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Location:
Wollongong
Registered:
January 2005
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Vienta V6 TOURING run at Wakefield Park
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Sun, 06 February 2005 01:41
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Hey all,
Cuz my drift car is still a little way off yet, i jumped at the opportunity to drive ANY car on the track. As it would be, the Historic Car Club that i joined (for $15  ) to get a CAMS 2NS licence had a track day at Wakefield Park.
At first it seemed strange to rock-up in a car which wasn't 30 years old, but then i found out many drivers were giving the 'family cars' a go.
So, in this group with some newer cars, we were to have 5 sessions (about 30 laps) for the day. As i'm lazy, i slept in and missed 2 of the sessions :oops: . Still, the 3 i had was a good chance to suss out how cars work at the track and on the limit. Incase you didn't know, i drive a Toyota Vienta V6.
Being a total track virgin, what i learnt was that the 'key' to speed is to be smooth. Eventually i got the lines right, just not all of them on the same lap. The Camry was actually the fastest car in my group, but somehow a racing Jag Type E and Mini Cooper S got in there at one stage... The Jag got me on the straight and i couldn't overtake the Mini (there were rules which banned late braking).
I could pull a little over 150km/h before having to brake into the first right hander after the straight. And yes, the ABS was fine. What wasn't fine was the fuel supply. Even though i still had 1/4 tank left, when powering onto the straight (under cornering load), the fuel line would go dry and the car would die momentarily. D'oh!
I never got timed for my laps, so i can't tell you how i went  My rough guess is 1:30:00. 
So being smooth is fast, but it's also boring. What's more fun? Trying to drift! But not in the style you guys know. More of a... Drift Bible type of drift. You know: feint-off, braking etc
Amazingly these techniques worked. The funniest 'attempted drift' was when i diliberately drove too fast into the first left hander at the top of the hill. Result- BIG oversteer moment, correction, too fast, BIG oversteer again and lockup making me spinout. I was laughing my arse off, but the 'old farts' probably weren't!
I left the day with these things:
*Don't worry about what car you're in. Just have fun!
*Don't think you need to 'upgrade' the GFB's. You don't.
*The Vienta Touring V6 can handle track work all day, everyday!
*Don't race against semi-slick wearers in your street shoes.
*Drifting is more fun than circuit racing.
*Worn tyres
Now that i've got a taste for it, i'm gonna try to race the car at every Fatz Drift day, in the grip sessions until i get my drift bitch going.
See you at the track. 
Here's my 'raced up' car. Note the locust guts.
I have one of these, it's just not as nice! This is my Dad's car.
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