Skid Pan Day – First Experience

[SSEN8R VS #1081Participant Brisbane, North Side\'97 VS II HSV Senator 185i View build HERE Member since: March 16, 2015 Posts: 227]

Car: ’97 VS II HSV Senator 185i (196,000km & stock)

A mate of mine organised a skid pan day at Mt Cotton Driver Training Centre. The centre is owned by Qld Department of Transport and Mains Roads, but through connections in BMW Car Club Qld he arranged the skid pan day just for his mates. It cost ~$125 for 4 hours.

What is this skid pan? Well it’s a small race track, go kart size, that has a system that pumps water out of the track. To make it a bit more fun, diesel is mixed in too. I’m told that due to the centre being run by the Qld gov that this is the only skid pan track in Australia that is allowed to splash diesel around. See google earth screenshot attached.

We got told about how this is driver training to learn about how to control you car when you get into a situation. Then we were told don’t drift the whole track as there was a CCTV camera on the track, so make sure you straighten up on the back straight!!?!?!

As I had done the skid pan before on a Lotus Elise Experience day, only for small bit, I offered to hoon on out first. You go out in groups of two on the track on the time.

Yep, it’s bloody slippery. I think everyone span it first corner they actually tried to get it to hang out a little. After the first spin, you get used to going around in circles. I did the whole track in 2nd gear. We did 10 minute stints and then the next group went out. We did 5 stints for the 4ish hour session.

Bit of fun was had by some swapping cars, and going passengers in each others cars.

Rear wheel drive V8 would definately be the car of choice for skid pan – front wheel drives don’t really have much fun, and new WRX didn’t really do much. There were two 350z’s and they both were facing backwards half the time. One bloke has ’97 WRX Rally Car which was definately the fastest. One blokes 260z broke down the day before so he went out in his hyundai iLoad! Another bloke in auto Mitsu Triton got it going by the end of the day… All cars were welcome.

No prep required for the cars, no helmet required – definately recommend and I am going back out end of this month.

***VIDEO!*** – Here’s a quick snip of some gopro footage I took – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiS7R0TAB9c

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My build thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-ii-senator-185i-1081/
My track day thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/lakeside-track-sprint-day-second-go/
My VS brake upgrade thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-brake-upgrades/

[SSEN8R VS #1081Participant Brisbane, North Side\'97 VS II HSV Senator 185i View build HERE Member since: March 16, 2015 Posts: 227]

another quick clip – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2aqdXkJODs

• This reply was modified 9 years, 9 months ago by  SSEN8R VS #1081.

My build thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-ii-senator-185i-1081/
My track day thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/lakeside-track-sprint-day-second-go/
My VS brake upgrade thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-brake-upgrades/

[cava454Moderator 93 VR BT1 View build HERE Member since: February 20, 2015 Posts: 2 390]

I got booted off my first skid pan day…

[KroozerParticipant Forbes, NSW91 VN SS View build HERE Member since: February 19, 2015 Posts: 336]

cava454 wrote:

I got booted off my first skid pan day…

How does one get kicked off a skid pan day? hahaha

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

That looks like soooo much fun. Thanks for sharing, gotta go on the bucket list…

[cava454Moderator 93 VR BT1 View build HERE Member since: February 20, 2015 Posts: 2 390]

Kroozer wrote:

cava454 wrote:

I got booted off my first skid pan day…

How does one get kicked off a skid pan day? hahaha

 

got carried away…  It was more a motorkahana day

 

this is was a more honest attempt.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 9 months ago by  cava454.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 9 months ago by  cava454.

[SSEN8R VS #1081Participant Brisbane, North Side\'97 VS II HSV Senator 185i View build HERE Member since: March 16, 2015 Posts: 227]

How do I embed the youtube clips instead of having just links?

My build thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-ii-senator-185i-1081/
My track day thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/lakeside-track-sprint-day-second-go/
My VS brake upgrade thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-brake-upgrades/

[cava454Moderator 93 VR BT1 View build HERE Member since: February 20, 2015 Posts: 2 390]

SSEN8R VS #1081 wrote:

How do I embed the youtube clips instead of having just links?

 

i just copy paste the link direct from the YouTube app.

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Yep one of the things we wanted was it to be dead simple to post YouTube videos. I have done a couple, seemed to work ok for me, are you having issues?

• This reply was modified 9 years, 9 months ago by  VRSenator065.

[Brockfan05Participant AlburyVR Berlina 5.0L VS Clubsport View build HERE Member since: March 7, 2015 Posts: 39]

Lol cava that was awesome! I’ve done a heap of track days but that looked like heaps more fun!!

[SSEN8R VS #1081Participant Brisbane, North Side\'97 VS II HSV Senator 185i View build HERE Member since: March 16, 2015 Posts: 227]

ergh was trying to get youtube link to embed, but only appears as hyperlink.. :|

• This reply was modified 9 years, 9 months ago by  SSEN8R VS #1081.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 9 months ago by  SSEN8R VS #1081.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 9 months ago by  SSEN8R VS #1081.

My build thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-ii-senator-185i-1081/
My track day thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/lakeside-track-sprint-day-second-go/
My VS brake upgrade thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-brake-upgrades/

[SSEN8R VS #1081Participant Brisbane, North Side\'97 VS II HSV Senator 185i View build HERE Member since: March 16, 2015 Posts: 227]

Did another skid pan day, this time at night under lights. Was just as much fun as the first time. Got plenty of gopro footage will put something up when I get a chance.

The gov scrooge showed up with noise meters… I got a warning for putting the pedal to the floor when I spun, was trying to see if I would keep spinning

My build thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-ii-senator-185i-1081/
My track day thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/lakeside-track-sprint-day-second-go/
My VS brake upgrade thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-brake-upgrades/

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Anybody know if there is anything like this available in SA?

[SSEN8R VS #1081Participant Brisbane, North Side\'97 VS II HSV Senator 185i View build HERE Member since: March 16, 2015 Posts: 227]

I grew up in Adelaide, and never heard of anything like it…. Contact sporting car club of SA – http://www.sportingcarclubsa.org.au/ Pretty sure they are the biggest car club in SA, with MG car club second (dad’s a MG car club member).

My build thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-ii-senator-185i-1081/
My track day thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/lakeside-track-sprint-day-second-go/
My VS brake upgrade thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-brake-upgrades/

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