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Peter Nitschke
Junk Filterer
South Australia
UZZ30 UZZ31

Posts: 11163
Reg: 11-2004

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Thursday, December 17, 2009 - 09:52 am, by:  Peter Nitschke (Pen) Quote hilighted text Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

A great read!
Phil Gibson
Goo Roo
WA
'91 UZZ31 track bunky, '94 blk/blk UZZ31

Posts: 1576
Reg: 07-2005

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Thursday, December 17, 2009 - 01:17 pm, by:  Phil Gibson (Sciflyer) Quote hilighted text Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Nice work
James Harris
Goo Roo
QLD
GT Starlet

Posts: 3313
Reg: 07-2005

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Thursday, December 17, 2009 - 05:13 pm, by:  James Harris (Haro) Quote hilighted text Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Great write up, pics and videos mate !
How bout those heart rates hey !? Very surprising.
I see what you mean about that 180 locking up the rear wheel... woulda given me a little fright also !
James Johnson
Goo Roo
Victoria
JZZ30 2JZ + Manual

Posts: 1243
Reg: 07-2005

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Tuesday, December 22, 2009 - 12:46 pm, by:  James Johnson (Jamesy) Quote hilighted text Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

great writeup looks like you had a blast of a weekend would of been good to get down there!
Ben Lipman
Goo Roo
NSW
Soarer TT manual, plus TT track car

Posts: 1867
Reg: 04-2006

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Tuesday, December 22, 2009 - 09:42 pm, by:  Ben Lipman (Ben12a) Quote hilighted text Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Well done Shaun.
Shaun Chiew
TryHard
VIC
Soarer TT

Posts: 359
Reg: 11-2007

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Tuesday, January 19, 2010 - 05:02 pm, by:  Shaun Chiew (Senk9) Quote hilighted text Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Thanks all for the compliments, it was a hell of a tough day, but definitely satisfying to make it through :-)

Sorry for lack of updates, have been quite busy of late, just a minor one then ..

Due to lack of planning on my part, I didn't attend to flaking paint underneath the T-wing brackets, which was affected during drilling. As a result, when water gathers under the brackets (and seeing as the car stays parked for long periods of time), rust had begun to build up.



Bootlids are cheap to replace, but why not do some preventative maintenance instead? Time to bust out the:



Let the anti-rust soak for a while, and the rust comes right off, with a bit of help with some light sanding:



Better to prevent this from happening again (for the short term at least), so I masked it off and applied a layer of paint .. (non-matching of course)




Some selective pieces of tape to cover the lot up, and it's good as new :-) (just needs a wash) Thanks to Mic and Darrin for the advice ..

Shaun Chiew
TryHard
VIC
Soarer TT

Posts: 360
Reg: 11-2007

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Tuesday, January 19, 2010 - 05:06 pm, by:  Shaun Chiew (Senk9) Quote hilighted text Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

As for the plan for 2010, I definitely want to drive the car again at:

* Sandown (to beat my old time)
* One interstate track (not Wakefield), possibly Symmons Plains + cruise around Tassie, or Mallala
* Winton Short Track (to set a semi-slick time)

Apart from that, it should be a pretty quiet year and I hope to lend as much support to fellow Soarer drivers at the track as possible .. New rear bushes, battery-reloc and some aero work are on the to-do list as well
James Johnson
Goo Roo
Victoria
JZZ30 2JZ + Manual

Posts: 1244
Reg: 07-2005

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Tuesday, January 19, 2010 - 07:47 pm, by:  James Johnson (Jamesy) Quote hilighted text Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

send me a pm when you do sandown ill come down and join you!
Andrew Meiers
Goo Roo
Victoria
TT

Posts: 1105
Reg: 07-2005

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Tuesday, January 19, 2010 - 10:17 pm, by:  Andrew Meiers (Acmtt) Quote hilighted text Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I want another day at Sandown too, i missed the one day a year i do there. Cup day last year.
Shaun Chiew
TryHard
VIC
Soarer TT

Posts: 361
Reg: 11-2007

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Saturday, February 13, 2010 - 01:41 pm, by:  Shaun Chiew (Senk9) Quote hilighted text Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Sure thing, I will post up when I head to the track next ...

Feb-13 - Weigh-in Time

Previous results were (compared to factory - 1560kg)
Note that measured weights are accurate only to the nearest 20kg

***Jan 08 - 1680kg (approx 1560kg dry):***
Stock as a rock, auto, stock wheels / street tyres
This also confirms the weighbridge is accurate within 10kg

***Mar/08 - 1520kg (approx 1400kg dry):***
Carpets, lining removed, seats changed to Bride reclinable / Supra passenger, boot contents removed, Supra wheels / semi-slicks

And now *drum roll*:

***Feb/09 - 1480kg (approx 1380kg dry):***
Sunroof replaced with polycarbonate, AC compressor removed, AC piping / condensor, heater box removed, 350Z wheels / street tyres

What that means is that from stock till now, the car has lost 170-190kg (approx), this is around an 11% weight loss, which is substantial and definitely noticeable on the track. The old Soarer will be taking a few more months off till I have some other issues sorted out.

Shaun Chiew
TryHard
VIC
Soarer TT

Posts: 363
Reg: 11-2007

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Friday, May 28, 2010 - 11:52 am, by:  Shaun Chiew (Senk9) Quote hilighted text Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

**23/May EXE/CC Winton Track Day**
SO anyway. The car is back from Promax after an extended stay while waiting for some replacement parts (namely a PS pulley). The big boat originally docked in to fix up the minor issues here and there that had been causing me grief, ones that I was too lazy to fix up myself. Things like leaky sumps, rocker covers, dodgy pulleys, noise issues and many other trivial things. A pair of replacement front slotted rotors from RDA were installed on the car, and it was once again ready for another tour of duty. The straight pipe was now replaced with a cannon muffler, sacrificing some power and torque for a more liveable vehicle. Another battery was chewed up and spat out.
One year since the last visit to Winton (where the PB was set) and I had my sights set firmly on edging it out, even by just a bit. I was determined to resort to trial and error both in car setup and driving technique to see what worked, without betraying the original purpose of the car by throwing more money on modifications. I'm convinced that there is more in it, but I just have to find a way to make the most of it. My findings from this .. "adventure" .. are detailed below, mostly for my own record, but I hope you enjoy the read.

Note: I will add pictures, graphs and videos retroactively as they become available. In the meantime, please bear with me.

All of us had high hopes for the day, the forecast looked good, the turnout looked good, the track looked clear and alot of people had minor or major changes to the vehicles since last time, you could feel the anticipation in the air. On a personal note, I had a thought of trying some back to back sessions with and without the wing, and/or increasing the rear swaybar. But for the meantime, I took the first session as a shakedown, trying out the exact same settings I ended with this time last year. It would turn out that I would end up being too lazy to adjust wing or swaybar later on, so much for that idea.

First session out - Passenger Anthony - 1:44.2430 [u]1:40.4260[/u] 1:41.1280

Car feels reasonably good, the top end feels more restricted, but the balance is not bad. It can be summed up as mild-medium understeer into corners, and as little or as much oversteer coming out as you want depending on your foot. I came to realise there wasn't much point revving the car over 6000rpm as power seemed to drop off after that. The 1.40.42 was around 1.5 seconds slower than my PB, but a good start nonetheless. My racing line more or less follows what I did last year, but I'm determined to try different lines next time round. I couldn't tell the difference the slotted rotors made, maybe I just have thick shoes. I once again realised that with a car like this, it's a requirement to use the throttle to help it turn, rather than relying on the front tyres to do so, if that makes sense.

Second session out - Passenger Jules - 1:43.8310 1:43.0330 [u]1:40.9570[/u] 2:09.9570

I lowered down tyre pressures to be around 32psi warm, and then headed out for Session Two. With some crazy neck to neck racing with Johnny (OTR) in the Evo, Kam in the supercharged 350Z and Dave in the FD RX7 following behind that, all skillful drivers, I was determined to try my best to pull away. The 350Z with menacing intercooler was looming large in the rear view while heading down the straight, and I was very close to giving way as I saw Kam had to actually back off on the straight while following me. I made a mental note to get more power one day, and continued uphill after the S-bend, but in desperation I entered turn 1 too quickly, barely dabbing the brakes in a feat of trying to magically defy the laws of physics, really dumb mistake. The car began to plough wide, I tried my best to pull it back in, but the left two wheels made it to the dirt. From there the back then swung around and I speared back onto the track onto to the opposite side of the track, facing the wrong way, giving Kam (and my passenger) a heart attack in the process. Sorry Jules. After regrouping, I set out again for a clean lap, this time trying out the tighter corners in 3rd gear instead of 2nd. I see green on the Racechrono display, so something must be working, but run out of session time before completion (lap not registered).

Third Session out - Passenger Jorge - 1:41.2000 1:41.8410 1:39.8250 1:50.3210 [u]1:39.5270[/u]

More tyre pressure lowering, they seem to gain lots of pressure throughout the day, maybe close to 20psi? I decided to stiffen the rear coilovers up to make the tail a bit more loose. I'm convinced that on the many tight corners of this track, a looser tail will be beneficial, instead of ploughing around them and overdemanding/destroying the front tyres. It seems like a mixture of 2nd and 3rd gear yields the best results, and I manage to put down some consistent times. A close call in this session as I accidentally enter the sweeper too quickly and nearly plough off into the grass, but once again the car saves the driver's stupid mistake. Sorry Jorge. Good times, lots of laughs (afterwards). The good news was that I was only .5 of a second off my all time PB, and with a passenger in the car too. Something must be going right, but I don't know exactly what it is.

Fourth Session out - Passenger Dave - 1:44.9780 [u]1:40.4350[/u]

I was tempted to stiffen the rear swaybar up to make the tail looser, but after some thought, I realised the tail is already loose enough on corner exit, and I don't want to lose the acceleration out of corners in a trail of tyre smoke. I just need to stick with the current setup, but learn to drive it better. Maybe through just sheer force of willpower, it might happen, but it doesn't. Sorry Dave. Something still doesn't feel right, and I end the session early and frustrated, so I consult with some others for advice. Silas says to avoid trail braking too much in the hairpins, and to treat turns 8 and 9 as one big turn. I ponder while checking tyre pressures. The next session would have to be the one.

Fifth Session out - No passenger 1:41.1140 1:39.3070 1:42.3380 1:38.8760 **[u]1:37.6990[/u]** NEW PB

I knew this was the go time, as it was most likely the last session I would have. Things were optimum: fuel was running low, I opened up a gap to get more cold air to the air intake, only 5 cars in the session and I jettisoned any passengers. It was time to don the gloves and get on with business. Following behind Duncan in the Evo I set a 1:39.3, so painfully close to that elusive time. I was using more track than before, riding further up the ripple strips than I had dared to prior. Then, problem. The Evo had more power than me and pulled away on the straights, but I was gradually catching on the corners and I knew I had to pass to get some clean track. It was frustrating and I tried fruitlessly to find an opening, lapping a 1:42. This was great racing for both of us and entertaining for the spectators, but I had to get a clean laptime in before the end. Then I saw my opportunity, he had braked too early for the S-bend, and I stayed very close, trying to nail a clean exit on the inside, but the uphill was a battle of torque, and he once again stayed ahead by half a car length, nearly side by side. I decided it was time to go all out, because there would be no more laps after this, so I stayed on the gas, braking so stupidly late that the whole world turned to slow mo, just purely in anticipation of some dramatic incident. The tail swung out because I was trying to make the corner at the same time, and luckily Duncan let me stay ahead, even though he could have passed me again on the inside. Sorry dude.

Now the track was clear, and I knew what I had to do. I had a feeling this lap would be a write-off, but I persisted anyway, deciding to get as much practice for the next lap as I could. Surpringly, at the first split on Racechrono (which is at the start of the sweeper), the screen was green. Could this be true? 1 second ahead of the day's PB already at the first split even after wasting so much time at turn 1? I dismissed it and carried on, this time using 2nd for the 1st and 3rd hairpins, but switching quickly to 3rd for the middle hairpin. I also continued with a different line through turn 7 than last year's visit. Instead of staying wide, I tried to maintain a higher entry speed with a early/medium apex and feather it out, reaching the opposite ripple strip near where it ends. The GPS data later would indicate a fairly decent max speed on the back straight, so I suspect this gamble pays off. Back onto the main straight and an aggressive exit out of the S bend, ready for the final lap.

At that point, I tried to piece together everything from the whole day, what was the best point to brake, how hard could I brake without screwing everything up, how much did I have to trail it into the turns? The car under maximum brakes and driven fairly aggressively is quite a handful to control, there are no electronic aids, requiring constant corrections and an analog throttle control that may not be quite within my abilities. But somehow, just before you do something really dumb, the car makes you aware of it and gives you a chance to fix it. By the first split at the sweeper, RaceChrono was green, by a whole 1 second. Whatever that was, I had to keep it up. I swung into the apex, deciding to stick with the double-apex line that I found to be the most effective, then back onto the gas until the hairpins. Once again, 2nd through 1st and 3rd hairpins, the exit on the 3rd was crucial. The split here was still green, 1.3 seconds ahead, this was looking good. Now the pressure was really on, that gain could be thrown away in a heartbeat with a stupid move, so I had to concentrate hard and make every movement count. Turn 7, 8 and 9 and I was onto the main straight, the split was still green. I was in disbelief, thinking this must be a mistake. The only thing left was the S-bend, and I feverishly hoped the car wouldn't blow up right now. Visions of crashes and rolls into the bunker were flashing through my mind. I braked very deep, thinking that surely I was going to plough straight off into the dirt, but somehow the car just pulled up enough to rotate it in, and I could once again get back early on the throttle for the exit. I suspected that was it, but it took the screen to show the laptime for me to believe it. I had to check it again to confirm then a sigh of relief. What an intense ride, the concentration required was immense and I felt mentally drained, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. Right on cue, the lights went red, that was the end of the session. Thank you Soarer, you made my day once again :-)

Big thanks to everybody who helped me out in preparing the car, packing and unpacking, the advice, the encouragement, the teamwork, all of you made it possible. To passengers: Sorry for nearly wiping you all out.

Full results of the day can also be viewed here:
http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/results.cgi?23/05/2010.WIN.S6.Y
Shaun Chiew
TryHard
VIC
Soarer TT

Posts: 364
Reg: 11-2007

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Friday, May 28, 2010 - 11:54 am, by:  Shaun Chiew (Senk9) Quote hilighted text Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Alright, time to get nerded up and nerdtacalur, it's graph time! I'm convinced that to drive is one thing, but only by learning from experiences do we improve. And unlike normal life, laptimes can be broken down into numbers, with the help of highly accurate GPS technology and graphs. With the aid of analysis, we can avoid hitting that brick wall that many people run up against and get discouraged, by finding and adjusting very specific parts of our driving with accuracy. Maximum efficiency!

All graphs were done with the aid of RaceChrono (
http://www.racechrono.com/) on Nokia N95 (big thanks to Jason (Unco) for lending me your phone), and an external 5hz BT GPS unit. Stats were exported as Danas format into Danas where the graphs are created. My intention of this is mostly for my own record, to compare with last year's effort to see precisely what has changed and what I did differently to improve, and also put this information out there in the event that it may eventually help somebody else who races at this track. For those curious, Racechrono does measure individual sector times, and can gather all the best sector times to give you your 'Theoretical PB', although slightly unrealistic it does give you an idea of what you could potentially clock near, if you nailed every sector well. The TPB from yesterday was 1.37.5, around .2 seconds below the actual PB.

OK! First up, we have the map overview. Each corner is numbered, I know it's not exactly the official corner numbering, but I find this to be the most common way when talking to people about the different corners. The blue parts indicate acceleration force on the car, the red patches indicate a braking force, and the in-between green indicates coasting or very minor acceleration. The accuracy of the 5hz GPS can be seen in this diagram, as along the straights you can actually see the parts where gear changes take place, there is a minor colour difference while the car coasts then accelerates rapidly again during gearshifts. Likewise, during hard braking, such as turn 8 and turn 4, you can see there is lifting of the brake pedal, which was where I repumped the pedal to counteract the sinking pedal, or lifted brakes accidentally while botching a heel-toe attempt. Ideally, a smooth gradient and transition between all 3 components is what is required.



Alright next up there is the fantastic Speed Vs. Distance graph. X-axis indicates the car's position on the track (regardless of what laptime you are doing) and the Y axis shows the car's current speed. This graph is excellent for comparing different drivers or laptimes as you can overlay them within Danas. The angle/gradient of the lines during acceleration and braking also show how rapid these changes are. I will refer to 'Old' as last year's PB of 1:39.00 (blue line), and 'New' as this year's PB of 1.37.6 (red line). So on a turn by turn basis then (all speeds are in km/h):



[b]Start Finish straight max - Old 140 vs New 147 (+7km/h)[/b] (185)
This time round, a more aggressive entry speed into turn 1, I was previously tentatively letting off acceleration as I approached the corner, taking too long to transition into braking too early. The braking rate is similiar in both years, indicates an equal amount of braking power. One thing to note is during most of the corners this time round, the acceleration out of corners is actually later, quite the opposite to the 'slow in, fast out' approach. I am a bit confused, as I always thought this was the way to go quicker.

[b]Turn 1 - Old 84 vs New 86 (+2km/h)[/b] (100)
Slight gain in corner speed, by not sacrificing corner speed, but losing out on having to wait till the car straightens out before accelerating. The jaggedness on the graph while accelerating out of 1 indicates wheelspin. 3rd gear.

[b]Between 1 and 2 - Old 116 vs New 117 (+1km/h)[/b] (140)
A bit slower to accelerate down the hill, but a touch later on the brakes yields a higher terminal speed. Winding out 3rd gear, this time a more abrupt jab on the brakes to help bring the rear around. I found I was running wide often, so this helped to line it up more, but ...

[b]Turn 2 - Old 96 vs New 98 (+2km/h)[/b] (180)
... This advantage was then lost in wheelspin while the car settled. Slightly ahead at this stage, but speeds are the same up the straight into the sweeper. Up into 4th gear.

[b]Turn 3 (Sweeper) Entry - Old 132 vs New 136 (+4km/h)[/b] (140)
Do or die time! The sweeper is crucial in cutting those precious tenths off, it's fairly long, and any wasted grip here will take too long to recover. So I knew I needed to start off at the limit and quickly adjust to suit. No brakes, middle of 4th gear, just back off the throttle for about half a second then maintain speed into the sweeper. The tyres should be on the limit as much as possible through the sweeper, otherwise it's just wasting time. I found a double apex worked best. Originally I treated the sweeper like a big circle, following the curvature of the track, but this leads to a sharper angle on the 2nd half of the sweeper.

[b]Turn 3 (Sweeper) Middle - Old 137 vs New 145 (+8km/h)[/b]
Assuming your car is not awkwardly set-up and you don't do anything like suddenly let off the gas in the middle, it should push wide the more you accelerate through the sweeper, nice and gradually. This gave me the confidence to go faster through the sweeper and it netted a 8km/h gain, substantial enough to feel, there was much laughing and hooting under the G-forces.

[b]The Kink Old - 115 vs New 119 (+4km/h)[/b]
No brakes required, don't really need to lift the gas, just find the straightest line and thread the eye of the needle.

[b]Just prior to Turn 4 (First Hairpin) - Old 123 vs New 124 (+1km/h)[/b]
When I first started racing here, and even up to more recent track days, I would always coast from the kink into the first hairpin. Valuable wasted time! This time, back on the gas full throttle after the kink as late as possible into the hairpin.

[b]Turn 4 (First Hairpin) - Old 58 vs New 53 (-5km/h)[/b] (70)
Here is where things get interesting, I've always strugged with the hairpins, never really knowing what the best line to take them was. This time round, I found that a slower entry was better, instead of fighting against understeer out of it. I travel a bit wide, go slower through there, but then hug the middle of the apex so I can keep to the middle of the track for the next hairpin. Shifting into 2nd.

[b]Turn 5 (Second Hairpin) - Old 82 vs New: 77 (-5km/h)[/b] (85)
Approaching this, I used to keep on the right of the track to increase the radius of the turn, but on Silas's advice, I hugged the apex to the left, keeping it neat and tidy for the run into the 6. Slower mid corner speed, but maybe it might help with setup for the 3rd hairpin. Note that the blue line from last PB actually has a GPS error at this point, so the big dip should be ignored. Back into 3rd gear for this hairpin.

[b]Turn 6 (Third Hairpin) - Old 56 vs New: 62 (+6km/h)[/b] (75)
Last year, I kept all the way to the left in order to get as straight a run out of this hairpin as possible. The blue line reflects the quick exit out of here, but this time round I tried sticking to around the middle of the track, and maintaining a higher mid corner speed. This may or may not have helped in retrospect. Back into 2nd for this hairpin.

[b]Short Straight - Old 144 vs New: 148 (+4km/h)[/b]
3rd straight out of the hairpin, then grabbing 4th right before the left hander. I had previously considered whether to stay in 3rd and wind it out, but this seems a bit silly in hindsight. That extra acceleration instead of coasting would definitely come in handy.

[b]Turn 7 - Old 56 vs New: 65 (+9km/h)[/b] (80)
I tried something different this time, instead of staying wide then braking into 2nd gear to touch the outside ripple strip early, I decided to brake later while apexing earlier, keep it in 3rd gear and then use as little/much throttle as I needed to aim for the end of the ripple strip on the outside. This seemed to yield a substantially higher mid corner speed, and allowing me to brake later into the turn. Braking rate remains unchanged, just the direction is a bit different.

[b]Back Straight - Old 153 vs New: 158 (+5km/h)[/b]
Looks like it worked, even though gear shifts and acceleration were the same since last time, there was a higher overall speed on this straight. Reaching the upper end of 4th gear here.

[b]Turn 8 - Old 79 vs New: 75 (-4km/h)[/b]
Hard on the brakes and into 3rd here, I tried 2nd gear here and there throughout the day, but I found it imbalances the car too much and the power at the top end wasn't really required, even 3rd would have enough to break traction if used forcefully. I decided to go slower into this corner to line it up more accurately for the next, hugging the inside quite tightly. In retrospect, probably not a good idea.

[b]Between Turn 8 and 9 - Old 89 vs New: 93 (+4km/h)[/b] (120)
The good news is that this time round I used as much track as possible, including some of the outside ripple strip, and the higher average speed here reflects this. Another quick jab at the brakes to line it up for turn 9.

[b]Turn 9 - Old 73 vs New 77 (+4km/h)[/b]
By using more of the outside, the angle of entry into 9 is flatter, and once again maintaining higher corner speed and sacrificing early acceleration. I don't really like running onto the ripple strip here because of the proximity of the walls, and also it's too bumpy to really get traction.

[b]Main Straight - Old 174 vs New 181 (+7km/h)[/b] (225)
Here is where there is a substantial difference from last time. A noticeable difference in Vmax (top speed), which I believe comes down to two factors. First I was now shifting at just over 6000, subconsciously trying to squeeze out that extra bit of power, whereas last year I constantly shifted at around 5500. Redline is 7000rpm but I've always been a bit cautious about revving such an old engine to the limits, I'd rather make it home under my own power. Secondly, this time round I had removed the headlight to get cold air right onto the air intake. I'm not sure if this helped or not, but the acceleration on the main straight (and not on the others interestingly enough) was better. I reach the top of 4th gear by the end of straight, deciding not to grab 5th.

[b]Entering Turn 10 (S-Bend) - Old 95 vs New 95 (+0km/h)[/b] (115)
Finally, braking as late as possible, more braking G's generated than last year, and S-bend is nearly identical. I felt like I was going through the S-bend quicker this year, but turns out it really wasn't, it just looked more dramatic. I did get on the power earlier this time though, and even though it was a bit twitchy going up the hill, it never felt out of control or too loose. In the end, the better acceleration here was vital. 3rd through the S and up the hill into 4th.

Anyway, that's pretty much all I know. I'm sure some of it is incorrect and I'm sure there are faster ways to go around the track, but it's a constant learning process. I'm hoping that by detailing as much of this as possible, then we can get have a healthy discussion so that everybody can have a more satisfying track day.
Shaun Chiew
TryHard
VIC
Soarer TT

Posts: 365
Reg: 11-2007

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Friday, May 28, 2010 - 11:54 am, by:  Shaun Chiew (Senk9) Quote hilighted text Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

After looking at the above graph again and trying to recollect from the day, I have come to the following thoughts on what changed from last to this track day. Since there were no mods between then and now (except for slotted rotors) it must be something to do with the racing line or technique: 

*Braking rate (angle of deceleration) is identical 
*Outright grip based is identical (based on cornering and mid S-bend speeds) 
*Acceleration is slightly better, on main straight only. Possibly the headlight removal helps, but unsure 

Which brings me to believe that the gain comes from: 

*Later braking than before overall, but slower exit speed as a result. The actual direction of braking might be different (I tried to make an effort to point towards the corner this time). 
*Turning through the sweeper at the limit of tyres, and then backing off as it pushed wide. I never really ran wide in previous track days, but this time, there were some close calls. 
*Earlier on the throttle out of the S bend, and then holding it. I tried to get earlier on the gas than before. 
*Using some ripple strip, ie. S-bend, Kink, Turn 8/9. Not sure if this helps alot, as sometimes it imbalances the car a bit. 

I think the video will show more (which should hopefully arrive soon), and I will try to do a side by side from last year's footage too (if camera view allows). Tyre deflection cam should be interesting too ...
Shaun Chiew
TryHard
VIC
Soarer TT

Posts: 396
Reg: 11-2007

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Friday, October 01, 2010 - 11:26 am, by:  Shaun Chiew (Senk9) Quote hilighted text Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

*The End of the Road*

For a number of months I had been contemplating the future of the car: what was the ultimate goal, what was it's purpose? I feel that my original objectives of the car had been well and truly met, and I feel extremely satisfied at what has been achieved here. A reliable, cost-effective track going vehicle which was capable and exceeded my laptime expectations and provided infinite enjoyment. I've never really been a fan of the bulbous curves however: this was a car chosen purely for it's ability to perform on loose change rather than any kind of aesthetic pleasantry.

The aging Soarer at this stage had completed 17 track events without breaking or damaging anything, including a near-death 1:53.4 at Phillip Island and it's final voyage, a 1:37.6 at the Winton EXE Track Day this year, along with visits to Wakefield, Sandown and others. Along the way, lots of laughs and fun times, some close calls, some fantastic heart-wrenching racing, and lots of trips to Bunnings. It has been a crucial learning experience, both in terms of driving and working on the car.



In any case, my mind was made up. It was time to prioritize and focus on some exciting upcoming (non-car related) challenges which would take nearly all my time and effort. Now was also the optimum time frame to liquidate: everything was running, no blown turbos or leaks, no defects or EPAs, no accident history. A partially insured and road-registered car which sees at most a half-dozen track days a year didn't make as much sense. So with a heavy-heart (and Dan and Silas's help), we began to take apart the Soarer. It was senseless to attempt to sell it as is, in it's un-registerable form. From here the near-empty shell goes to the crusher if nobody wants it, to be sent to car heaven.

The good news is that most of modifications and standard parts have already been successfully sold, with just some minor tidbits still remaining. Amazingly, the low purchase cost of the car, keen bargain hunting, and also the tireless assistance by friends-who-know-how-to-install-stuff, the complete cost of the car + modifications + gearbox conversion + labour has been nearly entirely salvaged (not including consumables like tyres/petrol/maintenance). Truly a testament to the Bang-For-Your-Buck capacity of the vehicle.



*What now?*

As those who know me will attest to, I love driving. No matter what it is, even if it's just an under-powered econo-box or a head-gasket blowing barge, I will drive it to my limit any chance I get. This is something that I'm glad to say will never change. I have plans for another weekend car further down the road, possibly quicker, potentially more comfortable.

A big thank you!

One important lesson I've learned: A car is just a hunk of metal which means nothing without the people around it, and for this I'd like to thank everybody who has helped me over the past 34 months. I genuinely hope it's been as involving an adventure for you as it has been for me. Even if you didn't get 20 year old dirt falling into your eyes when working on the car, your support and encouragement have been absolutely vital in what has been achieved. Your generosity is inspiring.

When I read the journey of this car from the first post to the last, I can't help but smile and be proud of the big boat (and also at the ability for somebody to turn a perfectly good comfortable car into scrap metal).

On the odd occasion when people ask me for tips on how to go fast on the track, I can say, it's all the car. No kidding :-)

Bon Voyage!

Joshua Rao
Goo Roo
WA
JZZ30 vvti auto GT-L (for sale), 97 Blk UZZ31, JZZ30 vvti turbo BLK manual, V8 UZZ31 (being wrecked), Legnum VR4, Alfa 156

Posts: 2070
Reg: 09-2006

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Friday, October 01, 2010 - 02:41 pm, by:  Joshua Rao (Soaren1) Quote hilighted text Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Wow great read mate. Thanks for the write up and sharing the experience.
Steve Watson
Newbie
Vic
TT

Posts: 1
Reg: 04-2011

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Tuesday, April 12, 2011 - 11:28 am, by:  Steve Watson (Yagi) Quote hilighted text Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hey Shuan,

Congratulation mate on the drive at Winton. I couldn't make it due to family commitments, but would have loved to have seen it.

That GPS system looks like a real asset. I also have no idea about the quickest way through the slow section at Winton, if you watch the V8 'supercars' they tend to hug the inside of both of the hairpins rather than just clipping the Apex (as I normally do).

From reading most of the thread it looks like you did 137's at Winton with about 210rwkw in a lightened Soarer ? If so that is very good work. Took me probably 5 trips to Winton to get down to those times (high 36's) and I'm at 225rwkw, probably about the same wieght as yours.

I want one of those GPS / data loggers !

Cheers
Steve
Tom Brookes
TryHard
NSW
Nil

Posts: 109
Reg: 03-2010

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Saturday, January 07, 2012 - 09:47 am, by:  Tom Brookes (Aristor) Quote hilighted text Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Interesting story. Wonder what he is doing now.

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