Wakefield Park Track Day

[benjam]

Hey all,

Here are some vids on my track day yesterday (NSW Labour Day) at Wakefield Park. I had heaps of fun and improved my lap time from last year by about half a second (1:17.640). The vids were limited to 1 min by my digicam, pretty much same as any others you may have seen posted, but was first time I had the camera on board myself. :-)

The weather was good overall, though only got 3 sessions on complete dry track and only one of them timed. It poured down rain and a little hail in the middle of the day, then cleared quickly too. Though there were a few rivers running in places for the rest of the day. I didn't bother going out when it was coming down, but plenty did. I was the only T there and the only other Ford was a little Escort mk2 with a 2ltr cosworth engine.

One of my mates drove as well in his MY04 WRX so we rode as passengers in each other's cars during the passenger sessions. He did a 1:14.254. Great day, just need to do more of them! I need to work on carrying speed through the last corner and turn 1. Enjoy.

Rounding up a slower car and brake into last turn

Hunting down a Volvo Estate with a FWD T5 engine

Rounding up another slower car and getting better through the top section

Passing a Mirage getting on to the straight

Catching a R32 GTR through the twisty bits

Aggressive through the twisty bits and letting an EVO9 pass

Bit of last session silly fun at turn 1

Ben

[Guest]

Nice vids mate

I want to get out on the track with some other cars & have some fun! The track day I went on was limited to one car on the track at any one time

[RAP1D]

Great vids mate, looks like it sits very flat now.

What susp' does it have?

[XR06T]

great vids mate, those tyres were really working!

[tig]

Looks like you were having a ball out there Ben. Love to give my ute a run around that track. Did the Volvo driver have a hat on over his helmet ?

Cheers

[jsmith]

Good work, Wakefield is a great little track ain't it, NOTHING to hit, although have seen some people do extrodinary things to be able to hit the wall.

On a little side note, have you driven Oran Park south??? There was an XR6T there yesterday while I was there and was quite a bit slower than I thought it would be. Trying to figure out if it was the driver or the car so looking for some other times to compare him with.

Edited 07/10/08 09:04 AM by 1 of 5

[benjam]

  RAP1D said:

What susp' does it have?

Yeah I saw a few pics from a photographer working the day and it look pretty flat which surprised me actually. Last year people behind me said it leaned alot. I originally had King springs and Whiteline bars. Now I have added a Nolathane evolution camber kit, lower control arm bushes and the new Monroe GT Sport shocks. I did the shocks last and couldn't really tell much diff to my originals for street driving, but on the track the car felt much more controlable and I can definitly tell it's not as bouncy.

  XR06T said:

great vids mate, those tyres were really working!

I really love my tyres. First track day I did in the T was on Nangkangs at Eastern Creek and they just let the car down big time. I've had Yoko Advan v103's for about 20000kms and 2 WP track days and they are as good now as when new. I estimate they have about 30% left too, so are great value for this reason alone.

  tigwelder said:

Did the Volvo driver have a hat on over his helmet ?

Haha not quite, he was a nice guy really and let me pass a couple of times. It goes pretty good I reckon and I have 290kwatw so it wasn't like passing Mirages. We were parked next to each other in the garages too. He had massive brakes with giant calipers off a higher model, had also some engine tuning, the T5 engine is seen here also in the Ford XR5T. Was talking to him for a bit, he came from a Supra RZ and did the family car compromise shuffle. :-)

  1 of 5 said:

although have seen some people do extrodinary things to be able to hit the wall.

On a little side note, have you driven Oran Park south???

For WP I can see how it is possible to hit the wall coming onto the straight, but you would really have to panic and try and unsuccessfully correct a big oversteer. Much better to follow the rule, 'if you spin, both feet in" :-) I saw an Evo make a big splash in the sand trap at turn 1 after it rained. Looked cool and it still managed to power out of it!

My first time on a track was Oran Park south, but in my old 85 Alfa GTV6. I did a driver training day run by the Alfa club and there was a half day doing laps with the instructor as well. But never done it in the T. That dogleg you really have to line it up right even at Alfa speeds, let alone a T. lol. I'd be slow around OP south as well! From memory a good driver in an average car can do something like 34 secs. How does that compare?

Ben

[jsmith]

34 is around F1 speeds (or quicker). The bloke in the T did a best of 1:00.5, my best was 50.31, (my dad got me by .11 but it was my first time there and he has raced there for the last few decades)

Was quite a fun day overall, a few Ferrari F430's including a brand new scuderia (the brakes are massive and almost copped a few pearl necklaces), a lot of older ferrari's, 2 Lancia Stratos's (one a genuine Grp4), an Alfa GTV6 that was quite modified, a lot of little Fiats, Torana, AC cobra replica, EH holden (fast bugger too), Val charger, couple of Mitsi Evos and a WRX,

Oh and a REAL Ford GT40! He was very lucky, he smacked the water pump belt or hose on a kerb, it boiled and he spun off on his own water while at exactly the same time his steering broke and he spun off into the sandtrap. If it hadn't of been for the water from his own car he would have buried it into the wall at high speed but as it was managed to miss by a few feet.

Edited 07/10/08 11:09 AM by 1 of 5

[benjam]

Haha my memory is shocking, I couldn't remember actually. lol I'm trying to think of what my mate did in his Alfa 75 twinspark, maybe 54 or 1:04, bugger. After owning an Alfa, I really like Italian cars and their often style over function design. Lancia's are great, never seen a Stratos in the flesh though! I remember there was always a little rivalary between the hardcore Alfa and Fiat owners and they all bowed down to the Ferarri guys. lol. I went to the annual Concorso d'Eleganza at Gough Whitlam Park a few times, so many beautiful machines.

Wow the GT40 driver does sounds lucky considering!

[ExAreSix]

Some good footage mate. My camera didn't want to play so I have no incar footage from the day.

And I've only got a bit of footage from the wet session.

The times are up on natsoft... TIMES

Kev had another good day. Very quick car.

I managed to top the street tyre timesheets, again. Only car in the top 20 on streets I think. (Car 62)

Some nice cars on the day. S4 sounded beautiful. M3 was nice.

Not as well run as the autosports days though. Still, a good day.