advanced car control course

[Sleepy Gonzalez]

Did an advanced car control course last week in my BJ astina 1.8. The most fun I have ever had in my car!

The cars were a late model modded WRX, a 285wkw VX SS, an RX8, the school's 200SX, a stock R32, a VE Calais V6, IS200, Lancer coupe, RAV 4, TX5 and an old Camry.

Guess which car won the timed event around traffic cones in the wet?

THE BJ ASTINA!!! The WRX was the only car with a quicker time (1:07 vs my 1:10), but he got penalised for hitting 2 cones. I was surprised, but very happy with this result.

The instructors asked if I had done anything to the suspension, which I haven't yet. They were surprised at how the car could recover from such unbelievably sideways handbrake slides in the skid pan too (eg I was sometimes looking BEHIND the passenger side A-pillar at where we were going). The front wheel drive just dragged the front end back in. The poor little thing copped a good flogging all afternoon.

Some people left early, so I got extra time in the skid pan, yipee! This left me with a bruised left leg, sore thighs and sore forearms. It hurt just to lift up a drink that night. The car was COMPLETELY covered in muck, even in the engine bay.

I would highly reccomend the course to anyone wanting to thrash their car safely, legally.

So it seems the BJ does pretty well for a non-sporty FWD. Yeah, I'll keep it.

[project.r.racing]

Good to here. Gld you had a good time and found some limits to your car.

Ryan

[Cosmo Dude]

Congrats,
Isn't it good to find that a well driven BJ will match or better the egos of those other "performance" vehicles.

[Sleepy Gonzalez]

yeah, although it wasn't a real serious competition it was interesting to see how the different cars and drivers performed. For example the WRX had a larger turbo, which hurt it's low end. The straights were too short for it to get on boost, but man, that thing can stop real quick. The V8 was really angry and sounded awesome with some serious cams, but again the course was too tight for it to really get going. The RX8 was a bit dissapointingly slow. The R32 was driven WAY too enthusiastically and spun alot, but he was having a lot of fun! The Calais got a good caning too.

There were all sorts of people there from teens to 50+ and the whole thing was relaxed and fun.

[GISS-90BG]

Sounds awesome! Good on ya, doing one of these next holidays. Can't wait.

[RedLineResident]

Would love to do something like that. Glad you had fun and man its really good to hear that the astinas can match it with those highly rated cars. Nice to see you doing us justice.

[MAztinA 323]

nice work man! show them whos boss~ did u leave an agt flyer under their windscreen wipers? hehe


what are the prices like for the day?

[zappy65]

yeah i did the holden performance driving course and it was great...i didnt use my BG though...

[RedLineResident]

Yeah post up some pics when you get a chance.

[Sleepy Gonzalez]

Safe Drive Training. $242 at Mount Cotton. Half day braking and handling, half day skid pan. I wish I took a camera, I ended up taking video of the Calais giving it heaps in the skidpan. The afternoon light made for some nice footage with all the spray.

[project.r.racing]

$1100 @ Roadcraft in Gympie, up to 15 people.

[chicaboo]

Safe Drive Training. $242 at Mount Cotton. Half day braking and handling, half day skid pan. I wish I took a camera, I ended up taking video of the Calais giving it heaps in the skidpan. The afternoon light made for some nice footage with all the spray.Mt Cotton? I didn't know you are in QLD, I thought you're from down the way...?

Gav.

[Sleepy Gonzalez]

Cairns. That's why it's taken 4 years since buying this (my first) car to organise and save up for it.

One thing did disappoint me about the course- I never got to spin out my car in the dry. It has very predictable understeer in the wet, but the back end will break loose in the dry. Trailbraking too hard into a roundabout for example you can feel the back end getting light and starting to move out. That could be very dangerous if overdone and I would like to have tested it in safety.

[chicaboo]

Trailbraking too hard into a roundabout for example you can feel the back end getting light and starting to move out. That could be very dangerous if overdone and I would like to have tested it in safety.It can be very fun when overdone too! :D I'm too old/fat and not flexiable enough for trailbraking and such things, so I just feel what the cars doing and respond with steering, throttle and clutch input using the cars weight and momentum to get the back out and keep it there. ;)

Gav.

[Smikey]

Good stuff! Sounds like great fun. Always feels a little heartbreaking thrashing the car around like that, but it'll grow back.

Driving in controlled conditions is great fun. The rear breaking out in the dry (and in wet) is exactly what i'm worried about in my BA as well. I took my car to wakefield park in the dry and on the first hairpin managed to have it slide out and spin whilst trailbraking a few times... it's nice to know how the car reacts but it really did just snap out like that. Having the boot spare out would have made it a little worse though.