the MINI report - Testing, Galaxy Style.
Sunday, August 18, 2013:
Bench racing talks, stick time walks. That's the plain and simple truth. No matter what your crazy idea to shave tenths off your laptimes is, it doesn't mean jack shit until the rubber meets the parking lot. So, when an opportunity comes along that allows you to put those long hours to the test, in a fun environment, you make it happen!
Case in point: Galaxy hobby. It's a fun place to race, no doubt about it. Low-key, good turnouts, and a fun atmosphere overall. On this particular Sunday, the penultimate date on their schedule, it was especially light, as most racers are either preparing for the long carpet season ahead, or spending time enjoying NW summer perfection. Silly excuses, I'd rather spend a Sunday baking under an Easy-Up any day.
For some asphalt testing, the day couldn't have been better. Nice warm temps greeted us right from the get-go, which was a far cry from the "marine-nightmare" a few weeks back at Regionals. A nice, long practice started us off for the day, which gave us all ample time to "rubber in" the track and get a general lay of the land.
First off, whoever came up with the layout, made a winner in my books, two straights, a nice mix of tight and flowing corners, and a good avoidance of the dreaded bumps associated with this site. Great job to those involved!
Heat races were smooth for all classes, although generally light. With more of an emphasis on testing for me, and a total of only 4 Mini's in attendance, it was more-or-less a glorified practice. Not always a bad thing....
My father, Mike Anderson, debuted his brand-new, Datsun-wrapped, M06 PRO, with good results. At the end of the day, he had a nice handle on the car, with his times improving each round. Of course, no car is perfect straight away, but the list of "to-do's" was knocked down significantly on Sunday. Rear-Drives, RISE UP!
A highlight of the class, was the presence of Jacob's Atomic V2 "Mini-TC". Although it's not what you'd expect in a traditional Mini, this little car is cool. The quality is spot-on with the top touring cars of today, and pretty damn quick on-track, as I spent most of the heat races and Main trying to keep up/in front of it!
Talking with Jacob, he plans on taking the V2 to the Hangar, this indoor season, for some Scale Spec action. Keep an eye out, it should be fun to see the little car mix it up with the big boys!
I had a small agenda throughout the day, of things to try. For better, or for worse, I got a much better handle on the M03, and what the effects of each change are on this machine. Every car is different, and reacts differently (albeit slightly) to various changes one makes throughout the course of a race day, or season, and it's always good to familiarize yourself with the tunability your particular car has. Don't be afraid to try something, in essence.
My the Main, I had made a dizzying amount of changes, changed my entire shock-package, all along with experimenting with tires and saucing. Seems like a lot, and might be overwhelming to some, but with a light day, and the extra time on track, I made GOOD use of my day, capped by an A Main win.
So, what have we learned? If you have the time, and means, not only is practice needed, but it's essential to a good setup. It's also a damn-good time. A whole day racing toy cars in a stress-free environment with good friends? Sounds good to me.
Thanks again to the Galaxy Hobby crew for another fun day. this program is only going to grow over time, and for good reason...... With some programs catering to the serious racer, Galaxy caters to the hobbyist, the club racer, the amateur. they do a great job of keeping that "fun-factor" alive and well. Great job guys!
-Jesse
M_
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