Super Trax @ Zwartkops Raceway - Monthly events

[LostSalad]

Originally Posted by Fish Eagle

This looks like so much fun.
Where can I find more info - like when, what, and how much?

Agreed. Need moar deetails!

Although after the skidpan, that sounds of tires hurts me . Hell I want to do that just to learn how to parallel park!

[Die$eL]

Originally Posted by LostSalad

Agreed. Need moar deetails!

Although after the skidpan, that sounds of tires hurts me . Hell I want to do that just to learn how to parallel park!

It's free

and was advertised.

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82974

All welcome to join. I think you just need to become a member of the rock raceway at a cost of R300 per year. (I'm not 100% sure on that price)

[Freedom]

It is totally free, no costs involved. I will let you guys know when the next one is.
The practice is once a month with the drift academy.

I really enjoyed drifting around that circle, I could do it all day.

I still need to master it. When the revs start dropping you need to kick the clutch in, if you kick the clutch in you need to be ready to catch the drift again, if you build up too many revs and you feel like its going to spin out you have to kill the power by putting the clutch back in again, all in split seconds, all the while balancing steering and power

I think if you can master this kind of stuff you can push much harder on the track knowing you can handle the slide or over-steer.

Originally Posted by Die$eL

It's free

and was advertised.

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82974

All welcome to join. I think you just need to become a member of the rock raceway at a cost of R300 per year. (I'm not 100% sure on that price)

I forgot about that thread I should of posted there.

[Fish Eagle]

A lap of Zwartkops Raceway on 15 March 2015.
At 1m19.7 this was not a fast lap, but it has a few things of interest. Like discovering that I was tootling around in 4th gear instead of 3rd. Like passing a nice looking but unusually slow soft top Audi, and a bird strike which sadly left quite a bad paint chip.

[ame]http://youtu.be/A1h1H8pmX6I[/ame]

[FT_86_SM_GP]

Good read - article from Ignition TV that sums it up pretty well:
http://bit.ly/1BJZAwW

Now here's to looking forward to more 86's and BRZ's coming out to play

[FT_86_SM_GP]

Spotted

Good on you BRZ driver! And the Hot Wash Honeys compliment your ride. LOL

Both are a pleasure to look at

[FT_86_SM_GP]

After reading @Dammod post on the CPT track day I went back on the Zwartkops raceway website and realized there's also Classes for SuperTrax events!

I wonder if track newbies in 86's will qualify for "Class B" ?

Maybe i'll be joining FishEagle and @LostSalad at SuperTrax this Sunday

I have updated the information on this thread as well,

[Fish Eagle]

Originally Posted by FT_86_SM_GP

I wonder if track newbies in 86's will qualify for "Class B" ?

Yep, you'll run class B.
I can run either class A or B, but I prefer class B and I'll run B on Sunday if they allow me to.
There's more slower traffic, but I find it very easy to thread my way through the slower cars, often without it slowing me down at all.

Class A I find very, very frustrating because it's all the high horsepower "slow cars" and they run away from me on the straights which (per Supertrax rules) is the only place I'm allowed to pass them, and I can't. Then I sit behind them in the corners and pick my nose.

Here's an example of class A - stuck behind a V8 Lumina SS and an STI.
On the straights, the Lumina just hauls away from me, but I close right up again under braking and cornering.
I could easily have passed both of them in one go up the inside braking into turn 2 (approx 0:18 in the video), but I'm not allowed to...
I sat behind that Lumina for 5 laps, and my lap times were 5-6 secs off my normal times.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPBhEFx0Nyg"]Zwartkops 2015 03 15 FILE0002 842 957 - YouTube[/ame]

Originally Posted by FT_86_SM_GP

Maybe i'll be joining FishEagle and @LostSalad at SuperTrax this Sunday

Cool, see you there

[CWP68]

I'll be there.

Be warned, at the start it is pretty chaotic. There are a lot of cars, last month they had to put in an additional group. But if you are patient and hang around till after lunch you get an almost clear track.

[Fish Eagle]

Originally Posted by CWP68

I'll be there.

Be warned, at the start it is pretty chaotic. There are a lot of cars, last month they had to put in an additional group. But if you are patient and hang around till after lunch you get an almost clear track.

Great!! See you there

I know exactly how you feel about the traffic, but you get past that.

A year and a half ago, I was chatting to Dave Geffen at a Zwartkops Supertrax day. Dave is an experienced race car driver, but he was there with his road-legal 1967 vintage Mini Cooper. I mentioned that the heavy traffic stresses me somewhat, and he said that he loves it, and that's what he really enjoys about Supertrax. I thought he's mad...

Nowdays, I feel the same. I enjoy the traffic as long as I don't get held up too much. I think it's like most things in life - if you practice, you get better, and what used to scare you becomes much easier.

Here's my gem of wisdom to help you safely handle traffic on track:

The biggest mistake beginners make is trying to get out of the way of a faster car, and feeling guilty that you're holding him up.
DON'T!! Just stay on the racing line at full speed. It's up to the faster car to find a safe way around you. If he can't, then he must stay behind you, or you can let him through by slacking off a little bit on a straight to help him pass, but don't go off the racing line. Give him a wave through when you slack off so that he knows you've seen him and that you will let him past before the next corner. DON'T try to get out of his way because you'll pull across the track into the space he's aiming for and you'll collide.

Also, if you're unsure in heavy traffic, I recommend that you don't do a cool-down lap. Rather go full speed until you peel off into the pit lane, then immediately turn left and take a slow drive around the back lines of pits, the drive-in, wherever - for a few minutes, then return to your pit and park your car.

[CWP68]

I was Stigworx-ing last month so desperate for a clean run!

This month I'm not, so won't mind the traffic so much. I certainly don't begrudge anybody taking a slower car than mine out on the track, fair play to them.
In fact I have huge respect for the person who took the Kia Picanto round last month, it must have been a blast!

[LostSalad]

Originally Posted by CWP68

I was Stigworx-ing last month so desperate for a clean run!

This month I'm not, so won't mind the traffic so much. I certainly don't begrudge anybody taking a slower car than mine out on the track, fair play to them.
In fact I have huge respect for the person who took the Kia Picanto round last month, it must have been a blast!

I saw that, what a total baller! There was also a Fiat Panda -- or was that at Red Star?
@Fish Eagle, at Red Star, the RGM 86 was behind me, so I tried to let him by. Coming onto the straight, I indicated right, slacked off, and moved right to get off the racing line and let him pass. However he took this as an indication to PASS right and came up behind me quite close. I know, it's his responsibility to make a clean pass, but did I do something confusing? My mom was shit scared when that happened lawl

[Fish Eagle]

Originally Posted by LostSalad

I saw that, what a total baller! There was also a Fiat Panda -- or was that at Red Star?
@Fish Eagle, at Red Star, the RGM 86 was behind me, so I tried to let him by. Coming onto the straight, I indicated right, slacked off, and moved right to get off the racing line and let him pass. However he took this as an indication to PASS right and came up behind me quite close. I know, it's his responsibility to make a clean pass, but did I do something confusing? My mom was shit scared when that happened lawl

Don't worry about the guy behind you, just stay on your line and let him work it out. It's his problem, not yours. What I meant earlier is don't try to let him past - that's not your monkey. Just wait until he makes a move then you can slack off slightly to help him pass cleanly, but only if you have to.

I never use my indicators on track, but I'll always have my window open, and I use hand signals. I cut my teeth at Midvaal mixing it with racecars, and they don't have indicators. Could an indicator confuse the guy behind you? Hell yes. Are you indicating where you're going, or indicating where you want him to go??

You are allowed to be on track with your slower car, and you are allowed to be a slower, more inexperienced driver. You can't magically advance to his speed, and you don't have to. He must adjust because he can.

Remember that he's got 100% clear panoramic vision through his windscreen of what you're doing. All he doesn't know is whether you're going to do something UNPREDICTABLE, so stay on the racing line and be predictable. On the other side of the coin, you're trying to see what he's doing in your mirrors which at best gives very poor visibility and major blind spots, and distracts you from driving your car. Don't worry about what's behind you, that's his problem.

[Alang]

Originally Posted by LostSalad

I saw that, what a total baller! There was also a Fiat Panda -- or was that at Red Star?
@Fish Eagle, at Red Star, the RGM 86 was behind me, so I tried to let him by. Coming onto the straight, I indicated right, slacked off, and moved right to get off the racing line and let him pass. However he took this as an indication to PASS right and came up behind me quite close. I know, it's his responsibility to make a clean pass, but did I do something confusing? My mom was shit scared when that happened lawl

@Fish Eagle is 100% right in his reply. Hand signals work much better, but the same principle applies for hands or indicators. On track, it works opposite, indicating shows the car behind you, which way you want him to overtake you, NOT which way you are going to go.
So by indicating right, Stiglet thought you were going to leave a gap for him on the right hand side.
Basically, you told him to come past you and the slammed the door on him
But, you live and you learn and at least now you know