Midvaal Raceway / Zwartkops Skidpan event

[Vladror]

From the BlackTop Rally organisers:

Midvaal Raceway
Date: 21 Feb
Time: 13:00 – 17:00 (or they throw us out)

Play around on the track the whole afternoon. I’m trying to organise an ex-racing guy to come out and show us lines, give tips on going faster, braking, the right lines etc.

We’ll set up an afternoon braai around 15:00 so there’ll be some lunch. We haven’t organised a formal dinner anywhere, but depending on the number of people who come through, we might just have dinner close by or head back to Joburg and get dinner there.

Zwartkops Skidpan
Date: 22 Feb
Time: 08:00 – 12:30

The one I’m looking most forward to. None of this “here’s how your ABS works, and this is understeer etc. etc.” training. Skidpan + water = drifting around and actually learning car control. 4.5 hours of going sideways, donuts and gymkhana to see who’s the fastest controlled car around a course!

Total cost is R1,200 for both sessions.

[JouMaSeHoes]

Lol. Fish Eagle and I are in already.

[Vladror]

the one reason i'm envious not to live up north... better track events

[Fish Eagle]

Originally Posted by Vladror

the one reason i'm envious not to live up north... better track events

Midvaal Raceway at Meyerton is a cool track.

Nino Venturi owns it, and he's a star.
He has a long and illustrious history in SA Formula Ford. He's known as Mr Formula Ford.
Trevor assists Nino and is very knowledgeable about lines, apexes, etc.
If you ask him, he'll go out on track with you and give you some guidance.
Both Nino and Trevor live at the track.

It's open almost 365 days a year, from 7am to 5pm, except when there's organised events.
On most (40 out of 52) Wednesdays and Thursdays it's closed for SAPS cop advanced driver training.
A quick phone call and you'll know whether the track is open or not.
Oh, and don't take on the cops - sounds like they've been around the block.

Pitch up, pay your R500, sign the indemnity, and the track's yours for the day.
And you get a nice big shady pit to park your car in (and your butt in your deckchair) which makes you feel quite important and is baie lekker...

If it's busy, they split the field in 3.
Motorbikes, single-seaters and saloons - each get 20 mins sessions.

The only negative that I experienced was that over two days on track, I was the only "civvie" (road-legal) car there.
That was quite (very) intimidating - amid A class Super Saloons, Historic Series cars, Formula Fords, MPC's (modified production cars), the toot - phew!! Even a gorgeous racing TVR!!
If you havent got a big fat number on the side of your car - well, then you feel a bit out...ish.
But it's a very quick learning curve.... And that's cool.

Bespoke race cars on slicks with experienced racing drivers are ff'ing fast.
Not necessarily on the straights (many are much slower than me there), but jeez they nail the corners.

If you think you're a cool and quick windgat - well, you aint seen nothing yet.
When someone with half your horsepower makes you look like you're going backwards - you know that you've got a lot to learn.

And despite them being "kind" to you, they can scare you sh*tless because they're used to high speed at close quarters (and you aint).
That said, they are very experienced and they give obvious "trackidiots" a fairly wide berth - thanks guys!!

With civvie track days at other tracks, they have many serious rules.
At Midvaal on a "practice" day (because that's what it is for the racing fraternity), there are few rules.

Nino's very clear advice (read "instruction/warning") is - never give way, never deviate from the racing line.
Just go for it, and faster cars must find their way around you.
If they can't, then they must stay behind you.
If you try to be polite, they won't expect that, and you'll crash.

Simple as that - makes sense, but scary neverthelesss.

This might sound intimidating, but it isn't - mega fun!!
Go for it - see you there

[Fish Eagle]

Stoked!! I can't wait.

I'll be staying with my son in Henley-on-Klip for that Friday night, but being a typical mid-twenties bachelor, he has everything in his two bedroom flat except a spare bed.
And I'm certainly not going to snuggle up with him...

Normally, no problem. I've got a big, very thick and very comfortable sponge mattress (which befits a gentleman of my advanced age), and it fits fine in the 86.

But... If I want to enjoy the track with gay abandon, then I must load up my stock wheels too because my semi's are only going to do one more track session, and definately won't be legal to drive home on.

So, today's challenge was - can I fit 4 wheels and tyres, an overnight bag, a coolerbox, a duvet and pillow, and a big 20cm thick sponge mattress in my 86...?
Oh, and a wheel spanner...

Hell yeah!! It works. All systems go.

C'mon Gautengers - this weekend will be great fun.