A very special track weekend - Mt. Panorama
04-13-2010, 09:42 AM
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A very special track weekend - Mt. Panorama
In my view, all track days are special, but some are exceptional. Although no doubt little known in the USA or Europe, Mt. Panorama, Bathurst is to Aussie's and Kiwi's, what The Ring is to Germans, Le Mans is to the French, and Dayton is to Americans. A national icon! This is a public road that usually has a well patrolled speed limit of 60kph, but from time to time is closed off for the yearly 1000km V8 Supercar enduro, and a 12 hour production car race. So to drive "The Mountain" in anger is a very special event for any car enthusiast.
So it was the Porsche Australia staged a National combined State Porsche Club Sprint Event over the Easter long weekend, with over 150 Porsches from around the country entering. We even had two cars flown out from The Prosche Museum in Stutgart that raced on the track in our company. These included a GT1 from 1998 and the Martini 935 from 1976.
It was my first drive on the track at speed and a great challenge it was, particularly given my relative inexperience. Grant (Helifax) was there too in his 993TTs "Track Weapon". He survived a tyre deflation at speed entering the main straight!
The graph shows my speed/distance for my fastest lap. You can see from the height graph, this is quite a hill with a high speed climb, fast sweeping curves at the top and then steep sharp curves down to a very long and fast straight called "Conrod" where I clocked 265kph (166mph). I managed a 2:45:50 lap for which a link is provided. Two sub 1200kg Cup cars were circulating in the mid 2:20s. I have also provided two links for my 4th session (laps 2-4, and 5-7). The first of these see me circulating with a 997TT immediately in front and a modified "520HP" 996 in front again. My car had the pull to keep up on the straights when skill was not required. I just needed a bit more technique and committment in the winding parts on the top of the mountain.
Fastest Lap - available in HD - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ju0QWTvWswg
Session 4 - laps 2-5 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNxgtJaskrk
Session 4- laps 5-7 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_3Q4KXjvoY
It was a fantastic weekend - great track, very challenging driving, some fear, plenty of achievement, and lots of great company. Its amazing how a common interest opens up dialogue and friendship.
I hope you enjoy the videos.
Cheers.
So it was the Porsche Australia staged a National combined State Porsche Club Sprint Event over the Easter long weekend, with over 150 Porsches from around the country entering. We even had two cars flown out from The Prosche Museum in Stutgart that raced on the track in our company. These included a GT1 from 1998 and the Martini 935 from 1976.
It was my first drive on the track at speed and a great challenge it was, particularly given my relative inexperience. Grant (Helifax) was there too in his 993TTs "Track Weapon". He survived a tyre deflation at speed entering the main straight!
The graph shows my speed/distance for my fastest lap. You can see from the height graph, this is quite a hill with a high speed climb, fast sweeping curves at the top and then steep sharp curves down to a very long and fast straight called "Conrod" where I clocked 265kph (166mph). I managed a 2:45:50 lap for which a link is provided. Two sub 1200kg Cup cars were circulating in the mid 2:20s. I have also provided two links for my 4th session (laps 2-4, and 5-7). The first of these see me circulating with a 997TT immediately in front and a modified "520HP" 996 in front again. My car had the pull to keep up on the straights when skill was not required. I just needed a bit more technique and committment in the winding parts on the top of the mountain.
Fastest Lap - available in HD - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ju0QWTvWswg
Session 4 - laps 2-5 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNxgtJaskrk
Session 4- laps 5-7 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_3Q4KXjvoY
It was a fantastic weekend - great track, very challenging driving, some fear, plenty of achievement, and lots of great company. Its amazing how a common interest opens up dialogue and friendship.
I hope you enjoy the videos.
Cheers.
04-13-2010, 08:37 PM
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Hey Malcolm,
Yeah, I had some "technical difficulties, but no excuses.........your time was better than mine and thats the way it will be recorded! Congrats to you....you drove exceptionally well and your times echoed that!
It was such a great weekend......and the chance of a lifetime.........only problem was we spent so much time on the grid we missed watching the groups ahead of us and I didnt get the opportunity to see the GT1 or the 935 on track!
I will post some pics soon.
Best regards
Grant
Yeah, I had some "technical difficulties, but no excuses.........your time was better than mine and thats the way it will be recorded! Congrats to you....you drove exceptionally well and your times echoed that!
It was such a great weekend......and the chance of a lifetime.........only problem was we spent so much time on the grid we missed watching the groups ahead of us and I didnt get the opportunity to see the GT1 or the 935 on track!
I will post some pics soon.
Best regards
Grant
04-14-2010, 06:44 AM
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Malcolm. Fantastic stuff! Great video too - especially the telemetry. Amazing how close a road registered Porsche will go to a V8 Supercar for top speed down Conrod.
04-14-2010, 09:57 AM
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Thanks guys.
NZ911 - nice to hear from you.
I did my high school in Christchurch - back in the 70's.
Learnt to drive at Ruapuna Racetrack back when I was 15 driving my Mum's Torana GTR.
That must have been when I got the fast car bug!
Grant, nice to catch up with you. Yes, I was quicker, but in truth, I had the advantage of being at the very front of the "slower" group 1, where we could circulate unimpeeded at a fast pace, whereas you were in the middle of the "fast" group 3, were some slower cars held you back. This was the only flaw in the process - insufficient time to sort out the fast from the slow. It was fantastic nevertheless.
NZ911 - nice to hear from you.
I did my high school in Christchurch - back in the 70's.
Learnt to drive at Ruapuna Racetrack back when I was 15 driving my Mum's Torana GTR.
That must have been when I got the fast car bug!
Grant, nice to catch up with you. Yes, I was quicker, but in truth, I had the advantage of being at the very front of the "slower" group 1, where we could circulate unimpeeded at a fast pace, whereas you were in the middle of the "fast" group 3, were some slower cars held you back. This was the only flaw in the process - insufficient time to sort out the fast from the slow. It was fantastic nevertheless.
04-14-2010, 10:31 AM
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Shhhhh!
Thanks guys.
NZ911 - nice to hear from you.
I did my high school in Christchurch - back in the 70's.
Learnt to drive at Ruapuna Racetrack back when I was 15 driving my Mum's Torana GTR.
That must have been when I got the fast car bug!
Grant, nice to catch up with you. Yes, I was quicker, but in truth, I had the advantage of being at the very front of the "slower" group 1, where we could circulate unimpeeded at a fast pace, whereas you were in the middle of the "fast" group 3, were some slower cars held you back. This was the only flaw in the process - insufficient time to sort out the fast from the slow. It was fantastic nevertheless.
NZ911 - nice to hear from you.
I did my high school in Christchurch - back in the 70's.
Learnt to drive at Ruapuna Racetrack back when I was 15 driving my Mum's Torana GTR.
That must have been when I got the fast car bug!
Grant, nice to catch up with you. Yes, I was quicker, but in truth, I had the advantage of being at the very front of the "slower" group 1, where we could circulate unimpeeded at a fast pace, whereas you were in the middle of the "fast" group 3, were some slower cars held you back. This was the only flaw in the process - insufficient time to sort out the fast from the slow. It was fantastic nevertheless.
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04-16-2010, 09:27 PM
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Dan
Grant can tell the full story, but I understand that a front tyre deflated just he rounded "Forrest Elbow" - the final sharp left hander before the long straight. Sound like a combination of good luck and good driving saved the day.
Mt. Panorama circuit is a public road, so driving on it is not the problem. It's the 60kph speed limit - with radar everywhere! Because it host the most famous motor race in the country each year (first Sunday in October) the road has been progressively upgraded and now is and looks like a dedicated track with all required safety features as seen. But at the end of the day it is only closed for track work a hand full of days a year and usually for professional events with the big TV audience. So to drive it at speed as an amateur is certainly "special" - for an Aussie that is!
Grant can tell the full story, but I understand that a front tyre deflated just he rounded "Forrest Elbow" - the final sharp left hander before the long straight. Sound like a combination of good luck and good driving saved the day.
Mt. Panorama circuit is a public road, so driving on it is not the problem. It's the 60kph speed limit - with radar everywhere! Because it host the most famous motor race in the country each year (first Sunday in October) the road has been progressively upgraded and now is and looks like a dedicated track with all required safety features as seen. But at the end of the day it is only closed for track work a hand full of days a year and usually for professional events with the big TV audience. So to drive it at speed as an amateur is certainly "special" - for an Aussie that is!