It’s spring! Birds are chirping, blossoms are blooming, braais are sizzling and bikini lines are browning, but the first rains have yet to wash away the dust and dirt of the dry winter. Nothing describes the joy of the Jozi summer better than the scorching mid-day temperatures, cooled by the sudden afternoon showers. I cannot wait!
On the topic of afternoon showers, it is important to prepare your vehicle and yourself for the changing weather conditions that are sure to make driving a daunting experience for those who are unprepared. Preparing your car is easy, just remember to check the condition of your tires, wiper blades, ventilation system and window demisters. Remember to keep a small umbrella at hand too. You don’t want to run from D Les to the first year parking lot with your economics hand book over your head. Chances are you might save your hair-do, but end up ruining your handbook, failing your exams and inevitably repeating the year.
Preparing yourself though, could be a time consuming and expensive experience. Luckily, you don’t have to spend your (or daddy’s) hard earned cash on expensive advanced driving courses, although the learning and experience gained will be invaluable. For those of us who don’t have the R2000+ to spend on these courses, there is an affordable alternative.
Every second month, Zwartkops Raceway hosts their “Super Trax Day” where you can spend the day on the racetrack and skidpan using your own pride and joy. The skidpan area is where Gavin and I spent most of our time. Drivers pay R150 to take their cars on the skidpan for the whole day and passengers pay R10. The great thing is that, as a passenger, you can ask any of the drivers to ride shotgun as they strut their stuff on the water soaked skidpan. Between the two of us we drove shotgun in a BMW M3, an Impreza STi, BMW Z4 M and a Mazda MX-5, just to name a few.
Driving on the skidpan, however is another experience altogether. Not only does the soaked skidpan test your driving skills in rainy conditions, but it also provides the opportunity for drivers to better control their vehicles in slippery driving conditions. Added to the excitement is the layout of a challenging gymkhana track designed by the track official. Two cars start identical gymkhana tracks at the same time, adding a competitive edge to the learning experience.
At lunch time, drivers usually make their way to the Pits lane to grab some boerie rolls and check out the eye candy. Some of the candy could include Nissan GTRs, Mercedes AMGs, Impreza STIs, Lotus Evoras and Exiges. Yummy! All these drivers only pay R300 to take their cars out on the racetrack for the day and only require a helmet to do so. Passengers pay R50 for the day and also require a helmet in order to ride shotgun. We’ll post another article as soon as we take our own vehicles onto the racetrack.
Back at the skidpan, cars are lining up to race around the new gymkhana track. As the excitement grows, the driving style transforms from safe, controllable slides into hardcore, pedal-to-the-metal, under- and oversteers, to the amusement of spectators, passengers and drivers alike. It looks like an extraction of a deleted scene from the movie “Blades of Glory”. The manoeuvrability of my front wheel drive Suzuki depends largely on the “bite” of my handbrake, while Gavin’s rear wheel drive Beemer was tamed by the careful and precisely timed action of his right foot.
Track days such as these promote safe driving by allowing ordinary drivers to test their driving skills in a safe and controlled environment. Not only is it a learning experience, but also a fun activity where family and friends can learn the importance of car control. All in all, it was an opportunity to understand how a car reacts in slippery driving conditions and to push the car’s ability beyond the laws of physics.
Various racetracks in and around Johannesburg host events like these. Visit www.zwartkops.co.za for more information on “Super Trax Days”.
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