V8Race

[JohnBu]

http://www.v8race.com/

Anyone been before?

My Fiancee booked me in for a Drive for a birthday present :) Happy Birthday John Bu.

Now, Ford or Holden... I'll prob go Holden.

Should go much better than the Astra on the track.

[imay]

Congrats mate, you should enjoy it. However . . . . going on my experience here in Adelaide, don't get too excited about thinking you will be doing V8 Supercar speeds and manouevres. My experience went thus:
Attended driver briefing, which highlighted the track (Mallala) layout, braking points, apexes, etc. and an extensive session on the RULES!
Finally get suited up and stand around waiting, waiting, waiting (some knob dropped his car into the kitty litter and everyone has to clear the track before the recovery begins).
Holden or Ford - 2 line ups, it's getting late, everyone wants a Commodore ride, I'm getting impatient and chose the Falcon. What's the difference really!
Get strapped in and meet your co-driver/instructor. "Do as I say, or your time is over!" Pretty straight forward really.
Get moving for the recon lap where he shows how/when/where to brake and accellerate. Try to remember all this info because it will make for a better lap after you have done a few stuff-ups.
Slower car ahead? Well just get close but slow down until you are given the "go for it" command. It's not up to you when/if you go past.
I was not overtaken by anyone on my laps, but had the pleasure of nailing several other cars on the way around Mallala. Managed to stuff up the braking/apex/gas on on the same corner every lap, and was kicking myself for it. It really is harder than it looks! Oh, and don't think you will be doing Wincup/Tander times, because they will limit you on your speed, gear selection, etc.

After my laps were done, pull into pit lane, stop the car, remove belts, thank your co-driver and then try to clamber out of the roll cage on jelly legs. The adrenalin rush bought on by the excitement, noise, speed and atmosphere is the best part of the lot. I certainly have gained a lot more admiration for the guys that punt these things around lap after lap after lap . . . .

Good luck and enjoy. I'm waiting for my kids to suggest I do it again!

[JMZ]

I would agree with most of those comments above.

I've done the U-Drive experience at QLD Raceway and apart from being a boring layout, we were limited to 3rd and 4th gears when turns 3 and 6 deserve to give 2nd gear a right belting. The cars were seriously modified SS Commodores and XR8's so there was no gear changes without the clutch, no left foot braking or anything else allowed. They were NOT retired racing cars.

My experience wasn't exactly overwhelming but at a different circuit with more than 6 bloody corners, I'd imagine it'd get a fair bit more exciting!

The only way you'll get to be inside a REAL race car is to go on a ride day instead of physically driving one. Ride days are just as fun becuase you know you'll be going fast and you don't have to worry about where and when to accelerate, change gears and brake (although you'll try to punch a hole through the passenger-side firewall with your right foot hoping against hope that there's an extra brake pedal on the other side!).

if I ever did it again, I'd go for a K2 ride day at Phillip Island or Winton.

[imay]

Agree with Jimbow.
I know a couple of guys that have been on a "ride day" with HDT and just can't stop raving about it (ba#tards). 200+kmh down the front straight into Siberia(?) where the track seems to disappear into Bass Strait . . . mmmm, I think I'd like to give that a go one day.
Also know a guy who has been a passenger with Jim Richards at a Porsche day. . . . my number's gotta come up soon, surely!

[gslrallysport]

I'm actually used to be an instructor at the QLD one (I stopped doing it about Nov 08 when I had front left wheel come off on turn 2, and then after lunch a customer shot me across the infield at 140km/hr sideways....), so let me clear up a few things!


we were limited to 3rd and 4th gears when turns 3 and 6 deserve to give 2nd gear a right belting.
Turn 3 I assume you mean through the dipper? If you can physically be in second gear and below the rev limiter, you're going WAAYYYYYY toooo slow! That is definitely a 3rd gear corner relative to the speed that you should be able to pull through there... if you're in 2nd through there, you're definitely going too slow. The hairpin at 6 is 50/50... some of the cars would be quicker with 2nd, others 3rd. There's a wide range of cars ran out there, with different motors and ratios.


The cars were seriously modified SS Commodores and XR8's so there was no gear changes without the clutchYou can't seriously expect to drive a dog box in a race experience day, and for that sort of dollars... Which leaves the standard syncro boxes NEEDING the clutch to be shifted (I hate people who try and tell me to shift a synchro box without the clutch). Other than that the gearboxes are modified with a shorter shift, and the reverse gear gate removed...

no left foot braking or anything else allowed.Let me just start by saying in the rally car I have to... I can't physically drive on gravel without doing it (the joys of FWD), so I'm well versed on the benefits of LFB! But let me say this, there isn't a single car in that race experience that would be quicker if you were allowed to left foot brake... I used to get really annoyed at people who insisted on blipping the throttle on the down changes by taking their foot off the brake... If you've got time to take your foot of the brake then you've braked WAY too early, and need to brake later to pick up time, not blip the throttle in a synchro boxed car... :out:


They were NOT retired racing cars.Not completely true. There are 2 ex-cup cars out there (both AU's) that are ex race cars, and both require special fuel. The others are as close as you'll get without spending stupid money. If you wanted a real race car experience you'd be doing a U-Drive Formula Ford day anyway, not driving a taxi... Also one other fun fact, one of the good looking BA race cars (orange and white) is actually an AU with BA bumper and lights front and rear... the give away is the gay curvy dash inside!


My experience wasn't exactly overwhelming but at a different circuit with more than 6 bloody corners, I'd imagine it'd get a fair bit more exciting!If you've never driven fast before, or done any sort of track work, your average punter finds it the day of their life. For me personally I find any form of going round in circles on bitumen pretty boring... I'd prefer to be doing 150km/hr sideways over blind crests between trees on dirt than driving in the straight line down a bit of black top, but the dollars were ok, so I was reasonably happy to instruct there, albeit I didn't really get along with the other instructors because I didn't come from a roundy roundy background.

My tips if you're going to do it:
- Brake later and harder, don't be shy, they run slick tyres, and you're not going to lock them up very easily!

- Don't turn in too early!!! When you think you're going too fast the natural reaction is to turn in early, and this is bad! It shallows the corner, and will spit you out the other side sooner, make sure you turn in at the markers, the tricky one is turn 2 at QR, which is a VERY late apex, and the approach marker is to have the "L" in the bitumen under the driver's seat on the approach to the apex.

- Listen to the instructors, their aim is to make you go faster, not slower! Faster can be alot safer than slower... heaps of times people doing 1:07 were controlled as, whilst the guy knocking out a 1:11 was trying to kill me!

I can tell you from experience as an instructor, those that thought they knew it all went alot slower than those that listened. I used to absolutely LOVE teaching chicks to drive! In the first few laps they'd be nervous as hell and embarrassingly slow, but by lap 4-5 have listened to everything you've said, and by lap 7 or 8 start knocking out 1:08's where most people struggle to get sub 1:10... On the other hand those that told me they've done 'drag racing for 30 years' or 'Powercruise bro!!!' and were cocky and didn't listen to you, peaked halfway through their laps, and got slower towards the end as they tried to drive harder, and ignored everything you told them...

Other than that, just remember it's an experience day, designed for the absolute novice to go have a play... If you think you're Mark Skaife, that's fine, but there isn't V8 talent spotters out there watching you, so don't act like a twat, go enter some proper motorsport and put your money where you mouth is! :thumbs:

That's me getting into the car with my invincibility goggles on my forehead:
http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v275/199/111/518916502/n518916502_1108393_6301.jpg

[ope11]

yeh my wife got me a drive in race car at ispiwch raceway for my birthday :) and i chose the xr8 ,don't like commadores much:) it's a pity that both car's are detuned. Still it was great fun ,teaches u alot about race line's :)

[JohnBu]

Sounds like it will be a good day... at least I don't have to worry about breaking my own car.

Will be good to drive a car with slicks and see what the difference in breaking and grip will be compared to road tyres.

[imay]

The tyres/brakes are amazing. The car/s I drove at Mallala had huge discs and double calipers. First few corners I was braking as I would in a normal road car - "Nah, nah, no brakes until the marker. Keep the power on. Brake NOW, HARD!"
Amazing how they pull you up. I can only image what a full race set up would be like.

[brc]

Im now so keen!!!!!! imay, so your fault.

EDIT: I could just imagine speeding up as fast as he tells, right out of your comfort zone and slamming the breaks for the corner, golden!

[JMZ]

I'm actually used to be an instructor at the QLD one
so let me clear up a few things!

Turn 3 I assume you mean through the dipper?
That is definitely a 3rd gear corner relative to the speed that you should be able to pull through there... if you're in 2nd through there, you're definitely going too slow. The hairpin at 6 is 50/50... some of the cars would be quicker with 2nd, others 3rd.

Yes the dipper, but it's a race experience and I didn't experience race-like gears i.e. 2nd through turn 6.


You can't seriously expect to drive a dog box in a race experience day, and for that sort of dollars......
But let me say this, there isn't a single car in that race experience that would be quicker if you were allowed to left foot brake...

But it's called a "race experience" so I was just a little dissapointed not to have experinced those things.


Not completely true. There are 2 ex-cup cars out there (both AU's) that are ex race cars, and both require special fuel. The others are as close as you'll get without spending stupid money.

At the time I went, there were only 2 or 3 cars to choose from....the commo i drove definately WASN'T a fromer racer. but again, as a broken record player, race experience should = race cars.


My tips if you're going to do it:
- Brake later and harder

- Don't turn in too early!!!

- Listen to the instructors

AMEN BROTHER!!!!!!!

[Wraith]

Good on ya John, looks like you'll be in for a great fun day...

And maybe after this, your next car shopping list will be for a V8 vehicle :D

[JohnBu]

Should be a good day out..

I like V8s but not big heavy cars that are not nimble, so that only leaves me with the M3, C63, R8, F450 & California left on my shopping list :D

[ope11]

hey guys this is one i drove,detune but still alot of fun :)http://i899.photobucket.com/albums/ac199/ope11t/IMG_0766.jpg