V8 Supercar Drive, Sandown

[Chops]

:D:D:D

The girls in my life gave me a V8 drive for my 50th last year.
Today I went for my drive :cool:. Well planned IMO, the week after Bathurst.
Watched the boys play last weekend,,, played myself this weekend :D.

WOW, what a rush. I was lucky, I got 6 laps for me, and 3 with a "Pro".
I have a few issues,,, apparently :eek:,,, :D, Its funny how we all think we can drive, then you go for a hit with a pro, (Didn't think he'd appreciate me letting him know he was a bit rough around the edges ;):eek:) but wow, just so much fun, I don't think I can tell it justifiably.

Its hard work driving these things around the track. Not sure how many others have done this, but so different to driving a car. Grippy tyres, massive breaks :eek: I reckon another few Hundred laps and I'd have half an idea :D Cant get over how fast these things can stop.
You get a briefing on how it all works, cornering etc,, "follow the cones" (not sure I want cones before my drive:eek: ) and you'll be fine.

The plan now,,, some saving,,, I want to do it again. Seems there's a lot of 50-somethings getting into this ;)

[Keithy P38]

I've gotta ask - do they record your laps and lap times so you can see just how "good" you can drive?

[rangieman]

Yep did mine last year at Sandown in a ford of course , Passed every holden i could :p The best fun ever with your pants on

[Chops]

I've gotta ask - do they record your laps and lap times so you can see just how "good" you can drive?

Na dude, not that I know of. I guess if you had someone there with you, they could do some timing for you to see how you go.

I was a bit amazed at just how smooth you have to go into a corner to be able to come out the other side at speed.
I had a few really good exits, but still couldn't get the car to 200. I think they actually have two different cars, one lot worked, and the other lot not. Because when you do your "Hot Lap" with their driver, you go way faster ;) Mind you, "They" know how to drive :eek:

But as Chris says,,, the most fun you can have with your pants on :D

[disco 3 door]

Which car & driver did you have? Did my three laps as passenger at Winton last weekend. Found out it's the same mob that does Sandown, but Winton has more twisty bits = more sideways action.

Sent from my GT-N8020 using AULRO mobile app

[Chops]

G'day Shane, cant remember the guys name, but he seemed familiar to me, however, of course, as a driver, I'd only want to sit my ass in a FORD :D (Was a bit hard getting in the Holden for the Hot Lap :eek:) But he was really good too. Not sure who he was either, but I would have liked him as my coach, he seemed a little happier. Although, having said that, I guess seeing as he's in charge of the car, and not some lunatic who "thinks" he can drive :eek:, I reckon he would be happy,,, ;)
From what I was told, the drivers and the Coach's, are like two different people. The guys that do the "Hot Laps" are paid drivers (specific), the coach's which essentially teach/tell you how to drive, I'm not sure if they do the hot laps or not. Not sure how correct this is, but that's what I was told by some of the team.

All the cars are shared between Vic and WA, and possibly everywhere else too. They are shifted around by one truck/driver. The teams are state only, so all the drivers/guys at Sandown go up to Winton to do it there, but they don't go to WA, they have the majority of their own people. More info from one of the team.

[scarry]

I won a sit in the car at Qld raceway,with Skaife at the wheel.Three laps and that was enough for me.The G forces are unbelievable.
Was a good day,also learnt a lot about what goes on in the team as they were testing as well.

It was a good few years ago,HRT.

[Chops]

I won a sit in the car at Qld raceway,with Skaife at the wheel.Three laps and that was enough for me.The G forces are unbelievable.
Was a good day,also learnt a lot about what goes on in the team as they were testing as well.

That would be awesome. I have a lot of respect for Skaife, (Bloody Holden drivers :eek:) and I'm sure the cars they drive are a lot quicker than what I drove.
I will have the opportunity at some point to be in the pits with one of my co workers and his team. Looking forward to it immensely :D

[Mike_S]

In the early 90's I did my first trackday, where the instructors were current British Touring Car drivers. I had a Sierra Cosworth at the time and managed to get Robb Gravett as my instructor for the day & it's something I'll never forget, he'd been the BTCC champion in the Sierra, albeit his had a couple of hundred more ponies under the bonnet than mine !

I managed to gain 20mph in straight line speed under his initial instruction (in the wet) but the best part of the day was me agreeing to let him take me for a few laps in my car...

Me, flat in 4th on the main straight was the best I could do at about 130mph before hammering the brakes and dropping to 3rd. He got in 5th, 150mph, then took the next right hander with the steering wheel straight, feathering the throttle to keep it in the perfect drift :cool: I just sat there and clenched the seat

Must get round to doing a trackday here, Sandown's only just up the road, but I've *got* to do Philip Island....

[scarry]

That would be awesome. I have a lot of respect for Skaife, (Bloody Holden drivers :eek:) and I'm sure the cars they drive are a lot quicker than what I drove.
I will have the opportunity at some point to be in the pits with one of my co workers and his team. Looking forward to it immensely :D

i will never ever forget the whip lash getting to the first corner,the flat out and then flat on the brake and the feathering around it.:D
I was just trying to hang on:o

And then came the next few laps,all the same.

We were the first ride,someone else,can't remember who(he was their test driver,may have been Seaton but i don't think so?), took it for a quick two laps to warm it up and spun it twice.Glad i wasn't with him,as i would have **** myself....

[Chops]

Paul, I sat in the back for my hot lap, couldn't see much out the front, but was more keen to see where I stuffed up during my run, so I was busy trying to see how he used, the relationship to the markers on the track and his car position.
He was squealing wheels almost every corner, and I noticed he actually turned the car, "after" the markers, as opposed to "at" them. I found this interesting. This resulted in him doing some wild runs :D and being a lot faster than myself.

Mike, That was one thing I noticed most predominately. The smoother I came into the corner, the harder I went out of the corner, resulting in an extra 20K's up the straight's.
I was really surprised at how much grip the tyres have, and I'm seriously tempted to have a go in the wet. Not sure if they actually do "rainy days" though.

The precision required to get the car into the right line through the corners is really hard,,,, no, I mean REALLY hard. The pro's must practice something fierce to keep getting it right, lap after lap.

I will be trying to get there again, it was just soooo cool.
Got me stuffed as to why I didn't do this earlier in life :eek:

[Pickles2]

I've never driven a V8 Supercar, but I have had a few laps around Sandown in one courtesy Peter Brock.....amazing.....going up the back straight probably around 250ks, & he's driving one handed, arm out the window, casually talking to me about his Bathurst gearbox!
I've done a High Speed Murcott course at Sandown years ago, but this year I did an AMG drive day at Phillip Island, not in my car,...thank goodness. You use their (AMG) cars, & there are around 25 instructors, and they do not let you relax,...they are there to show you how to DRIVE. Approaching turn one at around 230ks at the Island, & being told to "GO HARDER" is quite an experience. And yes they also use cones which you have to "aim" for in the corners,.....and when ya're going hard, sometimes its hard to see the bloody things! Also did drags, drifting, braking...all sorts of stuff...then after a Gourmet lunch hosted by Mark Beretta its' "Helmets On", and driving FAST around the circuit, with various instructors, the likes of James Brock, Cody Crocker, etc in the likes of the AMG C63, SL63, etc all afternoon,...as fast as you can. I was absolutely stuffed at the end of the day.....makes you realize how good these Supercar drivers are.
Cheers, Pickles.