24 Porsches V 1 Soarer

http://www.maximumattack.biz/photogallery/20030615-PCSA%20Sprint/index3.html

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It was very wet on this day - but it dried out towards the end.

I actually like driving my Active suspension car in the rain. In the dry with semi slick tyres on the track it can get a bit boring - the car just goes around and the lack of power means it can be bit of a yawn. But add in some rain and suddenly it's action time!

The best action at Mallala is corner 1 - especially in the wet. If you are ever there go up to the grandstand (free on track days like this), sit down, set up the video camera if you have one and enjoy! The track sessions start from the start finish line just before corner 1 - so no action first of all. But one thing you can count on is that the first hot lap, without fail, everyone goes into corner 1 too hot.The result is entertainment city. I enjoyed sitting there waiting for my session to start while all the cars come in too hot and oversteer, spin out, or go straight through under brakes. The crowd loved it. Some of the real fast GT3's come in oversteering all the way no sweat - the better 911 and 928 drivers go for it too, hanging the tail out. As soon as you see brake lights come on you know their in trouble and the it's going to be spin city. Several cars spun off onto the dirt on the inside of the track. I learn't watching this. The second lap everyone was more circumspect - more care was taken - it was the first hot lap that was the best for the crowd.

Finally it's my turn in my session. I get bumped to number 2 position on the grid because the Boxster next to me is supposed to be faster (he is faster..... in the dry) - that's a red flag to a bull! Off we go - it's wet and I'm calm and I won't go in too hard to corner number 1. The Boxster takes off and I'm after him. First lap and the red mist and the adrenaline takes control and my first lap take it easy approach is out the window. The Boxster is struggling in the wet - my Bridgestone tyres make my car better under brakes, better around corners and better exiting corners.

Corner 1 looms for the first timed hot lap. I go in way too hard, way too hard, about 140 kph - the back comes around and I've already got the car on full lock. I don't even think about the brakes. Feathering the throttle ain't gonna help this time. The Active Four Wheel Steering has activated and the rear wheels turn out to try and get things back under control. I get the dreaded bing and red japanese message on the dash (later translated to read Active 4ws:"you've done it now...") - a great help mid spin. The 4ws gives up and leaves it up to me. The car is going around for sure now. The car was still on the racing line and travelling quite nicely - just at 90 degrees and still going around. Sure enough I'm soon facing the wrong way - but the car is still on the racing line - the car is just rotating quite nicely, quite fast and I'm not losing much time. I get another bing and red warning in japanese on the dash (later translated as Acitve sus: "you must be joking"). I've left it on full lock - no use fighting the spin now - just going with the flow - I see the Boxster pulling out valuable tenths over my shoulder. The car is still rotating smoothly - with the car still on full lock the nose comes around nicely - car still on racing line. I've now rotated 270 degrees with the nose of the car now sliding sideways to my right - I see in the grandstand Richard Ashcroft (fellow UZZ32 driver who came out to give moral support) whooping it up - I offer a small wave - don't know if he sees me. The car is coming back on line now and I let the steering out judging the time to give it full power - NOW! - I slam it and away we go. Richard and the others in the grandstand let out a small cheer - action is action!. My car is still on the track and didn't stop - so according to Craig Dean (race car driver and 2nd outright in Targa Tas with manaul TT Soarer) that makes it a controlled slide and not a spin!. The Boxster has pulled away but I reckon I can still catch him - especially with my superior tyres. I catch him next lap and apply enough pressure so that he let's me through. Porsche drivers are gentlemen.

Sprint days are all about qualifying and hotlaps - not racing. Often find yourself circulating by yourself driving as hard as you can - no distractions - not as fun - but faster. Although chasing someone can make you faster. Blasting three wide down Phillip Island main straight at 200 kph playing chicker with corner 1 is fun too - but that doesn't happen at Mallala.

Rain Session One

Remember, in the rain people take it real easy - they don't want to stuff a $270 000 Porsche into the wall. Romantically I like to think that when it's wet the big power cars don't have such an advantage, they can't get power down and the low power cars (mine) have a small chance. Might be true on TV racing - but for us, when it rains people don't try so hard - we all have to drive home in the car we are driving! So even though I posted a better time than a GT3 in this wet session - it really only means he was trundling along taking it easy.

That's Richard Ashcroft's UZZ32 - he came down to cheer me on - nice to see a fellow 32 owner!

Session 2 - still raining - not as bad.

Mallala isn't as fancy as Phillip Island - Scrutineering was slower and more thorough. They checked dates on fire extinguishers and tread depth on tyres. Blue triange sticker for battery location is required. Have to bring/make your own number. Smaller numbers overall, smaller scale for everything. That's the registration hut on the left and scutineering under the carport. Race control is further up the track. From that grandstand you can see the whole track - great for spectators. I drove around with Richard Daw and his Boxster most times. In the wet/damp my superior tyres gave me the edge, in the last dry session he pulled away

Session three - last and the driest

8 cars at a time - next bunch lining up for a go.

Corner 1 - this is the action corner. GT3's sound great and go real hard.

This 928 was real fast, front engine V8 manual. I was shopping for a 928 before buying the Soarer.

Personal best times for everyone for whole day:

The Washingtons are Father/Son! - On this day son Brice beat Dad's GT3 with his Evo6 - it was great watching them dice.

That's me into Corner 1 - fastest corner on the track - lots of runoff room.

There was a Holden ute as well with Gen III LS1 5.7 litre V8. Utes don't handle that well.

At least you get to hear the Porsches overtake you at full noise - in four laps you don't see them again - especially the topgun Porsches.

Porsche Club of South Australia DYNO DAY

22 June 2003
Here are the results of the Porsche dyno day -

GT2 - 1440kg

911 turbo 1540kg

944 1247 kg

Fri 22 Aug AGM Details to be posted and advised

Sun 7 Dec Supersprint Mallala

http://www.pcsa.asn.au/sprints.htm

Good information on how to prepare your car for a sprint.

http://www.pcsa.asn.au/SprintPrep.pdf

PREPARATION FOR A SUPERSPRINT OR REGULARITY EVENT By Peter Murch

BRAKES Mallala is recognised as the toughest track in Australia on brakes. You may consider having your brake fluid replaced with SRF (synthetic racing fluid) which has a higher boiling point. Porsche original brake pads are of a good standard, but once again, this track may cause brake fade after 4 or more laps. I suggest on your first outing that you stay with the factory pads and then seek the advice of members if you experience fade. If you have brake work done, ask your mechanic to check the wheel bearings as well. AT THE TRACK Try and arrive by 9.30am so as to give yourself time to meet officials and committee members. Unload your car prior to scrutineering and attend to any paperwork or car details. At approximately 10.00am practice begins, so you may be taken for a slow lap of Mallala prior to this to view the track and be given some basic advice. When practice finishes at approximately 11.30 am, driver training will be held. This will give you the opportunity to be on the track in your car as well as in an experienced members car. The advice you receive should help you to understand the track, your car and instil some confidence. Prior to the lunch break, timed practice takes place in the form of 2 laps to establish the afternoon running order. SUPERSPRINT The Supersprint consists of a warm-up lap followed by 3 timed laps. This is repeated twice more during the afternoon to give you a total of 9 timed laps. There will be between 6 & 8 cars on the track with similar lap times. You do not race as such but are let away from the start line at 60 metre intervals. The thing you are trying to do is better your last best lap time. Should you be in a situation where you need to pass a competitor, do it only on the straights - not into corners. Keep an eye on your rear vision mirror, as someone may be looking to overtake you. Should you go off the track, come back on slowly - leave the soil and stones in the paddock - we don’t like them on the track.The other reason for returning to the track slowly is to allow the soil which has built up inside your tyre rim to fall out and/or spread evenly around the inside of the rim. If you re-enter the track “full tilt” the kilo or two of soil which is now trapped by centrifugal force inside the rim will make you think you have a rim out of balance, causing the car to vibrate and make you think more serious problems are evolving. After you have finished your 4 laps, your brakes will of course be very hot and in fact continue to heat up when you stop, so most members, when they return to the pit area, continue to drive their car out of the raceway and towards the Mallala township. A couple of kilometres will allow the brakes and motor to come back to normal operating temperatures and avoid the disc/s possibly cracking. If your car is not road registered e.g. you brought it on a trailer - do not drive it on the Mallala road - you have no insurance cover. At the end of the day, please speak to a committee member and let them know what you thought of the event - we appreciate feedback. HELMENT CAMS LICENCE CASH or CREDIT CARD FIRE EXTINGUISHER FITTED VINYL TAPE FOR LIGHTS BONNET TIE-DOWN BLUE TRIANGLE CAR NUMBER MOBILE PHONE HAT & SUNSCREEN

http://www.cams.com.au/

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