2015 Vic&Tas vs NSW Interstate Challenge

2015 Interstate Challenge Presentation

30 August 2015 / David Lawler

The MX-5 Club Interstate Challenge is an annual competition between teams representing the MX-5 Club of Victoria & Tasmania, and the MX-5 Club of NSW, with the two clubs taking turns each year to host the event.

For 2015, the Interstate Challenge was decided at the MX-5 Club of NSW track day at Sydney Motor Sport Park (SMSP) on Sunday 29th August.

The Vic&Tas team had agreed to the SMSP venue, knowing that it would be a new track to all their drivers. This was a courageous decision as it put them at a disadvantage against the NSW drivers who have had three years of track days there, but the challenge of driving a new track was too strong.

Each team consisted of 15 drivers, competing in 6 classes. Points are awarded in each class based on the best lap time of each driver.

The NSW team took some hits early with Dan Szwaj out after just one run with car problems, Gus Elias experiencing handling problems after an off-track excursion, and Mark Palmer also retiring in the middle of the day with a leaking power steering pump. With these three NSW drivers unable to compete after lunch, it left room for the Vic&Tas drivers to capitalise, which they did with some strong performances and PBs in the last run of the day. Both Tim Emery and Travis McInnes were able to overtake their missing NSW competitors to improve their class placings.

However, the Vic&Tas team were unable to get quite enough fast laps, although they were getting faster through the day and a couple more runs could have seen a different result.

In the end the Vic&Tas team scored 94 points and the NSW team won with 140 points.

The Vic&Tas team did however win the sledging contest, with an unofficial score of 4 to 3.

The 2016 Interstate Challenge will be held in Victoria, with the venue and date announced early in 2016.

Full results of the 2015 Interstate Challenge are shown below.

 

MX-5 Club of Vic & Tas

MX-5 Club of NSW

Class

Driver

Time

Place

Points

Driver

Time

Place

Points

1

Simeon Ouzas

1:10.7023

5

3

Keith Monaghan

1:09.9819

1

15

Peter Dannock

1:10.8302

6

4

Mitchell Bennett

1:10.2064

2

10

Robert Downes

1:10.4297

3

7

Jason Russell

1:10.4400

4

5

4

Max Lloyd

1:10.8281

5

4

Gustavo Elias

1:08.4013

3

7

Tim Emery

1:08.2979

2

10

Bryan Shedden

1:08.2659

1

15

Noel Heritage

1:08.5686

4

5

Jonathon Fox

1:10.9996

6

3

5

Travis McInnes

1:06.6708

1

15

Mark Palmer

1:06.7352

2

10

6

Randy Stagno Navarra

1:06.7014

4

5

Tristan Rappo

1:04.4826

1

15

Tim Meaden

1:06.6209

3

7

Dennis Chiswick

1:04.8819

2

10

Gavin Newman

1:08.2477

6

3

Dan Szwaj

1:10.1107

8

1

Fabian Mastronardi

1:07.5963

5

4

David Johnson

1:08.7132

7

2

7

Alan Conrad

1:08.9917

4

5

Daniel Gardner

1:03.6256

1

15

Colin Denman-Jones

1:05.7945

2

10

Luke Kovacic

1:06.6185

3

7

9

Russell Garner

1:04.4118

3

7

Ralph Thompson

1:03.0013

1

15

Robert Parr

1:05.5819

4

5

Phil Ashton

1:03.5719

2

10

Total

 

 

 

94

 

 

 

140