Lack of updates => lack of racing!

Well, it's been forever since my last update. I still intend to getting around to uploading the race video of the last race. Not sure why I just can't get around to it. Footage is downstairs on another machine so perhaps its just laziness.

In the mean time though, you must be wondering why there is no updates. Well. I missed the next race as I was out of the country and then the last race of the year, they changed the regulations to the new ENDLESS brake pads. As the pads change the behaviour of the car quite a lot, I missed the next race as I had no time to go out and practice. A new year brought new hope, but 2011 was a hard year in Japan and thus another year slipped by it seems. I haven't been to a circuit this year in my car yet.

The last typhoon that hit Tokyo also saw disaster hit as my roadster let in some water which pooled behind my passenger seat. Unfortunately, my TraqMate unit and Chasecam unit got fried as they were connected into the car battery and sitting in that little pool. Not pretty. So my camera functionality is gone now in the car. I guess I need to invest again :-(

I did one race in the Prelude this year though in August. It was the 12 hour endurance race with TGR. This ended badly too though as we suffered a failed drive shaft 2 hours into the race and I never got my time behind the wheel. What a year - huh!

And now for some good news... After many years of wanting one, I finally decided to break down and buy myself a new racing suit. My old AlpineStars suit was becoming too old and it tends to cook me alive in the summer. To replace it, I bought a Stand21 suit which I had built to custom measurements. This is fantastic as it fits like a glove now. Along with the suit, I got some new nomex underwear and gloves so I'll be a new man next time out.

Next time out is actually this weekend but not in Tweety. We're back at Ebisu circuit again but this time for a 6 hour race. Really looking forward to that. I am planning to get a circuit license for Sodegaura Circuit in November. I still have my Fuji license but I didn't get to run Fuji at all this year.

That's all for now. Hopefully more good news follows after our next race.

Quick updates

Just an update to say that I finally got the car back yesterday after quite an eventful end of September and beginning of October. I went to Australia for 10 days and also headed off to California to watch the season finale of the StarMazda series which my friend Deki-san over at D-Technique was racing in. Fantastic race. Fellow countryman Peter Dempsey unfortunately lost out with a very harsh DNF after some superb racing that weekend. It was awe inspiring. Laguna Seca was an amazing track to go and watch motorsport at. Fantastic stuff.

Anyway finally back in Japan and a week later I have my car back again. I ended up getting a new wheel and believe it or not the alignment was perfect so no changes required there. Perhaps it got banged back into place. lol. Anyway, all parts checked out fine and the body cleaned up nicely too. Will have to look at it more closely in daylight.

Had a great drive home from D-Tech with the top down. How I missed this little car.

Back racing this weekend with TGR. Have a look at our car prep over on our TGR blog. This time, we've a 6 hour endurance race at East Course Ebisu. TraqMate Japan have again very kindly provided a unit for the race for us. Thank you TraqMate!!!

Facing your fears.

They say you should face your fears so it was very natural for me to suggest that I take a night time stint in this years 12 hour race at Ebisu to see how I would get on. I was feeling rather confident as the weather was perfect with zero rain or fog forecast.

Rod arrived in full of excitement and told me how great it was on the new tires and how he'd just set a new fastest time in the car. Obviously it was fantastic out there. Belted up and waiting for the last of the fuel to be added, I felt ready for the 45 minutes of darkness ahead to bring the car home. A knock on the car and wave and I was off, racing down the pit lane and out into the first corner.

Around the first, down the hill to the S-curve but I couldn't see where it started. I knew it was there somewhere so kept up some speed and turned in. Out the exit of the S-curve and top of 3rd down the hill into the right hander at the end of the hill. Damn - I couldn't see anything, the lights were on, but I could only see part of the road ahead. Not really far enough ahead that is to be hitting around 130kmph into the next bend. I could see the spot light ahead but not where it was shining on the apex. I braked way too late and just barely made it around the corner... Wow. it will take time for my eyes to adjust I thought. It can't really be this dark can it?

Up the hill into the inside hairpin which I also couldn't see, around that and down again through the right kink before the last corner. Darkness... Were my lights really on? Why couldn't I see anything? I expected a lot more light than this. The second lap, was just as bad. Top that with the onset of cars that seemed to be driving way too fast up behind me? How could they possibly see enough to go that fast?

Lap after lap, I had no clue where to brake, I tried counting seconds at full acceleration, looking for where someone had locked brakes on the road, following other cars as much as I could... All I could think of was how well I knew the circuit and yet how little I could see. It shocked me and brought up images of awe at those who race around the ring in the 24 races they have over there. How well can they possibly know the ring and how do they avoid those faster cars who must bully their way by, lights ablaze... Back to the immediate reality, how was anyone else able to drive fast at night like this?

Doubts crept in. I thought about coming in for a driver change, but then again the car behind us, was perhaps only 10 laps or so a-drift and coming in might mean losing a place if the next person wasn't dressed in his gear. The radio had stopped working after all, so I had no way to tell anyone to be ready. No - I guess I would just have to do this, even if I did it slowly... Just bring the car home.

As time went on, I tried to get better and better but I still couldn't drive anywhere near what I can do when I can actually see what is ahead. It was like going into a ghost house where they have dark rooms and all you can do is follow a rope or the wall until suddenly you find another wall and then feel around for the next path. I thought the HIDs would make it easier for me, but I guess I need even more light than they provide for me to function.

At 8:59 on the in-car clock I rounded the last corner and headed up the finish straight staring at the flag tower looking for the checkered flag. Nothing. Next lap too. Then another lap and another... Hard to believe but I guess the race didn't start on-time so they extended the finish to match for a perfect 12 hours.

I ended up doing about an hour that final stint. It was one of the most demanding hours I've ever done in a car. I can't say I learned how to drive in the dark but I did survive it so I am proud at least of that.

I'm rather disappointed in my lack of vision at night. I knew it was bad but am thinking that perhaps as a result of my LASIK operation earlier this year, it is worse than it used to be. It's good to know though.

Would I volunteer again for a night stint? Mad as I am, I'd probably answer yes as I'd like to see if my vision improves next year. Somehow though, I think I would be more effective during a day stint or even in the rain. It was another educational racing weekend!

Read more about our weekend over on our TGR blog.

Ebisu 12 hour Endurance Race

Leaving tomorrow morning to head up to Fukushima to take part in a 12 hour endurance race around Ebisu East course. To this effect, we bought and have since been preparing a car for the job. Have a look over at The TGR Blog for more details and perhaps some live updates on how we are doing. The race is being held this Saturday from 9am to 9pm! 12 hours sure does sound long when you lay it out time wise!

My good friends over at TraqMate Japan have also sponsored our effort and provided a Traqmate system along with video to go with it. Should be fun to look over the different drivers. Thank you Traqmate!

Ebisu East 5/31 another video

Here is another 3 laps from Ebisu as the course was drying out and I was on my own in the car so I could go a little faster.

Ebisu Circuit (East) 09/05/31

Wet/Semi-wet day at Ebisu Circuit. It was my first time there in the roadster. We had 5 sessions altogether. Only the first one was dry really. My best time of the day was around 1'14.699. Semi-wet or mostly dry it didn't seem to make much difference.

Looking at the videos, I was pretty cautious through the chicane. The rear end seemed very light on turn in to the left part which was a little disconcerting although I probably could have tried more different approaches to see what worked and what didn't. I also slowed a little too much around the first corner but I did find the car quite prone to over-steer on accelerating out of that corner also. Looking back I would like to try more keeping speed there. I should also have tried a few different things on the last corner to see if I could keep more speed for that cruel uphill. There are chunks of time left in this circuit yet. I'll try post more videos later.

One of the cool things (apart from the track itself) was that we were allowed to bring passengers aboard our car during the sessions as long as they had helmets and gloves. This was my first time to give some friends a spin in the car beside me on a largish circuit such as this. It was as interesting for me as I'm sure it was for them.

In a way, the car actually felt a little more balanced with someone in the passenger seat. The lap times didn't vary that much although I took it a little easier when I had someone beside me to be responsible for - particularly as the track got that bit wetter. I actually did a 1'15.2 with James in the car beside me :-)

Here is a video of me taking my mate Derek around for a few semi-wet laps.