Nsw State Hillclimb Dates 08

[evil_weevil]

Bec,

Theres a few of us from NSW that do the speed weekend in December every year - its a great weekend!

[Neil]

Well Mel and I are off to Grafton this weekend,,,it's a great climb but looking at the weather,,,I'm cursed.

The wets are staying on the car and I fully expect to use them. After Oran Park I know what I'm getting myself into.

You guys should look at travelling and doing these far away events,,,a great time is had and the hosting club members go out out of there way to look after us.

Shit happens,,,the weather sucks but at least we will have a great weekend away.

Neil.

[hrd-hr30]

it is a fun and technical little track. should suit the radical pretty well - they're just a slightly bigger go-kart!

I've made the trip down there (from Bris) a couple of times. And the locals are really friendly and helpful - even when they have to come and drag you of a tyrewall on the far side of a woodchip "gravel trap" after that little S bend over a crest...

[Neil]

Well we got back yesterday arvo after a great weekend away.

Mr weather wasn't kind to us though. I got 2 runs in on saturdays practice before it pissed down,,,first one was a sighter and the second one I found out very quickly that my dunlops just don't cut it against the super soft avons. The car understeering alarmingly. I spent saturday night thinking about how to fix it.

Sunday dawns a cloudless sky and very very cold,,,track temp is 14 degrees in the sunny parts of the track but the start line is 6 degrees. I can't get off the line quickly and I'm losing about 3 seconds from just sitting there lighting up the tyres. As usual I'm quicker every run and I'm now powersliding the car mid corner to straighen them out and driving around the understeer. The crowd love it!!!. I also up the tyre pressures which also seemed to help. It starts pissing down after lunch so thats the end of going any quicker,,,now it's on with the wets and it's show off time. I can't beleive all the open wheelers aren't going out,,,I'm the only one. The last run now has a dry line buts it's still very wet off line so I leave the wets on and line up behind the sedans. I think I started something because now behind me are all the open wheelers,,,they all must think if the radical can run we can to...pack of poofs.

You will all be please to know that the R32 GTR that runs these events WON his class and BROKE the class record,,,poor wrx's had to settle for the minors. Funny I was sitting up the top watching with some other drivers and the comment was made how slow the GTR looked. I started laughing and said look when he is getting on the load pedal and everybody shut up. He didn't let me down and that run he broke the record.

Some good and bad news came out of this meeting. Wollongong has lost it hillclimb,,,cams have deemed it unsafe after a gentleman lost his life there and will not issue a permit. Very sad.

Good news possibly for me though as it's looking like Tamworth maybe taking that round. I'm hoping they change the date though as it clashes with a supersprint date. Tamworth is mad track which I loved doing in the sports sedan and the radical should be even more fun. I will keep everybody posted as I get up-dates.

Neil.

[N1GTR]

When you say Wollongong, you mean Huntley?

[Neil]

When you say Wollongong, you mean Huntley?

Yep I mean Huntley. Quite frankly cams are right,,,if you lose it on that very quick right hander all there is is a short sandpit and sideways into a tyre barrier at the least.

I would be doing the top of 3rd gear in the sports sedan (no lifting)which would be about 150-170kph so if something goes wrong its sideways into the sand,,,roll the car and end up on your roof against the tyres.

Neil

[Duncan]

good work mate. sounds like you need some of those super cheater avons though

[Sinful]

Well done Neil I bet it was awesome watching for the spectators..any in car footage ??

How far away is Grafton?

[N1GTR]

Yep I mean Huntley. Quite frankly cams are right,,,if you lose it on that very quick right hander all there is is a short sandpit and sideways into a tyre barrier at the least.

I would be doing the top of 3rd gear in the sports sedan (no lifting)which would be about 150-170kph so if something goes wrong its sideways into the sand,,,roll the car and end up on your roof against the tyres.

Neil

Yeah that place really gets my blood pumping

Shame to see it go nonetheless but i do agree, very easy to have a stack

[Neil]

Yea Duncan,,,I need them badly,,,got a lazy $1600-$1800 laying around doing nothing. I will sticker up the car for you.

Jess I have footage but its not very good. Duncan was kind enough to give me his old camera but I think its seen way to many ripple strips.

Grafton took us about 9 hours up there and 7 back. The bastards keep ripping up the road. We didn't see one roadworker on friday ,,,must have been there RDO.

I found out more about Wollongong today. Apparently the car club has to spring for armco fencing which isn't going happen in a hurry. I have no idea how much that would cost but I don't think the club would have that sort of money. Which pisses me off,,,I would have thought the council would help out.

Neil.

[N1GTR]

Or even the RTA?

[e_Dog]

Hey Guys,

sorry to bother. Im gonna get to the ringwood newcastle hillclimb if i can. After going to texi 1 and the wakefield day this year i was psyched to head off for texi 2 but as the date has changed cant make it

Never done a hillclimb. Am i taking on too much thinking that i can go down there with a relatively stock r33 gtst, with no hill experience and battle a mountain??? I also only have AASA licence atm. Happy to get cams but not sure if it will come in time?

Can you let me know if this hillclimb is too much for me too handle?

Cheers all

[TY1ON]

You will all be please to know that the R32 GTR that runs these events WON his class and BROKE the class record,,,poor wrx's had to settle for the minors. Funny I was sitting up the top watching with some other drivers and the comment was made how slow the GTR looked. I started laughing and said look when he is getting on the load pedal and everybody shut up. He didn't let me down and that run he broke the record.

Neil.

Wrong! The red WRX ran came first in the sports sedan class over 3500cc and was the fastest tin top there with a 48.7.

Its now doing 47.8 there, i know because i drive it.

See you guys at Bathurst next week.

Edited October 27, 2008 by TY1ON

[Neil]

Host: Grafton Sporting Car Club

A good sized field made the trek to the northern rivers area of the state for Round 4 of the NSW Championship at Grafton’s tight Mountainview course.

Series leader and eleven times state champion Peter Gumley was a shock last minute withdrawal after suffering mechanical maladies at the Queensland championship, the week previous. This certainly opened up the possibilities for a surprise result, helped by a good compliment of entries from over the border.

The weather started fine and warm, which matched the local hospitality as Tim Edmondson (Force PC) got things underway with a 45.61s run, ahead of Dave Morrow (Krygger Suzuki) 47.47s and Allan Hindes (Piranha) 49.02s.

The second run saw Tim set a new Formula Libre 1300cc-2000cc class record of 44.12s with Dave Morrow 46.43s, Dick Willis (Cheetah) 47.13s and Phil Pratt (Trojan) 47.27s

On the third run Tim Edmondson had an uncharacteristic spin just short of the finish (See Video...Will be uploaded soon) Dave Morrow improved to 46.43s while Queenslander Bill Norman bobbed up in the timesheets with the unconventional Gek Sports at 46.78s. A light shower then intervened to slow times for most, Bill Norman being one exception, moving to a record setting second outright on 45.20s on his final run.

Further down the field in Imp Prod 1601-2000cc, Nathan Abbott and Heath Campbell ignored the slippery track as they traded places in their VW Beetles. Nathan claimed the victory, with a new class record of 51.51s only a tenth or so ahead.

Other new records were set by Brian Veal (CRX), Stu Inwood (Nissan GTR), Craig Albertson (VN Commodore) and Mark Wright (Commodore).

By Alan Barlow - Website Editor

[TY1ON]

Host: Grafton Sporting Car Club

A good sized field made the trek to the northern rivers area of the state for Round 4 of the NSW Championship at Grafton's tight Mountainview course.

Series leader and eleven times state champion Peter Gumley was a shock last minute withdrawal after suffering mechanical maladies at the Queensland championship, the week previous. This certainly opened up the possibilities for a surprise result, helped by a good compliment of entries from over the border.

The weather started fine and warm, which matched the local hospitality as Tim Edmondson (Force PC) got things underway with a 45.61s run, ahead of Dave Morrow (Krygger Suzuki) 47.47s and Allan Hindes (Piranha) 49.02s.

The second run saw Tim set a new Formula Libre 1300cc-2000cc class record of 44.12s with Dave Morrow 46.43s, Dick Willis (Cheetah) 47.13s and Phil Pratt (Trojan) 47.27s

On the third run Tim Edmondson had an uncharacteristic spin just short of the finish (See Video...Will be uploaded soon) Dave Morrow improved to 46.43s while Queenslander Bill Norman bobbed up in the timesheets with the unconventional Gek Sports at 46.78s. A light shower then intervened to slow times for most, Bill Norman being one exception, moving to a record setting second outright on 45.20s on his final run.

Further down the field in Imp Prod 1601-2000cc, Nathan Abbott and Heath Campbell ignored the slippery track as they traded places in their VW Beetles. Nathan claimed the victory, with a new class record of 51.51s only a tenth or so ahead.

Other new records were set by Brian Veal (CRX), Stu Inwood (Nissan GTR), Craig Albertson (VN Commodore) and Mark Wright (Commodore).

By Alan Barlow - Website Editor

Yep thats the meeting where my "poor WRX" got the "minor placing" of fastest tin top and 7th outright with a 48.85 Check your time sheet, car 101 Class 26 3D sports sedans over 3000cc.

[Asymmetry]

those WRX are fast!

[skc]

Suspect something was a miss with the timing. There is just no way an old GC8 wrx is going to be quicker than the GTR's that were running. Bathurst will tell all!

[TY1ON]

Congradulations to Stuart for fastest tin top at the Aus hillclimb champs at Bathurst on the weekend top result that big RB 26 sure has the grunt to get up the hill there, well done, great drive.

[Neil]

Yep as usual he did well,,,So did you mate,,,Great driving indeed. 1st in class and 14th outright is a job well done in anybodies book.

Stuart needs a medal for driving like a demon and then cleaning the track with his new street sweeper.

Neil.