Newbie to the track scene, hello!

[quang]

Hi everyone,
Decided to say hi and give an update on my so far experiences :).

Late last year, started to get to attend track days and local events, thus far been to the local hill climb a few times and eastern creek once. All i can say its the most fun ever had!

I must say i'm surprised how different the car is when you are pushing it to the limits. Its a great learning experience. i find it really fun adjusting the car, driving style or lines and seeing how the car reacts.
At the moment i'm going around on street tyres (452's) and now looking to upgrade to some better stickier tyres.

Thus far, my best times are 53.5 at the local queanbeyan hillclimb, achieved during my second event.
Its very tight, twisty and narrow, top speed you get to is about 110km mainly sit under 60km. Learning to move my hands faster and faster i amazed how fast some cars get around that track, absolute stockers can manage 52 or 51's! The hillclimb will probably be my main track experience.

I managed a 2:09 at eastern creek first time out on a circuit ever. mind you, i spun out first corner first session lol, and also went off at 150km first corner (gravel excursion :) )at the end of the first session , i just didn't know what to expect :) but got used to it eventually. Averaged arond 2:13-2:14 the whole day.
It was definately an experience being on the track with all the other cars and scary as hell being on the track with open wheelers and other really fast cars (anyone seen a silver VW bug that goes like a rocket?)

Plans this year are to turn up to more track days and hillclimbs, my office has a bunch of motorsport enthusiast so we intend on visting wakefield and eastern creek on a more regular basis this year. Next is April 15th :)

I guess in the end, i would like to hear what other people (beginners) have managed to achieve at eastern creek. Gives me something to aspire to he he :).

Cheers! hope to see you at the track!

[quangsuke]

well i know its not eastern creek but first time out i managed a 1:59 around winton in a 1.3l carby =D

hope that counts for something

[Riced_Civic]

best thing to do is get out to as many track day possible and have fun.

walk around the paddock and ask for tip or even ride along's and watch how the more experience people take their lines and braking.

work with what you've got, dont go out, buy and replicate what all the other people have, it isnt gonna make you any faster if you cant use items to their full potentials and know what they can and cant do.

just get out there and drive as much as possible. even going to a few go kart places will help you learn lines, braking, smooth driving and get you confidence up.

b4 i go to a track day, i go to a go kart track for the day and just drive as much as i can to get my brain and hands used to the movement and the muscles to relax

[DNYALL]

To be honest I wouldn't recommend practicing in karts for tips on car track racing, karts handle soo much different to a car. But its still massively fun!!

Mate, good on ya getting out there!! Just go back as much as possible. The more you get to the track, the more your driving will improve and hopefully so will your confidence to push harder at the track each time. And yeah Like Danny said, getting tips off other drivers on the day and getting passenger runs is a really good idea. Stay keen man :)

Good to see more Honda's getting keen for track :thumbsup:

[vtecing]

Im also starting out with track days. Done 1 supersprint at queensland raceway. Waiting for my cams license to arrive in the mail, then doing mt cotton hill climbs

[Riced_Civic]

To be honest I wouldn't recommend practicing in karts for tips on car track racing, karts handle soo much different to a car. But its still massively fun!!

Mate, good on ya getting out there!! Just go back as much as possible. The more you get to the track, the more your driving will improve and hopefully so will your confidence to push harder at the track each time. And yeah Like Danny said, getting tips off other drivers on the day and getting passenger runs is a really good idea. Stay keen man :)

Good to see more Honda's getting keen for track :thumbsup:

yeah karting may be different but it teaches you the basics.

[quang]

thanks for the replies everyone, yeah so far i haven't seen many hondas out, just doing my bit hehehe, really looking to head out alot this year, we'll see how the mighty honda goes :) 230 clicks and still going strong.

[hitoriko]

i cant wait until my CRX is finished then i can hit up winton :D

[joe.teg]

the best thing for you to do is set yourself a time and aim to beat, its easier for you now as you have a pb and can aim to beat it. Also, a bit of friendly competition between the guys in your office wont go astray either cause youll find yourself pushing the limits of your car and your own skills and thus get better times. I find watching videos of the track over and over (preferably in the same make and model of the car you own) is a good way of setting a good line.

Thanks
JOE

[fatboyz39]

yeah karting may be different but it teaches you the basics.

Correct. Yeah its easy to steer a go kart, but to go fast in them and gain every inch, tenth of a second thats a different story.

[quang]

thanks for the advice joe.teg, i think my pb so far is a good time to try and improve on. however, i don't think competing with the other guys in the office is going to help too much in my case lol. time differences between us are too great (I'm in the middle, plus minus 6sec, anyone gone under 2:00 at eastern creek in a relative stock civic on street tyres?). In saying that though, my friend just did a whole lot of suspension work to his rx7 so it will be interesting how he handles it now. I totally agree though its always fun having a little competition between us.
Last time we went out, we had prizes for first spin, biggest improvement, fastest lap, mr. fix it, etc. had heaps of fun!

As for the go carts, i tend to use the hill climb as my practice.