My practice day started at 9am and ended at 4pm.
Everyone was pretty much free to go out there between those times for a mere $60 per day with the exception of 2 x 1hr slots dedicated to CAMS logged cars.
I went out on my ADVAN NEOVA AD08s to try to learn the circuit and record a few lap times. As soon as I set the start/finish line in the PerformanceBox I tried to record a few decent lap times. The weather was warm, around 27C and my first few laps yielded 1'17''s. I came back into the pits and adjusted my tyre pressures and suspension settings and went out there again. Towards 11am I was consistently recording 1'16''s but I felt I was making some mistakes in a few places and there was more room for improvement.
After lunch I swapped out my NEOVAs for ADVAN A050s semi-slicks.
Having never driven with semi-slicks I was anxious to see what they felt like but also worried about potential fender clearance issues arising. Needles to say there were no clearance issues, no rubbing and no scrubbing. A perfect setup ! I was very relieved ! My purchase of wheels and tyres was spot on !
And as far as semi-slicks were concerned .. A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE !!!
I dont know why I waited this long to drive with semi-slicks ! Well I do actually !
Anyway, amazing grip, stopping power and ease of handling. I will never go out to a track without them !
In the mid afternoon after getting used to the feel of semi-slicks I waited for a clear track and pushed for my best lap. I was able to record a 1'13''88 ! It's a start and there is much more room for improvement but that's in weeks/months to come. Let's say my goal is to drop below 1'10s and the rest is a bonus !
A word about other cars which attended on the day. A real mixed bag of australian, american and japanese cars. A dodge, a number of race bred Ford escorts, a lot of Holdens/Fords, a few skylines, an EVO, one or 2 WRXs, a few open wheelers. A large variety although compared to Japan not many german and italian cars and boy do I miss seeing those Porsche GT3s !
As far as drivers were concerned, a lot of talent, guys and girls with experience who knew their race craft. A few dodgy and right down dangerous individuals but you get that sometimes and it's best to stay away from cars driven by them.
So without further ado, here are a couple of laps recorded during the day.
Time to change my brake pads, change my transmission fluid and prepare for my next competition event which is on October 29th, Perth Time Attack Battle !
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