V8 Supercar rides

[DAVID PATERSON]

Have any of you ever been lucky enough to get a ride in a V8? Who was it, when and where? Tell us all about it?

[Dirk]

I had a ride in 1992 with Alan Jones in the Peter Jackson Falcon, it was an awesome experience, one of which I still speak about today. It would be interesting to see how different the cars of today would be in terms of speed.

[xr6turbo]

yes david i have been so lucky...I was lucky enough to do laps with shane beikoff(vs commodore) up at morgan park(warwick)..it was awesome fun .the thing that impressed me the most wasn't the power it had but the way it braked and way you get kicked up the backside on every gearchange..i have also been lucky enough to have had 20 laps driving in a 600hp sprintcar down at our local speedway(archerfield)..now that was a good way to play with your head.I have a new found respect for sprintcar drivers.

regards joe

[Mattracer]

Mal Rose Racing's "Supercar Experience" at Oran park (short circuit) in 2000. Thoroughly enjoyable, highly recommended!!

[Mattracer]

Originally posted by xr6turbo
i have also been lucky enough to have had 20 laps driving in a 600hp sprintcar down at our local speedway(archerfield)..now that was a good way to play with your head.I have a new found respect for sprintcar drivers.

regards joe

Joe,

Would that have been in the Kruck's Titan Garages two-seater they run on Monday nights? How much$$?

[DAVID PATERSON]

I won a ride with Russell Ingall in the Caltex BA recently and what amazed me the most was how small Russell Ingall is and how little room there is inside such an awfully big car. I'm 6' tall and 115kg and found it very difficut just to get in the car. I couldn't sit up straight and had my head tilted over to one side to clear the cage.

I was surprised how early he was on the brakes, admittedly the car was much heavier with me in it, the accelration didn't impress me either (I've been in a 10 second drag car), but the cornering speed was eye opening (I have no experience with wings and slicks).

The worst part of the experience was the total lack of ventilation, it was very fumy and I don't think it would take too long before you got quite ill.

The absolute commitment of Russell behind the wheel is impressive, very aggressive with the car and total faith in the whole package.

[xr6turbo]

No i was the one driving the car (i paid for the priviledge)...they were from mackay from what i remember..my head hurt for days afterwards..totally threw my perceptions of driving sideways out the window..
regards joe

[Bigguy]

Originally posted by DAVID PATERSON
SNIP
The worst part of the experience was the total lack of ventilation, it was very fumy and I don't think it would take too long before you got quite ill.
SNIP

Not quite on topic, but I have spent time as an instructor at a WRX club driver training day, and with a full face helmet, alongside a driver who might be having their first ever go on a race track can literally be a sickening experience. On average, at least 4 out of 12 instructors needed to take a break to get over the nausea. To minimise the problem, I used to turn the A/C on full and point all the vents at my face, but it didn'e help that much

[GROUPA]

road with DJ @ sandown about 1994 from memory..it was awesome

Also road in the B&H M3 at Norwell

[Chronicle]

I did half a lap in Paul Radisich No. 18 DJR car at Calder a few years ago on my own.

















On the back of a tilt tray.

[sizzle]

A ride with Cameron McConville at Hidden Valley two years ago, absolutely awesome. The braking was the outstanding thing. Also total respect for how hard the driver actually works behind the wheel, to keep it up for 2 hours or more around Adelaide/Bathurst etc must be hell. The guys at the top are elite athletes.
Lucky enough to get my son a ride with Cameron last year at HV for his 21st birthday.

[vortexo]

Iv'e done 3 laps of QR with Captain Crash (Wayne Gardner) - I think it was the # 9 - I won the ride in a raffle for Starlight Day.

The acceleration was brutal but it was what I expected but as sizzle said the braking was unblievable - I am of the larger variety in size so when he went down the back straight and whacked the brakes on I nearly head butted the dash.

As we went down the main straight I had my arm through the net giving my wife the thumbs up as she took a photo - goodness only knows what Gardner thought(idiot)

You also notice in the turn at the end of the straight as you look out the passenger window the grass rushes up pretty quick.

Went and met Ross & Jim and had a talk - do it again if I could - cost me $15 for the tickets.

[smokinJ]

team dynamik early this year at Mal la la la

[Morris 1100]

Here is something a little different, I have given the following drivers a hot lap (to the medical centre)
Greg Murphy (twice)
Jason Bright
Simon Wills
Glen Seton
Leanne Ferrier
and many more!
Oh the joys of driving the FIV!

[DAVID PATERSON]

I drove an FIV at Indy one year and gave Michel Jourdain Jnr and his engineer a couple of slow laps so they could inspect the kerbing prior to first practice.

[Gaz170]

Not me, but the wife's cousin had a few laps with Tony Longhurst in the Castrol Falcon a few years ago. Got the ride because his business is a big user of Castrol products.

[1200Datto27]

Like Bigguy, instructing for the WRX club, had a guy take me out at PI, and by the time we had gone through turn three on the first lap, I had put on the hazards, taken the car out of gear and put the handbrake on (last car in the line, so it was safe to do so) telling him to go straight ahead at turn 4. This guys had nearly spun into the pitwall exiting the pits, he was so bad.

I haven't instructed since then.

[jaytor]

Yep...Terry Wyhoon in the ex-DJR EL, John Bowes last DJR car from memory, at Calder in 2002. This was a drive day as a lead up to the 2002 Konica Bathurst race where he came 4th.

The acceleration was not all that amazing even though we got up to approx 255kph down the front straight, but you can just tell that the cars are built to go that fast.

The breaking especially at the end of the main straight was the most amazing thing. It was like standing on the brake pedal with both feet as hard as you can without locking them up. One thing under low revs the cars are so jerky and need to run at high revs.

I would absolute love to get behind the wheel myself for a few laps.....

[bloggs]

In 97 at Amaroo in a pink Commodore from WA, cant think who the the driver was though. We did three laps and you couldn't wipe the smile off my face for days. I remember every time he hit the brakes I would pull down on the seat belts and by the time we had finished, the belts were finally real tight.

[Amonfan]

A pink Commodore, that would be Tim Slako

[Average Punter]

I did about 40 laps of Mount Panorama with Peter Williamson in a Celica in 1979.

But then so did most of Australia...

Thanks racecam.

[jason7250]

1998 David SKIPPY Parsons Symmons Plains won it at a fund raising night.One thing I,ll never forget.

[bartman71]

Originally posted by xr6turbo
No i was the one driving the car (i paid for the priviledge)...they were from mackay from what i remember..my head hurt for days afterwards..totally threw my perceptions of driving sideways out the window..
regards joe

i raced mini sprints for a while. totaly difrent to circuit as the track will change lap after lap

[Crash Test]

I've had a fair few rides in race cars, a couple of touring cars, but not a proper V8 Supercar. Probably the best, scariest, 110%, poop my pants and nearly fall out the window laps were in the Sportivo Corolla course car at Morgan Park. Deadset, un-named course car driver was changing up a gear where everyone else I've been with was on the anchors, used more track, more ripple strip and more crossed up. Awesome stuff. Helps when it isn't your car though, great advertising for Black Toyota though!

I'm sure someone will get a laugh out of this

[moffman]

I did three laps with Cromley (FTR car) at Eastern Creek in '99.Most impressed with the handling & braking but have driven a couple of drag cars that were faster.