What a fantastic track! This place is a credit to the owner, Garry. I had a ball today and will be back for sure. The Marulan Driver Training Centre (MDTC) is not advertsied as a race track per se, but a place where you can learn about your car without taking risks on the street. I think that in itself is a great initiative but on top of that, Garry has thought the layout through carefully, and the result is a technical, demanding short circuit which hardly gives you time to breathe.
Apart from the short straight, it's a continuous blend of throttle, braking and steering all the way around this 1km roller coaster. There are fast sweepers and slow corners which are on and off cambered, undulations, and a few bumps which can catch you out. It tests your driving skills and keeps your attention all the way.
For the first 15min session of the day, I familiarised myself with the layout, trying to pick appropriate braking markers and corner lines. The fastest way through some corners isn't obvious, so it took a bit of experimenting to find something that flowed a little better. Because the day doesn't have official timing, I had a mate stopwatch time me to see roughly what times I was doing. I seemed to be around the 48s mark, with a best of 47.5. Anthony thought I might be able to make up another second on that time, because I was backing off when I let other cars past me. Maybe a lap in the 45's is something to aim for next time?
I had a little issue in the second last session, blowing an intercooler hose off which left me stranded half way along the uphill pit lane, requiring a tow back to my garage. Other than that, the day went smoothly and the car performed well. I think this facility is top notch, and some others must feel the same, because they've already cleared more land to extend the facility a little further. I can't wait to see what's in store for this place in the future.
Apart from the short straight, it's a continuous blend of throttle, braking and steering all the way around this 1km roller coaster. There are fast sweepers and slow corners which are on and off cambered, undulations, and a few bumps which can catch you out. It tests your driving skills and keeps your attention all the way.
For the first 15min session of the day, I familiarised myself with the layout, trying to pick appropriate braking markers and corner lines. The fastest way through some corners isn't obvious, so it took a bit of experimenting to find something that flowed a little better. Because the day doesn't have official timing, I had a mate stopwatch time me to see roughly what times I was doing. I seemed to be around the 48s mark, with a best of 47.5. Anthony thought I might be able to make up another second on that time, because I was backing off when I let other cars past me. Maybe a lap in the 45's is something to aim for next time?
I had a little issue in the second last session, blowing an intercooler hose off which left me stranded half way along the uphill pit lane, requiring a tow back to my garage. Other than that, the day went smoothly and the car performed well. I think this facility is top notch, and some others must feel the same, because they've already cleared more land to extend the facility a little further. I can't wait to see what's in store for this place in the future.
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