Oz Abarth at Marulan Trackday
Much forum banter is devoted to how to upgrade our cars for better performance - a remap, new exhaust, what HP numbers am I making, bigger brakes etc. Very little discussion is had about upgrading the driver...
Track days are a great way to test the limits of both car and driver - improving your skills while understanding and testing your car setup in ways not possible on the street.
Marulan Driver Training Centre is great for this purpose - and while a bit more raw than other tracks - the track is excellent, and a lot of fun. At only about a kilometre long, it's short, with lap times around the 50 second mark.
The straight is very short, and you will only reach top speeds of 120kmh or thereabouts. Lots of tight corners that really test your ability to place your car where you need it to be. Facilities are basic - there aren't so much pits as a "paddock", and only a small amount of garage space. Getting there is easy, about two hours from Sydney.
This is a track that won't reward the guy with the fastest car - the bends are tight, technical, and you need to practice your line to get the best out of any car. The main straight is very short - a straight line fast car doesn't help you here -
I was consistently doing about the same times as a Porsche Turbo.
Funniest part of my day was overtaking an old big block Corvette, fast on the straight but slow
around corners - he was upset seeing this little Fiat Abarth take him on a corner (NB: track days are strictly no passing unless indicated, but this guy was being stubborn, not letting me pass, and I had the instructor in the car who gave me, uh, permission. Or encouragement. Look on the guy's face when I passed him - priceless).
Marulan is a relatively slow track - it's set up so that you can get more out of it by improving your driving. Turn 4 if you don't hit the very edge of the concrete (ripple strip) at the apex you don't get the assistance to turn in and lose speed - every corner feels like that.
Although a short track, you feel like you get more track time. Each lap is only about 50 seconds, and we were doing about 8 -10 laps a session. Each session is over very quickly, but it's not long before you're out again. it feels like excellent value, and isn't exhausting.
This is track I'm looking forward to going back to very soon to hone my driving skills, and try different setups on my car. It's fun, technical, safe, and challenges you as a driver more than it's about the car.
Stayed tuned for the Oz Abarth Trackday!
