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[NSW] 28/11 to 01/12 - Challenge Bathurst Discussions


24 Dat

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Update: 26th Sep 2019

Please see this thread for registration details.

***********************

Well its on for 2019,

We will be celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the 240Z at Challenge Bathurst. The dates are now set Super Sprints 28th and 29th of November and Modern Regularity 30th of November and 1st of December. (My plan was to celebrate it in 2020 but this has been decided from way above my head)

In the Regularity we will have at least 50 Z's in the one group with the other 5 spots filled with other famous Nissan/Datsuns, we also have the opportunity to fill another complete group of 55. All of our my groups past CB non Z competitors will be able to join this group. We also have some famous Drivers also showing interest in joining our group.  

This will be the first big Motorsport and Car display celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 240Z after its release in October 1969

After talking with NSW, Vic. S.A, W.A and Act. members who were at CB this year everyone one is excited and on board to make it happen, it is going to be one for the record books.

We will have again access to the huge corporate area and outside veranda  above garages 1-4 which has a fantastic view down the Pit Straight, around Hell Corner then up Mountain Straight for our competitors,  volunteers, Car show entrants and there guest. 

We have free camping for competitors and volunteers in the Officials and Volunteer area, which has powered and watered site

Budget accommodation at the local uni (TBA)

A Festival of Z's. Car show and concourse 

and many other great activities that we are working on 

SO SAVE THE DATES 28/11/2019- 01/12/19 and watch this space

If you are going to compete at Bathurst one time in your life this is it, but don't forget rule number 1 Motorsport is Dangerous!

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I had a chat with some of the Vic guys today. They are very keen for this event. Some to do the race track and some for show and shine. But mainly they just want to be a part of what’s going to be a huge weekend of Motorsport heaven.

Hopefully the convoy up the Hume hwy will be long and strong.

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  • 2 months later...

UPDATE 1

“Group Z” and “The Festival of Z”

Group Z

Group Z’s Regularity is filling up very fast, of the 50 spots I have available for Z’s 37 are already filled, 33 of those spots are S30’s, 3 of them are Series 1’s, so already it’s going to be the biggest turn out of  S30’s by far at CB

Deposits of $690 will be due by the 30th of March and the remainder of $1000 by the 10th of July. If you want to come and compete with us in a Z at Challenge Bathurst in either the Super Sprints or the Regularity Group Z !!!Contact me NOW!!!. PM me or email d1770@tpg.com.au .

We have a load of great bonuses for our Group Z, not only do we have guaranteed pit lane garages from 1-9 we will have access to the Corporate Box for the 4 days of CB above the garages, 1-4 which has an awesome view down Pit Straight, around Hell corner and up Mountain Straight, we also have free camping in the Official and Volunteer camping area (with powered and watered sites), free welcoming bbq, and loads of other stuff, but too early to discuss in detail.

I have begun filling a second Non-Z group as well, as there will be a few double entered Z’s and all of our past groups non Z entrants. If you don’t have a Z you want to track, but want to be a part of it all with a load of other Datsun/Nissans n another car please contact me.  Once my 50 spots in Group Z are filled any extra Z’s will be put into the second group, if there is spots left available.

If you’ve ever dreamt of driving your Z around the Mount Panorama Circuit at speed, this is a MUST DO event! You can’t be a beginner, you must have some competition experience, hold a CAMS licence and a well sorted car, believe me the Mount Panorama Circuit is hard on a car and driver, as the CB slogan goes, “If you doubt yourself or your car, then go somewhere else”. If you want to watch some video of some of us Z’s in action go to YouTube and type in, Challenge Bathurst 2018 240Z there are quite a few videos worth watching in their entirety.

The Regularity has a minimum time you can complete a lap in, it is 2:36.000, last year we had 2 Z’s just go under that time on the last run of the weekend, (a 240Z and a 370Z (they were black flagged)) these 2, in my opinion are the 2 best drivers who are members of the ZCCQ and in very well sorted Z’s. Please check out the Challenge Bathurst Website, it has all of last year’s results and last year’s entry forms sup regs etc etc  http://www.challengebathurst.com/ and Contact me ASAP.

We have Z’s from all over the country competing except from the Northern Territory and Tasmania so far, with a big contingent from WA and SA gathering, so come on you guys and gals make the trip for the Competition or The Festival of Z!

Don’t forget Rule Number 1, Motorsport is Dangerous!

 

The Festival of Z

Celebrating History of and the 50th Anniversary of the 240Z

It’s going to be huge, the Super Sprints on the 28th and 29th of November and the Regularity, Z Car Show and Shine Festival of Z, Parade lap around the circuit, etc on the 30th of November and 1st of December.

The week leading up to and over CB is currently being planned with things like navigation runs, country tours, street parade and festival. The Bathurst City Council want us there, and will be assisting us in the coming months with plans and what we can do, so watch this space, and plan taking the week off, from the 24th on.

The Festival of Z entrants will be able to use the Corporate Box, mentioned above, and we will have special parking areas and access for our Z’s. Start your planning now and send an EOI and come celebrate the History of the 240Z.

If you want to be a part of this please email an EOI to Paul Clemens President of the ZCCQ paul.a.clemens@bigpond.com or PM me your interest and I will forward your details.

Friday afternoon photo shoot

I am sure you all have seen past CB photos and videos of Group Z’s competitors lined up in Pit lane (if not just look at past CB threads) This year will have all the 50 competition Z’s and the 5 others lined up in lineage on the garage side and for as many of you who are there on the Friday afternoon to be able to park up on the other side of pit lane in a similar fashion( let’s see just how many early S30’s we can get, it will be one for the record books)

Details will follow.

Volunteers

If you want to volunteer as a flaggie for the event please contact Paul Clemens President of the ZCCQ paul.a.clemens@bigpond.com or PM me your interest and I will forward your details.  Great bonuses like free accommodation, food, drinks and merchandise.

Cheers

Dave

 

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Dave

I don't understand why the minimum time is special and can't be lowered a few seconds by CB, I am still a bit off that time but understand it is a frustration for the fast guys. We have runs on the board and would think our history with event would count for something.

 

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41 minutes ago, Bloozed said:

Dave

I don't understand why the minimum time is special and can't be lowered a few seconds by CB, I am still a bit off that time but understand it is a frustration for the fast guys. We have runs on the board and would think our history with event would count for something.

 

The CAMS standing regulations for Regularity Events state that the purpose "is to set consistent lap times at less than the full potential of the driver or the vehicle. It is not a race." One of the issues we have is speed/time difference between the front runners and the back markers. This is managed in Groups A to D by ceding by similar time brackets fastest to slowest. In Group E we have everyone in together. We already have the front runners catching and passing the tail end in a 20 minute run. Allowing the front runners to go even faster kind of defeats the" purpose". There are clearly two camps here. Those who want to enjoy a thrash; and those who  want to compete in modern or traditional regularity. It's not really fair on the regularity competitors to have to be constantly mindful of fast passing traffic. It is also incumbent on all competitors to continuously re-nominate their times to ensure they remain correctly positioned in the pack. This appears not to have occurred in all instances last year resulting in one faster competitor punting off a marginally slower competitor on the opening lap. That just should never have happened. No one wants to see a fellow competitor end up in hospital with spinal injuries and a totalled car. Just ludicrous in a regularity. Similarly having virtually an entire sessions being red flagged cos someone speared off into the gravel trap on the opening lap is not ideal. It is my understanding the minimum time is set at the discretion of the event organisers and given last year's adverse incidents I would imagine " our history with the event" will count for something but perhaps not in a positive light. The Sprint format is there if you want to go faster than 2.36 and set times at the full potential of the driver and the car. Those guys up the front have potential in spades full. 

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There is also a maximum lap time (3:22) , and quite a few in Group E are close to that. 

As one of the slower cars in Group E (3:15 :-[ ), I'm all too aware of the difference in lap times and speed (some cars have 80kph or more on me down the straight, the R34 skyline in 2017 must have been in excess of 100kph faster, imaging that blasting past you down conrod....). I like to think I do my best to keep out of the way, but as mentioned above this is often at the detriment of my performance in regularity. I accept this and keep out of the way in deference to safety, tempting as it is to stay on the racing line to win a regularity trophy, Bathurst just isn't the place for that. 

As mentioned above, I would suggest that Group E is probably the last group that the organisers would consider lowering the minimum time due to the difference in capability of cars and drivers. Possibly other groups which are "ranked" by speed would be more suitable (ie lower minimum for Group A, but also lower maximum to keep things in check).

There is also supersprints for guys who want to go faster, but at, say, 2:30 lap time, they would end up being the mobile chicane for the pro's in the 12hr GT3 cars.

 

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The minimum and maximum times are set out by CAMS for this event, not the organisers. I am one of the faster running cars and catch up to the slower cars in the group, unfortunately this is just one of those things we have to deal with, I know once i have caught up to the slower cars my fastest lap time will be shot, so i try and nominate an between time to try an not lose to many points.

If i'm held up, i just enjoy the ride and wait until a safe opportunity comes to pass, last year i only passed about 6 cars all up on the last laps of the runs, sometimes you got lucky and found myself in an easy spot to overtake and sometimes I just had to wait until the start of Conrod Straight or elsewhere. Lowering the minimum time would be a waist of time. As i said above only 2 cars did it  and only just. 

"Its up to the driver of any car passing another to wait until it is safe" we are told this time and time again and the leading driver should hold the racing line, (unless they indicate otherwise (Clear hand signal)) its up to the passing car to go the long way around safely. 

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3 hours ago, Mike260LW said:

Similarly having virtually an entire sessions being red flagged cos someone speared off into the gravel trap on the opening lap is not ideal. It is my understanding the minimum time is set at the discretion of the event organisers and given last year's adverse incidents I would imagine " our history with the event" will count for something but perhaps not in a positive light. 

Fortunately the car that speared off was on the practice run. on the Saturday morning, but interestingly, and regarding our history with the event, i looked at the results, of the 4 timed Regularity runs and who got red flagged runs

Group A: 1 out of the 4 red flagged (the fastest nominated time group) 

Group B:  2  out of the 4 red flagged

Group C: 2  out of the 4 red flagged

Group D 4  out of the 4 red flagged (the slowest nominated time group)

Group E: 1  out of the 4 red flagged (Group Z mixed times)

 

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3 hours ago, 1600dave said:

this is often at the detriment of my performance in regularity.

 

1 hour ago, 24 Dat said:

 so i try and nominate an in between time to try an not lose to many points.

 

BIG Hint there Dave ;)

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Thanks for the explanations, I get the speed differential is an issue but my thoughts are it has a bigger impact on the faster cars' competitiveness.

I didn't know the circumstances of the bad crash, we would look ordinary to CAMS if that was the outcome. The sprints are an option but the regularity is more suitable for me and is a lot of fun to be among our mates (if you can go home unharmed). I think I try to achieve my regular times by going near to my potential and probably way off the car's potential.

Anyhow still looking forward to next time and hope the guy with the damaged spine is making progress.

 

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7 hours ago, 24 Dat said:

 

Dave, check the standing regulations for regularity regarding who sets minimum a and maximum times, but it's a moot point. Agree with all you have said and all that you do. It is all about common sense and common racing courtesy. Agree lowering the minimum time would not be beneficial. It's about ensuring everyone plays in the sandpit nicely. The crux of the issue is that both needs can be accommodated, however, it is a regularity event and those participants who are trying to compete in regularity, in some respects, should have their needs given priority over those out there for a fang. Ensuring your nominated starting position reflects your track pace is a good start and prevents faster cars back in the pack tripping over competitors early in the round. And if you are quick enough to be catching people, ensure your nominated lap time reflects some contingency to allow passing of slower cars safely, as Dave suggests. Also pick your place to pass. It is such a fantastic event at such a great venue, it just needs all competitors to be on the same page. I repeat, common sense and courtesy. CB19 and GroupZ and Festival of Zed will be awesome and not to be missed. 

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It would be interesting for a fast Z to race in the slowest sprint group where, going on last year's times, it would be quite competitive. To get into the slowest sprint group all that has to be done is to nominate an appropriate lap time in the entry form. If that is done there would be no chance of getting mixed up in the pro racers groups.

For the regularity entrants, as has already been said, the nominated lap time can be changed at any time. Just go up to the timing room and arrange it, simple as.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Update 2

Challenge Bathurst 2019

Group Z Regularity is filling fast, of the 50 spots i have available, i now have 44 x Z's, of these

39 are S30's    (30 x 240Z's, 7 x 260Z's and 2 x 260Z 2+2's) Of the 30 x 240Z's,  4 of them are Series 1's  

2 x 280ZX's 

2 x Z31's  

1 x Z32.

I have 2 entrants from Tasmania which means  i only need to get someone from NT to join Group Z and I'll have the country covered. ???Anyone out there???

The Second group is filling as well, so far 23 entrants with about 75% being Nissan/Datsuns.  If you or you know anyone who would like to come and be a part of this please let me know ASAP 

Cheers

Dave

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Really looking forward to this. 

Although im sure my car will be quicker then the minimum im happy just to get on the track

for the first time and enjoy the mountain. Next time I go will be in the sprint group I just

didn't want to try and learn the mountain whilst looking in the mirror

 

See you there lads

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I know it’s early days yet, but some like to plan ahead.  For the Victorian guys there will be a group meeting at Coldstream roadhouse coffee shop and departing at 7.00am on Thursday morning 28th of November. Heading up through Yea, Bonnie Doon, and on to the Hume freeway stopping at the Road House just after Wangaratta at about 9.50am. Meeting others coming from Melbourne.

plan on arriving at Bathurst  between 4.30pm And 5.00pm.

Two guys coming from Tassie on Wednesday are welcome to crash at my house for the night.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
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