Alfetta footage from Sandown

[Justin Jacobs]

Its amazing that after a year or two you start to pass rather than just be past !
Open diff is no problem at our speeds Matt . When it starts to be the item slowing you down then you will have extracted max proformace out of all other areas .
I have never been to the race craft days the club holds but i should have . If they offer this again then go as you get the experience of the old hands , can save you a heap of mental development time . Its you holding the car back , not the other way round [ its an assumption but certainly true for me] !
see you at PI .

[Sheldon McIntosh]

Its amazing that after a year or two you start to pass rather than just be past !

Too true, and you think were having fun before, now it gets really good!

Open diff is no problem at our speeds Matt . When it starts to be the item slowing you down then you will have extracted max proformace out of all other areas .

But it can dictate how you drive the car, eg  maybe hanging onto a higher gear over Lukey Heights to try and cut down on wheelspin.  Only took me 18 months to learn this.....

Looking forward to seeing you out again Matt, I was very impressed with your driving at Sandown.  Not only quick and tidy, but fully aware of those around you.  Keep it up bro, it only gets better.

[Mat Francis]

Its you holding the car back , not the other way round [ its an assumption but certainly true for me] !

You are 100% right in your assumption, if the car stays exactly the way it is now a capable driver would probably knock off another 10 seconds a lap i would be thinking.

Thanks Sheldon! The wait for PI is nothing short of painful 

[Sheldon McIntosh]

if the car stays exactly the way it is now a capable driver would probably knock off another 10 seconds a lap i would be thinking.

Better not!  I don't want another pesky 4-cylinder car nipping at my heels.  I thought I'd dispensed with those annoying red front-wheel-drive thing-a-mi-jigs, so I don't want another inferior car impeding the majestic Ironsides as she glides serenely through the bends.

[Mat Francis]

Emphasis there on "capable" Sheldon: not something i see myself being in the near future. And not to worry, "Cyril," as we shall refer to the Alfetta as, (i mean, what else are you going to call a "rhinoceros?" Bert?) would never be so impertinent as to nip at Ironside's heels.   

[Scott Farquharson]

glides.........serenely..........

[Davidm1600]

Hey Mat

I am new to the Forum today and very few people in the Vic Club might know of me, though I was a member for 10 years but over here in Tassie.  I have met a few club members previously when attending a spectaccolo day etc.

I reckon from the video footage for someone new to the track and in a standard spec car you appear to be doing very well.  I did wonder why you didn't pass the Alfetta GTV earlier on as you appeared to have a number of chances to do so. 

My only bit of advice, if it may be of some help is in respect of your steering through the corners.  What I mean is that you seem to be using the push pull method with your hands, rather than allowing your hands to remain on the wheel.  I recently did a driver training course with the John Bowe driving school and the instructors (David Cuff and Dean Sammut) and was clearly advised that the best method is to keep your hands at all times on the wheel at quarter to three, since this gives you maximum turning capacity and car control. (Its how I have always driven anyway for the past 30 years).

I don't know Sandown but from my limited experience on race tracks with our club here in Tassie (Symmons Plains and Baskerville) a standard car 1.8/2.0L Alfetta wont rev much beyond 5500 to 6000 when new, so restricting this with an older engine is wise.  Ditto trying at all times to maintain the correct racing line is important, though obviously not getting in the way of much quicker drivers, especially when you are new.  We as a rule do not let more than 4 cars out on the circut at once to minimise such problems and also try with our driver education days to keep slower drivers together so that they are not intimidated by the faster ones. 

If you are keen to improve your track day skills I can certainly recommend undertaking a Performance driving day course with John Bowe school or similar. Great value (approx $350 for the day) and they will teach you a lot of important skills.  Have fun.  Cheers Dave

[Mat Francis]

Hi Dave, thanks for the lengthy reply, lots of good reading there indeed!

Being my first sprint i wasn't fully confident yet, and the GTV was driven by another junior, and i didn't want to be intimidating or anything. i know for next time though that such a pass can be safely performed in relative ease

In regard to steering technique, i will give it a try. However, i am about half way through Piero Taruffi's "The technique of motor racing." He believes firmly in the push pull method. (Taruffi was a factory driver for Ferrari, Maserati, Bugatti, Alfa, Lancia and Mercedes), keeping in mind of course that his book was published in 1958. Both techniques have been recommended to me at various times, so i think i will do one run of push-pull and one of keeping hands at the wheel at the next sprint. My only concern with this is that i have a bad elbow, so it may not be practical to keep both hands on the wheel. Only one way to find out though.

I'm also onto a pretty good deal as far as driver training days go. Despite driving an Alfa, i was introduced to motor sport through a friend, and as such i am a member of the MG car club (for now). They run a program called "youth on wheels," which does a lot of educational activities around cars, including track days, hill climbs, etc. Presuming i keep attending these activites i will earn a free driver training day at Sandown in October, which i'm not going to argue with. I also believe the Alfa club here runs a similar day at Winton once a year.

Thank you for the advice, much appreciated 

[Davidm1600]

Hey Mat, not a problem mate, always great to have a chat with some like minded Alfisti. Was simply trying to give you a few suggestions, not that I am any expert, and I am sure there many others out there with far greater knowledge and experience than myself. 

Totally understandable re the not initially overtaking the other person in the GTV given both of your experience.  Caution as they say is the better part of valour, and with experience comes skills and a belief in what you are capable of. My brother can vouch for that given his Targa Tas experience over the past 7 years.

The only reason I made the comments on your steering technique is that I guess I feel that the push pull method is slower and possibly a little more risky in difficult situations, but hey I am no one to argue argue against the legend of Taruffi and possibly more importantly if you are comfortable with it then who am I to suggest what might be best for you.  As you also say you have a problem with your elbow then perhaps it is the best method for you.  Either way, keep on having fun on the track, for what you learn there can and will help on the road.  That is the message I have always been advised of.  It was only a suggestion re driving education but if you are on to something better....brilliant.  Keep that Alfetta revvin.  Cheers Dave

[Mat Francis]

Much appreciated Dave, you have my word that the poor Alfetta will be revved, and i might just enjoy doing it  As far as im concerned any advice is good advice, there's always something to learn from it one way or another! I think some more practice is definately the way to go 

[dehne]

hi mat just wondering if ur alfetta has the front spoiler on it like the sportivas do if not i have one available if u r interested and other alfetta parts as well

[Mat Francis]

Thanks Dehne, but for now i am absolutely flat broke with rego, new tyres, petrol, etc. i'll keep that in mind though, cheers