Sunday, February 8, 2009

MG Car Club Sprints - Winton Short Circuit

Today was the most unique track day I have been to because of the tragedy that has fallen upon Victoria. What is now dubbed the worst bush fires in Victoria's history had begun the day before and continued to ravage the state throughout the day. At present, 700 homes are reported to have been destroyed and the death toll stands at 85. The morning saw the track covered in smoke from the surrounding fires and the sun was almost completely blocked out.

Despite the smoke build up, visibility was still acceptable and MG Car Club pressed on to run a well organised and smooth running track day. Big thanks must go to MGCC for their hospitality.

This is the first time I had run Winton's short track and I must say that I enjoy it more than the long version. Firstly, it is more technical than the long track and outright power does not mean a better lap time. Secondly, it is less taxing on the engine due to the removal of the two longest straights.

The day was cut short due to the unfavourable conditions as a result of the fires. So, we ended up completing three sessions. In the first session, the car felt very loose because I think the track was slippery due to the dust/ashes. Plus, I started out running my tyres at 30 PSI cold, which increased to about 36 PSI hot by the end of the session. I then lowered the tyre pressure to 30 PSI hot. The second session felt a little better but I still thought that the track was a bit slippery. However, this would be my best session in terms of lap times. The third session felt the best for me, but probably because I was getting more confident with the car. I came close to beating my PB (within 0.05 seconds), but I doubt I could do any better today as I noticed the car's water temperature rising and the afternoon was getting hotter. I was also starting to lose concentration due to the heat.

Overall, I had a great day and I am looking forward to going back to the short track.

Session 1

Session 2
1:13.3100 PB

Session 3

Here is my speed vs distance graph for my best lap:

Full results: