Kel's R35 Adventure

[Kel]

Here (in 1,000 words or less) is my Tarmac Challenge Adventure in an R35...

So this adventure started about 3 weeks before the event, when I got an email via Just Jap that the Donut King guys were looking for a nav for Tarmac Challenge (formerly known as Rally Burnie).

As many of you may know, I’d sat in the left hand seat of the Donut King R32 at Targa Tas this year, so I was expecting I’d be back in with Peter Leemhuis.

How wrong was I! It was Tony Alford looking for a nav. For the very awesome R35 GTR which had its Targa debut cut short due to tyre dramas, back in April.

It took me all of 1 second to say yes and I frantically scrambled to get my stuff together.

But the best bit was yet to come. Tony needed someone to help get the cars from Canberra to Burnie. Being the helpful kind of girl I am, I volunteered to help out.

Which is how I found myself strapped in and steering this amazing car down the Hume to Melbourne.

I have to say that I have never been so happy to see road works in all of my life. There was a stretch which ran for about 2 hours outside of Wagga where it was consistently down to 40kays then back up to 110. Now I was on my best behaviour ofcourse, but the acceleration of that car is everything everyone says and more- you literally get pushed back in your seat as it takes off.

Gran turismo jokes aside, the technology in that car is also something to be seen (if only I could read Japanese!). The in-dash screen gives you readings for anything and everything you could possibly imagine needing.

Cruising into Melbourne was one of my funniest race car experiences to date. I’m used to the looks when I’m driving the 32. A hot pink car in itself attracts a bit of attention, even more when people realise it’s the new GTR. But the double and triple takes that came when people realised it was a chick driving it was a classic.

It was lucky I’d studied up on the 35 before setting off on this adventure, because every bloke on the docks while we waited for the boat to Tassie wanted to test how much I knew about the car. Hopefully I did everyone on SAU proud!

With the car and electronic key safely delivered to Tony at the end of the tasman crossing (I’d slept with the thing around my neck on the boat!) it was off to do some reccy in the hire car (almost as much fun as the real thing!).

Scrutineering was also a bit of fun- it always cracks me up to see the old fellas blush when you pull out the fireproof underwear for them to inspect.

So here is where I start getting a bit star struck – I had to pinch myself as I stood chatting to Jimmy and Barry Oliver (the comment about getting that “tell Jimmy we love him” text from Duncan as I stood there chatting to The Man himself is true!).

It was the same when I found myself standing around in groups chatting to Neal Bates, Simon Evans and Tony Quinn (just to drop a few names).

When I was introduced to Tony Longhurst, he said “ah so you’re the one with the ride of the rally” – I promise he was talking about the car!

As luck would have it we were also staying in the same place as the guys from Queensland in the other R35 – Russell and Ben (the same guys who led me astray with WAY too many beers on the final night!).

Like us, the guys were running the car on road tyres which made for some interesting driving and discussions.

So onto the racing. I hope to post up some in-car soon because it’s really hard for me to describe what goes on inside the car during a stage.

One thing I will say is that the corners come up on you really quick in a really quick car!

It took Tony and I a little bit of time to get into a good rhythm – I think we probably didn’t really get into a good groove until the second day.

Tony has also had limited time in the car in a tarmac rally situation, so I think our first day of driving also involved a bit of him working through the settings and the limits of the car.

Even with this, we had some pretty good runs. On the first day we actually managed to catch the car in front of us on all but one stage. On the longest stage of the day we overtook the Porsche in front and almost caught the Skyline in front of them just on the finish (so effectively made up 2 minutes on the stage).

While catching cars is good for boasting rights, it also affects your times. In one stage we got caught behind the car in front in a twisty section of road. To make matters worse they didn’t see us behind them and we ended up following them for a few kays- very frustrating.

Worse still, the event regs had nothing covering derived times in situations like this so we had to grin and bear it. We were moved up in the start order for the second day at least.

The tyres also worked to our advantage, and disadvantage, thanks to the weather. It was on and off rain for the whole event. Overall though, to be making the times we did on road tyres, when the rest of the field (except for the other 35) were on race spec, says a lot about the new GTR.

The hairiest, but most exhilarating run was Savage River on the first day. Just as we started the stage it started to rain- actually rain is an understatement, it was torrential! Spurred on by the fact that we’d just seen the times from the morning and worked out we were doing pretty well we just went for it. It was amazing to be sitting in a car going all out in those kinds of conditions – definitely one in-car to see.

One of my other favourite moments was on the second day where Tony and I were flying along on a really quick section. We were doing 200kays plus (I stop looking when we get over 200!) and I called something like an 8 right on crest. Tony called it back to me and said “I hope you’re right!” and just went for it. That feeling, when you’ve established the trust in the calls, and the driver really commits is another thing that’s hard to put into words, but it’s pretty amazing to experience.

Especially when you're in a car as quick as the 35!

I am always happy just to finish. Finishing 5th was a bonus- I had an amazing time in a brilliant car (which I still can’t believe I got to drive). It was also pretty cool to be equal 5th with the other Donut King car- go teh GTRs (whatever vintage!). Kudos for Russ making it inside the top 10 comfortably in his first proper tarmac rally.

Just being beaten to the podium by names like Tony Longhurst, Tony Quinn, Jamie Vandenberg (local Tas rally hero) and Simon Gillette, still has me pinching myself (and just quietly will make me that extra little bit more determined next rally!).

So that’s my Tarmac Challenge adventure in teh 35

[Blitz]

Nice write-up Kel

[Basti]

nice post. looking forward to the in car's

[BoyWhoCriedWolf]

Excellent work Kel. You must be the second luckiest girl in the world. Put the in car up ASAP please

[Col-GTSX]

jealous

[sewid]

Nice one Kel! Top bit of navigating too btw!

We were doing 200kays plus (I stop looking when we get over 200!) and I called something like an 8 right on crest. Tony called it back to me and said “I hope you’re right!” and just went for it

[Marlin]

Gee how did I miss this Kel! Nice write up! Conveys the rally rush well

[jay1]

nice write

[Gus-]

you nav'd for peter leemhuis???

his son mat is one of my best mates...

[Kel]

you nav'd for peter leemhuis???

his son mat is one of my best mates...

Cheers guys

Gus, I did Targa Tasmania with Pete this year - absolute top bloke.

[Gus-]

can i ask...with the 35...what was it like with the launch control and how did the car handle compared to say the R32???

Edited November 11, 2008 by Gus-

[NISMO]

Awesome work Kel, and nice write up.

[Kel]

can i ask...with the 35...what was it like with the launch control and how did the car handle compared to say the R32???

Sorry Gus, I can't really make a comparison in a race situation from a driver's perspective (and definitely no launch control was used by me on the drive down!!!). Even then, it wouldn't really be a true comparison given the 35 wasn't on a race tyre.

From the nav seat though the 35 feels so much smoother, but still incredibly aggressive (if such a thing is possible?).

In very non-technical terms I felt like I was sitting in a car driven by the Stig on Top Gear - a nice smooth volvo-driver styled drive in the country with the classical music/some bizarre "learn a language" tape playing in the backgound on the inside... the car screaming along like a bat out of hell on the outside shots!

In the 35, we were able to get the power down pretty quick coming out of the corners with very little traction loss (except that caused by very wet roads and poor/uneven/spoiled surfaces). My experience in the 32s is that there tends to be alot more sideways action coming out of corners, especially in the lower gears even on good roads, before you get the car pointed straight (though maybe that's just the driver, not the car!).

The car also pulls up so much quicker than the 32 thanks to those brakes, making it quite an interesting cornering experience (and almost had me going for the passenger side brake pedal a few times!).

I've been in situations where you can carry a bit of speed into the corners in a 32 and use it to steer your way through. In the 35 I noticed that you really need to wipe as much speed as possible off for the tighter corners (mostly due to the current tyres they run with I guess), turn very hard and accelarate out hard.

And ofcourse you can switch to the "no damage mode" in the 35's playstation console - something sadly lacking in the 32

[Gus-]

haha i like...i really hope i get to eventually have a ride in petes 35...unfortunately i missed out when he first got it because of work

pics would be good

[Snowman]

LOL - do a google search for "Pink R35" and I'm sure you'll find plenty!

But top work Kel. And I'm sure we are going to see a bunch of these cars appearing for rallies in 09. Will be great to see how they fair with the new rubber coming out.