 2WD
- worthless stock LSD
- damaged 2nd, gear
- DOT legal tires
- Driver (me) never ran the track before in this configuration
I came 1st. overall among the 41 other street legal cars at the track race, (including the GT3 Clubsport), and only 2 seconds behind the Supercup car with race slicks and -5 degrees camber (the car is ex-Supercup world champion) and an animal Caterham with 500HP! Both drivers knowing the track blindfolded.
Speaks so much in favour of our air-cooled cars!! A prepped FVD 550HP or similar would have had the same result since I was running low boost because of my stock differential and 2WD..Get a good suspension and alignment, reduce weight by about 100Kgs, put in a sport LSD and enjoy one bloody fast car with the looks that you like, that can challenge the biggest out there and cost much less..
Agree, the amount of abuse they took was really outstanding, these cars are not the same as a few years back..
The GT3 Clubsport driver is an amazing driver who has raced twice in the Supercup World championship and was only 2 seconds behind the fastest lap set by Uwe Alzen and David Saelens 2 weeks ago, which is an amazing achievement. He took me as a passenger before the race to show me the lines and breaking points, I could not thank him enough.
I am getting defensive though. Let us give more credit to the air cooled cars My car:
- Old 993TT
- lousy aerodynamics
- Run at 0.9 Bar
- Massive Protomotive torque
- 2WD
- worthless stock LSD
- damaged 2nd, gear
- DOT legal tires
- Driver (me) never ran the track before in this configuration
I came 1st. overall among the 41 other street legal cars at the track race, (including the GT3 Clubsport), and only 2 seconds behind the Supercup car with race slicks and -5 degrees camber (the car is ex-Supercup world champion) and an animal Caterham with 500HP! Both drivers knowing the track blindfolded.
Speaks so much in favour of our air-cooled cars!! A prepped FVD 550HP or similar would have had the same result since I was running low boost because of my stock differential and 2WD..Get a good suspension and alignment, reduce weight by about 100Kgs, put in a sport LSD and enjoy one bloody fast car with the looks that you like, that can challenge the biggest out there and cost much less..
Last edited by Jean; 03-27-2006 at 05:27 PM.
03-27-2006, 02:51 PM
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Nice pics.
What configuration did you guys run for the event? Was it the full F1, paddock circuit or the outer circuit? What were the lap times for the Cup Car and your car?
Sorry for the many questions but I find it astonishing that you could get within 2 seconds of a Cup Car laptime on the full gp circuit! Not saying it didn't happen, just need to know which circuit configuration and who was driving the cup car. Nevertheless, a solid result for your car at the event.
What configuration did you guys run for the event? Was it the full F1, paddock circuit or the outer circuit? What were the lap times for the Cup Car and your car?
Sorry for the many questions but I find it astonishing that you could get within 2 seconds of a Cup Car laptime on the full gp circuit! Not saying it didn't happen, just need to know which circuit configuration and who was driving the cup car. Nevertheless, a solid result for your car at the event.
03-27-2006, 03:24 PM
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It was the F1 configuration, not my personal favorite as I like the smaller and much more technincal clubsport circuit. Jean was talking about my cousin and referred to his two second difference while driving the 997 GT3 Super Cup during the F1 race and not this event.
03-27-2006, 04:02 PM
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Sorry if I misread/misunderstood the post but to me it looks like he was saying that he was only 2 seconds slower on the GP track so does that mean 2m 9s laptime or thereabouts? That would be incredible if it were the case!!
Originally Posted by Jean
Khalid
Agree, the amount of abuse they took was really outstanding, these cars are not the same as a few years back..
The GT3 Clubsport driver is an amazing driver who has raced twice in the Supercup World championship and was only 2 seconds behind the fastest lap set by Uwe Alzen and David Saelens 2 weeks ago, which is an amazing achievement. He took me as a passenger before the race to show me the lines and breaking points, I could not thank him enough.
I came 1st. overall among the 41 other street legal cars at the track race, (including the GT3 Clubsport), and only 2 seconds behind the Supercup car with race slicks and -5 degrees camber (the car is ex-Supercup world champion) and an animal Caterham with 500HP! Both drivers knowing the track blindfolded.
Agree, the amount of abuse they took was really outstanding, these cars are not the same as a few years back..
The GT3 Clubsport driver is an amazing driver who has raced twice in the Supercup World championship and was only 2 seconds behind the fastest lap set by Uwe Alzen and David Saelens 2 weeks ago, which is an amazing achievement. He took me as a passenger before the race to show me the lines and breaking points, I could not thank him enough.
I came 1st. overall among the 41 other street legal cars at the track race, (including the GT3 Clubsport), and only 2 seconds behind the Supercup car with race slicks and -5 degrees camber (the car is ex-Supercup world champion) and an animal Caterham with 500HP! Both drivers knowing the track blindfolded.
03-27-2006, 04:26 PM
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Let me clarify
There was a 996 Supercup car in the Speed Trip race, the same car that won the Supercup world championship a few years back, this car was driven by a driver who has substantial track experience in the F1 configuration. I was 2 seconds behind him at 2:20s.
The cousin of Khalid is the owner of the GT3 Clubsport, an amazing natural born driver who has competed in the Supercup championship twice and has lapped at 2:06 during those races two weeks ago. His time in this Speed Trip event was 2:23 I believe with his GT3 CS, which was 3 seconds behind my time of 2:20, which shows how strong modded 993TTs can be since I am not an experienced driver.
His time of 2:23 vs. his best of 2:06 during the Supercup race 2 weeks ago also shows the amazing difference there is between a GT3 CS and a 997 Supercup car, same driver, 17 seconds difference.
Hope it clarifies it a bit, sorry for the confusion.
This thread in fact is contrary to my earlier beliefs that our old aircooled TTs are history, I was very surprised by how well they can keep up even in 2WD mode and stock LSD.
Let me clarify
There was a 996 Supercup car in the Speed Trip race, the same car that won the Supercup world championship a few years back, this car was driven by a driver who has substantial track experience in the F1 configuration. I was 2 seconds behind him at 2:20s.
The cousin of Khalid is the owner of the GT3 Clubsport, an amazing natural born driver who has competed in the Supercup championship twice and has lapped at 2:06 during those races two weeks ago. His time in this Speed Trip event was 2:23 I believe with his GT3 CS, which was 3 seconds behind my time of 2:20, which shows how strong modded 993TTs can be since I am not an experienced driver.
His time of 2:23 vs. his best of 2:06 during the Supercup race 2 weeks ago also shows the amazing difference there is between a GT3 CS and a 997 Supercup car, same driver, 17 seconds difference.
Hope it clarifies it a bit, sorry for the confusion.
This thread in fact is contrary to my earlier beliefs that our old aircooled TTs are history, I was very surprised by how well they can keep up even in 2WD mode and stock LSD.
