Yesterday was a track day (VSSC R5) at Sandown, and in tune with the rest of year it had it's up's and down's. Leading up the day, I tried to get on top of the noise issue I have constantly been having. So Friday we made up a new exhaust with a long center muffler and the ability to run the rear muffler too. In my testing, the results were good. The center muffler worked as well as the rear one and noise was down.
As usual for the Ford / Holden car clubs, the organisation at the start of the day was pretty bad. After waiting in line for 45min to get signed up, once again, they didn't get my registration. So get that all sorted out and quickly through scrutineering. By then they were running about 1hr late.
First session, car was feeling good, concentrated on warming things up and getting the car right for the rest of the day. Had some decent laps in heavy traffic. A 1.33 which I was happy with as a warm-up. Pulled in after the session and an official came up saying that my car once again, was too loud. Couldn't be exhaust anymore, so has to be intake...and the cost / effort of re-doing all that is too much, so looks like no more Sandown for me (well maybe sneak in a few sessions for the last round of the VSSC).
So with a warning for noise already, and knowing this will be my last session before I get kicked off, I got tyre pressures right and got myself ready to attack this next session. Payed off in the end with a new PB of 1.28.8, knocking .3 off my previous PB. Defiantly felt like there was more to go too, with a mid to low 28's feeling possible that day. Down the straight this time I tried pulling to the other side of the track away from the DB reader, and after pulling back into the pits, no one came and talked to me...I think the wind might have slightly changed direction too.
Third session and I was hopeful to break the PB again, but unfortunately it was not to be. First lap I went to overtake someone on the inside, just cut it too tight, got a little loose, and ran onto the grass. This wasn't too bad and not my first time on the grass that day, but unfortunately as I was running on the grass waiting for the guy to get out of the way I hit a massive ditch, which after pulling back into the pits saw it ripped off my splitter, the brackets holding it on and put a dent into my sump. Need to get the car onto a hoist to get a better look and make sure all the arms are ok.
And that was the end of my track day!! So now I need to make a new splitter and brackets, my brakes weren't giving me much confidence that day too, so time for new pads, rotors and fluid I think as well as changing up the rears to some Wilwoods too to loose some more weight. So with one more Sandown day planned this year, I might give it another shot, but then after that I doubt I will be back. Stick to Phillip Island and Winton, as I hardly ever get to Winton it is somewhere I would like to concentrate on for a while.
New PB 1.28.8
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