Fireball Run

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  • GandalfS6
    S2Forum Addict
    • Jan 2004
    • 332
    • Country: South Africa

    #1

    Fireball Run

    My S2 on 2 wheels


    I decided earlier this year to enter my S2 in the South African Fireball Run. The Fireball is 10 day event time trailing on 4 race tracks with 2 rally style special stages, gymkhanas and a drag. Over the 10 days you cover 3500 km (you have to drive your car between towns). I was the only Audi

    The Fireball started at the Wesbank Raceway in Johannesburg with a 1/4 mile drag and a gymkhana. I didn't want to break my already dodgy clutch (a new 800Nm Spec clutch is going in soon) so took the drag easy. I struggled at the gymkhana as I was between gears - first too short and 2nd too long with the turbo lag - this hurt me in all the gymkhanas

    The next day we went to Kyalami (where the SA F1 GP was held) and I was much more in my element. The photo above is of my car on 2 wheels hitting the curbs in the chicane.

    The next day we did a Gymkhana and a high speed special stage at the Toyota Test Track outside Durban. I spent my birthday with an off day covering the nearly 700 km to East London. I had great fun on the old Formula 1 Circuit in East London. The next 2 days were spent doing a slow tar rally stage in Port Elizabeth - lots of 90 degree turns in an unbuilt suburb overheated my power steering The next day we were at the Aldo Scribante Race track.

    A gymkhana in the main road of George on a Saturday morning drew nearly 5000 spectators! We spent the last day at the Killarney race track in Cape Town.

    The Fireball was won by a Ultima with a 3.4 l twin turbo Alfa V6 (think about 700hp), second was a Le Mans spec 993 GT2 and third a Skyline GTR 34 (700hp). I was put in a class with 2 M400 Nobles - my car has 400 hp and I have reduced the weight to 1340kg but that is no match for a 425hp, 1060kg Noble. I was second my class - at least beating one of the Nobles I ended 12th out of the 25 starters.

    The Fireball was a great experience - I think I learnt quite a lot. Of the circuits I had only been to Kyalami, the rest were brand new to me. We basically had 20 minutes practice on all the circuits and then had to do 5 flying laps of which the best 3 counted. I also learnt that I need to work hard at Gymkhanas and get more power if I want to compete with the Nobles next year. It was also very tiring - breakfast at 7am, race from 9 to 12, then drive 300km to the next town and then have some promotional event in the evening! Next year I need to work a bit harder at fitness before the event.

    Anybody joining me for next year's event?

    Fireball Website

    Fireball Results

    Fireball Photos
    1995 Silver S2 (ADU) Coupe
    2006 Porsche 997 Carrera S
    2006 Misano Red RS4
    2004 VW Touareg V8
    2007 Golf Mk1 Race Car
    2004 Mercedes Benz Vito 112CD
  • geryS2
    S2Forum Maniac
    • May 2006
    • 814
    • Home: Belgium Current: Portugal

    #2
    Seems great fun !!

    We don't have this kind of run here in europe !
    S2 's and oldtimers

    Comment

    • Greg_S
      Administrator
      • Jul 2003
      • 12430
      • Country: United Kingdom

      #3
      Looks like you had a good few days. Bet you have some good tips for next time around. Is there anyway you can cool the power steering to stop it overheating?
      Greg

      S2Forum.com Administrator & Webmaster

      '93 Coupe with a few tweeks

      Comment

      • GandalfS6
        S2Forum Addict
        • Jan 2004
        • 332
        • Country: South Africa

        #4
        I am currently planning to build a "racing engine" for next year that will rev much higher. For that I am going to need a bigger oil cooler and I am thinking to use the OE oil cooler to cool the hydraulic fluid. I don't have a aux radiator so I have space to fit it.
        1995 Silver S2 (ADU) Coupe
        2006 Porsche 997 Carrera S
        2006 Misano Red RS4
        2004 VW Touareg V8
        2007 Golf Mk1 Race Car
        2004 Mercedes Benz Vito 112CD

        Comment

        • terrybullwon
          S2Forum Zealot
          • Mar 2006
          • 8782
          • Country: England

          #5
          Thats really cool, take the head light out!
          Chef

          Comment

          • GandalfS6
            S2Forum Addict
            • Jan 2004
            • 332
            • Country: South Africa

            #6
            Originally posted by terrybullwon
            Thats really cool, take the head light out!
            I normally do! Can't remember why I didn't at Kyalami
            Attached Files
            1995 Silver S2 (ADU) Coupe
            2006 Porsche 997 Carrera S
            2006 Misano Red RS4
            2004 VW Touareg V8
            2007 Golf Mk1 Race Car
            2004 Mercedes Benz Vito 112CD

            Comment

            • Sweeper
              S2Forum Extremist
              • Jul 2003
              • 1317
              • Country: Latvia

              #7
              Hydro got boiled becouse of cornering or becouse of high african temps ?
              Vadim.

              New engine (mechanical PKM head) , Alcon 332mm brakes , Pauter rods , Mahle pistons, GT30R , kw v2 sucpension , new exhaust. 608HP. For SALE !

              Comment

              • Sephiroth401
                S2Forum Addict
                • Mar 2006
                • 255
                • Home: United Kingdom Current: Devon

                #8
                Looks fun some great pics to on the website, not sure about that truck
                AudiManDan

                Comment

                • GandalfS6
                  S2Forum Addict
                  • Jan 2004
                  • 332
                  • Country: South Africa

                  #9
                  Hydro got boiled because of both - it was a nice 30C that day

                  That truck was important - it carried the "Jonnesway" aka Silicone Girls
                  1995 Silver S2 (ADU) Coupe
                  2006 Porsche 997 Carrera S
                  2006 Misano Red RS4
                  2004 VW Touareg V8
                  2007 Golf Mk1 Race Car
                  2004 Mercedes Benz Vito 112CD

                  Comment

                  • mastermind
                    S2Forum Addict
                    • Jan 2005
                    • 244
                    • Country: South Africa

                    #10
                    Congrats again mate...
                    Thats a gruelling event for the cars and the S2 did extremely well in your capable hands.
                    The Red Baron
                    (R)S2 spec, 034 GT3071
                    Wagner Short Intake and Intercooler
                    Whiteline, Custom Shocks with external reservoirs
                    8pot calipers with A8 discs
                    Vems

                    Comment

                    • S2central.net
                      Retired OG Mod
                      • Jul 2003
                      • 16590
                      • Country: Northern Ireland

                      #11
                      That sounds like a blast... Good result too - no shame in being beaten in your class with machinery that has such a superior power to weight advantage.

                      Sorry to ask, but what exactly is a 'gymkhana' event for cars - thats for horses over here - is it like what we call an 'autotest' event where you have to weave in and around a complex course of cones - generally involves lots of starts, stops and a mixture of forward & reverse tight turns. These are invariably won in the UK by superlite Mini Specials (with no roof). An S2 would be horrible at those events...

                      Looks like Kyalami is more your thang - judging by the committment in that photo


                      Paul
                      Paul Nugent
                      Webmaster http://S2central.net
                      Administrator http://S2forum.com

                      1994 S2 Coupe ABY - aka Project Lazarus
                      2001 A6 allroad 2.5TDi - family tank
                      2003 S4 Avant 4.2 V8 - daily burble

                      Purveyor of HomeFries and Exclusive agent for Samco hose kits (S2/RS2)

                      There are only 10 kinds of people that understand binary - those that do, and those that don't

                      Comment

                      • Keeper of The Kitten
                        S2Forum Fiend
                        • Dec 2003
                        • 2317
                        • Country: England

                        #12
                        Gymkhana is similar to autotesting - they also have it in the US IIRC?

                        I think that the US also has similar competition, something like "1 lap of America" competition?

                        __MDC__
                        Martin Cutting

                        aka Keeper of "The Teutonic Kitten"

                        It's not better than sex, but it runs it a close second.

                        Comment

                        • GandalfS6
                          S2Forum Addict
                          • Jan 2004
                          • 332
                          • Country: South Africa

                          #13
                          Originally posted by S2central.net
                          Sorry to ask, but what exactly is a 'gymkhana' event for cars - thats for horses over here - is it like what we call an 'autotest' event where you have to weave in and around a complex course of cones - generally involves lots of starts, stops and a mixture of forward & reverse tight turns. These are invariably won in the UK by superlite Mini Specials (with no roof). An S2 would be horrible at those events...
                          Terminology can get a bit complicated - yes a gymkhana sounds like a "autotest". You race around a series of cones and lose time for hitting a cone - but there is no complicated reversing involved.

                          Below is a layout of a gymkhana the Audi Club did against the BMW club on a wet skidpan recently. I used my wife's S4 and it is much easier with a normally aspirated car. BTW the Audi Club killed the BMW Club - in the wet quattro rules!
                          Attached Files
                          Last edited by GandalfS6; 26 June 2006, 00:13.
                          1995 Silver S2 (ADU) Coupe
                          2006 Porsche 997 Carrera S
                          2006 Misano Red RS4
                          2004 VW Touareg V8
                          2007 Golf Mk1 Race Car
                          2004 Mercedes Benz Vito 112CD

                          Comment

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