Antonio Silva
TEXT 24 HOURS OF ASCARI CLASSICS: ANTONIO SILVA / PHOTOS: 8000 LAPS AND AS
All motorsport fans, and the classics in particular, have ever dreamed of in our life with participating in a circuit test. The truth is that for the average fan it is really difficult to enter a circuit to enjoy; only in events like Open Doors of Jarama, or at festivals, we can shoot for a few minutes, many times with cars not well prepared for it.
Ascari's 24h philosophy, organized by 8000 turns, It is exactly that: to make available to the fans with a reduced budget the possibility of setting up a team and driving on the track for no more and no less than 24 hours. And, although the participants try to do their best, the will to have a good time prevails at all times, leaving in the background the unappealable competitiveness typical of the races.
The rules and intricacies of the event, you can see them here.
To summarize the information a bit, I will tell you that the test is designed for manufactured vehicles prior to December 31, 1994 (25 years), divided into 3 categories depending on size. In practice, the medium category is the one that brings together the largest number of participants, with compact machines with atmospheric mechanics of less than 160 HP. It is mandatory to equip them with a roll cage, although it can be self-built following the precise instructions described in the guide.
The cars have to be practically "series", allowing them to be lightened and tweaks to the suspension and brakes, although these have to come from large series cars.
All of this translates into a starting grid full of 'yountimers' XNUMXs: golf, Astra, Nissan Sunny, BMW ... and some other rarer like a Saab 900, Toyota MR2 or Mazda MX-5. In general, all cars can be bought with a budget of less than 3000 euros, although there are exceptions, of course. We leave you a video of the communication agency team press-to-race from last year's edition to give you an idea:
24 Hours of Ascari: My experience
This past spring, a good friend and I we warm up reading posts of Ascari in different social networks. What if we had to prepare a car, what if that had to be tested ... etc etc. He had a crazy desire, and I was not far from him; yes, a server had an ace up his sleeve.
A third friend, from Valencia, had been participating for years, and he had told me that on his team they used to offer some "seat" for the test if he contributed to cover the expenses, thus being less burdensome for him and for his companions to live the experience. I had already read about this purchase in Bull skin that it was the best way to race and learn with a view to forming a future team of our own, or simply to have fun without investing time in the car and / or preparing in advance.
So it was clear to me: I exposed the subject in a cafeteria having some cokes, and right there I called my Valencian friend Javier, captain of the AdequaSpain-Hortaclassics team. He knew it was not easy, because he asked for two seats, the maximum being 8 drivers per team, although the optimum for driving well 6. Thus, we join the adventure with your Astra GSI.
Later, during the month of March, we told our “shit” to the rest of the gang of people crazy about gasoline that we usually frequent. Immediately, We knew we were going to need more seats in fact many more. Finally, talking to Javier again, we achieved two travel more in a sister team of Adecua-Horta, LosAbetos-Hortaclassics. Formed by friends of Javier, and also from the Hortaclassics club, they had prepared another Astra and this was their first participation.
Arrival in Malaga and briefing
On Friday, September 21, the 4 members of Madrid arrived in Ronda at lunchtime. If you have not been in this circuit, you have to go; the access, by a small road between holm oaks, is bucolic. As soon as you crown a small slope, you begin to see a path surrounded by perfect grass, century-old holm oaks, incredible asphalt ... You just don't believe it To this day I do not know a more beautiful circuit on the peninsula.
It has 5.425 m and 26 curves, that copy and in many cases improve the best known of Daytona, Spa, Nurburgring or Silverstone. The facilities are closer to those of a luxury Resort (which is also a luxury resort) than what the fan is used to when they go to Jarama, Calafat or Ricardo Tormo. A Pit Lane and Boxes mounted on Andalusian architecture, with white walls and immaculate interiors. The private garage for members, of which we were able to admire a part, is simply dreamlike.
At 16:00 p.m. we were next to our Astras, getting ready for the brifing of the free runs that we had paid for the rookies to familiarize ourselves with the experience. In addition to the usual safety regulations, and a review of what each flag means, we were informed of the positioning of a series of cones in each curve in the circuit ...
The first two red cones that we see in parallel on both sides of the track when reaching a certain curve mark the recommended starting point for braking; a few meters away you see a single red cone, which marks the vertex of the theoretical beginning of our trajectory, and in the middle of the curve the central point of the same marked by a green cone, to end with the exit point of the trajectory marked by another red cone . Following these cones was the best advice I got from Ascari, and it's 100% useful.
The Astra and its Achilles Heels
After that, we went to the cars. In the case of ours, a second passenger seat had been mounted, in order to roll two by two, and to teach the newbies the art of the matter. In my case, I had to go out with Javier Grau at the wheel, who first broke the circuit with a slow lap and then gave me three laps at a higher speed and later I finally took the wheel.
I looked for the tickle to our Astra in the Friday and Saturday morning runs, to see the limit of the car and what happened when it left ... I found that in a curve it simply loved if you went over speed, or if you overstepped with the accelerator, producing two effects (both negative): On the one hand, a maximum degradation of the tires, and on the other a marked understeer. Both things were resolved naturally by lifting the right foot off the accelerator, evidently NEVER touching the brake.
If you went over with this second pedal or you marked the curve with the one still depressed, the ass tended to sag; It was pretty scary at first, but then I enjoyed dismounting my rear axle at the entrance of turns as I went from fifth or fourth to third. In the chicane after the finish line, going quite strong in fifth was one of the moments when you could enjoy (sometimes freaking out a little) this peculiarity.
24 Hours of Ascari: Get the party started
The 24 Hours of Ascari basically consist of driving 24 hours without interruption, except for pit stops for driver changes, repairs or fuel. Tires are limited to 10 units, including those on the car. Other conditions to take into account are the following:
♦ No pilot can drive more than 3 hours in a row.
♦ Any pit stop must be at least 7 minutes.
♦ It is not possible to refuel more than 45L of fuel at a time.
Our qualifying laps for the start they weren't particularly bright, as we could only roll at 2:57; very far from the 2: 52,02 marked by the same pilot already involved in work. The truth is that the starting position does not matter too much, and although it was a totally rectifiable error, it would not contribute too much, and if there is enough left, because to make an exceptional time you have to take risks and punish some front tires that have to last longer of 6 hours.
With one of the most experienced drivers, we started the test. After a few laps I was already in the top 16; meanwhile, the march went by at a frantic pace for our Astra. This caused that, after just over 2h 15 minutes, our pilot warn of a fuel failure and stop for 7 minutes to refuel and change drivers ...
