one thing I was determined to do was not get hung up with all the advice i knew I would be getting from the seasoned pros who would undoubtedly be in the know

I asked a few questions and the answers I got made me think I’d be sweet just leaving everything alone and simply driving the car.. I have learnt from riding all types of sportsbikes with infinite suspension adjustment that it’s better to get the hang of what you have and make any changes after you have the hang of the setup you start off with, don’t just wind this out a few clicks, or tighten up that a few turns without having an understanding of where you are actually starting from.. we were gonna top off the gas and that was it for this tfcRacing outing..

after a few turns at going out I figured I would choose a section of the track and work on tidying up the track one section at a time as opposed to the entire track as I went around it.. I know what I mean..

having been to Manfeild on many occasions to watch any form of motorsport that has wheels my favourite section is the infield from turn 1 through turn 2, 3, 4, the infield hairpin and down the straight to Higgins.. the CMC’s sound thunderous through that section, the superbikes look gravity defying through that section and the supertrucks well as usual they look ponderous yet speedy thhrough the infield section.. it was a logical choice for me to pick the section I liked most to tidy up first..

I like the sound of my car in 2nd, in 1st it revs too high and in 3rd it’d have a hard time gooing anywhere if it wasn’t for momentum so this section was also a bonus in that I could stay in second all the way through and concentrate on the lines, cos boy I needed to.. on the familiarisation laps I was missing turn in markers and nearly driving off the track because I was paying the same attention I would on the road.. scary huh

I like the entire track, well the entire track we were on, the regular track layout.. I want to get better at Higgins and the next turn, the last before coming on to the front straight.. but more on those later.. I was kind of on a mish the next time I went out, not a crazy, frenzied mish.. more a focussed, sedate mish..

I got onto the straight and approached turn 1, I was only seeing 160 on my speedo before I would look up to prep for braking on my fastest laps so reckon 165 would’ve been it for me.. into turn one and I was quietly happy with my throttle application through turn 1 all day, I really felt that I got smoother and less forceful as we went through time after time.. I did get told by one guy that I was braking way too early but I wasn’t in any hurry so wasn’t gonna push the braking issue.. he was right but I’m not gonna bin the family car for the sake of braking 2 seconds after I stop feeling comfy.. but he was right and later braking will equate to faster times if it all comes together correctly..

I shifted down from D to 2 at perhaps 40 and was left foot braking in the later laps so I could pump the throttle to soften the downshift and maintain traction as I entered the corner rather than have compression lock up and slide into the corner and out of it before even making it through it..

exit turn 1 and accellerate slowly but firmly and the wheelspin becomes predictable but still unsettling after a while, I like the feeling of drifting out and up towards the sawtooth ripple strip and notice the car goes faster the less I fight it and more I just gently point her in the right direction.. around the sweeper I just climb up to about 4,500rpm, maybe a bit more and sit there until I brake and head left around turn 3, staying in second I head right to set up high for the infield hairpin.. at times I wondered if I should try a stab at 1st gear but thought better of it and stayed in second.. it was out of the infield hairpin that the 3rd gear accelleration issue arose, I would wind her out to around 5,300rpm and up to 5,500rpm (shift light setting) and make the manual shift to D where she would kinda bog down and lose any semblence of power before groggily continuing to climb back up toward 145 before braking and a downshift to 2nd..

entering Higgins was a challenge all day for some reason and I struggled to come to terms with the banked exit and deep apex and oversteer abounded on almost every passage through Higgins.. sliding spinning oversteer on one occasion

the back straight from Higgins to the final turn and onto the front straight was just the bit between me and my next trip around turn 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.. and I tried to make my exit of the last turn as smooth and as fast as possible to set up for a good entry into turn 1.. at this stage of the lap I would pass my kids on the main straight pit wall and think how great it was to have them at the track with me..

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