Mission Accomplished - Even though I almost walked away from the bloody thing yesterday.

1. Eastern Creek Private Practice Day Jan
2. ARDC Eastern Creek Twilight Drive Feb
3. Drove Syd to Portland and back for VWMA drags
4. VW Nationals Wakefield Park Mayish running in engine
5. Eastern Creek Supersprint only 4 stinking laps due to oil breather issues
6. Oz Mazda Track Day at Wakefield Park new PB 1:14.6
7. Oran Park Standing Start Supersprint Sept with another PB 1:27.?
8. Drove to Warwick with another "Warwick PB" 9.3? (Not 9.5 quoted in VW MA)
9. Last weekend went to Circuit Club Christmas Party at Wakefield Park and gave Dad a drive for 2 sessions. I did a demo session, a solo session and a session with Yokohama driver Steve Glenney instructing.

Not bad for the old girl.

14 KM from home it was running on 2 cylinders. I pulled an idle jet and only the holder came out. I only had a screw driver. I was lying in the dirt unable to get the jet out and unable to get the holder back in. I had to drive it home on 2 cylinders below 5000 rpm and 4 above 5000 rpm. Torture! When I got home beer never tasted so good. Over and out for 2009.

Merry Xmas all



In 2008 I was more of a drag racer than a circuit racer. I did 2 drag events, Warwick and Portland, and one circuit event being the BugIn at Oran Park. Disgraceful!

My Oval spent more time fitted with roof racks than race rubber. Disgraceful!

I have also admitted myself, along with Jak Rizzo, to the shock absorber hall of shame. My front konis were half oil and half air. When I fitted the new Bilsteins the front sat over an inch higher. Even after a run around the block. And boy didn't the car feel different. Jak, at least my shocks still had some oil in them! Disgraceful!

I was a member of the Australian Racing Drivers Club last year, which gets you into one major event as a spectator and you can do Friday Private Practice days for just $85. Porsche Club sprints at Eastern Creek used to cost $220. And guess what, I didn't use my membership once, for any event. What a waste. Disgraceful!

To make amends I've entered a Twilight Drive with Instructors to learn the correct lines at Eastern Creek on 21st Jan. Then 2 days later I've got Friday off for a Private Practice day. Then I could possibly enter my first ever regularity on Australia Day. That would do for Eastern Creek for a while.

I've got to give Oran Park GP a good wriggle before it closes and I might see if I can scam an entry into Superlap on 29th March. But the front straight speed of all those boosted up rice burners kind of scares me.

Anyway that's my rant which will hopefully make up for the fact that I haven't been on here boring peoples socks off for a while.

Who else is circuit racing in 2009?

CT,

I had the same sort of 08 - all I did was a 10 day rally and that wasnt in the bug - so I made the same sort of promise to get Herb out - first event is in Feb which is a clubday at Morgan Pk,

Then a lap sprint at Oakey (first time they are holding it, so I dont know much about it) but I think in March.

Then the Cootha Classic Hillclimb in May in Brisbane

10 day Endeavour Rally from Mackay to Cape York and back to Townsville in July

Leyburn Sprints in August

and given our first child is due late August I had better not plan on too much more...

Cheers

Peter

CT , that photo looks cool, got me thinking that maybe you could embark on a Top Gear style challenge and rig the sail up the roof racks and just go where ever the the wind takes you for a while.....

yes CT, disgraceful!..........me too!

i never knew were into windsurfing..........

when you rebuilt your konis a while back? where did you get them done/or the parts to do it?

bring on '09

Damien

i hope to get to the track for the first time ever! Hopefully i finish off the little bits on my car.

Hi Peter (Brisdubba),

Your 2009 racing calender sounds pretty darn good. I'm itching to drive around Morgan Park and I might consider joining you for the Leyburn Sprints. You played the herbie music on a speaker outside your car last time didn't you? The bub will probably slow your plans. Just ask Paul (1303).

Hi Paul,

I couldn't turn my car into a boat. I can't keep the water out of it in the rain so imagine the ocean. That's the only reason.

Hi Cam,

What are you driving in the Marque Sports Car Association event? What are you competing against? I've never been around Sandown but I imagine the corners at the end of the back straight would be the most interesting. Good luck.

Hi Damien,

I used to be into windsurfing. Each year I vow to do more of it. My gear is just about as vintage as the car. I've got a wave/slalom board which is good fun. I guess you're a windsurfer too, being close to the beach eh?

Hi Mick,

C'mon don't dilly dally. Your car doesn't have to be perfect before you get on the track. My first time around Eastern creek was in my old daily driver oval with a stock 1600.

Come out to a private practice day and join me in blowing the cobwebs out of the driver.

So are we all heading to Wakefield Park for the VW Nationals Supersprint. I know I will be. It's my favourite driving track.

CYA CT

yeah I wanna have a go at few more 'track' days.. I did Oran a few weeks ago, might have a go at Bathurst hill climb in a few weeks... Definitely want to do the Wakefield day. I love that track, don't know it very well but it will be interesting to do it in something slow, and mine, for a change!

Had a pretty quiet 08 to CT with the only racing being at the vw spectacular at raleigh raceway Hopefully i will have my new car ready before long (spending every minute i can in shed trying to get it sorted) then i can get it to a few track days.

What is the latest info on the proposed super sprint for the nationals any dates yet.

you all did better than me. My entire motor racing experience in 2008 was watching some of the VW Nationals and V8's Sunday of Clipsal, Bathurst and Oran Park.

You can cable tie the extinguisher, even though I wouldn't.

You can make the battery triangle out of blue electrical tape, like I did at Easter and its still on the car!

If you have a Level 2S CAMS (Cornflake packet) licence you can do the private practice day, and there's no scrutineering.

CYA CT

Mick058, I have a spare extinguisher & bracket & some battery triangles if you need them. I can give them to Ct & you can meet him at the practice day and put them on. .......checked out your link to your beetle, would be good to see your beetle on the track!

1303, cheers mate - i picked up an extinguisher, but ill take you up on the battery triangle offer. That would be great.

DO you still hit the track? i noticed you were selling your 2L turbo.

just to get Cams organised now.

as in hose clamps???

Im not too keen to stick holes in the car to mount the extinguisher.

VW's don't catch on fire do they???

nahnah, i've always had the extinguisher, it just 'floats' around in the car - which is not too good either, cause when i need it i'll have to find it - not the best idea if your car was currently burning up.

ha yeah , believe me they do, when things burst into flames it's great to know exactly where they are.....

anyways, as Glenn said, fairly easy to mount to the passenger side seat rail after you remove the seat from over there

Yikes Mick - an extinguisher that "floats" around in the car - man don't go hitting the brakes too hard or it'll "float" right to the front of the car !!!

Mount it on the floor just in front of the seat is the best place... mostly out of sight and completely out of the way.... and best of all you can have two (one each side) just in case....

i saw the pics! they burn good - though you had an EJ engine

yeh, a few little things i need to do really - time and space is a problem - anyone selling a house in the Carlton/Allawah area? Stupid economic crisis slows up the housing market and i can't find a house to buy - means my VW lives in someone else' garage while im waiting. Hard to get the little things done.

Not to mention a loose extinguisher would make a mess of your melon if you rolled, heaven for bid?
Mount it securely, the scrutineers will check it.
Cheers Col

point taken. A good point at that. Its progressed to the top of the hit list.

Hose clamps is what I use to mount the metal fire extinguisher brackets (Avoid the plastic ones) to my roll bar. I had to have 2 fire extinguishers for the Dutton rally, so now I have 2. One on either side of the car mounted as low as possible and easy to get to.

You also need a secondary bonnet tie down. I used to use a tie-down strap on the bonnet handle and bumper bar bracket. Then one day a scrutineer said it had to be flame proof or something. So I got some wire and a couple of shackles which I can hook up to the inside of the bonnet handle and panel area on the front apron when the bonnet is open about 20cm. Then just close the bonnet like normal. The guys with engines up the front do it this way when they don't want to fit bonnet pins.

I've removed the sailboard, checked the tappets and bolted the race rubber up. I also lowered the front by a notch to counter the height increase from the Bilsteins compared with the worn konis.

So I'm ready for the twilight drive on Wednesday night and private practice on Friday.

Interestingly, the tappet screws are nolonger pitting. It's either the STP oil treatment I decided to try putting on them whenever I did the tappets or (more likely) my recent method of adjusting the tappets, which is not at TDC. They're Yamaha screws by the way which bolt on and have a nice hard, round tip.

Mick 058. I can't remember how long it takes to get a CAMS licence. I just renew mine every year. Once I forgot and CAMs arranged a temporary licence by fax machine on the same day.

So if you're keen to come out on Friday you may be able to pay for the full licence, then get a temporary until the real McCoy arrives.

CYA CT

Hey CT have fun on Wednesday evening.

Let us all know how you went. Strong and fast i predict.

Cheers Col

Hey Col,

I don't think they time the runs. I might be able to borrow some timing equipment, but its more about blowing the cobwebs out of the driver than the car.

I'm also hoping to see how the smaller rear springs and new shocks go. Hopefully I can find the understeer end of the handling balance, because I've got plenty of options for dialing it back.

Regards CT

An ark would've been more appropriate than a car. It was rained out. Hopefully tomorrow is better.

CT