this is the only video I have of the day. A mate who also turned up at Grafton on Sunday to compete went to video my last run of the day, and here it is...

burn out 4MB full size

15MB version of the run - full screen

2MB version - resized

Basically what happened was I lost hold of the steering wheel in the middle of the esses for a moment with the amount of wheel work that was happening, and ran out of road on the exit as a consequence. I'm still struggling to come to terms with the steering ratio of the 1200 after getting used to the quick rack in the GTR I guess. I was trying pretty hard to make up a bit over a second on my last run to catch the last WRX that was beating me, and tried to link the previous RH corner into the esses with a bit of an opposite lock slide... it was all going pretty much to plan until I lost hold of the wheel. if you listen closely you might hear a few people starting to clap just before I stacked it

No real damage, just a few scuff marks on the paintwork from the tyre wall, and a bruised ego. But its a great little track - that dipping S bend is pretty challenging as are a few other parts of the course - the uphill start line is something different for me, the 1st turn is weird - very cambered at the start and flattens out as it rises sharply on the exit, and the join from the 1st hill section onto the go-kart track at the top is a very sharp crest which can get you all out of shape. Then just after where I put it in the wall is a tight technical series of 90 degree corners, and you join back up on that short straight for the third time and leave the track halfway through the following RH turn for the finish line. I'll definitely be back there next year - I had a ball down there!

I was still the 2nd fastest car there which is not too bad for my first time there, and considering the quality of the competition. there were a few modified WRXs and an Evo 8 or 9 (I can't tell them apart) and a very fast V8 240Z in my class, all within about a second of each other, and one very quick WRX that was out on his own about 1.5 seconds faster than that group. I'll be out to get him next time! bloody WRXes!

Nice vid! It's good the Datto (or yourself ) wasn't hurt.

That looks like a really cool track - from your description, it sounded a bit like our Hillclimb track at Collingrove, but after seeing the vid it's a lot different - and cooler!

Thanks for posting up that link to your vid. Sorry to see you smack the Datto but loved watching it in action. That course looks like a lot of fun. The car looks very well sorted, I'll have to look at your profile pics etc and see what you have done to the suspension.

Hey Quinn, check ca18det_man's profile for pics etc. Andrew built the car, I've only had it a few months. You're right though, it is pretty well sorted and puts its 230rwkw down surprisingly well unless its provoked a bit too much!

no harm done to the datto, and we'll be out at the Australian Hillclimb Championships on Nov 2-4 at Mt Cotton.

right at the end of the vid "bugga"

pity about the crash mate, hope it's all okay. glad it wasn't any worse...

Harry,Harry,Harry, you wait to the car gets straight after that right hander, cause if you don't get through that flip flop right after it, you're not going to get through the E,F & G loop. I personally dont like Grafton, it's basically a go-kart track with a steep run-in. plus they're got the worst noise restrictions at 95 db. I'd rather go the extra distance & try Mt Cotton myself. The the second time i went there the venturi in number 1 cylinder moved, blocking off the main fuel circuit. i got my best time by popping the clutch to keep the revs up, which is probably why the clutch disintergrated at the next event.& i still came second in class.

nice video!

your car is CA?

Harry she still sounds sweet
It didnt look like much of a crash just a glancing blow Got your launches figured out by the look of it cant wait to see it in action at bathurst. If just sent my entry form away today will be good to see quite a few familier faces and some new ones too.

those uphill 2nd gear launches took a bit of getting used to, but wheelspin was definitely faster than bogging down.

Paul, I kept the car pretty straight there on my first 3 runs, on the 4th I got it a bit sideways out of the right hander and it almost ended up lining up the flip flop that way, so for my last run i thought I'd give that a proper try. I reckon I had it pretty right too untill I lost my grip on the wheel at the wrong moment... but I think it was faster. I'll be giving it another go next time!

I really enjoyed the track - yep its a go kart track, but its alot of fun and there's a few technical parts, like that section and the E, F, and G 'loop'. Exit of that is fun in this car too!

Mt Cotton also has a 95dB limit - actually I think all the tracks up here have a 95dB limit.