Any Rennlisters from New Zealand?
03-28-2016, 10:03 PM
Rennlist Member
Fellow Team RSGers, just a heads up that the 2KCup Taupo round is on this Saturday, with optional practice on Friday. Anyone up for taking our revamped BB2 down for her baptism of fire? And/or the Grinch of course, given a trailer. Entries open at MotorsportEntry.com (Great Lakes Meeting 2016). There's also a 75min enduro on Saturday at that meet for fully caged Hondas (ie the Grinch) if someone wants to play 'get out of their way' with the Honda Cup guys.
03-29-2016, 02:02 AM
Instructor
Continental Cars Driver Training - Taupo
Hi Guys,
Anyone going to this? I'm thinking of doing the Wednesday 4 May - Cost of $1495 but includes a tutor for the day... Haven't driven at Taupo for a while... I haven't done one of these days before, do we get lots of track time? How does it work?
Anyone going to this? I'm thinking of doing the Wednesday 4 May - Cost of $1495 but includes a tutor for the day... Haven't driven at Taupo for a while... I haven't done one of these days before, do we get lots of track time? How does it work?
03-29-2016, 06:00 AM
Three Wheelin'
Thanks Graeme. This is exactly the kind of feedback I was hoping to get from some of you more experienced guys when I asked earlier. Nice how you broke it down - learning to drive the limit, and learning how to recover from trespasses over that limit are separate but closely related skills. Yes, there is no substitute for years of experience overlaid on whatever natural talent might be there, but it also helps to be given a leg up every now and again by those who have done those hard yards. So the detail you provided on the pro ice coaches technique is much appreciated.
On point 3, going through rally coaching vids recently gave me a much better understanding of why rallyists look to get as sideways as they do. You'll be able to put it better probably but as I understand it, it is partly to make the car slide when they expect it (rather than breaking loose unexpectedly), partly to use the more effective braking action of the sidewalls on loose surfaces, partly to line the car up for throttle-brake steering, and partly to rotate early to give them more exit options/safety margin.
Sorry to be talking more theory. You had mentioned some of that rally cornering technique to me before Graeme, but some of the rest was a bit of a revelation to me. Not as good as a bunch of experience of course, but it did still help my confidence while sliding around at Baypark.
On point 3, going through rally coaching vids recently gave me a much better understanding of why rallyists look to get as sideways as they do. You'll be able to put it better probably but as I understand it, it is partly to make the car slide when they expect it (rather than breaking loose unexpectedly), partly to use the more effective braking action of the sidewalls on loose surfaces, partly to line the car up for throttle-brake steering, and partly to rotate early to give them more exit options/safety margin.
Sorry to be talking more theory. You had mentioned some of that rally cornering technique to me before Graeme, but some of the rest was a bit of a revelation to me. Not as good as a bunch of experience of course, but it did still help my confidence while sliding around at Baypark.
The thing I noticed straight away on the Ice driving thing was the pro guys were quite aggressive when they were initiating the slide - much stronger inputs than the learners. We were a bit scared in case we couldn't control the response from the car but they were like 2x more aggressive.
so learner (me) goes blip,blip, wait for slide, opposite lock, blip blip to keep it going then unwind to straighten the car and then gas on.
Pro goes bam, opp lock on, car reacts instantly and is sitting in the slide with lock on. Bam again to keep it going. much less time is spent waiting for the car to do something because they get it moving quicker and then already have the right reaction dialed in to make the car do what they want. Even when it's explained and they say ok go do it, you can't because its natural to wait for the car to display a behavior before applying correction. Every second lost in transition you can't get back and suddenly the pro is 10 seconds a lap quicker. bugger - must try harder....
03-29-2016, 05:28 PM
I think it timely to say a large THANKS to Macca and Jo for their input and management of the SITT for us PCar foons. Couldn't have done it without you is a tired but apt cliché
Thanks
Thanks
03-29-2016, 05:30 PM
Can't, playing golf in Arrowtown..may visit Saffron.. we get a discount Jake?
03-29-2016, 07:14 PM
Drifting
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Originally Posted by PHG
I think it timely to say a large THANKS to Macca and Jo for their input and management of the SITT for us PCar foons. Couldn't have done it without you is a tired but apt cliché
Thanks
Thanks
03-29-2016, 07:51 PM
Three Wheelin'
03-30-2016, 01:34 AM
Rennlist Member
Thanks Phil, Graeme, Doug and others. It really was a wonderful time and Jo and I enjoyed sharing it with you all...
SITT 2018 is shaping up to be even better. The Playdays boys have some ideas to throw a few other things in the mix so we will see what eventuates - expect the same but more!
I must say how blessed I have been in 2016 to date to enjoy my "car stuff" as Jo calls it. 10 Full track days in the last 10 weeks on 6 different tracks in NZ in two different cars and pulling personal best times on almost every one of them. The highlights are many including battling Leong on SITT, Festival laughs, 993 at Taupo for a small, impromptu and exclusive day with only 6 others, RSG days getting to hang with the homies.
In 10 weeks I have also traveled over 10,000km in 911s on NZ roads seeing some great scenery and having some fast fangs.
Today's RSG morning half day was I think all will agree on of the best yet. The format worked very well. The weather was kind. The track was cool, greasy and fast early on.
I had a final reward to bid me on my way. The next 7 months will see me starved of track activity (will not be back in NZ) other than a visit to Sebring track Florida in June. After battling away trying to improve track times at HD in the GT3 over the last 6 months and 3 track days, each bringing improvements in matter of 10ths finally this morning on new tyres (makes a difference over heat cycled ones for sure) I managed to sub the 1.12! . That was a rolling lap time but as I dont have a start marker set correctly in AIM they are all rolling laps essentially (John youll have to show me how to set the start marker correctly some day please).
Excuse me for a bragging moment. Best rolling lap 1.11.95 followed by a 1.12.22, 12.40 etc. The bonus was the consistency even as the track warmed up with 17 laps in the 12s which was almost 40% of all the laps I ran! Theoretical best lap is 1.10.59.
Im a bit chuffed. I can see an 11 in my future (some Trofeo R will go on the car after NITT to ensure this becomes a reality). Leong did very well too in the GT4 with a best lap 1.12.60! By the time I return to NZ he'll be on my back so Ill need those Trofeo tyres, and what other help I can get!
In the final analysis I think the improvement from 13.20 to 11.95 between sat and today came from new tyres (mostly), faster track with cooler surface (definately some 10ths here), some tweaks in the DSC software and my post SITT driving style. For a long time Ive been driving very smooth within a tight controlled envelop but SITT finally gave me time with the GT3 and pressure from a certain GT4 to up the game and so a more "edgy" style was adopted which I have carried over to HD on Saturday but which was thwarted by completely heat cycled tyres. The reality however is that getting the car consistently in say the mid 11s comes with a little more risk (already the poor old MPSC2 tyres are howling around the track schreking in protect - afterall they really are a road tyre so I guess its to be expected) as getting the car moving more means more precise judgement and of course mechanical duress's and associated costs all start to rise with pads starting to wilt at an alarming rate, rotors starting to get a lip, tyres loosing their shoulder quickely etc
But it sure is bloody fun so Im not selling the GT3 for a while yet!!
Look forward to driving with you all again in November!
ta
SITT 2018 is shaping up to be even better. The Playdays boys have some ideas to throw a few other things in the mix so we will see what eventuates - expect the same but more!
I must say how blessed I have been in 2016 to date to enjoy my "car stuff" as Jo calls it. 10 Full track days in the last 10 weeks on 6 different tracks in NZ in two different cars and pulling personal best times on almost every one of them. The highlights are many including battling Leong on SITT, Festival laughs, 993 at Taupo for a small, impromptu and exclusive day with only 6 others, RSG days getting to hang with the homies.
In 10 weeks I have also traveled over 10,000km in 911s on NZ roads seeing some great scenery and having some fast fangs.
Today's RSG morning half day was I think all will agree on of the best yet. The format worked very well. The weather was kind. The track was cool, greasy and fast early on.
I had a final reward to bid me on my way. The next 7 months will see me starved of track activity (will not be back in NZ) other than a visit to Sebring track Florida in June. After battling away trying to improve track times at HD in the GT3 over the last 6 months and 3 track days, each bringing improvements in matter of 10ths finally this morning on new tyres (makes a difference over heat cycled ones for sure) I managed to sub the 1.12! . That was a rolling lap time but as I dont have a start marker set correctly in AIM they are all rolling laps essentially (John youll have to show me how to set the start marker correctly some day please).
Excuse me for a bragging moment. Best rolling lap 1.11.95 followed by a 1.12.22, 12.40 etc. The bonus was the consistency even as the track warmed up with 17 laps in the 12s which was almost 40% of all the laps I ran! Theoretical best lap is 1.10.59.
Im a bit chuffed. I can see an 11 in my future (some Trofeo R will go on the car after NITT to ensure this becomes a reality). Leong did very well too in the GT4 with a best lap 1.12.60! By the time I return to NZ he'll be on my back so Ill need those Trofeo tyres, and what other help I can get!
In the final analysis I think the improvement from 13.20 to 11.95 between sat and today came from new tyres (mostly), faster track with cooler surface (definately some 10ths here), some tweaks in the DSC software and my post SITT driving style. For a long time Ive been driving very smooth within a tight controlled envelop but SITT finally gave me time with the GT3 and pressure from a certain GT4 to up the game and so a more "edgy" style was adopted which I have carried over to HD on Saturday but which was thwarted by completely heat cycled tyres. The reality however is that getting the car consistently in say the mid 11s comes with a little more risk (already the poor old MPSC2 tyres are howling around the track schreking in protect - afterall they really are a road tyre so I guess its to be expected) as getting the car moving more means more precise judgement and of course mechanical duress's and associated costs all start to rise with pads starting to wilt at an alarming rate, rotors starting to get a lip, tyres loosing their shoulder quickely etc
But it sure is bloody fun so Im not selling the GT3 for a while yet!!
Look forward to driving with you all again in November!
ta
03-30-2016, 02:19 AM
Rennlist Member
Macca,
As long as it has a start/finish marker and includes the whole track, that's good enough to claim a kill. Eventually if you want to calibrate it, just take the unit to the start/finish line and push a button - not hard.
As for the driving, that's impressive considering you don't even live here. My mileage is pathetic in comparison as are the number of track days run. NITT excepted I might get as few as two more in this year, and one of those will probably be the Dunlop 800. I'm close to becoming a bonnet polisher unless Doug gets Lola out on the Clubsport circuit to fire up the competitive passion again. It's so easy to slip into a mind set that the effort of prepping a car and cleaning it afterwards aren't worth it unless the reward is a perfect track day, a PB and some kills.
As long as it has a start/finish marker and includes the whole track, that's good enough to claim a kill. Eventually if you want to calibrate it, just take the unit to the start/finish line and push a button - not hard.
As for the driving, that's impressive considering you don't even live here. My mileage is pathetic in comparison as are the number of track days run. NITT excepted I might get as few as two more in this year, and one of those will probably be the Dunlop 800. I'm close to becoming a bonnet polisher unless Doug gets Lola out on the Clubsport circuit to fire up the competitive passion again. It's so easy to slip into a mind set that the effort of prepping a car and cleaning it afterwards aren't worth it unless the reward is a perfect track day, a PB and some kills.
03-30-2016, 03:06 AM
Rennlist Member
Macca,
As long as it has a start/finish marker and includes the whole track, that's good enough to claim a kill. Eventually if you want to calibrate it, just take the unit to the start/finish line and push a button - not hard.
As for the driving, that's impressive considering you don't even live here. My mileage is pathetic in comparison as are the number of track days run. NITT excepted I might get as few as two more in this year, and one of those will probably be the Dunlop 800. I'm close to becoming a bonnet polisher unless Doug gets Lola out on the Clubsport circuit to fire up the competitive passion again. It's so easy to slip into a mind set that the effort of prepping a car and cleaning it afterwards aren't worth it unless the reward is a perfect track day, a PB and some kills.
As long as it has a start/finish marker and includes the whole track, that's good enough to claim a kill. Eventually if you want to calibrate it, just take the unit to the start/finish line and push a button - not hard.
As for the driving, that's impressive considering you don't even live here. My mileage is pathetic in comparison as are the number of track days run. NITT excepted I might get as few as two more in this year, and one of those will probably be the Dunlop 800. I'm close to becoming a bonnet polisher unless Doug gets Lola out on the Clubsport circuit to fire up the competitive passion again. It's so easy to slip into a mind set that the effort of prepping a car and cleaning it afterwards aren't worth it unless the reward is a perfect track day, a PB and some kills.
Yes, I have been very lucky indeed since Jan. Actually I was lucky in 2015 as well as I had the Targa Tour some Northland weekends and managed to squeeze in 6 track days in as well. I think it was another 10,000km+ year. Dont worry John, it goes in cycles. the next 7 months I will be living like you vicariously through the others on here!
03-30-2016, 03:35 AM
Drifting
It was great to see a small group of air cooled there today. Bonus, they were all torsion bar cars except the Maritime turbo but I'll let Jason off there because it is so lovely to watch under power out of a corner.
03-30-2016, 04:04 AM
Rennlist Member
Thanks for the tip John. I will calibrate the unit to the Start line next time I visit HD. The Aim trace start point is not as easy to manually manipulate as the Vbox one was.
Yes, I have been very lucky indeed since Jan. Actually I was lucky in 2015 as well as I had the Targa Tour some Northland weekends and managed to squeeze in 6 track days in as well. I think it was another 10,000km+ year. Dont worry John, it goes in cycles. the next 7 months I will be living like you vicariously through the others on here!
Yes, I have been very lucky indeed since Jan. Actually I was lucky in 2015 as well as I had the Targa Tour some Northland weekends and managed to squeeze in 6 track days in as well. I think it was another 10,000km+ year. Dont worry John, it goes in cycles. the next 7 months I will be living like you vicariously through the others on here!
Now we just need some VR imaging to make it more enjoyable.
03-30-2016, 04:08 AM
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Originally Posted by John McM
Vicarious is very easy on the wallet Now we just need some VR imaging to make it more enjoyable.
Now we just need some VR imaging to make it more enjoyable.