Marulan Saturday 18Th August

[Pezhead]

My car was over so they just had this metal mesh butt plug they put up the tail pipe. I ran all day without problem.

[fatz]

Yea passengers are 30 bux

Juz pm sent

[fatz]

16 confirmed

Means nine spots left

Once we have 25 we are full so everyone gets lots of time at the track

[MBS206]

Marulan are extremely helpful with cars that are over. They do what ever they can to help quieten the car down with out hurting it.

They're only strict on noise as they have a whining neighbor.

It's also an awesome track and I'm quite annoyed that it looks like I don't have the money to come play

[luke gtr]

Is it just me, or does every track have an annoying neighbour who complains if they hear a cricket chirp?

[MBS206]

Is it just me, or does every track have an annoying neighbour who complains if they hear a cricket chirp?

Only in Australia...

When I was in America, I was shocked, the Indianapolis motorsport complex is literally across the road from houses. The thing is built like in the middle of parramatta as an example... No one says a word.

[BakemonoRicer]

Awesome, I might come to this.

What difficulty is the track? I dont want to crash into a wall and if I lost it would prefer to slide into some sand.

Edited June 30, 2012 by BakemonoRicer

[luke gtr]

Awesome, I might come to this.

What difficulty is the track? I dont want to crash into a wall and if I lost it would prefer to slide into some sand.

Don't go all out at first.

Ease into it and you should be right.

That's what I'm going to do.

My first track day, but hoping to learn alot.

[FordyR31]

Watch 31Guns video on page 2. I will be in the track NOOB group to.

Edited July 1, 2012 by FordyR31

[34GeeTeeTee]

Don't go all out at first.

Ease into it and you should be right.

That's what I'm going to do.

My first track day, but hoping to learn alot.

Yeah I'll be the same, hopefully get some tips from the regulars and improve throughout the day... Looking forward to it

[oweban]

Yep, my first actual track day. Will be taking it nice and easy at first to see how I go.

[fatz]

Yea there will be quite a few people to learn from

[MBS206]

While the track doesn't have *MASSIVE* run off like Wakie, you're only going to take out a wall if you're a complete numb nuts. It is a low speed track. In saying that, you will still get to around 140KM/H on the straight.

It is a "driver training centre" and this track will teach you SHITLOADS about you, and your car.

[Duncan]

It is a "driver training centre" and this track will teach you SHITLOADS about you, and your car.

damn straight. I learned a twin turbo 4l 350z, on semi slicks, in the wet, leaves the track surprisingly quickly

[MBS206]

damn straight. I learned a twin turbo 4l 350z, on semi slicks, in the wet, leaves the track backwards surprisingly quickly

Fixed your post...

[Pezhead]

Here is an Article I did for the SAU Club sponsored day (rain day - Duncan and I both had a big off).

(Article from SAU Newsletter)

Saturday was SAU's first club sponsored track day at Marulan Driver Training Centre. So you ask, what is MDTC like? We've all seen the forum talk, "it is less than 1k in length that sounds like it is too short for a Skyline" and "I hear you can't run if your car is too loud."

I had these very concerns myself which is why I figured I better get out there and find out for myself. The day started just as any other track day with the exception of all the rain we seem to be cursed with lately. As per our usual drill I emptied my car and waited for scruitineering to come by. They lined us up for noise level checks where we reved the car to 5k for a measure and then give it one good rev burst again while they checked the levels. My heart sunk a little as they informed me that my car was over the noise levels. But then they said not to worry, they have a "device" to sort that all out.

A few minutes later a man showed up with something that looked like a prison tourture device. It was about the size of your arm from the elbow to the tip of your figures made of wire mesh. Up the tailpipe it went with a big hose clamp to hold it in. That did the trick on the noise levels and my car was good to go.

So what is the track like? MDTC has tight but flowing lines. There are a good mix of sweeping straights, multi-apex corners and a few 90 degree and elbow corners. Now, I'm sure you are saying "oh then it's too tight for a big car like a Skyline". That's where I'd have to correct you. Don't think of this track as a "small course" but think of it more like being able to transform you car into a go-kart. Corners come up so fast, revs jump up the range because you are in lower gears - it's as if someone has suddenly given your car 20% more power!

Being a really wet day the course really played well to those that could string sections together. If you try to take this course one corner at a time you'll be slow. There is no time or space to change your line to set up for the next corner. Tracks like this WILL make you a faster driver because you must link sections together in order to stay smooth and hold speed.

Of course there were a number of spins and very tail happy cars. Driving in the wet with a heavy car with lots of power on a tight road course will teach you a lot. I loosened up my suspension to give me just a fraction more time and indication when the traction is going to let loose. The slippery conditions also tighted the margins for entry and exit of corners. You must be more precise, have your entry speed right, modulate the throttle out and use the whole track to maximise your speed in the limited grip.

Another advantage of the shorter track is that you will get to attack that problematic corner again in less than a minute. Talk about fresh in your mind! The laps string together so quickly. Because the track is shorter, MDTC limit the number of cars on the track at a time. To compensate they run shorter sessions - about 10 minutes. So you will still get 7-8 good laps in, you learn a lot more because your rapidly working on those tricky sections and back up for your next session in no time because they were moving sessions through so quickly. All big wins in my book.

In another article I will share how our GPS testing went. Having the GPS data showed me one very important lesson. You have to go slow to go fast. Sounds crazy I know because I try to carry speed through corners rather than accellerate out. The GPS data showed me that as I dropped my entry speed for a few critical corners the exit speed and top end really picked up shaving several 1/10ths per lap. That and some great feedback from "SAU Stig" about my braking really made a big difference.

And of course, there is nothing as fun as having so many Skylines and Nissan cars and their owners out for a track day. For several club members this was their very first track day and I saw a lot of ear to ear smiles as they pulled off their helmets.

I'm confident that this day has made me a better driver in my car. In fact, I had a personal bonus the following Monday. MDTC was rented out by a Targa crew for practice and corporate hospitality day. Lucky for me they invited me out and didn't mind if I brought my own car. Taking what I learned just two days before I got to attack MDTC again in the dry. Wowsa! Seconds fell off the lap times and I could really tell I was getting into the potential of my car.

[FordyR31]

Thats a good read. I was worried about a short twisty track having a shit handling car but now its challenge accepted.

[fatz]

Yea there will be a heap of shit handling cars out there

Be warned its addictive

[oweban]

hooray i won't suck as bad as i think then

will def bleed brakes the weekend before

[hamiltonau]

Here is an Article I did for the SAU Club sponsored day (rain day - Duncan and I both had a big off).

(Article from SAU Newsletter)

WALL of TEXT

think theres a wakefield day on same wknd, get back to you

if not im there!