World Time Attack Challenge 2011

[FineLine]

Man I wish you every success in the world. Its a tough nut for sure.

And as for that Baron, He needs watchin that one.

[PHaT MR30]

haha, I'm only having a crack at you mate, I'm two weeks off them, cold the sphincter of the universe, so even seeing one is hard work for me

Plus, Baron put me up to it, he's still smarting over your comments on page prior

and I didn't hear you mate, truth. Sorry!

How many times now ?

[Marlin]

four hundred and thirty seven.... and don't fark with me you little kent I will open you up FARK!!!!!

Yeah, doin it easy, not angry at all!

[phunky_monkey]

what'd you say? can't hear you my ears still hurting. fking 3 days of loud cars done hearing damage. being at the top end of the garages in #1 didn't help either as cars are still at full noise when they come past us. much better down the other end when they are off the gas and braking for T1.

Braking for turn 1? Big girls blouses!

On a serious note, I am very dissapointed in not going this year. Instead of 25 degrees and time attack cars I was standing on pit wall at PI getting rained on and timing cars. Oh well, always next year!

[Beer Baron]

lol, russ told me the story of a bloke at an event one year who decided he'd try and take T1 flat in a monaro.... didn't work out. he reckoned he could try again though. 'just needed to get his head around it'... haha. borrowed car too.

yeah well done getting off the coffin nails marlin. Russ tells me your sex drive has improved as a result.. very happy for you both.

there's a few things that could be improved but overall the event was amazing.

I strongly agree some big screens showing lap times and current order of the cars would be fantastic. yes the PA system is a bit average but all the SCREAMING doesn't help either. especially when it's two blokes or three blokes all screaming at once. that's just not helping anyone. overall they did improve over last year though and I was able to hear some times called when it counted. It just needs some fine tuning.

having no drifting during the day and holding it at night instead was a master stroke. it meant maximum track time for the time attack guys and also meant heaps more track time for the drifters instead of stupid little 10 min demos throughout the day. plus drifting looks kind of cool at night under lights and the drifters are happy as they get to break out all the gay little strobes and neons and christmas lights and what have you. just a shame that big acco on friday meant a bit disruption in proceedings right as it was kicking off.

as far as that part of the event goes I wouldn't change a thing. keep the drifting after hours and have it both days again (qualy runs on friday and top 16 or top 32 on saturday). it also means guys who like that stuff can check out the drift cars in the pits during the day.

with maximising track time during the day I'm not sure how they could improve that? all the sessions were for the various time attack classes and from memory each group got 4 sessions per day. not sure they can do it any other way with over 100 entrants. maybe shorten the sessions a tad and try for 5 sessions? the problem is though the more distinct sessions there are the more lost time there is between each one. I think the way it was is probably as good as it can get.

trade stands were great again and crowd was great too. some pushed the boundaries a bit but most were cool and polite.

[FineLine]

yeah well done getting off the coffin nails marlin. Russ tells me your sex drive has improved as a result.. very happy for you both.

Friggin LOL !

[Marlin]

True Richard, he cops it like a true man now and has ceased the incessent whimpering.

Although why you feel the need to air private discussions I have no idea.... only 10 minutes ago I was singing your praises to Fineline via PM and in fact trying to explain why it is that you'd prefer to not get your soft white delicate child like hands dirty around the pit garage..... fact is, you don't want to risk getting grease on your long skinny white french Lady Penelope cigarettes.

Anyway, yes, defs keep the drifters at night time.

And yes, I know everyone wants to see cars, especially the faster cars, on track a LOT more, but before that can happen, firstly many of the cars need to become able to actually complete multiple laps without shiting themselves, and someone needs to find out how to make the tyres fast over more laps....... that's why other series use slicks

[MacGillaZ]

I didn't attempt to use the live timing on my phone on friday, but it was working on Saturday, so it certainly wouldn't be hard to have a couple of super screens attached to the live feed via some form of computer and have them broadcasting to the masses. Might I suggest that EC invest in a ex line painting truck which they use to drop the sand. Will be a shit load quicker than having 20 peeps running around with buckets of the stuff, and means they can all be maning brooms to speed up the clean up.

If they're going to do split times next year (which was said over the PA on one of the days), they're obviously going to be using different transponders or going more fancy, which I must say would be most excellent. I certainly concur on the dodgy audio sentiment. We found a nice spot on the front straight where the speakers weren't working and it was sweet as listening to everything hard on the throttle bar that K26 CRX (which made more noise off throttle than on it!) and not having to listen to the drivel that was sometimes being pumped out was a godsend.

Maybe a clearer explanation of the rules/classes would be better at the start of the day in the dead time between sessions would be better than mindless banter, with more crosses to the entirity of drivers/competitors rather than visiting person X or person Y over and over. Such that everyone has an opportunity to be heard, rather than just the blokes the guys in the commentary box are all excited listening too. I know some people probably wouldn't want to do it, but I know that some drivers would be rather amusing to listen too

If it's a step up from last year, lets hope the organisers can repeat it for next and hopefully with greater success you don't attract the spectators that will ruin the open-ness of the event.

Also, why no acceptance of Hoosiers and Avons? Why run what are effectively 'racing cars' on grooved wet style tyres? Hankooks C71 is a grooved semi that's still DOT approved, just like the Hoosier R6, that I'm sure would be quicker and last longer than the uber soft tyres competitors are now running around on.

Edited August 9, 2011 by MacGillaZ

[Russman]

Sessions times are good IMO. 15mins is enough for 2 quick flyers (depending on tyre) and also enough time to go out again if there is a red flag. I had 3 red flags in 6 sessions. Can't expect much better when everyone is tuning up grenade engines haha.

[handbrake]

first time running the AO50's for us.

those things are fast but shit themselves after one hot lap. try doing two successive laps and they come back in pieces

[Beer Baron]

True Richard, he cops it like a true man now and has ceased the incessent whimpering.

Although why you feel the need to air private discussions I have no idea.... only 10 minutes ago I was singing your praises to Fineline via PM and in fact trying to explain why it is that you'd prefer to not get your soft white delicate child like hands dirty around the pit garage..... fact is, you don't want to risk getting grease on your long skinny white french Lady Penelope cigarettes.

Anyway, yes, defs keep the drifters at night time.

And yes, I know everyone wants to see cars, especially the faster cars, on track a LOT more, but before that can happen, firstly many of the cars need to become able to actually complete multiple laps without shiting themselves, and someone needs to find out how to make the tyres fast over more laps....... that's why other series use slicks

sorry my bad. it's been 12 hours since I've had a dart and I get cranky. plus to be honest I'm just a little bit jealous...

please keep singing my praises. someone has to. and yes I do have hands like a 5 year old girl. but work hard when I have to.

spot on about cars on track for more time. the fact is (as you well know) the current generation of semi-slicks are as fast (maybe faster than most even) as a set of slicks but only have that bullshit fast pace for 1 lap. after that they drop 1 second. so if your second lap is going to be 1 second slower than the first why bother doing one? not such a big deal for most guys but at the pointy end that 1 second is the difference between front of the top ten and bottom of the top ten.

not sure there will ever be a cure for it. it's the same in F1 in qualifying they get 1 (maybe 2) laps out of brand new slicks at bullshit fast pace and then they are resigned to 'race tyres' as they go off straight away too. good semi's are so soft on that first lap it's insane. but you just never get it back.

maybe we should have 1.5 days of time attack and then on the arvo of day 2 make the top 10 cars do a 10 lap race for the top honours?? lol. you certainly wouldn't see many guys game enough to go up the inside of Jamie Cootes car with it's hammerhead wing!! and Mark would probably have to pit for fuel after 4 or 5 full noise laps with the tiny fuel cell it has!! would certainly be interesting but not likely in this lifetime.

time attack has it's ups and downs but one of the big draw cards IS the fact that it's different to other classes of door to door racing. the no holes barred approach to rule making is a big change to most classes too and that's why we get to see such cool creative ideas like the MCA silvia. it may look bloody silly but sweet jeebus it's fast.

[Beer Baron]

first time running the AO50's for us.

those things are fast but shit themselves after one hot lap. try doing two successive laps and they come back in pieces

yeah first lap pace on A050s is awesome. puts a lot of pressure on that lap though as if you get baulked or stuff the exit onto the straight etc that lap (and that set of tyres) is gooooone. but that makes it all the more exciting. you have to go out and perform on que. makes it like a giant V8SC style top 10 shootout where you get 1 lap to hang it all out there.

[Beer Baron]

Baron - 200hp+ for R34, is that with the Borg Warner or another brand?

yep, it'll be with a Borg Warner. EFR 9180.

[hrd-hr30]

IAlso, why no acceptance of Hoosiers and Avons? Why run what are effectively 'racing cars' on grooved wet style tyres? Hankooks C71 is a grooved semi that's still DOT approved, just like the Hoosier R6,

because they're not semi slicks.

cool vid from the Scorch Racing S15. Note the G meter... seems better in right handers - not ideal for an anti clockwise track. Also did its fast time on the second flying lap.

Edited August 9, 2011 by hrd-hr30

[Marlin]

Who is Jamie Coote?

It's Murray's car, Josh is his son, and they had the young Kiwi fella Earl Bamber driving, who, by all accounts is the next big thing if given half a chance and super easy to get along with and mega quick.

[Marlin]

because they're not semi slicks.

cool vid from the Scorch Racing S15. Note the G meter... seems better in right handers - not ideal for an anti clockwise track. Also did its fast time on the second flying lap.

That thing is wicked Harry, and probably the car I'd most like to own for myself

I like a car that, if you pulled the stickers off, it's feasable that you could drive it across the Sydney Harbour Brisge without being taken to jail.

[FineLine]

The problem of not enough action in the pro class could be solved easily by simply inviting more cars to compete.

There was never any shortage of action in the open and clubman class but there were sessions in pro when for a lot of the time there were zero cars on track.

With more competitors it would mean more action for the paying public.

[Marlin]

I think Ian invited everyone Noel, but getting them to actually turn up is the hardest part.

[FineLine]

because they're not semi slicks.

cool vid from the Scorch Racing S15. Note the G meter... seems better in right handers - not ideal for an anti clockwise track. Also did its fast time on the second flying lap.

Mega fan of that scorch car Harry. It not only went like shit off a shovel it looked tuff as goats knees to boot.

[FineLine]

I think Ian invited everyone Noel, but getting them to actually turn up is the hardest part.

I can think of a couple of cars in the open class that wouldnt be out of place in Pro Ben.