News Archive
Old tales from the tarmac...
Targa Tasmania Day 5 - Claire's Blog
Wed, 5th May, 2010
Our dedicated crew got up early to beat the road closures to get to the service park and refuelling points for the rest of the day.
Sam and I had a quiet morning chatting to other competitors and eating snot-blocks (vanilla slices) from the delightful Strahan bakery. Soon enough it was time to leave for the final day…. The first stage was Rinadeena in reverse which was easier in the broad daylight, although still wet.
We then headed to the brilliant Queenstown stage. It goes through a mine and the amazing rhyolitic rocks turn purple in the rain. There was a waterfall cascading down one side of the stage and the helicopter was hovering around taking gorgeous aerial shots.
A short stage, it has nevertheless caught out many a driver and we treated it with caution, knowing what was ahead…..Mt Arrowsmith!
At 56kms it is one of the longest tarmac stages in Australia. It is a challenging road that goes from fast, to twisty to fast again. There are very little landmarks, lots of surface changes and basically it’s just a challenge. We unfortunately had a 45-minute wait on the start line which did nothing for the nerves, let alone the hail and roaring gale all around us. The stage proved to be just as hard as we thought it would. I fell of notes halfway through and took 3kms to get back on them (shame!). The road was like ice in spots and Sam did incredibly well to keep the car on the black stuff. We were passed by one car and caught two others. With a base time of 28mins, it was an epic experience and one we were glad to get through unscathed. At the refuel point afterwards we were glad our crew were elsewhere because it was SNOWING! We were both sweating and Sam pumped out a cloud of steam when she opened her race suit to get some air!
After Arrowsmith, we began to feel like we might make it. With four stages to go, one that was non competitive and none over 10km long we agreed to back off and get the car through. We were quite confused/concerned about our results – we knew our 20min penalty had been revoked but we had not seen evidence of that on the results yet – we were still down in 40th early modern! It was at this point we heard the sad news that our team mates, Simon and Kathy, had blown a head gasket and were out of the event on the first stage of the day. They were doing so well and we felt their pain….
The next stage proved that Targa is just designed to test you – we lost boost about a quarter of the way through and after stopping to check the car after the stage couldn’t see anything obvious. We had no choice but to continue to service where John the wonder boy said that the car was ok, probably just getting tired (funny that) and that it would be ok on the low boost setting that he had programmed in.
Three stages to go…. Moleworth went by in a blur of rough roads and narrow soft edges then it was on to Grasstree Hill which was the last competitive stage of the event. We had awesome grip, the notes were great and we really enjoyed that stage. A few screams sneaked out as we crossed the flying finish but we knew we still had two liaisons and a non competitive town stage to go before we finished.
Soon enough we were crossing the finish line of Cambridge Park and jumping out for photos, hugs and general mucking around…. Liaising back to Wrest Point Casino (the official finish), we were struck by the enormity of what we had done. With the iPod blaring out our favourite tunes, we gave in to the moment and enjoyed knowing we had just finished somewhere in the top 5 in early modern, somewhere in the top 30 outright and most importantly, had just won the Early Modern Category in the Australian Tarmac Championship….what a great feeling.
Things got a bit marred at Wrest Point due to some very upset competitors who weren’t expecting us to have finished in the top five and promptly told me what they thought of that! The results were all messed up – we didn’t know if we had come 3rd, 4th, 5th or 27th in Early Modern. In addition, we had a very strong suspicion that the car that had won early modern was highly illegal. After all the dramas of the event, we decided not to protest as that is not how our team likes to gain results. We left things to the Gods, went over the podium in a happy frame of mind and then headed to the bar to have a champers and a wind down.
Soon enough we went to our accommodation for a spa and a shower then came back to Wrest Point for dinner and drinks. While on the way there we were informed that the leading car had been excluded – while I felt very sad for those competitors who had driven so well all event, I am also glad that illegal cars are finally being penalised at some of these tarmac events where cheating seems to be the mainstay of all wins.
So we ended up 4th in Early Modern and 25th Outright. This is still an amazing feeling for me – the event had 270 competitors and only about 200 finished…. It is a hard, long event but ultimately so rewarding, particularly with the championship win on top of it.
When we arrived at Wrest Point we discovered the podium was still set up so we had to jump up on it for photos.
The next day, all nursing extreme tiredness and hangovers, we packed up and headed for home. One last big lunch with the Gillett/Norton team plus Steve and Bernie and we were on way to the boat at Devonport. The crossing was quite rough and was awesome fun for everyone except poor Brook who was sea sick!
Melbourne at 0600 the next morning and the odyssey was nearly over. We said goodbye to Sammy and Dean who were driving home to Sydney with Edward and then we headed home. The original plan was for Edward to come here to Adelaide for the ASP Rally but he is a sick little man. Fuel pump is screaming, gearbox wont go into reverse, computer needs assessing, rotors are warped, turbo is not boosting, clutch is ruined and he basically just needs a good looking over. Having said all that – what an amazing car. He took everything we threw at him all year and all event and is still going….
On that note, I need to thank some people. Firstly – John. Prince John of V-Sport who has built and maintained that car since Sammy bought it. He is untiring, modest, just goes about his way and gets the job done. Apart from all that, he is a dear friend, knows how to have fun and always supports Sammy and I. Thank you so much John, you will never know how much you mean to us and our team. The championship win is a third yours and I hope you know that…
Century Yuasa – thank you for getting us to this event. We certainly would not have been able to enter without your support and we are so very grateful for it. I hope we can continue our association into the future and that we lived up to your expectations!
Kuhmo Tyres, Nevco Trailers, iAutosport, the McGrath Foundation, V-Sport, Racecam, Just Jap and Shanes Signs: everyone one of these businesses makes a huge difference to our team and we are so grateful for your continual support and enthusiasm in getting us to Targa.
The event organisers and officials – always smiling, even in the hail at Arrowsmith. Thank you for putting on such a wonderful event for us.
Simon, Kathy and Steve – teaming up is always a dangerous exercise but in this case, it worked perfectly. We had so much fun, it was nice to share the experience with another team and sharing the refuelling and servicing made things so much more enjoyable for our crew.
Dean and Brook – our cheeky service crew who along with John, kept us and the car going all event. Every refuel, every service, they were there with smiles on their faces, cracking jokes and working with an easy professionalism to keep us going. I know how boring servicing can be and am very grateful that they boys did it with such happy smiles and genuine enjoyment. Thank you so much for your hard work and we are so glad you were there to share the experience and the win.
Everyone at home – our families, Howie my very supportive husband, and all the friends cheering us on – thank you for the sms’s, the emails and the goodwill. It meant so much to us.
Finally, Sammy. I don’t think there are words to express how proud of this girl I am. Not only has she built this car and team herself, she has paid for it out of her own pocket making the achievement all the more sweeter. Sam, you drove like a demon. You are an amazing driver who never gives up and you are so skilled. You let me pull you back, you never got grumpy with me, you accepted everything I had to say. I hope you realise just what you have done this year and just how proud of you we all are. Apart from all that, you are a very dear friend and I am so glad to be your co-driver…….
Ok, enough from me! I am home, I am exhausted and I am heading to bed for a well deserve nanna nap…..Catch you all at the next one.
Love from Claire xoxo
Sam and I had a quiet morning chatting to other competitors and eating snot-blocks (vanilla slices) from the delightful Strahan bakery. Soon enough it was time to leave for the final day…. The first stage was Rinadeena in reverse which was easier in the broad daylight, although still wet.
We then headed to the brilliant Queenstown stage. It goes through a mine and the amazing rhyolitic rocks turn purple in the rain. There was a waterfall cascading down one side of the stage and the helicopter was hovering around taking gorgeous aerial shots.
A short stage, it has nevertheless caught out many a driver and we treated it with caution, knowing what was ahead…..Mt Arrowsmith!
At 56kms it is one of the longest tarmac stages in Australia. It is a challenging road that goes from fast, to twisty to fast again. There are very little landmarks, lots of surface changes and basically it’s just a challenge. We unfortunately had a 45-minute wait on the start line which did nothing for the nerves, let alone the hail and roaring gale all around us. The stage proved to be just as hard as we thought it would. I fell of notes halfway through and took 3kms to get back on them (shame!). The road was like ice in spots and Sam did incredibly well to keep the car on the black stuff. We were passed by one car and caught two others. With a base time of 28mins, it was an epic experience and one we were glad to get through unscathed. At the refuel point afterwards we were glad our crew were elsewhere because it was SNOWING! We were both sweating and Sam pumped out a cloud of steam when she opened her race suit to get some air!
After Arrowsmith, we began to feel like we might make it. With four stages to go, one that was non competitive and none over 10km long we agreed to back off and get the car through. We were quite confused/concerned about our results – we knew our 20min penalty had been revoked but we had not seen evidence of that on the results yet – we were still down in 40th early modern! It was at this point we heard the sad news that our team mates, Simon and Kathy, had blown a head gasket and were out of the event on the first stage of the day. They were doing so well and we felt their pain….
The next stage proved that Targa is just designed to test you – we lost boost about a quarter of the way through and after stopping to check the car after the stage couldn’t see anything obvious. We had no choice but to continue to service where John the wonder boy said that the car was ok, probably just getting tired (funny that) and that it would be ok on the low boost setting that he had programmed in.
Three stages to go…. Moleworth went by in a blur of rough roads and narrow soft edges then it was on to Grasstree Hill which was the last competitive stage of the event. We had awesome grip, the notes were great and we really enjoyed that stage. A few screams sneaked out as we crossed the flying finish but we knew we still had two liaisons and a non competitive town stage to go before we finished.
Soon enough we were crossing the finish line of Cambridge Park and jumping out for photos, hugs and general mucking around…. Liaising back to Wrest Point Casino (the official finish), we were struck by the enormity of what we had done. With the iPod blaring out our favourite tunes, we gave in to the moment and enjoyed knowing we had just finished somewhere in the top 5 in early modern, somewhere in the top 30 outright and most importantly, had just won the Early Modern Category in the Australian Tarmac Championship….what a great feeling.
Things got a bit marred at Wrest Point due to some very upset competitors who weren’t expecting us to have finished in the top five and promptly told me what they thought of that! The results were all messed up – we didn’t know if we had come 3rd, 4th, 5th or 27th in Early Modern. In addition, we had a very strong suspicion that the car that had won early modern was highly illegal. After all the dramas of the event, we decided not to protest as that is not how our team likes to gain results. We left things to the Gods, went over the podium in a happy frame of mind and then headed to the bar to have a champers and a wind down.
Soon enough we went to our accommodation for a spa and a shower then came back to Wrest Point for dinner and drinks. While on the way there we were informed that the leading car had been excluded – while I felt very sad for those competitors who had driven so well all event, I am also glad that illegal cars are finally being penalised at some of these tarmac events where cheating seems to be the mainstay of all wins.
So we ended up 4th in Early Modern and 25th Outright. This is still an amazing feeling for me – the event had 270 competitors and only about 200 finished…. It is a hard, long event but ultimately so rewarding, particularly with the championship win on top of it.
When we arrived at Wrest Point we discovered the podium was still set up so we had to jump up on it for photos.
The next day, all nursing extreme tiredness and hangovers, we packed up and headed for home. One last big lunch with the Gillett/Norton team plus Steve and Bernie and we were on way to the boat at Devonport. The crossing was quite rough and was awesome fun for everyone except poor Brook who was sea sick!
Melbourne at 0600 the next morning and the odyssey was nearly over. We said goodbye to Sammy and Dean who were driving home to Sydney with Edward and then we headed home. The original plan was for Edward to come here to Adelaide for the ASP Rally but he is a sick little man. Fuel pump is screaming, gearbox wont go into reverse, computer needs assessing, rotors are warped, turbo is not boosting, clutch is ruined and he basically just needs a good looking over. Having said all that – what an amazing car. He took everything we threw at him all year and all event and is still going….
On that note, I need to thank some people. Firstly – John. Prince John of V-Sport who has built and maintained that car since Sammy bought it. He is untiring, modest, just goes about his way and gets the job done. Apart from all that, he is a dear friend, knows how to have fun and always supports Sammy and I. Thank you so much John, you will never know how much you mean to us and our team. The championship win is a third yours and I hope you know that…
Century Yuasa – thank you for getting us to this event. We certainly would not have been able to enter without your support and we are so very grateful for it. I hope we can continue our association into the future and that we lived up to your expectations!
Kuhmo Tyres, Nevco Trailers, iAutosport, the McGrath Foundation, V-Sport, Racecam, Just Jap and Shanes Signs: everyone one of these businesses makes a huge difference to our team and we are so grateful for your continual support and enthusiasm in getting us to Targa.
The event organisers and officials – always smiling, even in the hail at Arrowsmith. Thank you for putting on such a wonderful event for us.
Simon, Kathy and Steve – teaming up is always a dangerous exercise but in this case, it worked perfectly. We had so much fun, it was nice to share the experience with another team and sharing the refuelling and servicing made things so much more enjoyable for our crew.
Dean and Brook – our cheeky service crew who along with John, kept us and the car going all event. Every refuel, every service, they were there with smiles on their faces, cracking jokes and working with an easy professionalism to keep us going. I know how boring servicing can be and am very grateful that they boys did it with such happy smiles and genuine enjoyment. Thank you so much for your hard work and we are so glad you were there to share the experience and the win.
Everyone at home – our families, Howie my very supportive husband, and all the friends cheering us on – thank you for the sms’s, the emails and the goodwill. It meant so much to us.
Finally, Sammy. I don’t think there are words to express how proud of this girl I am. Not only has she built this car and team herself, she has paid for it out of her own pocket making the achievement all the more sweeter. Sam, you drove like a demon. You are an amazing driver who never gives up and you are so skilled. You let me pull you back, you never got grumpy with me, you accepted everything I had to say. I hope you realise just what you have done this year and just how proud of you we all are. Apart from all that, you are a very dear friend and I am so glad to be your co-driver…….
Ok, enough from me! I am home, I am exhausted and I am heading to bed for a well deserve nanna nap…..Catch you all at the next one.
Love from Claire xoxo
Targa Tasmania Day 4 - Claire's Blog
Tue, 4th May, 2010
So. Where to begin? Day 4 was a huge huge day. We started early in Launceston and ended up in Strahan that night. Along the way, famous stages like Cethana and Hellyer kept us on our toes. Most of the stages were over 20km in length and proved to be testing due to wet conditions and a tired crew. However the car performed beautifully and we were able to really enjoy the day and get into the roads. I managed to sleep the whole way from the lunch break to Hellyer (thank God for having a driver who used to be a nav!) which made my day easier. We unfortunately got caught by Brendan Reeves and Jonesy on Rinadeena (the last stage of the day). Both Sam and I were mesmerised to see Brendo’s commitment over crests and had to pinch ourselves to get back into the groove of our own notes! Jonesy slightly cut the corner in front of us which sent a shower of rocks into our car, denting the bonnet and breaking the windscreen. Neither of us were impressed by that – thankfully we all remained friends with him promising to buy us a new windscreen!
Rinadeena tested us a lot – it was long, wet, the last stage of the day and it was getting dark – to the point I actually had a bit of trouble reading my notes at one point under tree cover.
Apart from all that, we arrived safe, sound and tired in Strahan. Our poor service crew had a bit of work ahead of them in the pouring rain and cold. The original plan was for one of them to drop us to our accommodation then head back to work on the car. However there was too much work to be done and the poor crew arrived back freezing cold and just wanting their dinner. An early night was had by all…
Rinadeena tested us a lot – it was long, wet, the last stage of the day and it was getting dark – to the point I actually had a bit of trouble reading my notes at one point under tree cover.
Apart from all that, we arrived safe, sound and tired in Strahan. Our poor service crew had a bit of work ahead of them in the pouring rain and cold. The original plan was for one of them to drop us to our accommodation then head back to work on the car. However there was too much work to be done and the poor crew arrived back freezing cold and just wanting their dinner. An early night was had by all…
RETarga Tasmania Day 3 - Claire's Blog
Fri, 30th April, 2010
Well, all that can be said about day three is...."day three.....not so good".
The trouble started yesterday when water entered the cabin during a stage. At the time I clearly remember thinking "hmm, thats not good, the computer is on the floor". However, the car continued with no problems at the time and we finished the day.
This morning we had trouble starting it - big clouds of alternating blue and white smoke...not cool, especially on overrun. A quick check by Super John and we thought we were ok to go with mildly fouled plugs that were expected to clear on the freeway. Unfortunately it was not to be, and we pulled over to repair the car amid tears and frustration. 999 (the sweep car) passed us and our hopes of achieving a Targa Plate (given to those who complete all stages) were gone. It turned out that the car could easily have blown the engine if we had continued so we did the right thing.
We are currently waiting to see how much time we have lost in penalties - it is a bit unclear at the moment and fingers
crossed it doesn't ruin our chances at winning the Early Modern category in the Australian Tarmac Championship.
So amid much drama we continued the day. Unfortunately, although it was a comparatively easy day, it had two stages which Sam and I had crashed on recently. We entered Mt Roland with trepidation, hoping to make it past "Donut Corner" where I crashed in Rally Tasmania in February. Unfortunately it nearly all came to an end much sooner than that. We came around a corner, discovered oil/fuel/diesel (no one is sure) on the road and promptly began a monumental tank slapper that put the wind up both of us (see youtube). Even worse, the slick continued down the road for over three kilometers and made the entire stage unbelivably dangerous. We tiptoed
our way through, made it past Donut Corner and finished the stage, both shaking.
Unfortunately our day was not over yet.... We still had the stage to contest that Sam crashed on last year. Luckily there were no issues and even a few laughs as we passed the spot.
As we speak we are packing up the house in preparation for moving to Strahan tomorrow. It is amazing to think that the rally is about to enter day 4 but we have not even done half of the competitive k's. Tomorrow and Sunday are going to be big days. I hope to have internet coverage tomorrow night in Strahan to keep you updated.
Oh, one other irony of rally. Today a stage was sponsored by Donut King, yet the officials had a
box of Krispy Kremes on the go....sigh....
Here's hoping for a good day tomorrow.
Love from Claire and Sammy xox
The trouble started yesterday when water entered the cabin during a stage. At the time I clearly remember thinking "hmm, thats not good, the computer is on the floor". However, the car continued with no problems at the time and we finished the day.
This morning we had trouble starting it - big clouds of alternating blue and white smoke...not cool, especially on overrun. A quick check by Super John and we thought we were ok to go with mildly fouled plugs that were expected to clear on the freeway. Unfortunately it was not to be, and we pulled over to repair the car amid tears and frustration. 999 (the sweep car) passed us and our hopes of achieving a Targa Plate (given to those who complete all stages) were gone. It turned out that the car could easily have blown the engine if we had continued so we did the right thing.
We are currently waiting to see how much time we have lost in penalties - it is a bit unclear at the moment and fingers
crossed it doesn't ruin our chances at winning the Early Modern category in the Australian Tarmac Championship.
So amid much drama we continued the day. Unfortunately, although it was a comparatively easy day, it had two stages which Sam and I had crashed on recently. We entered Mt Roland with trepidation, hoping to make it past "Donut Corner" where I crashed in Rally Tasmania in February. Unfortunately it nearly all came to an end much sooner than that. We came around a corner, discovered oil/fuel/diesel (no one is sure) on the road and promptly began a monumental tank slapper that put the wind up both of us (see youtube). Even worse, the slick continued down the road for over three kilometers and made the entire stage unbelivably dangerous. We tiptoed
our way through, made it past Donut Corner and finished the stage, both shaking.
Unfortunately our day was not over yet.... We still had the stage to contest that Sam crashed on last year. Luckily there were no issues and even a few laughs as we passed the spot.
As we speak we are packing up the house in preparation for moving to Strahan tomorrow. It is amazing to think that the rally is about to enter day 4 but we have not even done half of the competitive k's. Tomorrow and Sunday are going to be big days. I hope to have internet coverage tomorrow night in Strahan to keep you updated.
Oh, one other irony of rally. Today a stage was sponsored by Donut King, yet the officials had a
box of Krispy Kremes on the go....sigh....
Here's hoping for a good day tomorrow.
Love from Claire and Sammy xox
Targa Tasmania Day 2 - Claire's Blog
Thu, 29th April, 2010
First stage was The Sideling - an absolute Targa Tas classic. We had a good run through it and also through the following stages. After a few minor adjustments last night, the car felt brilliant today and we enjoyed the roads immensely. Even though the day was dry, some areas of the roads were still wet from overnight and required caution.
The only thing that marred the morning was passing a crash that required a FIV, and we found out today that the driver in one of the crashes yesterday has a fractured pelvis. Hoping for a speedy recovery for both....
After lunch we had a fairly ordinary run through Elephant Pass - well I thought it was ordinary because I fell off notes, Sammy thought it was great. It was a busy stage - notes were complex, road was messy, the intercooler spray lid was loose which created a mini tidal wave in the car, we were asked to look for a crashed car, and having to overtake a Lotus that nearly ran us off the road.
The next stage, the terrifying Rossarden, we treated with immense caution and tip-toed through. The stage runs downhill with extremely steep drop offs, no armco and loose gravel from road resurfacing on every corner. A big sigh came from both of us after that one! We still did a top 10 time.
The final stage was a town stage which was a huge amount of fun. Lots of beeping at the crowd.
The left rear guard is unfortunately rubbing on the rear tyre so we are changing the rims tonight as they are a different offset. Other than that, the car is good to go for tomorrow after a brake bleed and a wheel alignment. Tomorrow we head out to the north west of Launceston again.
Thanks for all your support and messages!
Love from Claire and Sammy.
The only thing that marred the morning was passing a crash that required a FIV, and we found out today that the driver in one of the crashes yesterday has a fractured pelvis. Hoping for a speedy recovery for both....
After lunch we had a fairly ordinary run through Elephant Pass - well I thought it was ordinary because I fell off notes, Sammy thought it was great. It was a busy stage - notes were complex, road was messy, the intercooler spray lid was loose which created a mini tidal wave in the car, we were asked to look for a crashed car, and having to overtake a Lotus that nearly ran us off the road.
The next stage, the terrifying Rossarden, we treated with immense caution and tip-toed through. The stage runs downhill with extremely steep drop offs, no armco and loose gravel from road resurfacing on every corner. A big sigh came from both of us after that one! We still did a top 10 time.
The final stage was a town stage which was a huge amount of fun. Lots of beeping at the crowd.
The left rear guard is unfortunately rubbing on the rear tyre so we are changing the rims tonight as they are a different offset. Other than that, the car is good to go for tomorrow after a brake bleed and a wheel alignment. Tomorrow we head out to the north west of Launceston again.
Thanks for all your support and messages!
Love from Claire and Sammy.
Targa Tasmania Day 1 - Claire's Blog
Thu, 29th April, 2010
Hi everyone - well what a day! Absolutely treacherous conditions contriubuted to 20 cars going off/crashing, several quite nasty.
However thankfully no major injuries. We had the misfortune of having to stop for an accident and then finding out that the website had recorded US as having the crash, not the car we stopped to assist.
Being on the first stage, we got that removed quickly!
We had a few car set up issues today - getting used to the new suspension and how to maximise it in our car. This hampered our progress before service somewhat, plus the sideways rain, slippy roads and leaf litter all combined to make us tiptoe through the morning stages. A few quick changes at our shortened (20min!) lunch break (at 1600!) made all the difference and we enjoyed the final two stages immensely.
Tomorrow we head out to the eastern loop out of Launceston with
stages like Sideling and Elephant Pass plus the frightening Rossarden.
Love from Claire and Sammy.
However thankfully no major injuries. We had the misfortune of having to stop for an accident and then finding out that the website had recorded US as having the crash, not the car we stopped to assist.
Being on the first stage, we got that removed quickly!
We had a few car set up issues today - getting used to the new suspension and how to maximise it in our car. This hampered our progress before service somewhat, plus the sideways rain, slippy roads and leaf litter all combined to make us tiptoe through the morning stages. A few quick changes at our shortened (20min!) lunch break (at 1600!) made all the difference and we enjoyed the final two stages immensely.
Tomorrow we head out to the eastern loop out of Launceston with
stages like Sideling and Elephant Pass plus the frightening Rossarden.
Love from Claire and Sammy.
Targa Tasmania Day 0 - Claire's Blog
Thu, 29th April, 2010
Sam and I arrived last Friday to complete our recce. The stages range from smooth surface blasts between farmlands and tight, abrasive, technical stages through forests. There are several town stages, some regular Targa favourites like Hellyer Gorge and Cethana and the newly lengthened Mt Arrowsmith totalling 56kms. Lots of challenges
await us over the next five days! The event has over 500 competitive kms and 1400 liasion.
Today was prologue and we did fairly well. The car is perfectly thanks to our brilliant engineer John from V-Sport. We are running E85 fuel and so far are very happy with the car's performance. We are restricted to 6 tyres during the event - the spare two not allowed on 'til Day 5 - and hence are running hards in the hope they will last as long as possible. We also have DMS suspension in the car for the first time and are loving it.
Tomorrow we head out to the first full day of competition in the central north of the state. We'll keep you informed of what is happening! Sammy is being interviewed each morning on ABC talkback radio at 0720 our time (0650 Adelaide time). We think it will be on 891 in Adelaide.
Thanks to all of you for your support!
Love from Claire and Sammy.
await us over the next five days! The event has over 500 competitive kms and 1400 liasion.
Today was prologue and we did fairly well. The car is perfectly thanks to our brilliant engineer John from V-Sport. We are running E85 fuel and so far are very happy with the car's performance. We are restricted to 6 tyres during the event - the spare two not allowed on 'til Day 5 - and hence are running hards in the hope they will last as long as possible. We also have DMS suspension in the car for the first time and are loving it.
Tomorrow we head out to the first full day of competition in the central north of the state. We'll keep you informed of what is happening! Sammy is being interviewed each morning on ABC talkback radio at 0720 our time (0650 Adelaide time). We think it will be on 891 in Adelaide.
Thanks to all of you for your support!
Love from Claire and Sammy.
Targa Tasmania Press Release
Mon, 26th April, 2010
Female team's Targa charge powered by Century Yuasa
The leading female team in this year's Targa Tasmania tarmac rally has received a last-minute lifeline from forklift battery manufacturer Century Yuasa, allowing the girls to fight for the Early Modern win in this year's inaugural Australian Tarmac Championship.
Samantha Stevens, a motoring journalist from Sydney NSW, and her navigator Claire Ryan, an ICU nurse from South Australia, currently sit 13th outright and second in Early Modern in the championship going into the fourth and final round in the infamous Targa Tasmania road rally this week.
Sponsor support throughout the championship from Kumho Tyres, V-Sport Performance Equipment, Nevco Engineering, JustJap and Racecam has been backed up by a new Platinum Targa sponsors, Century Yuasa Forklift Power Solutions, and will run a unique livery for the event.
"Century Yuasa wanted to increase its exposure in motorsport, and is delighted to support Samantha and Claire at Targa Tasmania," said Manuel Leon, General Manager Motive Power at Century Yuasa Batteries.
"Apart from the interest created by an all-female team in a male-dominated sport, the girls' focus on the competitive elements of the sport, their professionalism and quality car and race preparation reflects our philosophy in our business."
The girls in their first season together have built on a solid early result in a 1991 Nissan Pulsar GTI-R with the development of their new Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI, earning a class podium and strong outright results in each of the preceding tarmac championship rounds.
This is a stellar achievement for Samantha, who is running her first season on the other side of the car as a driver, and for Claire, who has made the leap from gravel rally to tarmac.
While the pink stripes have gone from the car, every sponsor supports the girls' fundraising push for The McGrath Foundation.
The team aim to raise $5000 for the McGrath Foundation as part of their Targa Tasmania campaign, with more than $1500 already achieved. They recently auctioned a Targa HotLap ride in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI, with the winning bidder receiving three 'hot laps' around the Symmons Plains race circuit during today's shakedown for the 19th running of the event.
"Samantha and Claire are making great inroads in both the sport and for their charity, The McGrath Foundation, and we will eagerly monitor their success in both of these areas, and see where it takes us in the future," said Mr Leon.
The leading female team in this year's Targa Tasmania tarmac rally has received a last-minute lifeline from forklift battery manufacturer Century Yuasa, allowing the girls to fight for the Early Modern win in this year's inaugural Australian Tarmac Championship.
Samantha Stevens, a motoring journalist from Sydney NSW, and her navigator Claire Ryan, an ICU nurse from South Australia, currently sit 13th outright and second in Early Modern in the championship going into the fourth and final round in the infamous Targa Tasmania road rally this week.
Sponsor support throughout the championship from Kumho Tyres, V-Sport Performance Equipment, Nevco Engineering, JustJap and Racecam has been backed up by a new Platinum Targa sponsors, Century Yuasa Forklift Power Solutions, and will run a unique livery for the event.
"Century Yuasa wanted to increase its exposure in motorsport, and is delighted to support Samantha and Claire at Targa Tasmania," said Manuel Leon, General Manager Motive Power at Century Yuasa Batteries.
"Apart from the interest created by an all-female team in a male-dominated sport, the girls' focus on the competitive elements of the sport, their professionalism and quality car and race preparation reflects our philosophy in our business."
The girls in their first season together have built on a solid early result in a 1991 Nissan Pulsar GTI-R with the development of their new Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI, earning a class podium and strong outright results in each of the preceding tarmac championship rounds.
This is a stellar achievement for Samantha, who is running her first season on the other side of the car as a driver, and for Claire, who has made the leap from gravel rally to tarmac.
While the pink stripes have gone from the car, every sponsor supports the girls' fundraising push for The McGrath Foundation.
The team aim to raise $5000 for the McGrath Foundation as part of their Targa Tasmania campaign, with more than $1500 already achieved. They recently auctioned a Targa HotLap ride in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI, with the winning bidder receiving three 'hot laps' around the Symmons Plains race circuit during today's shakedown for the 19th running of the event.
"Samantha and Claire are making great inroads in both the sport and for their charity, The McGrath Foundation, and we will eagerly monitor their success in both of these areas, and see where it takes us in the future," said Mr Leon.
New Sponsor!
Wed, 21st April, 2010
Our Targa campaign has been boosted with a new Gold sponsor: Century Yuasa. The company provides battery solutions for electric forklifts, internal combustion forklifts and other materials handling equipment, and has given us the 'lift' we need for the fourth and final round of the Australian Tarmac Championship! See our LINKS page, or visit www.forkliftpowersolutions.com.au
Second in class, 13th outright and 6th fastest run SS10 at 2010 Lake Mountain Sprint!
Tue, 23rd March, 2010
The return of Mountain Motorsports’ annual Lake Mountain Sprint was a fantastic learning curve and provided the ultimate test of our Evo VI and E85 fuel conversion, with the technical 10km road and intermittent ambient temperatures and weather challenging both human and mechanical competitors.
The rally road has been forever changed by the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires, which levelled the rally base’s town of Marysville and the Lake Mountain Alpine Resort and forced the cancellation of last year’s annual event.
However, the community and its surrounding suburbs are working hard to rebuild what was lost, and the fast-paced mountain road now mixes blackened tree stumps with new green undergrowth. Though a few competitors ended up parked in the latter, the two-day event saw no major injuries.
As always, the unpredictable mountain road gave spectators at the start line a thrill, with many losing traction on the first series of corners.
The Early Modern ‘Evo’ category was decisively won by new rally competitor Adam Newton and codriver Daniel Lemish in a Mitsubishi Evolution IV, who also finished the weekend in sixth place. But our team mastered a minor mechanical gremlin in their Evo VI to take second on the final run.
We are currently in the top 10 in the Modern Outright championship pending the drop-your-worst-round policy and our result at Targa Tasmania.
Thank you so much to our invaluable sponsors, our crew, and the brave people of Marysville.
Check out www.youtube.com/samanthastevensTV for the videos!
The rally road has been forever changed by the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires, which levelled the rally base’s town of Marysville and the Lake Mountain Alpine Resort and forced the cancellation of last year’s annual event.
However, the community and its surrounding suburbs are working hard to rebuild what was lost, and the fast-paced mountain road now mixes blackened tree stumps with new green undergrowth. Though a few competitors ended up parked in the latter, the two-day event saw no major injuries.
As always, the unpredictable mountain road gave spectators at the start line a thrill, with many losing traction on the first series of corners.
The Early Modern ‘Evo’ category was decisively won by new rally competitor Adam Newton and codriver Daniel Lemish in a Mitsubishi Evolution IV, who also finished the weekend in sixth place. But our team mastered a minor mechanical gremlin in their Evo VI to take second on the final run.
We are currently in the top 10 in the Modern Outright championship pending the drop-your-worst-round policy and our result at Targa Tasmania.
Thank you so much to our invaluable sponsors, our crew, and the brave people of Marysville.
Check out www.youtube.com/samanthastevensTV for the videos!
New sponsor!
Sun, 24th January, 2010
We are pleased to announce a new sponsor for our 2010 SRS Team tarmac campaign - Nevco Engineering and it's motorsport-tailored Ezy Approach trailer.
In recognition of our charity, Nevco has generously agreed to support our 2010 campaign with a bright pink paint job!
At Targa Wrest Point this weekend, Claire and I hope to create funds and awareness for breast cancer – an illness that effects a surprising number of men – and earn our keep for our fabulous sponsors who have all donated time so we can pursue our dream and help a good cause. We want our charity dollars to be five figures large by the end of 2010.
Nevco, Kumho and VSport have worked tirelessly to get our car off the ground and on its way to Tasmania in barely five weeks of build time, interrupted by the Christmas and New Year break. Thanks so much...
Help our generous sponsors by visiting their websites through our LINKS page.
We will load images to the gallery shortly. Stay tuned for more news from the rally!
In recognition of our charity, Nevco has generously agreed to support our 2010 campaign with a bright pink paint job!
At Targa Wrest Point this weekend, Claire and I hope to create funds and awareness for breast cancer – an illness that effects a surprising number of men – and earn our keep for our fabulous sponsors who have all donated time so we can pursue our dream and help a good cause. We want our charity dollars to be five figures large by the end of 2010.
Nevco, Kumho and VSport have worked tirelessly to get our car off the ground and on its way to Tasmania in barely five weeks of build time, interrupted by the Christmas and New Year break. Thanks so much...
Help our generous sponsors by visiting their websites through our LINKS page.
We will load images to the gallery shortly. Stay tuned for more news from the rally!
First test a success!
Sat, 16th January, 2010
We are pleased to report a successful first test of the 2010 campaign car, the Mitsubishi Evo 6.
The car performed flawlessly at the final Oran Park track day (before its unfortunate demise into affordable sub-rural suburbia), despite still needing several minor tunes and touches before we depart for Targa Wrest Point in a week's time.
Targa Tas winner Steve Glenney pumped out a few laps, admiring the basic setup of the car and offering several tips for fine-tuning the HKS suspension for tarmac rally.
Co-driver Claire and sponsors VSport and Racecam were on hand in the pits, and a special thank you goes out to them, and to JustJap.com, Kumho Motorsport Tyres, FSport and Tyrepower for getting us to the track on time.
The car performed flawlessly at the final Oran Park track day (before its unfortunate demise into affordable sub-rural suburbia), despite still needing several minor tunes and touches before we depart for Targa Wrest Point in a week's time.
Targa Tas winner Steve Glenney pumped out a few laps, admiring the basic setup of the car and offering several tips for fine-tuning the HKS suspension for tarmac rally.
Co-driver Claire and sponsors VSport and Racecam were on hand in the pits, and a special thank you goes out to them, and to JustJap.com, Kumho Motorsport Tyres, FSport and Tyrepower for getting us to the track on time.
Mt Buller Sprint report
Tue, 15th December, 2009
Funny how the little things can get you down. With the rebuild of most of this GTI-R behind us, a set of $60 spark plugs fouling in the thin air at Buller brought us down.
We had dyno-tuned with 1.2mil gaps, and the car started running too rich and we dropped 20 secs on two runs. Rather than risk the engine, we sat out the final run before service on Day 2 to fix the issue.
All other runs were faultless on the car's behalf, and while our Kumho V700 tyres suffered from the softening tarmac of the alpine mountain, we lowered the PSI and on FSport's advice altered the driving style to reduce excessive heat build.
While we could not match our initial success from Day 1, we still finished second in class thanks to the drop-your-worst-run allowance in theMountain Motorsport series.
And raised almost $1000 for the McGrath Foundation!
Thanks to Kumho, FSport, VSport, RaceCam, iAutosport and Mountain Motorsports for your support, an the tireless eforts of the event organisers and volunteers.
We had dyno-tuned with 1.2mil gaps, and the car started running too rich and we dropped 20 secs on two runs. Rather than risk the engine, we sat out the final run before service on Day 2 to fix the issue.
All other runs were faultless on the car's behalf, and while our Kumho V700 tyres suffered from the softening tarmac of the alpine mountain, we lowered the PSI and on FSport's advice altered the driving style to reduce excessive heat build.
While we could not match our initial success from Day 1, we still finished second in class thanks to the drop-your-worst-run allowance in theMountain Motorsport series.
And raised almost $1000 for the McGrath Foundation!
Thanks to Kumho, FSport, VSport, RaceCam, iAutosport and Mountain Motorsports for your support, an the tireless eforts of the event organisers and volunteers.
Rebuild complete - and testing at Classic Adelaide!
Wed, 25th November, 2009
Last weekend's Classic Adelaide was a baptism of fire for the GTI-R and its team.
After rebuilding the engine and most of the ancillaries, we welcomed new tyre sponsor Kumho and iAutosport.com.au who helped us at the last minute before heading off to SA for a fiery four-day first test.
After such a difficult and expensive rebuild and prep, the car didn't put a wheel wrong.
Turbo redone at GCG, had to go back twice. Waste of time, and they just dont care about quality of work. Car was still on the dyno 930pm the night before leaving for Adelaide thanks to them. Had to test at Marulan on the way down!
Dynoed for endurance at Insight Motorsports with a Nistune at 162kW, 17psi. Will get a biger BOV and change wastegate actuator for 170.
Brakes are a 4-pot AP with Pagid pads and braided lines, pedal went soft after three days without a bleed so lesson learnt. Otherwise they are awesome.
Car weighed in at 1266.
Fuel averaged a litre every 2.1km competitive, one every 4.6 liason.
The tyres, Kumho V700 in a 245/45 R16, offered great turn in and rather lifesaving if you've seen my almost spill when I braked on the paint... See the motorsport page for the latest videos.
After rebuilding the engine and most of the ancillaries, we welcomed new tyre sponsor Kumho and iAutosport.com.au who helped us at the last minute before heading off to SA for a fiery four-day first test.
After such a difficult and expensive rebuild and prep, the car didn't put a wheel wrong.
Turbo redone at GCG, had to go back twice. Waste of time, and they just dont care about quality of work. Car was still on the dyno 930pm the night before leaving for Adelaide thanks to them. Had to test at Marulan on the way down!
Dynoed for endurance at Insight Motorsports with a Nistune at 162kW, 17psi. Will get a biger BOV and change wastegate actuator for 170.
Brakes are a 4-pot AP with Pagid pads and braided lines, pedal went soft after three days without a bleed so lesson learnt. Otherwise they are awesome.
Car weighed in at 1266.
Fuel averaged a litre every 2.1km competitive, one every 4.6 liason.
The tyres, Kumho V700 in a 245/45 R16, offered great turn in and rather lifesaving if you've seen my almost spill when I braked on the paint... See the motorsport page for the latest videos.
Oran Park explosion!
Thu, 8th October, 2009
Well, at least I had one final lap of the Oran Park GP circuit before it's turned into a suburban street.
The bad news is that this glory lap came at the expense of my engine.
Or is that good news? It would have been rather tragic to turn up at Classic Adelaide in 30-degree temperatures to find the engine cannot manage heat...
After the radiator cap blew off in the first session, I decided to run slowland two laps on - two off to find out the problem. second lap - BOOM. Oil everywhere, smoke in the cabin, and the rear tyre atually caught on fire and burned of the stickers on the rear bumper.
We have since discovered a conrod end hanging out of the block, which was the wrong block for the car in the first place (!) and has led to the discovery of a multitude of mismatched parts. Thank the heavens for a patient mechanic and poaching half-cuts! Thanks John at VSport and Tony at JustJap for all the work and the bits and pieces.
We will hit the test track in a fortnight with a new engine, clutch, turbo, gearbox, radiator, loads of spares and hopefully no blocked hoses or malfunctioning pumps! Stay tuned.
The bad news is that this glory lap came at the expense of my engine.
Or is that good news? It would have been rather tragic to turn up at Classic Adelaide in 30-degree temperatures to find the engine cannot manage heat...
After the radiator cap blew off in the first session, I decided to run slowland two laps on - two off to find out the problem. second lap - BOOM. Oil everywhere, smoke in the cabin, and the rear tyre atually caught on fire and burned of the stickers on the rear bumper.
We have since discovered a conrod end hanging out of the block, which was the wrong block for the car in the first place (!) and has led to the discovery of a multitude of mismatched parts. Thank the heavens for a patient mechanic and poaching half-cuts! Thanks John at VSport and Tony at JustJap for all the work and the bits and pieces.
We will hit the test track in a fortnight with a new engine, clutch, turbo, gearbox, radiator, loads of spares and hopefully no blocked hoses or malfunctioning pumps! Stay tuned.
New TV work now showing on Seven.
Sun, 27th September, 2009
I was selected to head up Network Seven's Great Driving Adventures campaign and internet minisite for the new Subaru Outback as an expert motoring journalist.
Check out my SHOWREEL page to take a peek!
Check out my SHOWREEL page to take a peek!
Articles in September WHEELS
Mon, 14th September, 2009
Fri, 28th August, 2009
Mazda3 MPS and Peugeot 308CC. See the ARTICLES page for the PDFs.
Mazda3 MPS and Peugeot 308CC. See the ARTICLES page for the PDFs.
Targa West
Mon, 14th September, 2009
Mon, 24th August, 2009
Now in its fifth year, last weekend's Quit Targa West tarmac rally saw a record field of 99 modern and classic cars fly around its fast roads for four rather wet days of fabulous competition.
Held in and around the Perth shires of Kalamunda, Chittering and Toodyay, the torrential rain turned the red earth emerald green and swamp paddocks and parks with standing water - so it was a rally for the AWD. Evos and STis filling the first 14 spots behind two lightning-quick R35 GT-Rs of local 2008 winner Steve Jones and 2009 Targa Tas victor Tony Quinn.
My rally experience was a little more 'cruisy' than others. The classic and modern Challenge category, which allows for non-rollcaged, standard cars to climb the hills in rally formation up to 130km/h, allowed Dean Evans (Tarmac Magazine) and myself to enter a Holden Cruze CD diesel press car, complete with air-con, MP3 player and an automatic gearbox...
It was a generous donation, but a standard car is a lot of hard work!
Most Thoroughbred Touring type classes are non-competitive, Targa West actually times its Challenge cars and awards placings to third for bog-standard roadgoing vehicles. I reckon it's a great way to start rallying, along with events like a Dutton Rally or starting in the co-driver's seat. With a speed limit of 130 keeping the danger down (and a GPS tracking system making sure you adhere to the rules) and the ability to enter a car with limited modifications and expenses.
In an appropriate double, our Challenge category was taken out by another Nissan R35 GT-R. But we earned a respectable fifth above Fords and Ferraris, and another Hyundai Diesel managed a commendable third place while matching our fuel consumption of a tank-and-a-half all weekend. Who said motor racing was an elitist sport?
A big thanks to the Quit Targa West team of officials and volunteers for a fabulous weekend, to maximum Motorsport for the semi-slick tyres, and to Melville Holden for preparing a frugal, fun car.
Now in its fifth year, last weekend's Quit Targa West tarmac rally saw a record field of 99 modern and classic cars fly around its fast roads for four rather wet days of fabulous competition.
Held in and around the Perth shires of Kalamunda, Chittering and Toodyay, the torrential rain turned the red earth emerald green and swamp paddocks and parks with standing water - so it was a rally for the AWD. Evos and STis filling the first 14 spots behind two lightning-quick R35 GT-Rs of local 2008 winner Steve Jones and 2009 Targa Tas victor Tony Quinn.
My rally experience was a little more 'cruisy' than others. The classic and modern Challenge category, which allows for non-rollcaged, standard cars to climb the hills in rally formation up to 130km/h, allowed Dean Evans (Tarmac Magazine) and myself to enter a Holden Cruze CD diesel press car, complete with air-con, MP3 player and an automatic gearbox...
It was a generous donation, but a standard car is a lot of hard work!
Most Thoroughbred Touring type classes are non-competitive, Targa West actually times its Challenge cars and awards placings to third for bog-standard roadgoing vehicles. I reckon it's a great way to start rallying, along with events like a Dutton Rally or starting in the co-driver's seat. With a speed limit of 130 keeping the danger down (and a GPS tracking system making sure you adhere to the rules) and the ability to enter a car with limited modifications and expenses.
In an appropriate double, our Challenge category was taken out by another Nissan R35 GT-R. But we earned a respectable fifth above Fords and Ferraris, and another Hyundai Diesel managed a commendable third place while matching our fuel consumption of a tank-and-a-half all weekend. Who said motor racing was an elitist sport?
A big thanks to the Quit Targa West team of officials and volunteers for a fabulous weekend, to maximum Motorsport for the semi-slick tyres, and to Melville Holden for preparing a frugal, fun car.
GTI-R almost complete...
Mon, 14th September, 2009
Sun, 16th August, 2009
Only a few hours to go until I pick up the R, all complete and ready for rally.
JustJap has added an electronic boost controller to tame the 5 psi spike on full boost, have squeezed in a set of Sabelt Taurus HANS seats, and hooked up the Monit trip computer.
The rear springs have just been softened off at East Coast Suspension to take on the bumps in natural roads, and handle rebound with a little more composure.
Looking forward to the next test day, which should be at Oran Park in September.
Sammy xoxo
Thanks to Federal Tyres, JustJap, ABC Tyrepower, East Coast Suspensions, VSport, and new sponsor RaceCam.
Only a few hours to go until I pick up the R, all complete and ready for rally.
JustJap has added an electronic boost controller to tame the 5 psi spike on full boost, have squeezed in a set of Sabelt Taurus HANS seats, and hooked up the Monit trip computer.
The rear springs have just been softened off at East Coast Suspension to take on the bumps in natural roads, and handle rebound with a little more composure.
Looking forward to the next test day, which should be at Oran Park in September.
Sammy xoxo
Thanks to Federal Tyres, JustJap, ABC Tyrepower, East Coast Suspensions, VSport, and new sponsor RaceCam.
Expert guest - ACA
Mon, 14th September, 2009
Mon, 10th August, 2009
Tonight's leading feature story on the RTA and its 'speed limit madness' features yours truly as a motoring expert.
Tonight's leading feature story on the RTA and its 'speed limit madness' features yours truly as a motoring expert.
New sponsor - RaceCam!
Mon, 14th September, 2009
Fri, 7th August, 2009
I am pleased to announce a new GOLD SPONSOR, joining Federal Tyres, ABC Tyrepower Rosebery, TARMAC magazine, JustJap and VSport as a supporter of my all-girl rally team.
RaceCam is a specialist provider of race camera systems for a multitude of sports, from motorsport through to surfing.
They also supply a range of helmet camera products to suit every application and budget, from self contained helmet cams to high quality integrated camera kits, mounts, accessories and spare parts.
RaceCam sponsors several other rally teams and is a true supporter of motorsport. RaceCam also sponsors my Mt Buller/Targa Tasmania co-driver Claire Ryan, who is competing in WRC Australia this September!
Please support the businesses that support Rally. Visit www.racecam.com.au.
Sammy xoxo
I am pleased to announce a new GOLD SPONSOR, joining Federal Tyres, ABC Tyrepower Rosebery, TARMAC magazine, JustJap and VSport as a supporter of my all-girl rally team.
RaceCam is a specialist provider of race camera systems for a multitude of sports, from motorsport through to surfing.
They also supply a range of helmet camera products to suit every application and budget, from self contained helmet cams to high quality integrated camera kits, mounts, accessories and spare parts.
RaceCam sponsors several other rally teams and is a true supporter of motorsport. RaceCam also sponsors my Mt Buller/Targa Tasmania co-driver Claire Ryan, who is competing in WRC Australia this September!
Please support the businesses that support Rally. Visit www.racecam.com.au.
Sammy xoxo
Expert guest on ACA
Mon, 14th September, 2009
Fri, 17th July, 2009
I was fortunate enough to secure the first Aussie test drive (that I know of) with the new Chinese ute from Great Wall, the V240 4x4.
I was fortunate enough to secure the first Aussie test drive (that I know of) with the new Chinese ute from Great Wall, the V240 4x4.
GTI-R - The first track test
Mon, 14th September, 2009
Tue, 30th June, 2009
Last weekend was the first real test of both mettle and metal for myself and my new rally car, a rare homologation Nismo Nissan Pulsar GTI-R. A mouthful, and a handful, but what a car…
The 1991 late classic car is a 2.0L turbocharged all-wheel-drive, with a short, snappy wheelbase, dual LSDs and surprising on-boost power, rated to 181kW at the hubs on 30psi boost. The standard car made 160-odd kW at the flywheel, and had a reputation for destroying clutches and frying tyres.
My concern with such a car in Tarmac Rally are simple – I need maximum mechanical grip, a suitable compound wheel allowing for the many different road surfaces and conditions we encounter.
Apologies for the sponsor plugs here, but they are the reason I am here: I purchased a set of Team Dynamic Racing rims through ABC Tyrepower to fit a new set of Federal 595RS-R semislick tyres and the car perfectly – and the resulting lightness in the wheel and turn-in was worth the wait.
We dialled in -2.5 camber on the fronts and kept the rear neutral, with mild toe-in.
The Marulan Driver Training Centre circuit near Goulburn was used by Cody Crocker and Dean Herridge to set up their Subaru ARC cars several years ago, and was the perfect track for the first set up test of the GTI-R, and the new set of wheels and tyres.
The tyres were heat cycled on the way to the centre then on warm-up laps on the track, and with nitrogen stabilising the heat, I ran 36 hot in the fronts and 34 in the rear, dropping to 32 to compensate for a stiff rear suspension setup. Note to self - get some new rear springs. We also found the springs would unseat when the car was suspended - not good, so more work is needed there.
On full powerdown the LSDs were working hard with the grip of the tyres, which came up to heat remarkably quickly. There was no real need to moderate speed on the first few turns despite cold tyres, and I began launching from the pit lane to chase the quick Evolution 8RS and EvoIX of two lovely blonde ladies.
We tailed each other and swapped positions, catching the yellow car on street tyres quickly through every turn, and losing it on the straights. I'll turn the boost up from 10psi next time… But Emily is bound to buy some semis now!
One thing I did notice about an all-girl track day - the competition was still fierce, but we pulled into the pits laughing and sharing ideas, tips and advice. I miss punting with the boys, but it was easier to focus on improving without the red mist they naturally create, and we could close in on eachother's bumbers without risk of someone going the brave late brake and overshooting.
I look forward to the next track day at Wakefield Park on July 25, where we will be able to alter the car's basic setup. And where I can size myself up against the boys...
I wish to thank Federal Tyres, National Tyre Wholesalers, ABC Tyrepower and The Circuit Club for their generous support. Please see the LINKS page for further details.
Last weekend was the first real test of both mettle and metal for myself and my new rally car, a rare homologation Nismo Nissan Pulsar GTI-R. A mouthful, and a handful, but what a car…
The 1991 late classic car is a 2.0L turbocharged all-wheel-drive, with a short, snappy wheelbase, dual LSDs and surprising on-boost power, rated to 181kW at the hubs on 30psi boost. The standard car made 160-odd kW at the flywheel, and had a reputation for destroying clutches and frying tyres.
My concern with such a car in Tarmac Rally are simple – I need maximum mechanical grip, a suitable compound wheel allowing for the many different road surfaces and conditions we encounter.
Apologies for the sponsor plugs here, but they are the reason I am here: I purchased a set of Team Dynamic Racing rims through ABC Tyrepower to fit a new set of Federal 595RS-R semislick tyres and the car perfectly – and the resulting lightness in the wheel and turn-in was worth the wait.
We dialled in -2.5 camber on the fronts and kept the rear neutral, with mild toe-in.
The Marulan Driver Training Centre circuit near Goulburn was used by Cody Crocker and Dean Herridge to set up their Subaru ARC cars several years ago, and was the perfect track for the first set up test of the GTI-R, and the new set of wheels and tyres.
The tyres were heat cycled on the way to the centre then on warm-up laps on the track, and with nitrogen stabilising the heat, I ran 36 hot in the fronts and 34 in the rear, dropping to 32 to compensate for a stiff rear suspension setup. Note to self - get some new rear springs. We also found the springs would unseat when the car was suspended - not good, so more work is needed there.
On full powerdown the LSDs were working hard with the grip of the tyres, which came up to heat remarkably quickly. There was no real need to moderate speed on the first few turns despite cold tyres, and I began launching from the pit lane to chase the quick Evolution 8RS and EvoIX of two lovely blonde ladies.
We tailed each other and swapped positions, catching the yellow car on street tyres quickly through every turn, and losing it on the straights. I'll turn the boost up from 10psi next time… But Emily is bound to buy some semis now!
One thing I did notice about an all-girl track day - the competition was still fierce, but we pulled into the pits laughing and sharing ideas, tips and advice. I miss punting with the boys, but it was easier to focus on improving without the red mist they naturally create, and we could close in on eachother's bumbers without risk of someone going the brave late brake and overshooting.
I look forward to the next track day at Wakefield Park on July 25, where we will be able to alter the car's basic setup. And where I can size myself up against the boys...
I wish to thank Federal Tyres, National Tyre Wholesalers, ABC Tyrepower and The Circuit Club for their generous support. Please see the LINKS page for further details.
Check out the latest news HERE.
