Track Day @ Chennai on 4th & 5th Feb 2006- now with report out and pics

GTO · 7th February 2006, 12:07

All of you mentioned tyre limitations. How did the brakes do, since I guess all of you were running stock pads.

Excellent pictures, Rudra.

GTO

nitrous · 7th February 2006, 12:40

GTO, since most of them were using 'Engine braking + Brakes ' combo .

Moreover, hitting the brakes too much at the corners made them lose control , so it was more of engine braking combined with little pedal power.

Hint: Most of the drivers shifted to 2nd gear for engine braking everywhere.

mclaren1885 · 7th February 2006, 13:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTO

All of you mentioned tyre limitations. How did the brakes do, since I guess all of you were running stock pads.

Brakes werent much of a problem actually .. Bcoz as nitrous said it was more of engine braking to slow down before turning into corners .. Yes the brakes did fare pretty well and not once did the baleno have any braking issues .. The layout of the track is such that the biggest disadvantage is the tyre shredding .. The entire track was covered in 3rd gear and shifting into 2nd just before the corners .. We had corners where speeds would be varying from 100km/hr - 40 km/hr .. A super fun track and i must say that u bombay guys ought to try and make it to the next track day .. U guys wont regret making the trip ..

tifosikrishna · 7th February 2006, 13:59

talking about brakes, did you check the penultimate photo from the bottom in post #94, fissme on the track????

is that the brakes glowing red hot like in f1??? i dont think these cars use carbon fibre.... would like to know what it is??

Joz · 7th February 2006, 14:40

Darn!! What a wonderful opportunity to miss!!

But, had I heeded to the temptation… my client would have had me for breakfast on Monday.

And great report guys. Wonder how the stock tires on my car would have taken all that stress, am sure I would have been driving back to blr on just the rims. Wonderful pics too.

nitrous · 7th February 2006, 15:29

Used JK race tyres were available for hire @Rs.350/tyre/day.
The new ones were available for 500 bucks respectively.
All were 13 inch tyres available with steel rims.

My friend had problems fitting them on his OHC.But, Esteems and Balenos can use them easily.

nitrous · 7th February 2006, 16:03

I rode shot gun in just 2 sessions and i'll describe them.

Day1,Session 1: V1p3r's Baleno driven by Mclaren

Mclaren and I were the first to start the day off right behind the pilot car which was showing the lines. There were 8 cars on the 1st session itself.And after a couple of 'warm-up' laps, he gunned the Baleno and it started showing off her weak rubber. The stock 185 ducaros are no match for the track and a strict no-no. When , the baleno was doing fast at the straights , it had to be driven at the slowest paces at the corners to avoid spin-offs. The slightest touch of the throttle at the corners would make the tyres scream like crazy. I must salute Mclaren for being mature and not driving the car dangerously at its extremes which most of the younger kids do. We were pretty pissed off when the Stage1 Accent Viva with Eagle F1s was passing us at every corner from the inside(not sticking to the race-line). The Eagle F1s are great track tyres and this guy took good advantage of it. It wasn't even 10 laps before we were flagged into the pits for no reason. :( Yeah, the first session was too short.

Day1,Session 3:

Like planned, 5u3zero and his steaming hot Palio 1.6 GTX (stage 1) with sticky 185 Dunlops showed up at the tracks just at lunch-time.And, after formalities, i decided to ride shotgun with him. This car had a roaring exhaust. We started off and since its 5u3zero's first serious track-event, and nobody stuck to the lines,he decided not to do it either. The GTX was a FAST car on the corners thanks to those Dunlops which begged for more throttle at every corner. We were taking C1 at 100+ without touching the brakes.This i knew because, i was watching the gauges all the time, which saved the car(u'll soon understand why). Though, the tyres did squeal, there was not a small hint of losing control. While i was hanging on to my seat, clutching the handle above the window, there was water from his under his dash falling on my feet all the while.

A couple laps before the session's end,midway through the circuit, i suddenly noticed a sudden surge in the Temperature guage (which was normally below the mid-level mark).I shouted SLOW DOWN!!. 5u3zero didn't know why, and he slowly took the car into the pits at minimum revs as per my instruction. After reaching the pits, i asked him to look at the temp. guage and he was shocked to see the pointer at the redline. We opened the hood and saw some coolant sprayed around the engine and the radiator hose blown.
If the gauge wasn't noticed, we would have blown the engine even before we finished that lap.

So, 5u3zero decided to call it a day and retired. It took 2 hours to get a mech to search around the track for a spare hose and temporarily fix it, so that the GTX can go the 60km drive back home.

Lesson learnt: Keep an eye on ur guages when racing on a track!!!

sAP · 7th February 2006, 19:13

Here are a few candid shots on my camera... (*was driving... so couldn't take any on the track*)

Track view (i)

Track view (ii)

Racers line-up in the paddock area

sAP with all stock equipment; some visible wear and tear on the head area (took over 30 years to break-in)

Things are getting busier around here

Things aren't all that bad, somebody did take a pit lane shot

A F.I.S.S.M.E. cockpit

Let me know if u guys wanna see more. No cutting-edge action photography like Rudra's though

sAP

v1p3r · 7th February 2006, 19:30

Yeah, we were behind 5u3zero's car in the Siena, and we got a windshield full of radiator fluid. We were busy debating what fluid it could be, and frantically tried waving them into the pits.

Brakes: Didn't notice any abnormal brake fade. But then I only use my brakes on two sections, the slow down from 130+ to C2, coupled with a downshift and engine braking, and the start of the slow left, again with a downshift.

Tyres: Nitrous, the Ducaros are just fine. I was using 205 Ducaros for Sunday, and I'm pretty sure I was quicker than the modded Accent on 205 F1s. The problem was, my tyres had already been through one track day, that too with the "Drift King"... next time I save up for the JK slicks. BTW, I was doing close to 130 on C1, no brakes. Sideways, don't shout at me!!!

n_aditya · 7th February 2006, 19:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by sAP

Let me know if u guys wanna see more. No cutting-edge action photography like Rudra's though

of course i wanna see more... post all the snaps u clicked.... btw they are awesome quality pics man...

what cam do u use?

Edmund · 7th February 2006, 20:02

Very nice pictures sAP, please post more it give us guys a glimpse of the friggin fun you'll had!!!

The black OHC has yellow recaros?

5u3zEr0 · 7th February 2006, 20:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by tifosikrishna

ignore my previous post no. 89, check the snaps here

Thanks for the pic tifosi. The car looks nice.

5u3zEr0 · 7th February 2006, 20:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by nitrous

So, 5u3zero decided to call it a day and retired. It took 2 hours to get a mech to search around the track for a spare hose and temporarily fix it, so that the GTX can go the 60km drive back home.

Lesson learnt: Keep an eye on ur guages when racing on a track!!!

The waiting for the car to be fixed was a pain! It spoilt all the fun I had with the car and I was the last person to leave the track.

Anyways, Thanx Nitrous. The Dunlops are sticky even in the wet!

n_aditya · 7th February 2006, 21:50

hey McLaren... i remember u tellin me wolf was comin to the track... wonder why he didn't make it.... seen his Vtec on the roads and would have loved to see his Vtec on the track

The Wolf · 7th February 2006, 22:31

Wow Wow....seems like this trip was hell lotta fun, lot more than last time!!! missed it unfortunately due to family obligatory business...next time I hope I can make it. Excellent photos, loved 'em all...

Man I love those fissme's...would come over atleast to put my hands on one of those...

Im more of a 'road car to the roads' kinda guy...so unsure if I will be game to put my hard earned 5.6L to the torture test... Im a poor guy;-( haha...

Im sure you guys had loads of fun on the travel too....awesome guys....Im happy for all you guys but also a little "J"...

7th February 2006, 12:07	#136
GTO Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 70,512 Thanked: 300,668 Times View My Garage	All of you mentioned tyre limitations. How did the brakes do, since I guess all of you were running stock pads. Excellent pictures, Rudra. GTO
	() Thanks

7th February 2006, 12:40	#137
nitrous Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: UAE/Lon/Madras Posts: 6,965 Thanked: 325 Times View My Garage	GTO, since most of them were using 'Engine braking + Brakes ' combo . Moreover, hitting the brakes too much at the corners made them lose control , so it was more of engine braking combined with little pedal power. Hint: Most of the drivers shifted to 2nd gear for engine braking everywhere.
	() Thanks

7th February 2006, 13:59	#139
tifosikrishna BHPian Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: chennai Posts: 827 Thanked: 383 Times View My Garage	talking about brakes, did you check the penultimate photo from the bottom in post #94, fissme on the track???? is that the brakes glowing red hot like in f1??? i dont think these cars use carbon fibre.... would like to know what it is??
	() Thanks

7th February 2006, 14:40	#140
Joz BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Dubai Posts: 247 Thanked: 2 Times	Darn!! What a wonderful opportunity to miss!! But, had I heeded to the temptation… my client would have had me for breakfast on Monday. And great report guys. Wonder how the stock tires on my car would have taken all that stress, am sure I would have been driving back to blr on just the rims. Wonderful pics too. Last edited by Joz : 7th February 2006 at 14:42.
	() Thanks

7th February 2006, 15:29	#141
nitrous Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: UAE/Lon/Madras Posts: 6,965 Thanked: 325 Times View My Garage	Used JK race tyres were available for hire @Rs.350/tyre/day. The new ones were available for 500 bucks respectively. All were 13 inch tyres available with steel rims. My friend had problems fitting them on his OHC.But, Esteems and Balenos can use them easily.
	() Thanks

7th February 2006, 16:03	#142
nitrous Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: UAE/Lon/Madras Posts: 6,965 Thanked: 325 Times View My Garage	I rode shot gun in just 2 sessions and i'll describe them. Day1,Session 1: V1p3r's Baleno driven by Mclaren Mclaren and I were the first to start the day off right behind the pilot car which was showing the lines. There were 8 cars on the 1st session itself.And after a couple of 'warm-up' laps, he gunned the Baleno and it started showing off her weak rubber. The stock 185 ducaros are no match for the track and a strict no-no. When , the baleno was doing fast at the straights , it had to be driven at the slowest paces at the corners to avoid spin-offs. The slightest touch of the throttle at the corners would make the tyres scream like crazy. I must salute Mclaren for being mature and not driving the car dangerously at its extremes which most of the younger kids do. We were pretty pissed off when the Stage1 Accent Viva with Eagle F1s was passing us at every corner from the inside(not sticking to the race-line). The Eagle F1s are great track tyres and this guy took good advantage of it. It wasn't even 10 laps before we were flagged into the pits for no reason. :( Yeah, the first session was too short. Day1,Session 3: Like planned, 5u3zero and his steaming hot Palio 1.6 GTX (stage 1) with sticky 185 Dunlops showed up at the tracks just at lunch-time.And, after formalities, i decided to ride shotgun with him. This car had a roaring exhaust. We started off and since its 5u3zero's first serious track-event, and nobody stuck to the lines,he decided not to do it either. The GTX was a FAST car on the corners thanks to those Dunlops which begged for more throttle at every corner. We were taking C1 at 100+ without touching the brakes.This i knew because, i was watching the gauges all the time, which saved the car(u'll soon understand why). Though, the tyres did squeal, there was not a small hint of losing control. While i was hanging on to my seat, clutching the handle above the window, there was water from his under his dash falling on my feet all the while. A couple laps before the session's end,midway through the circuit, i suddenly noticed a sudden surge in the Temperature guage (which was normally below the mid-level mark).I shouted SLOW DOWN!!. 5u3zero didn't know why, and he slowly took the car into the pits at minimum revs as per my instruction. After reaching the pits, i asked him to look at the temp. guage and he was shocked to see the pointer at the redline. We opened the hood and saw some coolant sprayed around the engine and the radiator hose blown. If the gauge wasn't noticed, we would have blown the engine even before we finished that lap. So, 5u3zero decided to call it a day and retired. It took 2 hours to get a mech to search around the track for a spare hose and temporarily fix it, so that the GTX can go the 60km drive back home. Lesson learnt: Keep an eye on ur guages when racing on a track!!!
	() Thanks

7th February 2006, 19:13	#143
sAP BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: 10000 Lakes Posts: 283 Thanked: 55 Times View My Garage	Some candid shots Here are a few candid shots on my camera... (was driving... so couldn't take any on the track) Track view (i) Track view (ii) Racers line-up in the paddock area sAP with all stock equipment; some visible wear and tear on the head area (took over 30 years to break-in) Things are getting busier around here Things aren't all that bad, somebody did take a pit lane shot A F.I.S.S.M.E. cockpit Let me know if u guys wanna see more. No cutting-edge action photography like Rudra's though sAP
	() Thanks

7th February 2006, 19:30	#144
v1p3r Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: BLR / DXB / LON Posts: 5,334 Thanked: 6,896 Times View My Garage	Yeah, we were behind 5u3zero's car in the Siena, and we got a windshield full of radiator fluid. We were busy debating what fluid it could be, and frantically tried waving them into the pits. Brakes: Didn't notice any abnormal brake fade. But then I only use my brakes on two sections, the slow down from 130+ to C2, coupled with a downshift and engine braking, and the start of the slow left, again with a downshift. Tyres: Nitrous, the Ducaros are just fine. I was using 205 Ducaros for Sunday, and I'm pretty sure I was quicker than the modded Accent on 205 F1s. The problem was, my tyres had already been through one track day, that too with the "Drift King"... next time I save up for the JK slicks. BTW, I was doing close to 130 on C1, no brakes. Sideways, don't shout at me!!!
	() Thanks

7th February 2006, 20:02	#146
Edmund BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Stuttgart, Germany. Posts: 830 Thanked: 163 Times View My Garage	Very nice pictures sAP, please post more it give us guys a glimpse of the friggin fun you'll had!!! The black OHC has yellow recaros?
	() Thanks

7th February 2006, 21:50	#149
n_aditya Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Namma Bengaluru Posts: 5,348 Thanked: 3,684 Times View My Garage	hey McLaren... i remember u tellin me wolf was comin to the track... wonder why he didn't make it.... seen his Vtec on the roads and would have loved to see his Vtec on the track
	() Thanks

7th February 2006, 22:31	#150
The Wolf Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,118 Thanked: 71 Times	Wow Wow....seems like this trip was hell lotta fun, lot more than last time!!! missed it unfortunately due to family obligatory business...next time I hope I can make it. Excellent photos, loved 'em all... Man I love those fissme's...would come over atleast to put my hands on one of those... Im more of a 'road car to the roads' kinda guy...so unsure if I will be game to put my hard earned 5.6L to the torture test... Im a poor guy;-( haha... Im sure you guys had loads of fun on the travel too....awesome guys....Im happy for all you guys but also a little "J"...
	() Thanks