Redsuns FIRST TRACK DAY!!!!

YAY!!! Cloud finally uploaded the vids X-) haha...

well, last sunday (18th Jan) we finally did our first track day :-) though only me and cloud went there, but it's officially the club's outing X-p

haha... Ryousuke is somewhere in Pakistan knocking on oil pipes, so he couldn't make it :-p (i do so pity him... X-p envy ME!!! X-D HAHAHA!!!) and Turbo Jr. got something up, whilst Zid as was previously said, is somewhere in Singapore trying to fix their economy X-p

All i can say is that, the fun of touge is one thing, but the fun of going all out without any apprehension of crashing down some dark mountainous crevasses or going head to head with an innocent on-coming traffic is a thrill entirely different X-) IT'S JUST PURE FUN!!!! not mixed with fear or any other ill-fated prophecies :-p it's just PURE ADRENALINE HEART-PUMPING BLOOD STOPPING FUN!!! X-D

the day started off pretty slowly, as i await the eventful call from our buddy mechanic Hau... but as the clock ticked pass 1 o'clock, i began to grow doubtful and gave him a call... it seems that he was just about to be on his way... I called up the usual suspects (turbo jr, cloud and pimal) and it seems only cloud could make it (though he seems to sound doubtful X-P)

I waited till Zuhr, and head off to cloud's house... and it really took him some time to think whether he wants to come along or not X-p and while he was thinking, the neighbors had to suffer the obscenely loud verbal abuse of the Flying Circus's muffler... X-p

Then we finally headed to Sepang, i was SO eager to get there that i went through the rough Dengkil road at 150-160 kph :-p then some nissan or toyota came tailgating me X-( even when i bump up to 170 he still sticks at my ass... I didn't want to get in any race before reaching there so gave him way... but he couldn't keep up with me in the corners (since i don't even have to brake :-p) and so took him some time to finally overtake me...

We both filled up at the Shell station along the way, we of course since we're going to the track, filled the Flying Circus up with V-Power X-p haha.. (don't really know whether it worked or not :-p) and i greeted the nissan/toyota driver (seriously, i don't know the model of his car... >.>) thinking he was also on his way to sepang... but my guess strayed as he was heading to klia... whatever it is, we went our way...

as we stopped at the traffic light, i guess he wanted to show off some uber cool skills by blasting away the moment the green light lights up with a cool show drift... X-p but he'd be cool if he didn't screwed up :-p he lost control and almost spun X-p i didn't want to laugh at him (since i know how hard it is to control a drift) but please... at public road? he's just embarrassing himself...

embarrassed indeed he was, as he immediately ran off :-p

well, sideshow aside, our first obstacle at the track was finding the way in... X-p haha.. i had to ask for some directions and was shown the way in via the back door to the pitlane... we had to pay RM200 per driver, and was given a 2004 Sepang F1 tag X-p tis are frugal times... X-p

once we got in, our very first obstacle was a sense of inferiority... X-p the cars there are all SO UBER AWEsomE!!! O.O GTR's (yes, the "s" for plural X-p) Lotus Elise's, NSX's, Subaru's... all scattered all over the place... X-p compared to our little peace of heavenly junk (X-p) our car is the total epitome a poor man in a rich man's world X-p haha...





















We were so depressed, that i felt like running back home crying X-p haha... and burn the RM200 i've just paid :-p but bcoz of that RM200, and the fact that i'm so poor that the amount is SUCH A BIG DEAL, i decided to just go for it X-p GUNG-HO!!!

we tried to call Hau, but i guess he's still driving on the way or busy, whatever it is, he didn't answer my calls, a walk down the pit lane reveal nothing but the pathetic vain desire of having all your dream cars around you but owning none of it but a freakish coloured circus car that seems to have a clown as a previous owner X-p haha...

So we rode in the Flying Circus around the pit area trying to find a way in the track, when we finally found the way, the track was closed because there's been an accident, so we had to wait for the green light... it was so scorching hot that as we waited, the oil temperature slowly crept up to the 100' degrees mark... from 80!!! X-(



then when it was all green, we went out... not familiar with the track, i took it slowly, even the first corner was so tight, that i almost thought that we're going to crash out X-p then it was followed with a tight left, and i almost went out on that corner as well X-p because i didn't took any proper racing line, the track suddenly felt so small and i'd be forgiven if i say it feels like driving on the touge... X-p haha...

of course being an UBER NOOB, we were being over taken left right X-p i felt like being a nuisance on the track, never wanting to get into the racing line afraid someone might just snub me from behind X-p




(of course we were no match for super fast track cars.. :-p)

And the weather was SO HOT that just after a few laps, the oil temperature was already cooking around 120 degrees.. O.O

we had to slowly crawl back to the pit lanes and let the Flying circus cool down.. meanwhile, i went to see a good friend whom i met last friday night :-) (the honda driver at the ulu yam touge) he came along with his whole family X-p sadly i never did invited him to play along in the track :-p (bcoz of my inferiority complex X-p)

We also went to meet up Hau and saw all the cool cars him and his friends brought along, sadly, the track car FC wasn't there... never asked him why though... :-p i was just so intoxicated with all the excitement, heat and noise... X-p

after awhile, we thought of going back in... i still haven't got the hang of it and messed up all the racing lines X-p resulting in tighter turn-ins and slower exits... but bcoz of all the side Gs, Cloud went down with G-sickness :-p as well as an overdose of adrenaline X-p haha...



But i must say, the coolest car around must be this really cool carbon black gtr X-) it's like the Lamborghini reventon, but better, a GTR X-) it's super cool, and it looks like a stealth jet fighter X-p









and of course, he smokes everyone on track like everyone's standing still :-p he even weaves through traffic at high G corners X-p when all the other cars are already locked on their trajectory, but he seems to defy all physics... X-p truly a super car...



Me on the other hand, with super cheap second hand rear tyres, were literally the only driver drifting the car X-p i was quite literally sliding all over the place X-p not that i never intended it X-p haha... i was just simply doing power over drifts, and trying to control the car when it regains traction... :-p of course at first it kept on fish tailing or in racing terms, the death wiggle X-p

but after awhile, i finally got used to it and was doing quite clean exits.. :-p once at turn 3, i was going in a bit too fast, i applied a little more brake and it passes the threshold :-p jinked the car a bit and it started sliding X-p even before the entry... BRAKING DRIFT X-D haha... i controlled the angle and set the car up for a clean exit X-) luckily i did it quite nicely if i say so myself :-p (never really had any other such opportunity because all the other time, the track was always packed with cars... X-p and i didn't want to risk knocking into others :-p hey, i could barely pay the entry fee... X-p)

At another time, i tried to overtake a Volvo wagon at turn 7, it's actually an uphill hairpin... i entered on the outside (since the volvo hogged the inside) and was a bit too fast, understeer, stepped on the gas to power over the car into over steer, and over did it X-p the car went into a full Sideway SHOW DRIFT X-p i immediately released the steering to countersteer in trying to save the situation :-p the tyres was then fully locked the other way.. seeing i was still not stopping the sideways action of the car, i cut the throttle to perhaps 40%, and finally the rear regain traction X-p haha... the exit was a bit messy bcoz i was just so relieved that i didn't spun out X-p (i seriously thought i was going to spin out of control X-p) but still, i executed a full side show drift X-p on the outside... X-p (too bad none of those sideways actions were caught on camera as at that time, we didn't took any yet :-p)

I remembered two memorable battles X-) one time with a black bmw M series (i didn't know the model... but it's not the latest one... a bit old) the Beemer was fast on the straights so i couldn't muscle my way pass him, but he was a bit slow on the corners... after closing the gap, i set him up for an overtaking maneuver at turn 9, he stick to the inside, while i stayed at the outside of the corner, preparing to cross over to the inside for the exit, but to my suprise, this beemer as he neared the exit, just suddenly crossed over into my line O.O i braked and tried to avoid him, and was almost chased out the track X-(

I was really furious, his maneuver threw me off rhythm and i lose my momentum... because i had to cut off so much speed, our exit speeds became the same, and he ran off at the first grandstand straights heading towards turn 10...

I then noticed he braked early, and quickly took the inside line, and made a clean pass X-) haha!!! the JOY!!! just for good measures, i power over drift right in front of him X-p and didn't do any of those silly fish tailing :-p hoho...



Then there was my battle with an integra Type R and a crazy myvi... X-(



at first, there were 2 type R's behind me, a new civic and an integra... they stayed behind me through all the corners but the new civic type R overtook me through the first grandstand straight after turn 9, their higher revving engines pulled the car further as i had to shift up and lose speed...

then after turn 10, the integra typeR over takes me... As we approached turn 1, I was able to close the gap :-p but then at turn 2, since it was a full throttle slight turn, the integra quickly built back a solid lead... X-( but approaching turn 3, i overtook an elise and closed the gap again X-p but the integra just pulled away at the exit, and turning into turn 4, i slowly closed the gap as a EK-9 track car overtook us all :-p (can't compete with the slicks X-p)

At turn 5, the integra was as usual, slower, and i closed the gap, there wasn't much space available for him to pull away approaching turn 6, and because he wanted to overtake some traffic, he took the inside, i wanted to overtake him but didn't got the chance as we entered the turn side by side (instead of me crossing in front of him :-p)

bcoz he had the inside, he exited in front of me... but i still continued to enjoy the ideal line positioned for a cross from the outside for turn 7, but bcoz of heavy traffic, we both were held back, and still, i suddenly found myself at a disadvantage as i had to maintain staying at the outside of the track rather than making full use of its breadth...

But the tables were turned at turn 8 as naturally, i had the inside X-) the integra was held up at the outside, and as i was about to overtake a satria, a myvi suddenly crossed in front of me nearly slamming me in the process >:-( the crazy idiot!!!

Because i had to suddenly brake for the Myvi, i lost a lot of speed and the integra again took the lead from the outside, but just as he was about to overtake a satria at the exit of turn 8, the satria i guess understeer and blocked his line, he lost speed and i took the lead at the exit :-p

Then i bore down on the myvi, as i was about to overtake him at the outside, he again blocked my line >:-( COME ON MAN!!! IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE REALLY RACING OR ANYTHING >:-O but he really pissed me off... >:-(

So i restrained myself and settled behind him for turn 9 chicane, as usual, he moved to the inside, while i crossed over to the outside positioning myself for the exit... and as i learned from before with the beemer experience, i maintained a safe distance (just in case he crossed in front of me again :-P) and as expected, upon the exit, he had to take a tighter turn-in, braked and understeered... X-p haha... i easily crossed over to the inside and smoked him... X-) haha... just then, the track was closed again (i guess it was the end of the session... :-p) and we exited the track, happy and contented X-) haha!!!

in conclusion, you can never get the exciting fear of the touge at the track, but you can also never get the pushing the limit excitement of the track at the touge X-) both deserved it's own place of reverence in a driver-racer wannabe shrine... X-p haha.. it has its own satisfaction, and hell beats a 10 minute RM30 go-kart action :-p

Nevertheless, I finally reached a limit where i felt the performance of the Flying circus wanting at the track :-p the gear ratios had much to be desired, the cooling system (though highly efficient at night, can't beat the tropical heat X-p) the rev range suddenly felt so limited, and especially the short shifter...

I suddenly missed the old shifter as it's much easier to shift with, the short shifter we installed was really stiff, and made changing gears a real chore... i missed the days when i can just shift quickly >.> instead i had to struggle to push the gear in... :-p at the touge with all the paralyzing fear and crazy action, you won't notice it, but at the track, when even the slightest flaw is magnified, the shifter left much to be desired... :-p and for the first time, the Flying Circus felt slow X-P hell, most of the cars there were really fast, and if not because i have the stupid habit of braking late, i may never really could have overtake anybody save for some suicidal kancils, pesonas and myvis X-p

Next february there's another track day X-) can't wait for more... X-p haha!!! RYOUSUKE!!! WHEN ARE YOU COMING BACK!!! X-D THIS IS ONE THING YOU SHOULD NEveR MISS MAN!!! X-D HAHAHA!!!