NSW RRC 6 Hour, Sydney, 12-13 March

Bowie

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Anyone wanna come for a drive?


In organising the last event with the promotor, he hooked me up with a team in Victoria that was short a couple of drivers, Grumpy Racing. :p He knew I was moving and it was a nice way to meet some folks down here before I moved back. Anyway despite their namesake, they are a pretty friendly bunch. They all travel down and stay at a hotel at Blacktown, drink and eat to much and generally were pretty merry. :p

They intend to enter 2x teams of 6 cars, and have space for 3x others.

For those unfamiliar with the event, its run over 2 days, with the competitive part of the weekend running for 6x hours on the Sunday. Each team can have 1x car on the track at any given time, and generally it works as a ~10mins on, ~50mins off type thing to share the track time around over the weekend. Each driver nominates how fast they want to lap, and points are awarded for getting as close as possible, hence, being regular :p

I enjoyed cruising down the main strait below "normal racing" speed, more or less the speed I felt comfortable going into Turn 1, and then going as fast I could via everywhere else, :D It turned out to be a nice way to cool everything down lap from lap (myself included) and I had no trouble in my daily driver, a mighty white YV Commodore. Actually had a ball and fell in love it to be honest. I'm splurging with some fancy DBA pads and rotors now, might even put some nothalane bushes on it. Oooooooooh.

Car's need not be anything special, nor quick, as folks are generally well under racing speeds.. most of the time. Road registered is fine (as mine was) all you need is a helmet and to fit a $60 Super cheap extinguisher somewhere in the cabin.

The entry fee is shared via the members on the team, so you are looking at ~$450. The grumpy racing folk organised numbers and stickers and did all that crap as there are a few personalities that seem to enjoy the logistics so it works well :) I turned up, put stickers on my car, did my helmet up, and that as much organising I needed to do.

Here is half of them at the end of last years event, see, normal looking dudes!

normal.jpg

Anyway, if you feel like you've always wanted too, I'll be your friend! You'll have fun. PM me and I'll put you in touch with the teams secretary / facebook group so you can get a second opinion. Otherwise, get some frenchies together and enter a team! Just imagine having a team of 6 x 2CV's, 6 x 604's 6 x Renualt 12's (but of course) Oh how magical it would be! Heck an Aussiefrogs 1.0 and Aussieforgs 2.0 team! :D
 
Still some spots available in "Grumpy Racing NSW" ;)

I had another thought about taking the Reno.... I decided I was going to run out of time.. Still think it's a sensible position but things are getting carried away a bit with the daily VY Commodore..

It needed a few bushes, by the time I added up a couple of things, well here I was on "JustCommodores" reading a bunch of distinctly non french teenagers carry on like pork chops, anyway now I've gone and got a full polyurethane kit coming for it. :S

The kit included some off center bushes so I can get would you believe about 3 degrees of negative camber in the rear and ~2 degrees neg in the front. Goodness me! They also do some good stuff in getting rid of some fluid filled caster rod bushes so, you know, good good.

And since all the bushes are coming out, weeeeeeeeel why put the original sway bars back in? Can you believe one can pick up adjustable front and rear sway bars (~29-32mm front, & ~18-19mm rear) for all about the price of a bush kit. There may have been something to this local manufacturing..

Finally, as mentioned the front rotors needed replacing anyway, (well they would have survived around town for another 6 months no doubt) so again, slightly larger grooved rotors from DBA and "performance" pads (kids on "just commodores" reckon not to different to what the highway patrol cars used to thrash around in when harassing teenagers) to fit and heck.

That was a quick way to spend half a roll cage on a daily driver. :S Shouldn't think of it like that, that's all just general maintenance, gord knows the things hasn't cost me anything... actually no I did change the alternator, and I've just replaced the rover cover gaskets as oil was landing in the valley. No, it's got 250 thousand km's on it. I'm going to file all that back under general maintenance. :D

Anyway, come play! And buy local?

Just stop me if I start talking about plenum spacers and cold air kits please...
 
Well looks like the team is now full :)

Ah it's gonna be fun!

I spent the late heat of the afternoon fussing over how to install the spare bucket seat into the commodore, looks like I can make a bracket to sit on the base and enjoy all the electronic tilt and height adjustments.

Luxury.

Also! My Dad's plans are otherwise cancelled (covid still stuffing things up) so the 77yr old may get another steer yet again! Which was the entire point of all this.

HUZAH!
 
Oh! but if were just getting excited by the idea of the event.. a msg from the promotor;


NSW Road Racing Club.

Our Marquee event, the NSW 6Hour is coming together nicely with entries looking strong which is a great sign!
We still have spots available though and we encourage members to take part and support the club!
Even if you don't have an entire team but would like to participate in the event, there are teams which you can join.
Please contact Ross Elliott on 0438 415 485 and he will be able to coordinate these requests.


Caarm on! Do it.
 
Well one weekend to go and the group chat is full of memes and the normal amount of shit talking between us all :)

One team is made completely of MX5's (turns out they are popular). The other (the cooler team) has;

VY Commodore (yours truly)
Pulsar SSS (Series Car)
Hyundai Excel (Series Car)
Supercharged Mustang (Rich dudes daily because why not)
AE82 Toyota (Prod Car)
318i BMW (Modified daily)

We have done well to represent a wide selection of marquees I reckon.

General public service announcement concerning Sparesbox.. I ordered some brakes on the 10th Jan, and had to cancel yesterday because they had just told me they were waiting on the pads. Just wow. Nothing exotic, Just wanted some Bendix stuff, slightly better then the COP spec stuff that gets fitted to these things but anyway.

I had my appointment with the suspension place whom fitted the front and rear sway bars along with the silly boy racer bush kit. Last weekend I had it up on the grass on a jack and just looking at lowering the entire K-frame to replace the front bar was making my back hurt, not to mention getting the old bushes out of the control arms.. Perhaps I'm getting soft but this is my daily, I couldn't actually afford the drama If I got half way through and needed adult help. #self fail.

Anyway they fitted it all and managed to get 2" neg at the front, 1.5" toe in & 10" caster, and at the back another 2" neg with 3" toe. All pretty sensible and should be fun enough. I confess I was lazy and had them source rotors and pads which they fitted (get stuffed spares box!) Once I told them about the soon to be adventures they were pretty keen to help out and even flushed the fluid replacing it with some decent stuff.

Oh, and because this thing will spend most of it's time between sessions with it's bonnet up trying to keep cool, had to fit a strut bar across the top so everyone in the pits knows how series I am.

274791837_693913365354525_8994260205932198671_n.jpg


Ooooooooooh.


So well what's left;

- Oil and filter change
- Re-purpose the rear centre seat belt receiver and attach to the racing seat bracket I made the other weekend. With the bucket seat you can re-use the standard lap sash if you feed it correctly via the seat openings. The commodore has the belt receiver with a pre pensioner built in to the frame I'm replacing. So I'm going to take the centre lap sash from the rear, leave the pre tensioner system alone and it will be one less thing I need to replace when I get to Sydney. I'll be able to just unbolt the original seat, bolt the new one in with belts, done.
- Sand back the headlights and try to make it looked loved.
- Top up the rest of the fluids (power steer, gearbox)
- Ditch the tow bar
- Go buy that 13" "Director" SAAS steering wheel from Supercheap so I can pretend to be Grice in a VH commodore.
- Vacuum / Wash and Polish.
- Pack a tool kit and work out what I'm taking.

274864701_647631396519278_247335318379227619_n.jpg


WOW! :p

Come say Hi if it's not raining, I'll buy you an ice cream.
 
That list shows a good level of prep for the event with the time you have until race start, well done.

Lets hope its rewarded with some reliability. Regardless of the finishing position you will no doubt have some serious fun. :)
 
Yes I hope I’ve learnt my lesson from last time.. that was pretty bad.

And I’m happy that once I get there, it really will be just swapping out the seat (4 bolts) swapping the steering wheel, and bam! Motel check in saving final fluids and starting pressures for after the briefing and egg and bacon roll.

These regularities are a real laugh. Should be good parts talking nonsense about each other’s cars, good parts laughing at each other equal parts dodging mx5’s :p
 
I recall the MX5's had a one make series or sports car class, they are well sorted and generally reliable. Warren Luff (Andretti United) occasionally had a guest drive. The cross section of cars you have in your team looks great.
 
Yes I must see if I can scam a go at one of these MX5's next weekend. Everyone rightfully it seems raves about them, actually the MX5 Car Club was probably the most regular hirer of the track with the BMW car club a close second :p

Well fresh oil, fresh power steering, brakes done by the adults, fresh coolant and filters, things are going ok. I've given up trying to remove the rear bar to get to the tow bar however, turns out you need the original crash pad thingy piece to tie the bar back onto the car, and I don't have that so the bar would have only been supoprted by, a couple of screws and 4 x plastic trim pieces.. oh well.

I found that out after I had given up trying to remove it. I wasn't sure I wouldn't have broken off the trim clips in the process, everything was undone but still the thing wouldn't come out. Oh I found a swamp in the process too!

rivers of babalon.jpg


So this is under the jack, when is the last time you checked your jack? It was a good 3" deep and there is no drainage! It must have dripped in from the boot lid seal, guess I'll be looking for a new one of those. So I suppose it wasn't a total waste of time.

Oh and check this;

instant concert.jpg


It's an instant race car!

(Poor Laila has been watching me fuss around the house / yard all day, that side eye is because it's walking time, Laila was walked shortly after this photo was taken)

I've managed to attach the belt receiver along with the 1kg extinguisher one must carry to the seat frame. This is good as it simplifies everything greatly. It's a SuperSprint / Regularity starter Kit! :D

Oh I couldn't use the rear seat belt receiver, it was a bracket that included the next persons lapsash. So one Triangle bracket with two belts attacked. Good design to be fair but annoying for me. Another trip back to SuperAutoCheapBahn and I found a random belt kit that I could use the reciever from.

And yes the extinguisher is attached to the seat sliding rail handle. Rest assured nothing gets in the way, and the seat sliding mechanism was only for my Dad with his short legs, ie. once the seat is bolted in and set it doesn't need to be moved. The floor of the Commonbore slops backwards so the extinguisher will be leaning over down hill if you will, happy it's not going to move once the seat is bolted in. However, I'm packing tech screws ready to buzz the thing into the floor like last year should scrutineers worry. I mean look at the crappy thin bit of sh1t metal that makes the extingusher frame. I wouldn't be surprised if that broke and sent the thing flying.

And annoyingly SuperCheapAutoBahn didn't have my Alan Grice VH SAAAAAAAS steering wheel :( And no I can't use the wheel of the Reno, different PCD to the boss kit I have for the Commonbore.

FINALLY!

The Whiteline sway bars, strut bar, and Nothalne bush kit has got it feeling pretty good. I had a squirt around the La Trobe Uni carpark earlier and heck, I'm beginning to see why ppl like these things. I suppose it's really just a more modern Reno 12. 4 doors, budget family car, cheap. Why do I have such bad taste?
 
#edit!

oh you idiot Bowie. I've just made the sliding mechanism much much easier to automatically disengage! I.e hit a bump, seat goes back. What a flamming ding bat. I'll try again.
 
And fixed. I simply made a bracket off the front seat bolts, much better idea. Oh this is after I ditched the sliding mechanism. Turns out I was adjusting it more or less in line with what was available on the bracket.


Saad.jpg


Final test fit of everything so I'm not surprised when I get to Sydney, all works ok. How good is that little SaaaaaaaaS steering wheel. See If you squint you could be sitting inside the Chickadee VH Commodore :p Actually lets find a VH commodore...

holden-commodore-vh-interior-2.jpg


You know don't suppose they have changed all that much.

Tools packed, fluids packed, ready yeeh har. Weather man says it will be raining, will still be fun.
 
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Ah good on ya. :p


Dear Wife,

I'm going to Poland to race a Mazda, I've emptied the back account.

Love,
Your idiot husband.

P.s. There are dishes in the washing machine.
 
Speaking to you all from a cheap motel in western Sydney. Oh the luxury.

Well 900od kms later the shit race car / my daily driver is ready to go. A proper mess is expected in the morning with all the trailers, I should be at an advantage driving straight to my allocated spot :p

And doesn’t look like much rain tomorrow,

Will I get a sub 2m lap, stay tuned!
 
According to Natsoft timing, in the first practice Bowie is 126 from a grid of 156 cars with a time of 2:08.2290. Not bad for a daily driver Commodore. He is actually faster than two of the Mazda MX 5’s in the “Grumpy Racing Team”.

The 1992 MX5 is 156 fastest at 2:17.3509 while the other, a 1996 had a problem on the 1st lap and did not record a time.

A couple of Renaults in the “Itwasntme” team, 5th Outright with the Renault Megane 275 T 2000 with a time of 1:48.1896
 
Morning race fans!

And I got better! Not that’s it’s about lap times, But at the end of second session I managed a 2m05. That’ll do. ;)

Heaps of traffic, couple of yellows and safety cars makes it a bit interesting but otherwise all good.

Incidentally 2m08 is the time I’m going to be chasing for the event proper. Providing protons and Mitsubishis don’t hold me up under brakes, I’ve got it worked out where I can drive hard turn 2 - 18, and relaxing at 160kmh down the straight and in and out of turn 1.

Speaking of brakes, after they started work they are pretty dam good. We’ve been trying to run 20m sessions and I wasn’t getting any fade at the end, so good work expensive DBA pads and slotted rotors. The thing is still full of interior so I did t really expect them to last. They are the standard size, good fluid, very happy.

Some fun things here today, some beautiful p76’s, one of each Datsun, few Clios running amok and yes that megane is a treat. Half the field is mx5’s buts that’s ok, it’s a collectors dream with a few of each variant :)

And of course it’s the people you meet here. Met this one guy whom was working at Holden when they introduced the alloytech, oh the stories :D

I’ll leave you with this beautiful piece of Aussie craftsmanship as I go and check pressures.

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So this thing was bought for 150 at pickles! Bargain!

I’ll grab some more pics in a sec.
 

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Time for the start, looks who’s at the front (even if a regularity) :p

Go you Reno!

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Ah well I’m wrecked.

Turns out hanging around and driving all day takes a bit outa ya.

We had a couple of dramas, mate with a supercharged mx5 lost a belt as his blower locked up :(. Was a nice little kit, a little Eaton from a Mercedes , running 10psi, intercooled, very noice.

And crazy kid in a Civic went out with his boot unlatched. It was flipping open down the straight like a parachute l, he was black flagged :p

The commodore was a reliable treat, an out lap to warm the brakes up and then I was breaking at the 100m board into turn 2 every time no worries.

When I was trying to hard it sounded like a 60’s cop show! These “good rides” street tyres are junk lol. We ran them at 30psi hot and I could brake hard enough for the abs to kick in all day, but as soon as a little steering was added a choir performed :D

We had a little excitement when a beautiful grpN Torana lost its oil filter on the back straight. Smoke everywhere, Torana spun, and a kid in a SSS Pulsar narrowly missing him. And a Holden Astra caught fire just climbing away from the amaro garages, drivers left, thing was a blaze with the driver bailing over the fence. He ok, Astra a little melted.

Can’t recommend these events enough. You end up sharing a track with just cars you would never ever ever usually be with.

Anyway beer time
 
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