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Armchair Racing at Mallala |
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Armchair Racing at Mallala |
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by Peter Scott
Here is a brief armchair guide to driving a Soarer at Mallala Motor Sport Park, South Australia.
Mallala is flat as a tack. Cars rarely spin off this track. If they do it is after corner #1 - plenty of runoff. 2nd most popular place is Clubhouse corner where sometimes cars spin to inside of track - never to the outside. Plenty of grass there too.
These clips are WMV - windows media or some such thing. They were AVI's, then I tried a WMV converter that made them like four times smaller!!!
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startsession.wmv (2.3MB - 60s) Ahhh yes the start of a sprint session. The other race cars are blipping the throttle eager to get started. It's an exciting time. You keep telling yourself to take it easy and don't stuff up, but you get to that first corner and it's YaHooooo time! We all stream out past the Marshall, around Southern Hairpin corner #3, down the Main straight (180 kph) and brake for the Northern Hairpin #4. |
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This is the best clip! mallalalcorner3_2ndlap.wmv (1.8Mb - 47s) So I survived the first lap. Second lap I am still running with the saloon race cars. Brakes are still ok, tyres not too hot, it's all good. I oversteer it here and loose some time - arrrgh! Catch up a bit end of straight under brakes - but can't keep braking so hard - must save brakes for remaining 9 laps! Good clean fun. |
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MallalaEssesPorscheSpin.wmv (1.4Mb - 34s) Here I am charging through the Esses at #6, the car hits the dip at Clubhouse Corner and oversteers - this is the other easy place to spin. The full race Porsche has overtaken me down the back straight. I always drive harder after being overtaken! The Porsche comes to grief with a big spin at the infamous corner #1 - you can see all the dust he makes off in the distance to the right. I slow down and go past the Porsche - he is politely waiting for me to go by. He'll overtake me again in a second. |
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byebyeporsche.wmv (639kB - 15s) In the blink of an eye the Porsche is past me again while we go down the Pit Straight. I'm still mixing it with him (ha!) as we round Southern Hairpin corner #3. Then the race Porsche aims down the back straight and Kaboom! it disappears from view. The whole time my auto V8 lazily revs out with my foot to the floor. This is when I really wish I was driving Karl Hardy's Car! I don't like getting sand kicked in my face all the time! I want more power!!!! :( |
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mallalaGreenLancerEVOovertake.wmv (600 kb) Down the back straight I spot the Green race EVO catching up real quick. No use racing these guys while I'm in front getting in the way - if they catch me, then I'm in the way. So I cruise in a straight line leaving him plenty of room to overtake. Generally let the guy behind steer around you - don't try to swerve out of the way, keep it straight, don't block and it will be fine. EVO sounds mean as it blats past. |
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Mallala_laps_BoxsterS.wmv (3.6Mb- 1:23) Chris Jennings does one full lap for us in his Porsche Boxster S. This is around a 1:22 lap - 5 seconds quicker than me. We pick up Chris at the Southern Hairpin, Corner #3 about to overtake. |
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redspin.wmv (500kb - 11s) Sometimes is not the first tail out moment that spins you, it's when the car snaps back. Check this Porsche - the snap back spins him around twice! Corner #1 claims another victim! |
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wongoff.wmv (550kb - 12s) In this short clip watch a GT3 Porsche chase a EVO 6.5 (yes it's the father/son Washingtons - son in front) and then a white 911 go real wide and nearly spin but not quite - a good save. |
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soarer2.wmv(435kb) Here I am chasing a loud Porsche RS 911 into corner #1 |
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Soarer4.wmv(412kb) I guess I like this one because you can hear the Soarer V8 approach and go by, then a break, then the white Porsche RS comes by as well. This is Pit Straight. Look closely at my back inside wheel - you can see it smoking up all the way around the corner. With no LSD this happens all the time if I'm not careful. Need a Torsen diff and more power, and more rear grip - I'm happy with front grip. My back race tyres really take a pounding spinning around corners - I have to stop doing it! |
This is Corner #1 at Mallala - check out those black skid marks! You can see where many cars have spun off to the inside. I've done a 360 full spin on a damp track here - I kept going and didn't leave the track. I've been up that kerb on the left a couple of times and I've also had a big 90 degree slide over some coolant . Lot's of respect for this corner!
These pics are from a Mallala General Practice Day, Saturday 16th August 2003. To attend you'll need $70 cash and a helmet. No special car rules. http://www.mallala.com/ There is a general practice day nearly every weekend! Check the website (under Info) for all the dates etc.
The Axent team had some trouble with their Commodore (Commodore Cup Racing).
Bikers outnumber cars at Mallala
Cars and bikes coexist no sweat.
http://www.salooncarracing.com.au/Article/article.htm
Looks like an EA Ford Falcon with 4litre straight six, 5 speed manual Saloon Race Car - about 150 kW at wheels. It's the new formula to replace HQ racing. Very close - buy a 2nd hand race car for $15 000 - very tempting!
Lots of grassy banks to lie in the Sun and watch the racing at Mallala.
Karts are real popular at Mallala too.
The one open wheel car at Mallala - he gets the whole session to himself!
I love this Kiosk! See that big fat chocolate doughnut in the display case behind the guy's neck? - It is to die for. Easily the best chocolate doughnut I have ever tasted ever! Yummo! Then wash it down with a ice coffee (top middle shelf above guys head). Then the steak sandwich should be ready. The Lady who serves and cooks is real friendly. Is this the best place on Earth to eat? Gotta be close. Might just be because after some red face racing I'm starving, but those chocolate donuts, that freshly cooked steak sandwich, Man I'm hungry now just thinking about it! It's worthwhile heading down to Mallala for this reason alone.
