Philip Island trip

[evorobin]

I guess this kicks off on New Years with a drunk discussion about doing a PI trackday with my mate Rob who lives in footscray. Not long after I got the call, a sprint day was coming up with cams guidelines so I waited for a good moment and told the wife and then on the way home stopped in at the local Autobarn where zander informed me he was down for the trip!

Sorted the extinguisher/bonnet catch/battery sticker etc and also fitted a new induction/bought some new slicks for the racing wheels I’d purchased. Zander bagged a navman from his work and we set off at 9.30 Adelaide time on the Friday.

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Having driven the first section I handed over driving duties to Z. who after redlining it in fourth came a bee’s **** from engaging third instead of fifth. Dropping the g/box 2 hours into the trip would have ended in violence.…BUT a quick dip of the clutch and all was well despite some bull

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However I’d agreed to drop some G60 injectors at Dom’s house in reservoir (where?) and then go onto Rob’s in Footscray. This is where the nav came in well handy. Found the house via the ring road and went through Melbourne (no toll option on the nav!) no worries.

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Saturday at 4.30am is a shocking time to get up but as we had to be there at 7.30 we played it safe

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Obligatory 2 way radios in action "Rob get a move on!"

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Made our way through Melbourne where clubbers were definitely “avin it”.

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With Rob’s track wheels aswell as mine in the back of the golf scrubbage at the rear wheels with the et15 offset was pretty severe.

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We took it easy on the way down, “zander spotting a zender” bodykitted red mk1 golf.

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Pulling into the servo pre PI an X5 rocks up with a spanking 997 Cup on a trailer complete with sequential box.

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The next garage we pass has a new evo & E46 M3 fuelling and the realisation really bites.

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Coming through the tunnel under the track I give it a few revs and the new induction sounds sweet, round the corner of the paddock and there it is an E30 M3 with full livery.

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Fark the fezza’s and porsches this is was the rarest car here!

While I did all the paperwork Zanda ripped the RS off and put the slicks on and attatched the camera mount. Being a first timer there was a briefing at 8.15 which didn’t start till 9 so Zander also had to take the car through scrutineering.

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Afterwards people were taken round the track in any 4 seat cars available, I scored an evo 8 and as was suitably impressed as a passenger with car and track!

Being in the last group we wandered round and had a good look at all the cars.

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Other exotics there included a 550 with a huge wing, F360, TVR 350C to name a few.

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As a facility there really wasn’t much to fault and the viewing area above pitlane was spectacular.

When it was our group’s turn I rolled into pitlane and realised there was a bit of traffic behind me.

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Unsure as to the performance of brand new cold slicks I let people through and started to learn the track in the knowledge no cars would be overtaking.

The pressures in the tyres were 18 all round cold and the rears must have not got enough heat as the car was very tail happy. Despite this building up my speed gradually I overtook an orange mk2 escort.

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Once back in the pits tyre pressures were sorted and Zander informed me a lap time of 2.20 was my best time….however once out on the second session the GTI felt stable in the high speed corners and I started to work on braking points and get the right gears for corners. Lukey heights has to be the best part of the track, coming in on the redline in fourth a dab of brakes before turning in (still 4th) and getting back on the gas uphill before coming over the blind crest and braking hard on the descent (4th straight to 2nd)and a hard right holding the apex to get a nice smooth line for the next long left.

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Cocking a rear wheel under turn in

Needless to say what you have just read was some of the wisdom passed on from one of the instructor’s named Bruce. I managed to grab a few laps first with Bruce driving then me. As an ex – mk1 GTI racer Bruce was taking corners much quicker and left foot braking all over the show. Knowing where to carry speed through a fast track like this in a car with 93hp at the wheels is a must and I quickly got my lap times down to 2.14

Even pro’s have their moments though…………during some hard braking after lukey height’s the tail swung round (toward’s the driver’s side) so with nowhere to go the golf cut more grass and got back on track.

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Watching the footage back we realized his hands came OFF the wheel. Whether this was to let some lock off or just a knee jerk reaction I guess only Brucie knows…


The fourth session was an absolute stormer. Rob having set off at the start of the group backed off slightly until I caught up and then the battle was on. Under braking the golf really came into it’s own and despite really heavy stops a linear application saw they held clawing back any space. However the extra torque of the s/c saw the mr2 creep ahead down the straights only to be reined in.

While trying to get the pressures just so the fronts were a little low and I was getting some play through the slower corners in the last session. The golf had munched half a tank in 100km and the new slicks I had on the front looked nicely worn in. As the day wore on they combined groups to speed things up as numbers dwindled. When we did decide to pack up the two sets of track wheels we put them as far forward as possible and the drive back to Melbourne was painless.

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Stopped at Dave’s for a few brews and Mount Buller & PI footage, not to mention Dutton inc. a certain green E36! The navman was a bastad (no service) on the drive back to Footscray (too low down the window possibly) and we lost Rob but made it back. Leaving for Adelaide on Sunday we got some funny looks as the race tape was still covering all four front lights.

We left it like this and even encountered two cops at Subway in Horsham whereupon Zander announced we’d “chuck a brick on the accelerator and nail it to Adelaide in 3 hours” the cop spun round spilling the change in his wallet all over the floor FFS!

So after this statement an irate Falcon driver that wouldn’t let us in as the lanes converged overtook and then got busted speeding one km down the road. We just saw lights coming out of the brush and needless to say we waved merrily as we went past.

Next we caught some bike cops cruising towards Adelaide measuring the speed of oncoming traffic. A silver 9-3 got pulled. The drive was fairly uneventful with a token picture of us next to a tired but determined GTI once back in Adelaide.

Great day and highly recommend the island to anyone!

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[imported_brackie]

Great account of an excellent day! Well done, Robin. You're a credit to our forum! Oh.... And the file size of the pics is just right for a country bumpkin like me who has a dialup speed of ~20

[Golf Loon]

Good work Robin you crazy loon. Nice to see a car you can drive long distance to the track, fang round all day and then drive it home afterwards. Go the GTI. 8)

[Golfwise]

A good day and thanks for passing on all your fun and in great detail. :D
Track days are the go. :roll:
Those mk2s are great on a fast circuit.

[worm]

Just got around to reading this (yes im bored :P )

A time of 2:14 is actually really good. I know a fastish rider on a 1000cc bike will do about 2 min. Slower riders on 600cc will do 2:15 to 2:25 min. Im impressed.

Got any track footage you can upload? you can always upload it for free at www.putfile.com

[ausgolfer]

That time sounds about right. Didn't that modded VR6 go around in 2.05? For a first timer(in the mk2) thats a good effort I did a similar track day at the end of last year. I like the 3rd or4th corner I think it is?? high speed left hander approaching the first largish hair pin and offramp, even my soggy suspensioned 16v with 185 street tyres on felt rock solid.
How'd you go on the first corner? I backed off and put it back to 4th, not ballsy enough yet :lol: . What kind of top speeds were you getting?
I remember Bruce bought his mk1(16v racer) onto the track behind me when I was out there and after 4 laps he hadn't made any ground, which I was chuffed about after he'd proclaimed his volvo(v70R) was quicker in a straight line than my golf. I also passed a porsche boxter (with a girl driving, hush hush let me dream), and two mk1 CRX's.

[evorobin]

Matt's VR6 did a 2.03 I think however he has 115KW@wheels compared to my 70. Bruce said his mk1 could do a 1.56 which for 130hp@ the wheels seems tough.

This reminds me I still have to host the video with the "Hands of Bruce" :lol:

[Tim]

stolen from vwvortex
gratuitous MDT Quote
"My best time for the day was 2.01.73"

[evorobin]

I was working from the video he posted. I'm sure with the correct lines he could have knocked a couple of seconds off :P

[Tim]

yeah he needs to grow some balls thru turn 1!
haha easier said than done!

[evorobin]

Actually Matt has a huge set through turn one but turns into a lot of the corners too early and gets a tighter line hence losing speed. Of course I only know this because I had tuition on the correct lines for fwd. Lets hope Bruce is there on November 11th when I return 8)