Rolla In Supersprint 2007

[KE70-from-mt-panorama]

Hey all

 

On 1st December Bathurst Light Car Club (BLCC) hosted the supersprint on mt panorama. I decided to enter my standard AE71 rolla into it. I had planned on having the 4age in it by then but didnt have enough time.

 

Anyway, Took the rolla up on the trailer, had a quick look over it then took it over to be scrutineered. i was expecting they would knock me back for something i needed to fix, but to my surprise they didnt. i was chuffed.

 

I was in group 2 (3 groups) so i had to wait for group 1 to finish before my group went up to the start line. This was good as it gave me a feel for the car as i have never driven it on the tarmac, only in my fairly small backyard. So we drove out the v8 entrance to the pits and headed the opposite way around the track, we drove to the top of conrod and did a u-turn through the BLCC carpark then back onto the track in the right direction. The Start line was at the dip in conrod straight. So while we waited in the line we watched the cars ahead of us start, then the cars behind them did their burnouts, then they went, it all seemed to flow, it didnt feel like we were waiting for a long period of time. There was always something happening.

When i got to the front of the line i was up against a standard vl commodore. So we got the ready set go and we were off. I got the edge off the start line but the vl had too much go and took off, but one achievement i kept him in sight for the whole run. the little rolla was going well, i was surprised that the standard 4ac was making power to 6 grand where i changed gears, but i think it could have made power till more revs. Is that Normal? anyways got to bout 130km/h round the kink then down into the chase, i slowed her down a bit as i didnt know what she would handle like. Went around good.

Then went down to murrays corner (where the photographer was) and had to slow down more due to this happening ahead of me (Compression Lock-up)

But then he went back out onto the track and we kept going to the finish.

Went back into the pits Through the v8 Pit Exit, Parked the car, Got out and said "That was fun" and then my mate said, "That doesnt sound good" I said what? He told me to take my helmet off, I took it off and heard a hissing sound coming from the engine bay, Opened the bonnet, coolant everywhere, Looked for the leak, Had 4 people searching, then someone found it, A stream of coolant coming from the crack that appeared in the base of the radiator. (Photo of crack to come) "Hmm, Nothing major, Ill go home and get the spare" So i was on my way home to get the radiator from my parts car. I was expecting to miss a run, but to my surprise we got the new radiator in and all hooked up ready for the next run with plenty of time to spare. I was even more chuffed. There were a few crashes in group 1 that delayed preceedings a bit.

 

So for my next run, i kept my eye on the temp gague as i was told you arent actually allowed to use coolant in the radiator on the track at it is slippery if there is a spill. Just like the jag that crashed into the wall front first spilling coolant all over the track. But the temp gague stayed at optimal. My second run i was lined up against a Boss 302 Mustang but an evo up ahead pulled out and changed the order and i ended up against my mate in his datsun 1200 coupe race car.

So we got to the front and my mate didnt thrash his car off the line as he had only just put a new cera-metallic exedy clutch into it, so he was taking it easier on the clutch, so i got the jump off the line and then i was keeping the nose ahead of him, i looked across and he was just staring at me. I knew the car was much faster than this i got about 1/2 a car ahead of him and then he thought he couldnt have this and he dropped back a gear and shot off, and i didnt have a hope in hell of catching him. not even under brakes or around corners cause he was wearing advan semislicks and has had the brakes upgraded massively. But i knew i wasnt going to win.

 

So then we got back to the pits and waited for our next run. I checked the radiator out and it was all good.

 

Run 3 i was by myself, And run 4 i was lined up against a BA XR8 Heavily modified, so i might as well have been by myself.

 

EDIT:

When i reached 150km/h on my last run all the dust, spiders and crap came out of the vents.

 

Results:

Run 1 - 78.35

Run 2 - 75.29

Run 3 - 73.23

Run 4 - 72.47

 

I came 6th in class out of 7 and 89th outright out of 95. Not bad considering i was in a modified class. The rolla was classed as modified as i have made a sidepipe, pulled un-needed stuff out of the interior and played with emissions gear.

 

Some Pictures of other competitors

20V Spoontah

My Mates Datsun 1200 Coupe

The Drift Car that was competing (the officials told him to settle down and stop drifting after this)

 

Hope you enjoy.

Edited December 6, 2007 by KE70-from-mt-panorama

[ancullen]

Nice work! Good to see more Corollas on the race track. :(

[irokin]

Good stuff. Good to see the times coming down with each run. I'm tempted to put the Silvia on a trailer and come down for a Bathurst supersprint. Not entirely convinced it'd be worth the time for me.

[KE70-from-mt-panorama]

Irokin, It would be worth it for the speed weekend. Its normally the first weekend in December and its a supersprint on the Saturday, and then a mountain straight hillclimb on the Sunday. I was going to go in the hillclimb too, just wasnt sure how the old rolla would pull up the hill so i gave it a miss this time, plus i wasnt quite finacially set up enough for both as i was on holidays from work

 

But if you want to run the track and you live a fair way away the speed weekend is the option for you.

[ancullen]

Good stuff. Good to see the times coming down with each run. I'm tempted to put the Silvia on a trailer and come down for a Bathurst supersprint. Not entirely convinced it'd be worth the time for me.

Isn't the Silvia registered???

 

 

Is it possible to do full laps of Bathurst at any of these supersprints or speed weekends? Or is it only open for very special events?

[irokin]

Isn't the Silvia registered???

 

 

Is it possible to do full laps of Bathurst at any of these supersprints or speed weekends? Or is it only open for very special events?

 

Yes its registered...no I'm not driving it 900km to an event and then hope I can make it back again... lol

 

The only full track sprint/time attack/track day thing Ive ever seen for Bathurst was earlier this year and cost something like $4000-6000 depending on when you paid. It was 3 days with professional instruction but F@#$k thats expensive!

[KE70-from-mt-panorama]

http://www.drivebathurst.com/

I didnt know this was happening but i wouldnt be able to do it anyway as its invite only, and i don't have $3400 to pay the entry fee. Might be a good watch if i get the time off work though