Mount Panorama In The R 35

[09GTR]

I don't think I can ever go back to Oran Park, Wakefield, or Eastern Creek again. Not now. Not after 73 laps of arguably one of the greatest tracks on earth. Let me give you the context. I have owned and modified lots of fast street cars, and driven them on the street. However I have only done five track days ever, and three of those have been in the R35.

So you see it would not be an exaggeration to say that the night before the drive Bathurst event I was crapping myself as the excitement gave way to the fear of confronting the mountain, and a track that demands respect, or it will bite. But this car is so damn good, even a novice can extract a level of performance that belies logic.

To remind you my car is running the following mods:

HKS 570 kit ( midpipe, cats, actuators, intercooler piping, blow off valves, boost controller, HKS spark plugs)

A Cobb Custom Tune

20 inch Dunlops (road tyre)

Endless MX 72 pads

Endless brake fluid

Willall oils

I de-tuned the car for a rigorous track session from 401 kilowatt at the wheels to around 360, running 16 pounds boost. (in the end I didn't install the 800cc injectors, decided to wait until after Bathurst as its hardly the place to trial this new mod). For the record White 35 was running about 345 atw.

The first day of the event was spent learning the lines, following instructors like Warren Luff and David Wall around the mountain. As the day wore on I started gaining in confidence and speed and the traction control remained firmly in the "ON" position. This became problematic, as I came out of Forest Elbow onto Conrod, the traction control would come on strong through 3rd, 4th, 5th, and even 6th gear as the computer simply couldn't handle the pitch, speed, lumpiness, and the pure uniqueness of a track built for the bold....those with a willingness to break the Nissan guidelines, and throw VDC, and caution, to the wind. After several laps of turning VDC off entering the Elbow and turning it back on again at the bottom, I duly obliged, and through caution to the wind.

The result? A novice, on street tyres, stock rims, a tankful of 98, in my daily driver, with the air-conditioning on ran a 2 minute 33 lap time! And I can hear the pros groaning that that lap time doesn't do justice to a car that Luffy reckons is good for a very low 2:20, but I have to say for a mug punter I am stoked! That I could get 281 kph down Conrod, (and Luffy got 285), is simply unreal!

White 35 and I ran consistently in the low to mid 2:30's all day yesterday, and White 35 actually nailed a 2:32 late on the second day.

The car performed faultlessly, I did not experience one moment of brake fade, the pads were amazing. Tranny temps saw 134 every 5 or so laps, which was fixable with cooldown lap, I saw a max of 142 with David Walls help! The outside air temp was btw 34 - 36 degrees.

The tyres are fine, plenty of life left in them. They get a far bigger smashing at Oran pk than Bathurst. The mountain is much harder on brake disks than tyres, with my factory front discs finally cracking by late day two.

Engine oil temps were fine, coolant fine.

Next year we will do the five day event. We will be fitting tranny coolers, and race rims and rubber.

As far as the competition is concerned, the GTR took many scalps and was noticeably faster than the majority of the euro stuff including Porches, Audi R8, etc. That said, there were some very experienced drivers doing a great job of handling the mountain, and a great group of guys to boot.

I have an absolute ripper of a video that I will load as soon as I can work out how that shows me and White 35 having a battle royale over three hard laps. I'll also load some pics asap.

As for the circuit, there were two magical sections for the GTR. The first was turn two up to and through the Cutting, where you could get quite a drift around the tight left hander up to McPhillamy. The other was Skyline (aptly) - this was a flat out (180 kph)drift from the inside left ripple strip to the right sand trap before a hard brake into the esses.

So fellow R35ers, get your deposits down for 2010. I can assure you it is an experience you owe it to yourself to have in an R35, on a track that was once, and is again Godzilla country!

[Godcla]

Fantastic.......You may enjoy the below flick......little Lotus having a go at the big boys at Bathurst...

[LSX-438]

I don't think I can ever go back to Oran Park, Wakefield, or Eastern Creek again. Not now. Not after 73 laps of arguably one of the greatest tracks on earth. Let me give you the context. I have owned and modified lots of fast street cars, and driven them on the street. However I have only done five track days ever, and three of those have been in the R35.

So you see it would not be an exaggeration to say that the night before the drive Bathurst event I was crapping myself as the excitement gave way to the fear of confronting the mountain, and a track that demands respect, or it will bite. But this car is so damn good, even a novice can extract a level of performance that belies logic.

To remind you my car is running the following mods:

HKS 570 kit ( midpipe, cats, actuators, intercooler piping, blow off valves, boost controller, HKS spark plugs)

A Cobb Custom Tune

20 inch Dunlops (road tyre)

Endless MX 72 pads

Endless brake fluid

Willall oils

I de-tuned the car for a rigorous track session from 401 kilowatt at the wheels to around 360, running 16 pounds boost. (in the end I didn't install the 800cc injectors, decided to wait until after Bathurst as its hardly the place to trial this new mod). For the record White 35 was running about 345 atw.

The first day of the event was spent learning the lines, following instructors like Warren Luff and David Wall around the mountain. As the day wore on I started gaining in confidence and speed and the traction control remained firmly in the "ON" position. This became problematic, as I came out of Forest Elbow onto Conrod, the traction control would come on strong through 3rd, 4th, 5th, and even 6th gear as the computer simply couldn't handle the pitch, speed, lumpiness, and the pure uniqueness of a track built for the bold....those with a willingness to break the Nissan guidelines, and throw VDC, and caution, to the wind. After several laps of turning VDC off entering the Elbow and turning it back on again at the bottom, I duly obliged, and through caution to the wind.

The result? A novice, on street tyres, stock rims, a tankful of 98, in my daily driver, with the air-conditioning on ran a 2 minute 33 lap time! And I can hear the pros groaning that that lap time doesn't do justice to a car that Luffy reckons is good for a very low 2:20, but I have to say for a mug punter I am stoked! That I could get 281 kph down Conrod, (and Luffy got 285), is simply unreal!

White 35 and I ran consistently in the low to mid 2:30's all day yesterday, and White 35 actually nailed a 2:32 late on the second day.

The car performed faultlessly, I did not experience one moment of brake fade, the pads were amazing. Tranny temps saw 134 every 5 or so laps, which was fixable with cooldown lap, I saw a max of 142 with David Walls help! The outside air temp was btw 34 - 36 degrees.

The tyres are fine, plenty of life left in them. They get a far bigger smashing at Oran pk than Bathurst. The mountain is much harder on brake disks than tyres, with my factory front discs finally cracking by late day two.

Engine oil temps were fine, coolant fine.

Next year we will do the five day event. We will be fitting tranny coolers, and race rims and rubber.

As far as the competition is concerned, the GTR took many scalps and was noticeably faster than the majority of the euro stuff including Porches, Audi R8, etc. That said, there were some very experienced drivers doing a great job of handling the mountain, and a great group of guys to boot.

I have an absolute ripper of a video that I will load as soon as I can work out how that shows me and White 35 having a battle royale over three hard laps. I'll also load some pics asap.

As for the circuit, there were two magical sections for the GTR. The first was turn two up to and through the Cutting, where you could get quite a drift around the tight left hander up to McPhillamy. The other was Skyline (aptly) - this was a flat out (180 kph)drift from the inside left ripple strip to the right sand trap before a hard brake into the esses.

So fellow R35ers, get your deposits down for 2010. I can assure you it is an experience you owe it to yourself to have in an R35, on a track that was once, and is again Godzilla country!

Wow, sounds like you guys had a blast. Well done

I look forward to the video and so e pics!

[Daleo]

Lucky buggers, even more jealous than ever. Fast cars being driven the way they're supposed to.

Never done a track day in a car, done many on bikes though, Eastern Creek, Oran Park, Phillip Island, best fun you'll ever have.

Driving Bathurst at that pace must've been a blast.

[Whoneedstherapy]

Sounds like a blast mate!

David Wall is a great guy and a good steerer and deserves all the success he gets.

[09GTR]

Here are some teasers, more to come...

[attachment

=256290:mppitts2.jpg]

[Black Widow]

What i wouldn't give to be able to race this track. Having grown up there it'll always be the dream. Hopefully one day i'll be able to enter (with a decent car) and give it a red hot crack!

2:33 is blistering quick (i think) for a first timer mate. Especially in a street car. Well done.

And also well done to White35 for cranking out a 2:32

[evil_weevil]

Awesome!

Sounds like it was a tops time there, Id love to give it a crack sometime.

How did that 34 NUR go?

[09GTR]

Awesome!

Sounds like it was a tops time there, Id love to give it a crack sometime.

How did that 34 NUR go?

Dave (NUR) did a great job, went hard for two days, had the odd issue with a catch can, but hammered - didnt get a lap time, but when I post the video you will see a couple of laps of the NUR as I followed him for a while. There is a great section up mountain strait where I blew past him...hehehe

The funny thing was, when he got back to Syd he realised he'd left the torque split on the max setting to the front wheels!!!!! He still murdered the Evos, Mercs, Bimmers, and the odd porsche too - great car, sounded wicked too.

[evil_weevil]

Ah cool!

Yeah Ive known Dave for a while - love his pizza's hahah

cant wait for vids!!!

[GUNR35]

Fantastic work, a very respectable time indeed. Great to see you using that beast the way it was truly intended.

I too am looking forward to a couple of track days next week at mallala and hope to unleash a slither of the untapped potential of this amazing car.

[09GTR]

Ah cool!

Yeah Ive known Dave for a while - love his pizza's hahah

cant wait for vids!!!

I have over an hour of in-car video including David Wall at the wheel, and a scary moment at turn 12 late on day two where I got totally sideways! I also have a three lap duel with White 35 where I caught him..hehehe...I just have to work out how to edit it...

[dazmo]

Hey guys sorry to hijack your thread but thought some of you might be interested.

Just got a message from Mark Berry seems he has set the fastest lap at the sprint bathurst event in his amazing R34GTR running a 2:13 sec lap with a top speed of 315kph absoulte stunning effort considering that he v8 super cars run around the 2:11 sec mark on a good lap and are probably averaging around the 2:12-2:13.

[LSX-438]

Hey guys sorry to hijack your thread but thought some of you might be interested.

Just got a message from Mark Berry seems he has set the fastest lap at the sprint bathurst event in his amazing R34GTR running a 2:13 sec lap with a top speed of 315kph absoulte stunning effort considering that he v8 super cars run around the 2:11 sec mark on a good lap and are probably averaging around the 2:12-2:13.

are you serious? that's insane. Well done Mark. Wholly crap. What tyres?

[dazmo]

Dead serious mate I believe he was running on a set of "advan" slicks. An absoloute stunning lap time. Also a top effort by John Bright in the bright print R32 GTR with a 2:26.07 for 6th place overall and Kieth Kassulke again in an R32 GTR with a 2:26.14 for 7th so overall a pretty good representation for all us GTR fans giving some pretty serious machinery a shake up. There is another thread in the motorsport section with a link to the results on natsoft.

[GHOSTrun]

Noob question but what makes the V8 Super Cars faster - do they have better tyres?

[White 35]

holy crap 2.13? thats amazing... wow...

V8's are quicker because.

they are lighter

they have more power

they brake later

they carry more speed across the top

And you have a professional race driver

etc etc...

Next year im doing the sprint - aiming for a 2.25 lap.

[fatz]

how much for the sprint

would love to do it sometime

[White 35]

$5k for the 3 days.

[DRD-00F]

Well done guys! Dave called me the other day, he seemed pretty damn happy with your efforts in a full street trimmed car! You've impressed me as well! Top work!

You guys need a pit crew chief to drink your beers for you nextyear?

Can't wait for the vid!