V8 Race Experience

[Captain Stubing]

On the weekend, I went to Queensland Raceway to have my "V8 Experience". We drove down there, I was nervously anticipating what it would be like... would I lose it? (that was the biggest fear!)

Anyway, sat through the driver briefing, then got suited up in the overalls and helmet. I was surprised at the amount of people wanting to drive the Ford! The Holden line was empty, with over a dozen people still queuing for Falcon! I went to TopGear live last month at Brisbane, and it seems that about 75% of the audience was Holden biased!

Anyway, the 5 laps I had, they were a blast! I didn't want to come back in. I bought the DVD as well, which showed me saying "Yep" to the instructor all the way around It was a fantastic experience... you have the instructor giving you constant advice around the track, and he'd adjust your approach to a corner if he wanted to.

The circuit was covered either in 3rd or 4th, and the slicks stuck really well. Going through the Esses of the Clubman circuit was my favourite bit.

Looking back on it though, I think I was suffering tunnel vision. You're travelling so quick, you don't take time to look through the right hand window (covered in netting) to see what you're turning into. I think I was memorising the corners, but not looking for potential hazards. Maybe I was putting a lot of faith in the instructor?

Anyway, I'm going to book in again, and get the missus to go as well (she gave me this as a birthday pressie). She got to do a track day on her bike there last week, but that's not the same as on four wheels!

It gives me a lot of respect for the professional race drivers.

Also got to chat to some nice Ford owning blokes

[NAFairlane]

haha wicked, i have been wondering about doing that but dont want to get there and be let down. Sort of half expecting to get there and it just be an xr8 with slicks, a roll cage and some stickers. (as fun as that would still be) Glad to hear you had fun dude.

[lockieoc]

It is well and truely worth it, i have done it that many times and i still get a thrill out of it. The grip and the braking performance is awesome!

[jcxr]

The cars at Calders V8 experiance had dual calipers on the front brakes to give the cars that huge retardation, I imagine yours was the same.

[Polyal]

Yeah I did the Calder Park one a few years back.

Dont get me wrong its great, but very frustrating as its all over too soon. Id love to do a proper day, say a morning then afternoon session.

For me the first couple of laps you get used to how the car turns in, really wasn't expecting that much grip, then once you get used to it you have to pull in.

Still worth the coin though.

[itsjustaworkute]

Did 5 laps at Qld raceway aswell, in the falcoon and gotta tell you its a whole lotta fun, but like the others would pay for 10 laps next time, at lap one they make you take it easy, lap 2 you start to open it up, lap 3 your smile is getting wider and by lap 5 you feel like an old pro and are really enjoying it and ready t o keep going just as they say thats 5 mate take her in.

[F6_Ute]

I'm doing the same myself at Bathurst on Anzac Day to say I'm looking forward to it is an epic understatement

I'm told they give you only so many laps so they get you off the track before your ambition overtakes your ability ...

for Bathurst it's four laps but @ 25kms that's a decent go IMHO

[Polyal]

Yes I certainly wouldnt be complaining about the Bathurst one.

[fat4D]

Originally Posted by F6_Ute

I'm doing the same myself at Bathurst on Anzac Day to say I'm looking forward to it is an epic understatement

I'm told they give you only so many laps so they get you off the track before your ambition overtakes your ability ...

for Bathurst it's four laps but @ 25kms that's a decent go IMHO

bathurst one? Tell me more? I spent years as a kid on the bus going around the mount everyday imagining the racing line and what it would be like

[xbcool]

yep I got a xmas gift for 6 laps of easterncreek and had a ball .

the cars were excellent in the braking and handling department but I feel they need a litle more power as they didn't really set my world on fire down the straights.

the people that ran the event were fantastic





steve

[Polyal]

Im pretty sure they are tinkered BOSS or LS2/3's...not a full blown V8SC engine or even a 5.0

[FordACE]

The experience is definitely fun out at Queensland Raceway. Cars could do with a tiny bit more power but in all it is a heap of fun.

The only thing I was disappointed with was the DVD I paid for. Really bad quality, bad camera angles and a DVD cover that was created by some unprofessional.

[F6_Ute]

Originally Posted by fat4D

bathurst one? Tell me more? I spent years as a kid on the bus going around the mount everyday imagining the racing line and what it would be like

wow - so u were a local, nice!

Must've been interesting growing up there, I did it in a bus on a few school excusions back in the day, since then I've taken every car I've owned around the track (with the exception of the F6 as I've only had it two weeks) so getting to drive the mountain 'V8 Experience' style is gonna be something else entirely ... and another thing I get to tick off my bucket list

As for the details, check out http://www.v8race.com ... they rarely close the track for these sorts of events so it could be a while before the next one comes along

[fat4D]

Originally Posted by F6_Ute

wow - so u were a local, nice!

Must've been interesting growing up there, I did it in a bus on a few school excusions back in the day, since then I've taken every car I've owned around the track (with the exception of the F6 as I've only had it two weeks) so getting to drive the mountain 'V8 Experience' style is gonna be something else entirely ... and another thing I get to tick off my bucket list

As for the details, check out http://www.v8race.com ... they rarely close the track for these sorts of events so it could be a while before the next one comes along

yeah lived on the back side of the mountain , loved waking up to the sound of screaming V8's, and getting in free by jumping a couple of fences lol. went back a few weeks back and did a few laps around the mount and stil dont know how they do the chase at 130-140 plus, at 80 i was sideways. i just love how smooth the track is.

i was so keen when i first saw your post to do it then looked at the cost and wow if i had the money i would do it, wonder if i can trade in a big toe? its probs similar value from my life insurance? might have to give em a finger also thou

[F6_Ute]

Originally Posted by fat4D

yeah lived on the back side of the mountain , loved waking up to the sound of screaming V8's, and getting in free by jumping a couple of fences lol. went back a few weeks back and did a few laps around the mount and stil dont know how they do the chase at 130-140 plus, at 80 i was sideways. i just love how smooth the track is.

i was so keen when i first saw your post to do it then looked at the cost and wow if i had the money i would do it, wonder if i can trade in a big toe? its probs similar value from my life insurance? might have to give em a finger also thou

sweet - if growing up there like that doesn't breed it into you, nothing will!

ahaha re: the cost, I hear ya ... I'm locked in for the sold out Octane Dreams package with John Bowe - without talking actual numbers, I should give a shout-out here to Hammo @ Sinclair Ford where I bought the F6 ... it's fair to say he's covering a good slice of the cost as a thx to me for coming on-board as a customer

and even tho Hammo's lightening the load on my wallet, trying to convince the mrs I need to spend more money on something like this after just purchasing the FPV was interesting too

[fat4D]

to be one of the first and probs the last non professional drivers to drive the mount (at speed) its something you'll be 90 sitting in your rocking chair watching nuclear powered cars go around the mount (or something stupidly powered) with a giant smile on your face. just wish i could have the chance.

just remember hold on going through the esses it looks steep at speed. if i wasnt working i would make the trip back just to see this

[F6_Ute]

apologies swanny - i feel we may've hijacked ur thread here

I'm guessing given that ur looking to go again & take ur missus this time you must reckon it's worth every cent - a good endorsement that

i'll admit as much as i'm looking forward to it & excited about it, I am a little apprehensive about it too, I just want to do it justice - I'd hate to get to the end of it & have the instructor think/tell me I drive like his blind grandmother ahaha

[fat4D]

Originally Posted by F6_Ute

i'll admit as much as i'm looking forward to it & excited about it, I am a little apprehensive about it too, I just want to do it justice - I'd hate to get to the end of it & have the instructor think/tell me I drive like his blind grandmother ahaha

QUOTE OF THE DAY, infact im going to start a thread on this inspiration

[lockieoc]

Originally Posted by F6_Ute

I'm doing the same myself at Bathurst on Anzac Day to say I'm looking forward to it is an epic understatement

I'm told they give you only so many laps so they get you off the track before your ambition overtakes your ability ...

for Bathurst it's four laps but @ 25kms that's a decent go IMHO

My old man did bathurst last month, said it was awesome, sadly i was too busy with work so i had to give it a miss.

[lockieoc]

Originally Posted by jcxr

The cars at Calders V8 experiance had dual calipers on the front brakes to give the cars that huge retardation, I imagine yours was the same.

One of the calipers is a emergency caliper that the instructor can use if you cant pull it up in time.

[Herrod Motorsport]

V8 race is a great concept, we built the 4 seater car that john bowe runs. All of the vehicles are tuned by us including the holdens using sct X3

[Captain Stubing]

Originally Posted by F6_Ute

apologies swanny - i feel we may've hijacked ur thread here
.....I'd hate to get to the end of it & have the instructor think/tell me I drive like his blind grandmother ahaha

No worries!

Though the cars might not be a V8SC, they are quick enough to thrill, especially on the corners!
Don't worry about driving like your granny.. just listen to the instructor and the briefing, and you'll be fine.

[Pedro]

If you own an F6 or similar powered car and you haven't raced previously or done sprints, it's a good idea to do it as it will give you a real time look at how fast your daily driver really is and help educate you in the handling of it.

[F6_Ute]

Well it's done! On Anzac Day I drove Bathurst and it was everything I expected and more - unfortunately words simply fail to describe what it was like to drive the mountain at speed but needless to say it's a massive bucket-list item ticked off

For those interested here's a vid of it

As suggested, I just put all my trust into the briefing & the in-car coach - the end result was a great experience where I managed to have a drive that was smoother than expected & finished up bringing it home in one peice

As for the recording quality, no complaints here, walked away with it on a USB stick and was watching it back a few hours later when I got home ... and I may have watched it once or twice more since

After my drive I traded my ride with John Bowe for one with Steve Johnson, not that there'd be much difference but I figure I'm going to get my chance to interact more with JB in future through various events put on by my dealership, whereas this could be my one & only chance with Stevie J ... anyway, having done hot laps before at Eastern Creek and Oran Park I had a good idea of what I was in for, but nothing prepared me for the way we took Griffins Bend at the top of Mountain Straight ... in a word ... WOW!!! Then there was the run across the top of the mountain, down through the esses and of course the speed into the chase all of which were better than anything else the other two tracks have combined - and that's not a slag on EC or OP, it's just that Bathurst is in another stratosphere entirely.

No wonder Lowndesy's always smiling, he gets to do this for a living!

[Halfmo Rocks]

i did it at eastern creek a couple of years back...got right in a car, despite being at the back of the cue...they were all lining up for the holdens...i wanted the ford, but would have driven the holden to avoid a que...yay me

got rained out 4 times...took nearly 18 months after getting the ride as a birthday pressie...when i finaly got going it was an amazing experience

i've owned falcons pretty much since i owned cars...but i've mostly only ever had I6 auto taxi pack falcons...never owned a V8, never even driven one at that point. was something special that's for sure

i was pleased not to stall getting going, i passed a few cars & no-one passed me. the pro riding shotgun actually told me he was impressed...said i was a much better driver than most he sees. probably just blowing smoke...but it left me chuffed to bits

can't be more pleased with the attitude of all the folks running it

Originally Posted by swanny

I bought the DVD as well, which showed me saying "Yep" to the instructor all the way around

yeah...kind of makes you look like a goose on that vid hey...lol

[F6_Ute]

Originally Posted by Adam Rocks

i was pleased not to stall getting going, i passed a few cars & no-one passed me.

there were a number of pro drivers on-track during the day as plenty of folks had paid for hot lap rides rather than drives, so obviously we had to yield for these guys - I only got passed twice, both by these guys (including some hack called Steve Johnson who went past me thru Sulman like I was standing still )

in all seriousness, that just added to the whole experience, not only driving the mountain, but also sharing the same bit of track as S Johnson & J Bowe - in addition to lunch with the meet & greet beforehand = a day I'll long remember

[F6_Ute]

Originally Posted by Adam Rocks

got rained out 4 times...took nearly 18 months after getting the ride as a birthday pressie...when i finaly got going it was an amazing experience

oh yeah, and as for the rain, the weather was terrible all the way from home till about 30kms the other side of Lithgow, then like a switch it went from rain to beautiful sunshine as we dropped off the ranges and was like that all day ... till the drive home where it was back into the rain & traffic :/

[93EB_SXR6]

Bloke I know is an instructor for the SA one (he was my teacher at school).
He's a top guy - a Ford bloke.
If I had the cash I'd definitely go for a run down Malala and learn a few tricks, its so damn expensive though.

[LTDHO]

I did it too a couple of years ago.

Boring is an understatement, XR8 with an open exhaust is hardly thrilling, especially when my street car has 360rwkw. Most of what the teach is general safety and a few race techniques, which most on here would already know.

Personally if I had paid for it, I'd ask for my money back, certainly wasn't a 'V8 race experience' in my book. I had received it as a gift, so I can't complain.

[JC]

Originally Posted by Adam Rocks

i did it at eastern creek a couple of years back...got right in a car, despite being at the back of the cue...they were all lining up for the holdens...i wanted the ford, but would have driven the holden to avoid a que...yay me

got rained out 4 times...took nearly 18 months after getting the ride as a birthday pressie...when i finaly got going it was an amazing experience

i've owned falcons pretty much since i owned cars...but i've mostly only ever had I6 auto taxi pack falcons...never owned a V8, never even driven one at that point. was something special that's for sure

i was pleased not to stall getting going, i passed a few cars & no-one passed me. the pro riding shotgun actually told me he was impressed...said i was a much better driver than most he sees. probably just blowing smoke...but it left me chuffed to bits

can't be more pleased with the attitude of all the folks running it



yeah...kind of makes you look like a goose on that vid hey...lol

Similar experience to mine. Including the end comment "That's was pretty good", he said.