Marulan track extension has MX-5 stamp of approval
15 February 2015 / Words & photos by Natalie Strain, More photos by Mel Keller & Josh Fitzgerald
Once again the MX-5 Club of NSW has successfully executed an off-street driver training day at the Marulan Driver Training Centre. Building on the successes - and taking on board the lessons - from the previous events at Marulan lead to a seamless day of spirited driving which catered to all levels of individual experience.
The Marulan driver training day had come upon us. As part of the organising team, I felt confident we were not only better prepared from the previous experience, but also had some ideas for tweaks to make it the best one yet. Although I was not able to drive this time (what with a little one on the way and all), it was still a great experience to be involved, particularly as it was the first time a new extension of the track would be used at a club event. As this new section of track was an unknown entity - and also as it includes a particularly interesting banked hairpin bend - it was bound to be a hot topic. As we awoke on a clear, cool and sunny Sunday morning in Goulburn, everything looked positive for the day ahead. Some thick morning fog accompanied the drive up the highway to Marulan but had cleared long before the cars hit the track.
Cue the steady procession of participants. Drivers and spectators alike trickled in, mingled and queued to organise all the exciting paperwork. Some interesting cars, and also spectators; two kangaroos sitting on the side of the track. Probably not the best place for them to be - either for roo or drivers. With some coaxing they got the message and hopped away, leaving a clear, clean and dry track. As with most club days it was not all MX-5s: A Holden Commodore, a Subaru BRZ, and Nissan 180Z and unfortunately that shameful loon in the automatic Corolla (my husband) had also returned for another attempt at blocking the track. Before long the trickle of entrants had pooled to reach a critical mass and we were ready to get started.
The official proceedings started off like always, with a walk of the track by Michael and Scott from MDTC, along with some tips about the track and fast driving in general. Michael spent some time explaining how cars will respond to driver input through the various corners, also providing some insight on appropriate entry speeds, exit speeds and gear selection. The walk eventually lead us to the long awaited, newly opened extension of the track which saw many of the entrants wide eyed in anticipation of driving it. There was a rising murmur amongst the crowd with much chin scratching and finger pointing as we approached.
Once we wrapped up the walk David Lawler, our Competition Secretary, spent some time explaining the importance of courteous and safe behaviour on the track, and provided some sensible guidelines for beginners and experienced drivers alike. After that, the beginner groups were introduced to the group of experienced drivers who had very generously offered their time to act as advisors on the day, and things kicked into gear as the first group of cars lined up.
The track extension made some organisational improvements possible, as the extra overall track length allowed for slightly larger groups, meaning fewer groups overall; less waiting between runs and more total runs per driver than the previous event. Thanks to the coordination of the MDTC team coupled with the excellent driving exhibited by everyone the 10 minute sessions ran back to back all day without incident or delay.
Overall the new section of track was a welcome addition and was indeed the subject of much experimentation and discussion - a new and interesting challenge to conquer and perfect. Even the MDTC guys could not agree amongst themselves on the best line through it due to the subtleties of the banking. As it also increases the speed up the main straight this new addition provided participants a double serving of thrills.
While these events are nothing short of fantastic fun, the underlying goal is to give people a safe and encouraging environment to improve driving skills which can’t be safely practiced on public roads. From both participant feedback as well as the undeniable evidence of observation there were clear improvements in skill and confidence throughout the day from all the first timer, beginner and novice drivers. As for the experienced guys - well they might have improved but I can’t really judge, they all look pretty damn quick to me.
Which leads to my and my husbands sincere gratitude and thanks to all of the other organisers - David Lawler, Lindsay Green, Helen Green, Joshua Fitzgerald and Steve Fisher. Also worthy of note are the advisors who volunteered their time to help so many entrants. The advisor team consisted of Keith Monaghan, Stewart Temesvary, Russ Maxwell, Tammie Hotz, Steve Green, Bryan Shedden, Tony Williams, Ralph Thompson, Glenn Thomas and David Lawler (double points for being an organiser AND an advisor!). Without the tireless efforts of these people club events like this one would not be possible. The fact there are always so many people willing to help out is one of the reasons the MX-5 Club is so great (other than the MX-5 itself of course).
Click here to see a collection of photos by Mel Keller.
Click here to see a collection of photos by Josh Fitzgerald.
The next Driver Training Day at Marulan is on Sunday 17th May 2015. See you there!
