V8 Supercar Rides

Discussion in 'Off Topic' started by garyw61, Jan 3, 2012.

  1. garyw61

    garyw61 Gary Gold Member Super ROOZ

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    I was just wondering if any members have had a V8 super car ride or drive, and what your thought/impressions were?

    I was lucky enough to be given a V8 ute ride/drive package by my lovely wife and daughters for my 50th birthday, which I took last week at Mallala Motorsport Park.

    I suspect the cars were just standard Holden SS/Ford XR8 utes with modified suspension/exhaust. I didn't get a look under any bonnets, so can't say for sure. Some had roll cages and some didn't. I managed to wangle my way in to the queue for the VE, (same as my ute), so was happy with that.

    First up I drove for 4 laps, with a driver in the passenger seat barking instructions at me. On every corner they had cones set up at:
    - braking point
    - turn in point (also brake 'off' point)
    - apex
    - exit point

    The basic method they taught was to apply brakes at first cone, release brake and turn in at second cone, coast to apex, then floor it at or just after apex and aim straight at the exit point cone.

    I know it sounds pretty tame, but it was a good way to learn the track, and I guess they have to cater for those with no experience at all. After 2 laps, he could see that I sort of new what I was doing, so he told me to go for it. This made the last 2 laps great fun! After we had finished, he said I had done really well, and asked if I had done any racing before (I suspect he was just stroking my ego though).

    After everyone had done this, it was time for 2 hot laps in the passenger seat. I was looking forward to this, as I wanted to see what the car could really do. The format of this was great. What they actually did was have a 2 lap race. Whilst there was a bit of foxing going on so that everyone got the chance to overtake someone else, these guys were really going for it, and I must admit to having my heart in my mouth a few times.

    It was a great afternoon, and the organisers put on a free BBQ and drinks while you waited. I can't say that I think it's great value (I believe the whole package was around $300), but it was great as a present! It would probably be a bit of a yawn for some of you hard-core types, but it was great fun for an old bugger like me.
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  2. KoAStR

    KoAStR Like a bowss Team Raceonoz Gold Member Super ROOZ

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    Sounds awesome mate. I did a few laps driving here in perth at the RAC track. Loved it. They just had cones at brake markers, which were horribly conservative. Five laps just wasn't enough to get to know the track and brake markers though. Didn't get driven around afterwards like you did which would have been awesome.
  3. disturboed

    disturboed Damian Hall Gold Member Super ROOZ

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    I got a V8 drive as a Christmas present from my beautiful wife and took it in January this year. It was with Fastrack racing at Eastern Creek.

    Bloody awesome is what it was, the cars were fully prepped race cars, and looked like V8 supercars but "only" produced about 450HP. 5 speed manual boxes, V8 Supercar brakes and suspension, but with bigger wheels than the supercars run, and Porsche Carrera Cup tyres. Full V8 supercar aero package. These things sound amazing!

    I did 6 laps of the short circuit, and they had the cones out too, brake markers, race line and apex points. To simplify things, they advised to only use 3rd and 4th gear, and I was hitting the limiter in 4th gear down the main straight for all but one of my laps. On my DVD the GPS speed was showing at a max of 216km/h so that was cool.

    My instructor was former V8 Supercar driver Mal Rose, and he gave me some good tips like rolling on and off the throttle and the brakes. The brakes were huge and I was barely using any pressure to pull the car up at the indicated braking points, I reckon you could go much deeper. I caught and passed one guy, and caught another one in front, but I kept losing time to him on the back part of the circuit and making it all up again on the first part.

    I tell you, doing Turn 1 at 170 is AWESOME! They tell you to brake, but in the end I was just lifting off the loud pedal. Definately want to do it again, but get more laps!
  4. SNAKEiSM

    SNAKEiSM Jason

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    That sounds awesome man, I could just imagine the adrenaline turning some laps in that thing, you should've shifted into 5th though, haha!
  5. garyw61

    garyw61 Gary Gold Member Super ROOZ

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    Did another one yesterday (a minor prize I won in a competition at the Clipsal 500)

  6. SPL Racing

    SPL Racing Professional Gold Member

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    I've always wanted to do a V8SC drive but the closest one is at Mt Cotton about 4 hours away from where I live. In America I have done a NASCAR drive in a 650 bhp car on the 1.5 mile oval circuit at Las Vegas which was amazing fun. I'm not much of a gambler but I'm happy to drop $500 USD at the track.
    I also did the Audi performance driving school at Sononma raceway in California which was cool cause I was in the car on my own with the instructor driving the car in front and I had to keep up. We had radio communication between the cars and he would just call out braking markers as we approached the corners.

    One day I'll get around to having a crack at a V8SC.
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  7. garyw61

    garyw61 Gary Gold Member Super ROOZ

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    Can highly recommend it SPL, great fun
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