Any Rennlisters from New Zealand?
11-04-2014, 05:18 AM
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11-04-2014, 05:28 AM
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There were some good stages but my overriding memory was that the car was probably too capable and that we were always holding back.
11-04-2014, 05:54 AM
Walt Ive never heard of anyone caveating a maiden Targa Tour entry on the basis that its not fast enough.
Just talk to Paul, Doug, Richard, Ron, Chris B and Peter H about the May 2013 NI TT - I think you wont find anyone saying it was too slow!!!
I spoke with Richard this evening and he said the SI TT wasnt as fast or as involving as the 2012 full 5 day event or the May 2013 3 day event.
Basically every Tour regular I spoke to was very disappointed with the 2013 Ecolight tour by comparison!
Walt, stop procrastinating and sign up. Not a singly person on here that I know of would argue when I say if you think youve had some fun at the track this is a whole different league. Driving some of those NI Tour stages even at 150-160kmph requires some courage - plenty of windy roads in the NI, guaranteed - keeping the pace up for stage after stage is the challenge.
Just talk to Paul, Doug, Richard, Ron, Chris B and Peter H about the May 2013 NI TT - I think you wont find anyone saying it was too slow!!!
I spoke with Richard this evening and he said the SI TT wasnt as fast or as involving as the 2012 full 5 day event or the May 2013 3 day event.
Basically every Tour regular I spoke to was very disappointed with the 2013 Ecolight tour by comparison!
Walt, stop procrastinating and sign up. Not a singly person on here that I know of would argue when I say if you think youve had some fun at the track this is a whole different league. Driving some of those NI Tour stages even at 150-160kmph requires some courage - plenty of windy roads in the NI, guaranteed - keeping the pace up for stage after stage is the challenge.
I also know how to have fun at lowish speeds (love gymkhanas for instance) but am just saying that I'd rather have a higher limit (or even none) for Targa than a lowering one. I got a massive kick out of the best Ecolight stages and really enjoyed having a co-driver, so am sold on the potential and would still enjoy the tighter twisties as much as anyone. I'd just personally hate buttoning off for a chime each time if the lower 160kph limits from the SITT are applied up north too. If you run your GT3 in May, you'd be in the same boat I guess, but setting my speed chime was not a highlight for me, even for the old 200k limit (we topped at 179 on the day though).
Good suggestion on asking around thanks - I'll do that. As for maiden speeds, ChrisB was running r-comps and I kept up fine - as my windscreen can attest.
11-04-2014, 06:08 AM
11-04-2014, 06:09 AM
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R comps are overkill. I will be running the 993 again on road tyres so no chance of me getting bored. In 2012 we had no real limits but Jo & I had a strict under 200 kmph rule. The car was quite light over crests and undulations beyond that speed. The chances of ripping the guts out the undercarriage on compression increase too.
The maximum speeds on the day sound like they have come under stricter administration since they made Trackit mandatory in all cars. Maybe we were spoilt and a second assault will prove a disappointment. Its the reason I wont return to Nepal. Had a magic 5 weeks there there 20 years ago - did the Anapurna circuit. I want to go back but it wont be the same with Starbucks and mobile phones. I wonder if the marijuana plants still grow 5 feet high on the side of the track tho....I digress.
Its sounds like you may be more suited to the full competition if you are concerned about the 160kmph limit. Im not sure how big your ***** are but I dont often hear Targa competitors complain its too tame.
Pete, if you were riding behind the front pace car you would have been travelling slower than mid field front pack. It was one of the first lessons I was told. Sit mid pack and count another 3 seconds before launching after they wave you through. Work your way into a slot between a faster and slower car and then spend the day slowly catching the faster car. Next morning pop between him and the far he was chasing. Works a treat and means you always have clear runs, no need to fox and you can go flat out never held up.
I went up front with Ron, Patsy and co for a few sessions and it was faster further back. We had 6 crash outs from 50 cars on the 2012 5 day event with a further 4-5 break downs so perhaps it was a more aggressive format.
Lets organise our own mini Targa Tour afternoon up North in Jan!
The maximum speeds on the day sound like they have come under stricter administration since they made Trackit mandatory in all cars. Maybe we were spoilt and a second assault will prove a disappointment. Its the reason I wont return to Nepal. Had a magic 5 weeks there there 20 years ago - did the Anapurna circuit. I want to go back but it wont be the same with Starbucks and mobile phones. I wonder if the marijuana plants still grow 5 feet high on the side of the track tho....I digress.
Its sounds like you may be more suited to the full competition if you are concerned about the 160kmph limit. Im not sure how big your ***** are but I dont often hear Targa competitors complain its too tame.
Pete, if you were riding behind the front pace car you would have been travelling slower than mid field front pack. It was one of the first lessons I was told. Sit mid pack and count another 3 seconds before launching after they wave you through. Work your way into a slot between a faster and slower car and then spend the day slowly catching the faster car. Next morning pop between him and the far he was chasing. Works a treat and means you always have clear runs, no need to fox and you can go flat out never held up.
I went up front with Ron, Patsy and co for a few sessions and it was faster further back. We had 6 crash outs from 50 cars on the 2012 5 day event with a further 4-5 break downs so perhaps it was a more aggressive format.
Lets organise our own mini Targa Tour afternoon up North in Jan!
11-04-2014, 06:11 AM
Three Wheelin'
The differences between the NI event and the NZ event and entry options can be made based on following
1) You got to do at least 1 NZ 5 day event as there are many fantastic stages - more than in the recent SI event Make your own opinion after that.
2) The Ni event is just as challenging but in a different way. The morning stages around Rotorua are often wet, and foggy and if so can be very treacherous with moss and lichen on the roads creating mayhem. At least in the race comp there is plenty of damage. Less so in the Tour where the pace gets dialed back but still challenging.
3) A 3 day event is lengthy enough to be to really get your teeth into the event.
re Rcomps I am unsure about the opinion expressed so far. Most of the roads where it rains a lot are designed with prominent crowns and camber which makes it less likely to result in ponding water and aquaplaning risk. That means that you actually get more grip from a softer Rcomp. I would prefer to race on Dunlop M2 03G than a road tyre and have found plenty of wet stages over the years where the confidence in the tyre is crucial to a reasonable pace. My best ever stage result was a 4th outright on a main targa early morning wet and cold stage on these dunlops. Not sure about federals though yet as no wet experience on them yet
1) You got to do at least 1 NZ 5 day event as there are many fantastic stages - more than in the recent SI event Make your own opinion after that.
2) The Ni event is just as challenging but in a different way. The morning stages around Rotorua are often wet, and foggy and if so can be very treacherous with moss and lichen on the roads creating mayhem. At least in the race comp there is plenty of damage. Less so in the Tour where the pace gets dialed back but still challenging.
3) A 3 day event is lengthy enough to be to really get your teeth into the event.
re Rcomps I am unsure about the opinion expressed so far. Most of the roads where it rains a lot are designed with prominent crowns and camber which makes it less likely to result in ponding water and aquaplaning risk. That means that you actually get more grip from a softer Rcomp. I would prefer to race on Dunlop M2 03G than a road tyre and have found plenty of wet stages over the years where the confidence in the tyre is crucial to a reasonable pace. My best ever stage result was a 4th outright on a main targa early morning wet and cold stage on these dunlops. Not sure about federals though yet as no wet experience on them yet
11-04-2014, 06:11 AM
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Lunch is $8. Ill take your bottle of wine mate make it a Pinot. Ive got some footage of that drive taken from the car behind me Ill dig out a moment that will have you puckering and post it shortly. Bets are off if its wet!
11-04-2014, 06:15 AM
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I'm definitely in for May Targa Tour. Not sure which car yet, probably 996tt, although pushing a slower manual car harder, eg. Audi S4, has some appeal.
Ecolight was a joke compared to 3 day event. Speed limited to 160 is not great, but mostly just sees leisurely cruising on straights which is okay; the fun is late breaking in to corners, corner speed and acceleration out of corners.
There were a few stages where we were able to give it a good nudge and that was enough to get me back. Just the scenery, roads and being part of the event were great as well.
Ecolight was a joke compared to 3 day event. Speed limited to 160 is not great, but mostly just sees leisurely cruising on straights which is okay; the fun is late breaking in to corners, corner speed and acceleration out of corners.
There were a few stages where we were able to give it a good nudge and that was enough to get me back. Just the scenery, roads and being part of the event were great as well.
11-04-2014, 06:16 AM
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Graeme. Hear you on the R comps. GT3 ships factory with them, drove them in Europe down to zero felt comfortable with them even in the rain.
I do have issue with R comps on road targa touring cars. They flick up way too many stones. Tour cars are dangerous enough without cage and helmet I dont think anyone needs the added benefit of Z221s. As has already been expressed many are finding the Targa too slow as it stands. Super sports or PS2 or similar are more tyre than you need on the tour as far as Im concerned and they keep the damage down for fellow participants.
There seems to be confusion that its a psudo competition.
I do have issue with R comps on road targa touring cars. They flick up way too many stones. Tour cars are dangerous enough without cage and helmet I dont think anyone needs the added benefit of Z221s. As has already been expressed many are finding the Targa too slow as it stands. Super sports or PS2 or similar are more tyre than you need on the tour as far as Im concerned and they keep the damage down for fellow participants.
There seems to be confusion that its a psudo competition.
11-04-2014, 06:18 AM
Rennlist Member
Chris. great to have you on board. Take the slower car will be more challenging/fun. Chris and Mary do plenty fine in the 550i and they can carry 4 suitcases while they do it (no wonder they always look fresher than anyone else!) ;-)
11-04-2014, 06:29 AM
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This was taken by Hayden & Mike Robb in the Mustang race car behind us - 40km stage out of the valley. We were 5-10 seconds ahead of them so its settled a bit. Something went wrong between the navigator and myself and we hit a 60m run of gravel at close to 100kmph a bit unbalanced from the preceding corner. We slid 20m towards the inside bank/cliff whilst trying to gain control. Was the closest we came to our maker on the event. It was luck that I got it back - the 911 doesnt like gravel much. Could have been a different outcome.
11-04-2014, 06:32 AM
"I'm wondering if I can bring a bag with spare clothes for the evening function? I'm not sure where we could put it as I'm used to racing with a support crew"
> Thats what the little back seats are for...
"Extra weight!!!"
> 500HP
> AWD but it can still spin up all 4 at over 100kph in the dry. Just don't bring a suitcase.
"Haha ok
fun to be had!"
11-04-2014, 06:38 AM
This was taken by Hayden & Mike Robb in the Mustang race car behind us - 40km stage out of the valley. We were 5-10 seconds ahead of them so its settled a bit. Something went wrong between the navigator and myself and we hit a 60m run of gravel at close to 100kmph a bit unbalanced from the preceding corner. We slid 20m towards the inside bank/cliff whilst trying to gain control. Was the closest we came to our maker on the event. It was luck that I got it back - the 911 doesnt like gravel much. Could have been a different outcome.
11-04-2014, 07:01 AM
Rennlist Member
Yeah. it was good to have the wife along to stop it getting out of hand.
scenes like the one below were not uncommon in 2012. This was the third M3 that got totalled during our Tour. The first was on stage 1 day 1 in the hosing rain (was on R comps IIRC!).. Then we had one go down the bank of the famous left hander over the bridge (Graeme will know the stage). Not sure what these guys were doing when they came off the road. Young fellas with not enough experience I think. Its one of the few sports you get better with age the Targa I reckon. hope for us all yet.
Pete you should put a comp entry thereto when you are not busy racing one year. Would be great to have a 944 out there (Im not sure what class but Graeme will know).
scenes like the one below were not uncommon in 2012. This was the third M3 that got totalled during our Tour. The first was on stage 1 day 1 in the hosing rain (was on R comps IIRC!).. Then we had one go down the bank of the famous left hander over the bridge (Graeme will know the stage). Not sure what these guys were doing when they came off the road. Young fellas with not enough experience I think. Its one of the few sports you get better with age the Targa I reckon. hope for us all yet.
Pete you should put a comp entry thereto when you are not busy racing one year. Would be great to have a 944 out there (Im not sure what class but Graeme will know).