Super Trax @ Zwartkops Raceway - Monthly events

[FT_86_SM_GP]

What time did you manage to get @Fish Eagle ?

Looking forward to seeing your track video

[Alang]

Agree with all, another fantastic day out. Thanks for all the friendliness and fun.

The guys who haven't tried Supertraxx (track or pan) have no idea how much fun they're missing.

I also think (and this may be a bit more contreversial) that you only start to really appreciate just how good an 86 is when you go and hoon it properly.

[Fish Eagle]

Originally Posted by Alang

I also think (and this may be a bit more contreversial) that you only start to really appreciate just how good an 86 is when you go and hoon it properly.

Hell yeah!!
Alan, you get many things right, but that statement is especially, very, very right.
Viva the 86 - the hoon's tool (or the tool's hoon) - not quite sure, but you know what I mean...
It's got frikkin amazing handling

I think I worked out the tabletop today by cribbing off one of the country's top Lotus 7 driver's video.
I thought I'd try his technique, and it came together.
I REALLY ENJOYED pushing my car though that part of the track today with bravery and abandon.

Especially braking crazy late into turn 5 at the top of the hill, turning in very hard, and mashing the power down in 2nd BEFORE the apex.
Got that right several times, didn't spin out once, and really feeling good about it

Now I just gotta work out how the rest of the track works - which I ain't quite getting right (yet).

[ame]http://youtu.be/m2C22D5LQeM[/ame]

[Fish Eagle]

Originally Posted by FT_86_SM_GP

What time did you manage to get @Fish Eagle ?
Looking forward to seeing your track video

Not wow - my passenger recorded a 1m19.0 which I'm not excited about...

Maybe I'll find something quicker when I go through my videos - dunno, and I actually don't really care. I had some frustrations today, but I also had a lot of fun. It was like caning it though Joburg traffic, except I'm from MPU and I don't do the Joburg traffic thing well.

When I got a gap in the traffic, I battled to get into "give it horns" mode, after tootling around behind the slow V8 cars in "pick your nose" mode.
(Yes, I actually mean that. The "big bangers" were the biggest wet squibs today)

The track's been resurfaced since I was last there, which is great.
But it's quite slippery which doesn't make for good lap times, but I was amazed at how gentle it was on tyres.

If that's intentional, they've been very clever - slowing everything down a bit (the safety aspect) and reducing tyre wear - how clever.
And of course, a "bit more slippery track" is right up an 86er's creek

It was a fun day at the Z today, but (hate me if you want to), I have a hell of a lot more fun at Midvaal Raceway. I so much more enjoy mixing it with racecars at Midvaal than civvy cars at the Z, and I believe that it's much, much safer too.

My last dry day at Zwartkops was in May last year, so I was looking forward to today, especially after being rained out in November. But I doubt if you'll see me at the Z again. I'll never be comfortable enough to really wind it up there, but I'm very happy giving it big horns at Midvaal.

OK, having said such nasty things - if my buds are going to the Z, I'll be there, but don't expect any fireworks. I'll be taking it very easy.

[Fish Eagle]

Here's a video clip which shows two things...

1. How to whack it hard into turn 5 from the wrong side of the track (the right hand side).
This is a skill I learnt from mixing it with racecars at Midvaal.
You don't really need to have the right line to be quick.

The driver of the Porsche GT3 was a novice and I didn't want to cut left in front of him after passing him up the hill and make him kak his panties, so I stayed right putting me (supposedly) very wrong-footed for the corner.

But, have a look at the distance between me and the white RGM 86 from the beginning of the clip at the bottom of the hill, ignoring the Porsche.

2. Oh, and don't believe in horsepower - it's a myth

[ame]http://youtu.be/_2ofarJs-sQ[/ame]

[FT_86_SM_GP]

Taking Turn 5 on that line looked intense!
(Even I felt nervous watching you overtake the Porsche)

Good driving

I remember you saying that at Midvaal you can overtake overtake at any point?
and at Zwartkops you have limited sections to overtake?

Is Midvaal just in general a faster paced track and combined with faster race cars?
Do you think it a good track for rookies/beginners to practise and get a few decent laps in...as there is less traffic / less pressure from other vehicles...?
(But the vehicles that do pass...will fly pass)

[Alang]

Originally Posted by Fish Eagle

Hell yeah!!
Alan, you get many things right, but that statement is especially, very, very right.
Viva the 86 - the hoon's tool (or the tool's hoon) - not quite sure, but you know what I mean...
It's got frikkin amazing handling

I think I worked out the tabletop today by cribbing off one of the country's top Lotus 7 driver's video.
I thought I'd try his technique, and it came together.
I REALLY ENJOYED pushing my car though that part of the track today with bravery and abandon.

Especially braking crazy late into turn 5 at the top of the hill, turning in very hard, and mashing the power down in 2nd BEFORE the apex.
Got that right several times, didn't spin out once, and really feeling good about it

Now I just gotta work out how the rest of the track works - which I ain't quite getting right (yet).

That's brilliant, thanks for this. Thats a way better line than mine, I've been turning in too late there. The early power also leads to a perfect run out at the end of the corner, can't wait to try that!!!

Also, for those who weren't there, @Fish Eagle is being very modest about his lap time. It was incredibly hot and even the big boys like RGM's Stiglet were reporting lap times that were 2 secs slower than usual.

[Fish Eagle]

Originally Posted by FT_86_SM_GP

Taking Turn 5 on that line looked intense!
(Even I felt nervous watching you overtake the Porsche)

Good driving

I remember you saying that at Midvaal you can overtake overtake at any point?
and at Zwartkops you have limited sections to overtake?

Is Midvaal just in general a faster paced track and combined with faster race cars?
Do you think it a good track for rookies/beginners to practise and get a few decent laps in...as there is less traffic / less pressure from other vehicles...?
(But the vehicles that do pass...will fly pass)

Yes, you can overtake anywhere and anytime at Midvaal but at Zwartkops they don't allow overtaking on braking into a corner (dive-bombing) or overtaking within a corner. Which can be terribly frustrating. Yesterday I sat picking my nose behind a Lumina SS with fat takkies and a big wing for about 6 laps because the only places I was allowed to pass him was on the straights, and then he just opens up that big V8 and I can't get past, but I could have easily nailed him in a corner or under braking. In cases like that at the Z, if the other car doesn't let you past, you can't pass - period. Grrrr. I'll upload a short video snippet later to illustrate this.

Midvaal's twisty sections are tight and therefore quite slow. That combined with massive open run-off areas mean that your worst mistakes get punished with a cloud of dust and a ragging from your mates rather than your car impaled in a tyre barrier. Midvaal has a very long back straight (700m) but it has a 200m runoff area at the end if you have a braking problem. The only real risk there is the turn into the pit straight, where (same as the Z), there's a risk of hook spinning into the pit wall.

I strongly recommend Midvaal for rookies/beginners. Just don't go there on the weekend before any big race meet at either Kyalami, Zwartkops or Midvaal because there'll be a lot of very fast cars practicing and it'll be traumatic for a noob.

Of course, once you're comfortable at Midvaal, then those are the desirable weekends for a superior adrenaline rush.

[Sporran]

Some photos from the track.

[Sporran]

Originally Posted by LostSalad

Are you the dark grey without the rear wing

Yebo, that was me

[Freedom]

My bit of fun after I left Zwartkops.
Just two short clips.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKSl7XeGibY"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKSl7XeGibY[/ame]

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPI6jwq4Li8"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPI6jwq4Li8[/ame]

[Fish Eagle]

Originally Posted by Fish Eagle

Yes, you can overtake anywhere and anytime at Midvaal but at Zwartkops they don't allow overtaking on braking into a corner (dive-bombing) or overtaking within a corner. Which can be terribly frustrating. Yesterday I sat picking my nose behind a Lumina SS with fat takkies and a big wing for about 6 laps because the only places I was allowed to pass him was on the straights, and then he just opens up that big V8 and I can't get past, but I could have easily nailed him in a corner or under braking. In cases like that at the Z, if the other car doesn't let you past, you can't pass - period. Grrrr. I'll upload a short video snippet later to illustrate this.

Here's the example I promised - about the frustration of getting past high powered "slow" cars when you're not allowed to pass in corners or under braking. I spent 7 laps looking at the back of this black Lumina SS, and he arrogantly wouldn't let me past. On every straight, he'd roar away from me, and I'd effortlessly reel him back in under braking and corners. You'll see the opposite with the blue Subaru. Despite having more power than me, he politely let me slip past him.

If I was allowed to, the obvious place to get past the Lumina would be under braking into turn 2. I would pull up tight behind him through turn 1 (which I could easily have done) then stay wide (to the right) with foot flat and outbrake him into the hairpin. Hell, I could even have done both the Lumina and the Scooby together in one move. That yawning gap down the inside was an open invitation.

[ame]http://youtu.be/vPBhEFx0Nyg[/ame]

[LostSalad]

Originally Posted by Fish Eagle

Cool, now we know what you look like. What colour is your car?
BTW, I'm light grey and wrinkly...

You shoulda popped up to the pits to say hi - several 86's at the main track today.
Or we shoulda popped down to the skidpad - mea culpa, but I had a long way to get home, so I ducked early.

Lol, well, my car is young with short hair and a beard

I actually went to the pits first thinking that that's where you do registration. I got a nice warm welcome too. If I met your or not I can't remember, sorry - it was a bit of overload

Originally Posted by Sporran

Yebo, that was me

I saw your car in the parking lot but I don't think I got to meet you. Awesome photos by the way!

I'll watch all the videos posted here at home when I can crank up the sound

[Fish Eagle]

Originally Posted by Freedom

My bit of fun after I left Zwartkops.
Just two short clips.

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

I've only been to The Rock once - that was to play in an Inex Legend car which was a hoot. And afterwards I took my 86 for about 10 laps of the outermost loop of the combined arena and road tracks and did 2 secs better than my best in the Legend