V8 Supercars - Not Bad Afterall

[RubyRS4]

Figured I'd start a thread to address some of the individual questions I've been receiving.

I use to hear the words "V8 Supercars" and my first thoughts were: bogans and crap cars. Well, I still think of bogans but I also think I'm converted after working at Phillip Island this weekend gone for the V8s.

I accepted the invitation from last year to work at the V8s as a race official in Victoria. The official role is called "Pitlane Observer" and it basically entails being nominated a team(s) and cars to 'observe' and enforce the rules of racing in the V8s. I basically scrutineer the activities of the teams during practice, qualifying, warm up, and the 14 lap races, as well as Sundays 500km enduro race. This job is vastly different from my usual race official jobs at the MotoGP and WSBK. Firstly, I have alot of responsibility and power. This is a position I cannot f**k up. My judgement is final and can win or lose the race for a team/car.

I work within the garages of the teams. In this case, I worked with the HRT teams' cars 2 and 22 in pits 47 and 49, and Autobarn's car 10 in pit 50, and Bundaberg Red's car 24 in pit 51. I'm the only person, apart from the pit crew for each team, who gets up close and personal with the cars and drivers in the garage, in its identified pit lane area, and including during the race when the car pits in. I am authorised to go anywhere I please ... including out on the pitlane surface during the race. The job involves lots of teaching and training before you're approved for the role and permitted near the teams. The job is "sensitive" in its nature that everything I observe, record, enforce and report (good or bad) can and will determine the outcome of the race ... either by the team copping a drive thru penalty, or $20,000 fine. For instance, each of the two drivers for each car during practice sessions are not permitted more than 75% driving time. One driver for an undisclosed team/car breached this rule, and incidentally had an 'incident' at turn 1 and copped a $20K fine. So basically, my role is to enforce those rules by working with (not against) the team, and ensuring the rules are obeyed by communication. Teams do not generally do this on purpose ... mistakes are made when the pressure is on. The job is not as 'long hours' as working MotoGP or Supers, but when I am in the garage with the teams during any of the V8 sessions, it is intense and fast paced. The paperwork is enormous. I went thru over 200 pages of records ... which also had to be called in over the radio as it happens! Full on. When you're not in the pits during showtime, you're working thru the paperwork to ensure its correct.

The job is dangerous and requires training and a CAMS Officials Licence. For example, Davison's car during one pitstop overshot the line by about a foot. Doesn't sound like much, but when you're less than a metre from the car when it pulls up, your heart gets racing. I ensure I am standing very close to a 'safe zone' near the pit wall, until I am certain the car is at a complete stop ... normally when its up on its own jacks. I even got to be in on an argument between one of my drivers and another driver who had a 'disagreement' within an incident on the track. But ... rubbing is racing!

When Tander pulled that bold move on the last lap and took the lead ... HRT's garage went nuts! I was standing with the team watching the monitors with them when this all happened. Nail biting stuff ... even for me who wasn't much into the V8s before. There were definitely smiles all round when Tander crossed the finish line and the team took the enthusiasm and cheers to the pitlane wall.

I'm particularly happy that I got the winning team for the weekend.

Ignoring the element of bogans and bullshit with the V8s ... I gotta say it is run very professionally. The workshop was cleaner than a surgery ... and far more organised. I was impressed with it all. And nothing beats the sound of these things when they start up and thump away out the pits. So much so, that if I can't get transferred to the Clipsal 500 ... I might be dropping the MotoGP work off my calendar to fit in the V8s at Phillip Island to my schedule.

[TALBO]

Sounds very cool Ruby. Still don't like commo/falcon bogans....

[dark.sky]

Sounds very cool Ruby. Still don't like commo/falcon bogans....

+1

Good stuff Ruby!

[cotcho_gtr]

sorry guys but v8 supercars has to be THE most boring race ever, take a pick Ford or Holden. how exciting!

[typevu]

Sounds like you had an awesome time.

[cruzin33]

GO THE BOGANS.......i love my Rb's but nothing beats the sound of a V8 . Iv owned both and they both have good sides

[Damo_R34]

sorry guys but v8 supercars has to be THE most boring race ever, take a pick Ford or Holden. how exciting!

put yourself in the thick of the action like the OP, boring? i think not.

[craig R33]

[D_Stirls]

Edited September 14, 2009 by D_Stirls

[craig R33]

loves it

[Inline 6]

hey it would look good on the resume for bigger n better races

[Dohmar]

put yourself in the thick of the action like the OP, boring? i think not.

have to say i agree

while the scene between jap imports and v8 supercars couldnt be more polarised, i have to say that many folks with skylines have a healthy respect for what a high displacement v type engine can produce

while i love my gtr, i know its not the same as a countach engine, or a corvette engine, etc. its all about the aims and the application, and the more i learn about each the more i appreciate different philosophies....

would love it if a skyline had the instant torque a 7lt v8 had, but those 7lt v8's dont have the 'push me back into the seat' acceleration that a turbo does... - each to his/herself, i know where my love lies that said, i like engines tuned for response and streetability, because im no speed racer and dont delude myself otherwise - tho i wish i had the budget to pretend ;D

and id have to agree with ruby - regardless of the engineering specifications, it'd be a real rush to bear witness to any tight knit team do what they have trained to do, what they are best at... oh, but to be a fly on the wall...

-D

[RubyRS4]

I did have an awesome time, thanks guys. I'm hooked on working the V8s again now. I'm going to put my name down for the Clipsal 500, so I'm much closer to home. If I can do that, then I'll stay with the WSBK and MotoGP also. If I can't do the Clipsal 500, I'm not keen on traveling to Phillip Island 3 times a year ... its draining enough. Therefore, I'd probably drop the MotoGP in favour of the V8s.

Now everyone knows I love my motorcycles and bike racing ... but the behind-the-scenes stuff at the V8s is actually better. Pity about the bogans

put yourself in the thick of the action like the OP, boring? i think not.

Oh hell no! I couldn't even tell you what it is like. But this is as close as you're going to get to the action. The atmosphere in the pits is professional and business like. Everyone has a precise job and its like a well oiled machine. Okay, the V8s are not for everyone, but these cars are a far cry from the falcondores and commonwhores on our roads. The Supercars really are awesome machines. Tyre changes in under 4 seconds, and tyre and driver changes in under 9 seconds ... thats impressive. Considering also I have to record all this and radio it in, that doesn't leave me much time, and I cannot miss a thing. Challenging ... thats why I like it.

I had to spend a day reading up on the Supplementary Regulations regarding the pit stops for the teams. There are constant small rule changes all the time. And due to these rule changes, I have to inform the team/team managers and ensure these are understood and enforced. For example, in the short races, only 6 crew members are permitted over the line to work on the car. In the main endurance race, the 500, 8 crew members are permitted over the line. Equipment must be used by specific crew members. Each has their 'specialty'. In the short races, there is a compulsory pit stop (CPS) for either race A or race B. But also, pit stops are not permitted in the first 3 laps of the race. The day before this rule change it was 5 laps. The whole thing is based on strategy of when to pit, which driver to pit in with, just to get ahead on the ranking in the 2 short races, to position yourself on pole for the 500. Awesome stuff.

But don't worry ... the Nissans are staying. I'm nowhere near wanting a Commonwhore or Falcondore yet

[RubyRS4]

Finally got the pics downloaded off my phone ... or whatever pics I could take at the time. Race Control is very strict on officials taking pics, so here are a handful taken during some quiet periods. For the obvious fears, electronic devices can ignite fuel ... so they're a no-no. These pics were taken on the 'quiet' Friday.

Somebody parked their bikes out the front of the Officials garage!

These chaps were out the backdoor.

The eventual winning car from my garage.

The Dodo team were not having a very good weekend.

Had to have a chuckle at the names for some of the pit crew. Its like Top Gun. They have names on their helmets ... like "Tim Tam", "Moon" and "Hollywood". Anyone without a helmet (with the exception of race officials) is not permitted over the line into the pitlane. Only 6 persons from each team (geared up) is permitted outside, any extra and I can get them penalised with a 'drive thru'. Or its 8 persons from each team during the endurance race, the 500. This is for 1 manager, 1 fueller, 1 fire man, 1 driver assistant, and 4 tyre changers. With the exception of 2 un-counted persons, that is the other driver during a swap, and a member they call the "dead man". This is the guy who stands one foot either side of the pit line at the fuel tanks, with one hand on the emergency shut-off valve. The joke is that if the fuel ignites, he's the "dead man"

Got into a blue with security at the track. Every year and every event its a different security company ... and you gotta re-educate them everytime. They forget who is higher on the food chain. Me and a work colleague were discussing things out the back of our pit office and a security guy walks up and informs my colleague (who is smoking in a designated area) that its a $125 fine for smoking where he was. He was simply told to f**k off and stop babysitting smokers. It was pointed out that there were no 'non-smoking' signs about, ashtrays were provided at the rear doors, and Peter Neilsen from Race Control confirmed this was allowed. Idiot security guy proceeded to insist on our names (Me? I wasn't smoking numbnuts!) which we did not provide. When he tried to grab our arms, it turned into a screaming match. His supervisor came along to see what was going on. We got even by requesting to see their pit pass. The power-trip security guy had no pass allowing him in this area. So we insisted he leave the area immediately because he did not have the authority ... plainly as a "f**k off". The supervisor had no choice but to send him off outside the pit area altogether. Everytime we walked past him outside the pits, he'd mumble curses at us under his breath Every year security just get dumber and dumber.

[Carbon 34]

V8 stupidcars.. are nothing more then Aussie Rules Nascar (aussie rules = ability to turn more then one direction on the track...lol)

and we all know what started Nascar... I do support racing thru drinking my share ...lol

but still love racing in general even if its Suuuuuuupercars..lol

[RubyRS4]

V8 stupidcars.. are nothing more then Aussie Rules Nascar (aussie rules = ability to turn more then one direction on the track...lol)

but still love racing in general even if its Suuuuuuupercars..lol

As mentioned above, I never thought much of the Supercars myself. But after working there, I gotta say its very professional and opened my eyes to its real status in motorsport.

I've just contacted the Adelaide office for the V8s here. Fingers crossed I get the job. Save me traveling to PI.

[Carbon 34]

As mentioned above, I never thought much of the Supercars myself. But after working there, I gotta say its very professional and opened my eyes to its real status in motorsport.

I've just contacted the Adelaide office for the V8s here. Fingers crossed I get the job. Save me traveling to PI.

I should do some timing and scoring, pit lane worker stuff here ... did some a long time ago in SCCA racing in USA. (about 25 years ago..lol) the after party rocks..lol

[Dohmar]

and we all know what started Nascar... I do support racing thru drinking my share ...lol

Bourbon is still Americas best export to the world >

-D

[Inline 6]

it was moonshine mofo not bourben, more importantly did you meet grid girls did you get digits (phone numbers to sizes)

[RubyRS4]

it was moonshine mofo not bourben, more importantly did you meet grid girls did you get digits (phone numbers to sizes)

Most of the grid girls looked like smashed crabs, muffins or jailbait. Having said that, the Armourall girls were the hottest there. And 'no' sorry, no pics. No cameras allowed on the track or pitlane when a session is in play ... rules are rules. Girls only came out when the sessions were on, and I was working at those times.

Were you anywhere near what could've been a colossal crash (can't remember who but the one at the end of the front straight who went right through the other side of the track)?

Ah, I know the one you're talking about now. That was an incident between McConville and Owen early in the race ... I just put the 2 together. Didn't know that was the incident they were arguing over at the time. McConville was trying to pass Owen and contact was made. McConville in the BOC team's car clipped Owen's Autobarn car and left turn one at high speed. Owen was in garage 50 driving car 10 ... one of the garages under my observation. McConville came into the Autobarn/Bundaberg garage and ripped into Owen. We were all watching the monitors at the time. Owen was all "whatever" the entire time. McConville's last words were "do it again you f**king amatuer and I'll put you into the wall".

McConville accused Owen of blocking his line. Well if he's in front and using the correct lines for the turns, then of course he'll be in your way you tool. Work out how to pass the "once a year amatuer driver" ya big girl.