it was the second round of our super sprint series last weekend at Morgan Park. We had another great weekend with the car running flautlessly all 3 days with 2 drivers. We finished 1st and 2nd in class, and the next car in our class (the Datsun 1600 that won East Coast Classic a couple of years ago) was 5 seconds behind me over the three laps, although I only pulled about 1 car length on him off the start line to the end of the straight... I didn't get any still pics this time, only video.

But the best fun of the weekend was passing a Cobra then chasing down a 600hp Chev Nova during Friday's practice - watching it open up about 5 car lengths on the straights, then getting back on his bumper through the esses and stuff.

I should have better brakes, and a bit of fine tuning in the suspension before the next round, so it should be a little faster again. The rear end gets upset quite easily by mid-corner bumps now, and its a little too tailly exiting corners. The axle tramp problem is all but gone. It only happens if you get too much wheelspin off the line now, and even then it is only very mild. Once up and running there is not even a hint of tramp when putting the power down. So my modified rear leaf pack is going OK in that regard.

Next event will be the QLD Challenge road rally if I get the brakes sorted in time...

Sounds like you have the thing really honkin..... will we see you in IPRA next year?

that's the plan, and it's the main reason I'm going up to 14" wheels to allow brakes big enough to handle Queensland Raceway. If it wasn't for that I'd rather keep these 13" Superlites on the car...

I have a couple of mates who are racing up here, and I really want to get into it. It's the next step, and looks like great fun.

My lap times at Morgan Park are getting pretty competitive with the U2L IPRA cars up here. I haven't done an event at QR in years, but I will after the brakes are done. I'm still a touch over a second per lap behind Wilkinson's Escort, but he was the 2nd U2L car home in the Nationals recently. Hopefully the brakes will get a few tenths back on him, but I doubt very much that I'll ever equal his speed - it's a big ask for a SOHC 2valve engie to catch the best of these modern mutlivalve cars. O'Shanessey's Sprinter is right on his heels, but my times fit in between those two and the rest of the U2L cars. Wether or not I can do 12 laps at that pace with the added pressure of racing remains to be seen though!

That's great news..... can't wait to follow your progress.

I should have my Datto on track later this year....it's with the Auto Electrician at the moment being totally re-wired.

Go the Datto's!

good luck to u harry, hope u kik some ass against them cough * cough* escorts
woodydat

What is the QLD Challenge road rally ? Iam using 260 mm vented Discs with 4 spot Wilwoods with hawk Blue Pads inside 13" superlites ..They work excellent the willwoods have large 44mm pistons .. Compared to 42mm ones in the VT Comomdore.. And 37mm (i think} in the Skyline ..Cheers Cam

QLD Challenge is a touring road event, with pretty minimal navigation (you need a navigator who also holds a L2) and some great special tests. They use private road sections (no public road closures) in Gatton College, Wivenhoe Dam, as well as some racetracks, autocross tracks, and go-kart tracks, and normally a motorkhana style test as well. It's great fun. Need to be road registered, and carry a 2kg minimum fire extinguisher (I think 2*1kg extinguishers are accepted too). I think its the 24th of July, but I'd have to check that. The highlights are definitely Gatton and Wivenhoe road sections.

Your brakes are interesting. Have you been at QR? How did they hold up?
I've already ordered 14" tyres, so I'm kinda locked-in to that course. I'm planning on going circuit racing next year, and that's the main reason for going up to larger brakes - they need to last 12 laps at QR which is rekowned for being hard on brakes. In a small capacity, light car, I want the brakes to still be at their best on the last couple of laps when some of the bigger, more powerful cars may start to struggle with tyres and brakes.

Good on you L18 !!! Loved to read about you sticking it to the bigger cars - some people seem to think horsepower = speed. All good and well until a corner arrives !! lol. Obviously I have no time for the "waddaya reckon it'd do down the quarter?" brigade - and the "my mates ..... is heaps better" hanger onners. Good luck with the series too - variety is the spice of life !! To datman55 - hope you get out to the track sooner rather than later ! Perhaps I'll see you out there sometime and spend the day embarrassing the big barges
Cheers

Harry, good going...Im 95% finished on my 1200 coupe now, so I'll be right up there sticking it to them here in NSW. Just need tank, front suspension remapped, wiring all connected and a set of flares from Steve...by the way can you PM me with his details so I can contact him...Anyway I'll be doing some testing before the track, but I want to catch you at the Bathurst hillclimb if youre going to be there. I'll definately have my coupe sorted by then.

Well done harry sounds like its going really well. Look forward to seeing your times improve at bathurst :) Ill probably have mine going bye then if all goes well. We will have to line up
Andrew