Printable Version of Topic
Click here to view this topic in its original format
914World.com _ 914World Garage _ Mt Buller Sprint
Posted by: Howard R Jan 27 2005, 03:35 PM
Mt Buller Sprint Report.
Drove down last Thursday 20th took about 9 hours. Towed the teener behind the wife’s Volvo 850 wagon, which did it remarkably well.
Friday 21st was a late start followed by scrutineering, documentation, safety briefing and then 2 runs around the Prologue stage. This all happened at Mansfield which is at the bottom of the mountain.
Sat 22nd the plan was that we would have 2 runs up the 16.5km mountain stage to the top of Mt Buller each morning and afternoon on both Sat and Sun. Anyway Saturday started well but when we got down the mountain to the start of the stage we found that we had sprung an oil leak, which turned out to be a pin hole in the steel line to the chain tensioner on the distributor side. After weighing up the options we drove back to Mansfield (30km) and burnt 4 litres of oil on the exhaust. A friendly Nissan dealer was found where we pulled it apart and silver soldered the pipe. After serious degreasing we returned to the start in time for the afternoon runs.
The first run was just a little bit ragged and only an average time, but considering the morning’s frenetic activity generally acceptable. After our run we were standing at the top spectating when the field stopped coming through. It turned out that a Nissan 240Z had gone over the edge and the safety crews were getting them out. This took a fair while (they went down 80m landed on the roof and caught on fire, both OK) and the organizers ran out of road closure time, so we missed our second run.
Sunday 23rd. 2 great runs in the morning each faster that the previous. Ist run in the afternoon things really came together and we got under 11 mins. Got down to the bottom of the hill for the second run and the whole field is held at the start while safety cars head of up the mountain. Ultimately the final run is cancelled because the road is melting in the heat!! It was a bit tacky looking on the way down. Transpired that the alpine mix bitumen couldn’t handle 2 days at 27 C without getting very soft. Well lubricated presentation dinner followed.
Monday 24th very boring drive home.
A great event that I would definitely do again. Some pics follow. Does anyone have some place I can upload about 42mb/11mins of video of our final run?? Its pretty epic!!
How.
See www.mtbullersprint.com
Attached image(s)
Posted by: Howard R Jan 27 2005, 03:36 PM
2
Attached image(s)
Posted by: Howard R Jan 27 2005, 03:36 PM
3
Posted by: Howard R Jan 27 2005, 03:39 PM
3
Attached image(s)
Posted by: Howard R Jan 27 2005, 03:40 PM
4
Attached image(s)
Posted by: Howard R Jan 27 2005, 03:40 PM
5
Attached image(s)
Posted by: Howard R Jan 27 2005, 03:41 PM
6
Attached image(s)
Posted by: Howard R Jan 27 2005, 03:41 PM
7
Posted by: Howard R Jan 27 2005, 03:42 PM
7
Attached image(s)
Posted by: Howard R Jan 27 2005, 03:43 PM
8
Attached image(s)
Posted by: Howard R Jan 27 2005, 03:43 PM
9
Attached image(s)
Posted by: Howard R Jan 27 2005, 03:44 PM
10
Attached image(s)
Posted by: Howard R Jan 27 2005, 03:45 PM
11
Attached image(s)
Posted by: Howard R Jan 27 2005, 03:45 PM
12
Attached image(s)
Posted by: seanery Jan 27 2005, 03:54 PM
Howard,
send me an email and I'll give you access to my ftp and you can put it there.
sean at moronthrottle dot com
Posted by: SirAndy Jan 27 2005, 04:13 PM
schweet!
damm, i would love to drive an event like that ...
for our metric-challanged members, 16.5km is roughly 10 miles up the mountain!
i used to go to the hillclimb races and watch (a lot) when i was little ...
Andy
Posted by: Howard R Jan 27 2005, 04:25 PM
Andy,
It rises 1000 metres over the 16.5 km, or roughly 3,200 feet.
Posted by: SirAndy Jan 27 2005, 04:27 PM
| QUOTE (Howard R @ Jan 27 2005, 02:25 PM) |
| It rises 1000 metres over the 16.5 km, or roughly 3,200 feet. |
that's still pretty good ...
i bet it was curvie too ...
Andy
Posted by: lapuwali Jan 27 2005, 04:29 PM
I agree, hillclimbs are great. VERY popular in the UK, where they have racecar manufacturers who've built whole businesses on making dedicated single-seater hillclimb cars (complete with composite chassis and wings). I don't know of any on the West Coast at all, which is a real pity.
Posted by: SirAndy Jan 27 2005, 04:32 PM
| QUOTE (lapuwali @ Jan 27 2005, 02:29 PM) |
| VERY popular in the UK |
they have hills in the UK ???
Andy
Posted by: seanery Jan 27 2005, 04:32 PM
Pike's Peak is only 1000 miles away from you CA guys
Posted by: lapuwali Jan 27 2005, 04:41 PM
| QUOTE (SirAndy @ Jan 27 2005, 02:32 PM) | ||
they have hills in the UK ??? Andy |
Not 1000m "hills", no. And not the kinds of climbs you see in Germany, but yes, they do have "hills". A lot of the famous ones are very short, like 30-40 seconds for a fast car. Almost an AX without cones.
Posted by: nynone4 Jan 27 2005, 06:30 PM
Awesome pics Howard! Makes me really want to get my car finished. Thanks for posting!
Posted by: seanery Jan 27 2005, 09:00 PM
your car sounds awesome howard!
Posted by: SirAndy Jan 27 2005, 09:26 PM
| QUOTE (seanery @ Jan 27 2005, 07:00 PM) |
| your car sounds awesome howard! |
care to share ???
Andy
Posted by: Aaron Cox Jan 27 2005, 09:27 PM
| QUOTE (SirAndy @ Jan 27 2005, 08:26 PM) | ||
care to share ??? Andy |
web hog!
Posted by: seanery Jan 27 2005, 11:12 PM
it's not complete, and he's trying to resend it.
When it's done I'll post a link.
Posted by: Howard R Jan 27 2005, 11:54 PM
Sean,
Its hopeless trying to get it uploaded from the office. It gets half way and stops. I've tried 4 or 5 times. I'll try again when I get home in an hour or so. Its all on my laptop so it should be straight forward.
Posted by: bare 1 Jan 28 2005, 12:53 AM
Great pics!! Who's your photographer?? They were busy!Very professional looking. Am I seeing a lot of orange teeners cause I have one too??
Posted by: Howard R Jan 28 2005, 01:56 AM
Hey Sean, if you're still awake its there. No probs from home on the cable. Got there first time. There is half a copy floating around in your root directory from one of my earlier attempts which you might delete.
Posted by: seanery Jan 28 2005, 09:00 AM
OK, http://www.moronthrottle.com/Howard/MtBuller.wmv This car sounds awesome and this hillclimb has gotta be a blast to drive!
Posted by: Howard R Jan 28 2005, 11:39 AM
Thanks Sean. There was a thread yesterday about Targa Newfoundland. What you see in the video is a pretty much typical competition targa stage.
Posted by: Ferg Jan 28 2005, 12:59 PM
WOW that was very cool that poor datusun must have been "where did he come from" 
Ferg.
Posted by: Reiche Jan 28 2005, 02:26 PM
Very cool video! Looked like a lot of fun.
Did 914s come in RHD configuration from the factory?
Posted by: ber914 Jan 28 2005, 06:05 PM
Great footage Howard. Cant wait to join in the fun - still waiting patiently for Nic to get his act together and finish off my motor and box. As an aside what tyres are you running (make and size) for the targa's? I want to start organising wheels for the upcoming supersprints and want to make sure they would be targa "legal".
Robert
Posted by: davep Jan 28 2005, 08:28 PM
| QUOTE (Reiche @ Jan 28 2005, 12:26 PM) |
| Did 914s come in RHD configuration from the factory? |
Nope!
Posted by: Howard R Jan 28 2005, 11:31 PM
Rob, you just have to get on his case to finish it. I bumped into Russell Stuckey at Mansfield and he was pushing some trick Dunlops. I am preswently using Yoko A0032 R 205/55/15 front and rear on 7's in the soft compound, but they had done Targa Tas and Classic Adelaide before Mt Buller so they were on their last legs. They will still do a track day or 2 but thats it. Russell suggested 205/55/15 D01J GPS compound front and SPS compound rear. Can't go less than 55 series pre 71 which is what you will be running with a six. He said I could run them in 195 on the front if I wanted, but with one spare it makes sense to have them all the same size.
I think i'll be over at Nic's next Saturday welding Ryan's heat exchangers up and putting his new exhaust together.
Posted by: J P Stein Jan 29 2005, 02:47 AM
That was slick, Howard.
Making it to the top with little drama is a feat in itself.
I assume you have a great hurkin' oil cooler in that car.
I was gettin' all sweaty just watching you.
Posted by: ber914 Jan 29 2005, 02:53 AM
Howard, what do think of me running 16*7's? Gives a wider choice of tyres such as Toyo Proxes RA1's. My ratios will be the same as yours but only approx 195 H.P.
Robert
Posted by: Howard R Jan 29 2005, 01:35 PM
Do have a big cooler JP and it was still getting hot. At the end of that run it was up to 250 F. For some reason the fan on the cooler stopped working and it would have been very useful. One of the jobs next weekend. The earlier runs weren't quite that neat, and that run still had room for improvement.
Robert, yes but you are still stuck with 55 series tyres. Current regs let you increase both diameter and width by 2 inches over standard.
Posted by: Howard R Jan 29 2005, 01:39 PM
Rob, here's the Dunlop sizes http://www.stuckey.com.au/
Posted by: J P Stein Jan 29 2005, 02:46 PM
It's a shame "they" send you scrambling for decent rubber to put under those cars.
I read an article....somewhere...an extensive piece on vintage
legal rubber by various manufactures (Hoosier, Avon, etc.).....with comparisons. My personal hard drive has locked up as to exactly where I read it 
It was fairly recent.....if it comes to me, I'll get aholt of you....."unfair advantage" & all 
About 3-4 minutes into watching your vid ....all that 2nd & 3rd gear work.....heat was about all I was thinkin' about.
I said to me "THAT'S why we put external coolers on these cars".
Since our cars are very similar, I was comparing what you were doing with what I do. My first thought was "he's not very aggressive"....my second thought was " There are no trees at an autocross" Once I got my perspective altered I appreciated your driving skills. 
Posted by: Howard R Jan 29 2005, 03:28 PM
And there aren't rock walls and cliffs and ravines. You do not want to turn it around on one of these stages. There are just too many things to hit. There was a reasonable amount of carnage nevertheless, mostly GT3 's getting it wrong. One even put it in on the prologue which doesn't count for anything except start order.
Posted by: SirAndy Jan 30 2005, 02:23 AM
| QUOTE (seanery @ Jan 28 2005, 07:00 AM) |
| HERE IT IS |
just watched the video. damm, Howard, that is so cool!
that's it, i'm moving down under ....
Andy
Posted by: trekkor Jan 30 2005, 11:10 AM
I'll watch the viddy later today.
I'm very interested in the handling you had with those Yok's. Same tires I have. Mine are 205/50/15's though.
KT
Posted by: fiid Jan 30 2005, 02:12 PM
Nice work. Loved it when you passed the Datsun.
I know someone who runs the Targa Tasmania and the Targa New Zealand. I'm starting to get the itch..... Apparently, the Targa NZ has an Open class, which means I could theoretically run the 914 with the STi motor :-)
Posted by: Howard R Jan 30 2005, 03:24 PM
fiid,
I think the rules in Targa NZ are fairly relaxed and you can run pretty much anything with 4 wheels, but they don't allow pace notes which adds an interesting dimension. Its very comforting to know where the road goes over the crest!!
Posted by: trekkor Jan 30 2005, 07:28 PM
Great video. I bet that road was tougher than it looked. Was it wet here and there or just new pavement?
What do they do when you pass another driver, for timing?
Your car sounds just like mine, seriously 
KT
Posted by: Howard R Jan 30 2005, 08:17 PM
Trekkor, the pavement was dry but slick and shiny, until it melted. The protocol is that when passing the car overtaking has right of way and the overtaken car must pull to the left and let you through. You can only pass on the right.
Posted by: carreraguy Jan 31 2005, 06:36 PM
Nice video Howard! Looked like a real blast. Some friends of mine in the UK do a lot of hillclimbs with their CS's. Matter of fact, Mark Clair, a fellow Aussie and CS owner was in your race too (pic attached); not sure what class though.
The Mt. Buller circuit reminded me a lot of the "Mines Road" run we do occasionally south of San Jose; very similar turns but we definitely have to watch out for opposing cars and the dreaded bicycles! The shadows really would have thrown me off too! It would really be great if the local politicos/police would let us do a Mines Road run one way, but that would be too much red tape not to mention the big $$ for insurance/liabilities etc. etc. etc....... Consider yourself lucky you're able to do that; we really envy you!
Attached thumbnail(s)
Posted by: Howard Jan 31 2005, 09:51 PM
Wow
Great video, beautiful car and scenery. Looks a lot like central California.
Then there's your driving!!! Fast, smooth, and gentle with the equipment. You make it look easy. Take my car around the track whenever you can come up. How about April for WCC 05?
Oh, can you shift with your right hand? 
Posted by: Howard R Feb 1 2005, 12:53 AM
Howard, I'd really like to but my wife has a significant birthday this year so I have to do a bit of travelling and buy some time back. I think we will be in NZ about when the WCC is on. No probs with changing gear with the other hand. I used to race a sports car years ago with a Hewland in it.
Powered by Invision Power Board (http://www.invisionboard.com)
© Invision Power Services (http://www.invisionpower.com)