Motorsport Weekly Roundup - 11th May 2023
11 May 2023 / David Lawler (image by Kaixin Chen)
This “weekly” roundup comes to you from our mobile motorsport headquarters, that is a caravan, currently in the Hunter chapter region.
This weeks featured photo is from Kaixin Chen and shows some of the MX-5 Club members on track at the 6th May practice day at Luddenham Raceway.
Vale Russell Maxwell.
I just learned this afternoon of the passing today of long time MX-5 Club motorsport participant Russell Maxwell, after a long battle with cancer. Russ was always a fun guy to be around at our motorsport events, and a fierce but fair competitor. On a number of occasions I have seen him dive in to help someone with a car problem, and the track day and super sprinting regulars will recall fondly seeing Russ wandering around offering everyone a lolly from his bag of goodies with a wry smile on his face. We will miss Russ.
Joe Kovacic wrote a few words in a news item on the club website, and plans to arrange a memorial wake.
Upcoming Events
Club Hillclimb at Ringwood – Sunday 4th June
The club is running a single hillclimb this year, at the Ringwood Park Motorsport Complex north of Newcastle. This hillclimb day is designed for drivers that have little or no experience in this type of event, would like to try out a new discipline, or are yearning to fill the gaps in their motorsport calendar.
Entries are now open with most spots already taken. Further information on the event and how to enter can be found on the event page.
Double header Supersprint & Track Day at Pheasant Wood in June
Coming in June we have the annual double header with a NSW Supersprint round on Sunday 18th June followed by a club Track Day on Monday 19th June. With our usual Wakefield Park venue unavailable, this year the events will be run at Pheasant Wood.
Entries have opened for the Sunday NSW Supersprint. More information is available on the event page.
Entries will open within the next day for the Monday Track Day. Please check the event page for more information.
We will need up to 10 volunteers to flag at the NSW Supersprint on Sunday 18th June, and can offer half-price entry for the 19th June Track Day to those volunteers. Please contact me if you can help: competition@mx5.com.au
Completed Events
Club Practice Day at Luddenham Raceway – Saturday 6th May
This non competition practice day was run at Luddenham Raceway, with 23 MX-5 Club members and a visitor forming 2 run groups. There were also a few other MX-5 Club members or MX-5 drivers in other run groups organised by Luddenham. By my count there were 6 runs (maybe 7?) of 15 minutes each available. The general feedback from MX-5 drivers was that it was an enjoyable day, and that the track, while relatively short, offered some challenges. However those with more stiffly sprung race cars, like mine, found the track very bumpy in places.
With this practice day having been a success, we will look in the future at including more events at Luddenham Raceway, although the number of events per year will largely be determined by when Wakefield Park becomes available again.
