Macca

P.S. You dont need to worry about GT3/4 traffic. It will be in a different group from you (we have two groups at least at each track). Regardless my experience from the aircooled seat is those guys are past you so quick you dont even need to take your foot out of it...

O2GO

I'm interested to know side-by-side acceleration differences. When we did this at Highlands in 2014 we were dead equal under acceleration. Will be interesting to see if that's changed after John's EMS and injector upgrades, cat delete, gearbox refurb and countless little bits and pieces. I think all I've done is add a 1/2 cage (more weight), upgraded brakes, got Lola running on 12 plugs and upgraded rubber from pretty ordinary Dunlops (on that SITT) to Z221s.

Lola's front spoiler, brake ducts and roll cage apparently good for a couple of seconds LOL

O2GO

^^^^ app crashed while posting but the photo got through. Amazing

Macca

Doug. The only way to know for sure is a drag strip or a quiet road each with an AIM or Vbox mounted. You are welcome to use my Vbox which does 0-100 runs. Reaction time then launch technique will come into this. Otherwise its mid gear acceleration using two way radios or Cell phone to trigger, but its very unreliable from what Im told (reaction times etc).

Love the picture. Just the right balance of modifications and grime.

The problem to post multiple pictures is just on Iphone/pad it would seem. You need to use a laptop. I find my iPad good at some things (reading threads,web pages and emails) and poor at others (buying stuff online, writing emails and posts etc). Most of all I dont like Idevices as I cant have a truly customhouse "desktop". I like to drag files around and brainstorm them a bit till I know weather to keep them in a project file or biff them...

Macca

^^^...unless there is an ipad/iphone app I dont know about that allows the "desktop" to become truly free form?

John McM

If nothing else it's a reason to make sure Herman's systems are fully functional

The failed coil was replaced with a used one. Dan suggested I go with two new ones so will do that. I have already reconnected the resonance valve vacuum source. Then there is checking the throttle movement and selection of the the WOT microswitch (75% of throttle travel). After that I think I need to bite the bullet and do a dyno run.

I doubt I will have the exhaust bypass valve done by then so it may be time to fit the swans neck. That's a few more kg off the weight. It's all incremental.

My biggest negative is the C4 drivetrain weight. My biggest advantage is the traction, particularly when it gets slippery.

Personally, I somehow doubt we will ever get a definitive answer as there are too many variables. I am however glad we will get to run in groups of similar speed cars, at least until some bright spark decides to run open track, usually after lunch. I don't have the Monday off so it will be just Manfield this year.

Macca

Rest easy John. There will likely be no open track. I believe we have two RSG sessions with Playdays selling the 3rd, most likely to Prestige...

Manfield is a great track for the older less powerful cars.

I only ever got to run the 993 there once, back at NITT 2013, and I remember distinctly when it all "clicked" and the feeling was bliss getting the car rotating through the complex and nailing a double apex on the back straight sweeper.

I was very proud of the old girl on that day. I've been 5's a lap faster in the GT3, but I've rarely had it feel as good as it did that day. It was my second ever track day, and my (personal) perfect trace. Its like a great wave if you are a surfer, you spend ages looking for another. It wasn't until SITT 2014 I found that rhythm again...

For some reason I never have got as much satisfaction at HD as I have at tracks like Ruapuna, Levels, Manfield and Taupo. Magic tracks....

John McM

I like Manfield which is good because it's a real trek from Jafa land. I didn't realise it was Playday. All the better. Last run at Taupo had big horsepower turbos join the air cooled cars on what turned out to be our last run of the day. No matter how skilled these guys might be at overtaking it's a distraction I don't like or need.

Macca

Personally I find over taking more nerve raking than being over taken. Especially in the 993 which creates greater TED. Everyone if different I guess. Yes I believe Playdays are organizing the Manfield and Taupo days exclusively for us so we have two dedicated groups at Manfield this year but I believe Gary is free to fill up the third group. Leave those big horsepower turbo boys to us. The GT3/4 brigade (9 cars) is mostly seasoned vets...

Best wishes for the boys going on the Northland drive today. Wish I was there.

John McM

Don't get me wrong, overtaking when in a race is the most exhilarating part for me. When cars are evenly matched it usually takes a few laps learning the other drivers style and relative weaknesses then acting on the strategy. Those close duels are what I relish most and the never ending battle with Doug et al is where it's at for me. I have no issue with GT3/4/Turbo speed or driver competence, I just think it's better for all when cars are evenly matched. In any case it's good to know that we can have our six car group to ourselves.

nzskater

Interesting. I actually prefer a mixed grid. Following the lighter, lower powered cars and watching the differences in approach and exit to corners is both interesting and educational. It's also great getting to see them up close on the track.

Appreciate the want for little distraction, and also the benefit of having many evenly matched cars on attack (we need more 997's on the grid, or I need to gain enough skill to maintain proximity to the GT cars...yeah right!).

Macca

I think in a perfect world we'd all benefit from chasing a car fractionally quicker than ours, whilst being chased by a car fractionally slower. I know I do, and we engineer the "grid" for our fast groups accordingly on the past NITT and recent SITT to achieve this.

We ran a 15 car "mixed group" for the SITT which included a real mix of cars and skills from GTs, turbos to 997 Carrera and Boxster S. The slowest cars in our group were generally the least experienced drivers (991TTS and Cayman GT4). I think by the end of the first day we had agreed on a grid strategy that worked well for the rest of the trip. Its fair to say the slowest cars were lapped by the fastest (on occasion twice!). The back markers by the end of the 12-14 sessions had likely been passed by 4-5 cars and were adept by then of the process.

With the faster cars we would often indicate to let the car behind us pass by. Its all very fine being at the pointy end of the field, but by lap 4-5 you are tackling traffic. First lap or two the tyres and brakes are just starting to come "on", laps 3-4 can be fast ones then you are slowed down from 6 onward. Leading allows a shot at PBs but it gets very tiring being "on" for the whole 13 laps with other GT cars nosing up your date. It does encourage consistency but chasing something makes you faster and better than being chased IMO.

I do get your point though John. The best track sessions are usually when you have a partner or two in a group to push you. It was so briefly when Buba and I both had 993; and more recently with Leong in the GT4 on SITT & HD.

Talking of HD, I don't think I'm going to get another shot at that track till Q1 or Q2 2017. That's a 14 month hiatus! Probably a sign of the times a changing. Disappointing tho. Peter and I tried hard and repeatedly for a late Nov/early Dec booking but no joy :-(

How do the RSG brethren (and the lurkers) feel about me/us organizing a half day at the Meremere drag strip in early 2017? Im embarrassed to admit Ive never tried launch control on my GT3 and would relish testing the car against other RLers from around the world who have posted their slip times over the last few years. Currently 11.099 @ 126.8mph for the 1/4 is the bets time to date for the GT3.

Could be a bit of fun and may even settle the Herman vs Lola debate once and for all!

kiwi 911

Why won't they rent you the track?

Try under "PCNZ" instead?

In Chch today, have seen a stunning graphite green 3.2 coupe and 993 coupe with RSR kit - looked really good.

Macca

They claim they were booked out all the dates we needed. Something about Porsche booking the track October for a roadshow. We tried 4-5 dates all mid week fixtures. Maybe you are right, might have to ask you to try under PCNZ next time instead.

The 993 was it a red GT2 look alike? If so the prior owner was on SITT with us in his 997.2 GT3. He did a direct swap with it (200k equivalent value). It was a 993 turbo with arch extenders and some other tasty mods...

John McM

To be honest Meremere doesn't appeal with the C4. I regret never having tried launch control in the R although I did check out the sequence in the manual. I've never thought of our cars as drag cars and that sticky surface might reveal a drivetrain weakness I'd rather not know about.

BTW it's not just lap times that I like to be the same it's also power. There's something really painful about following a powerful car around the track that's slow through the corners but fast in the straights.