Motorsport Weekly Roundup - 3rd May 2023

03 May 2023 / David Lawler (image by unknown)

This is the first “weekly” roundup after a few weeks break as I was away or busy at events.

This weeks featured photo shows the Panorama Mountain Men holding their trophies for winning the NSW 6 Hour Regularity Relay …. again.

Upcoming Events

Club Practice Day at Luddenham Raceway – Saturday 6th May
The club has organised a non-competition practice day at a Luddenham Raceway track day on Saturday 6th May, with 24 club members registered to drive in MX-5 member only groups.
This will be our first club organised event at the Luddenham Circuit, and will be an opportunity to evaluate the track and facilities. We may consider running future competition track days there.
Entries to the MX-5 Club organised groups are now closed, but individuals can still enter directly via the Luddenham Raceway website. See the event page (below) for more information.
Spectators are allowed, but have to pay $20 to Luddenham Raceway.
Further information is on the event page Practice Day at Luddenham Raceway.

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 10 of the 40 spots available 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 NSW Supersprint. More information is available on the event page.
Entries will open soon for the Track Day.
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

MX-5 Multi-Club Track Day at The Bend – Sunday 23rd April
This was a multi-club events with drivers from the Mazda MX-5 Club of NSW, Mazda MX-5 Club of Victoria & Tasmania, and the MX-5 Club of South Australia attending.
There were 19 drivers from the NSW club entered, most of whom had never driven on the track before, although a few had been practicing on a virtual track.
The NSW drivers mostly seems to enjoy the new track, which has an interesting combination of tight corners and fast sweepers which reward the brave. There were a few cars issues, although the hard luck award goes to our club president Ian Combes who’s car suffered a catastrophic engine failure after only a few laps. That was some devilish bad luck.
I can only speak for myself when I say that certainly enjoyed the track, but did not come close to mastering it, and look forward to visiting again one day.

2023 NSW 6 Hour Regularity Relay
The annual 6 Hour was run by the NSW Road Racing Club (NSWRRC) at Sydney Motorsport Park on the GP Circuit over the weekend of Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th April.
It was a difficult weekend for competitors, crew and officials, with rain for most of Saturday then again on Sunday morning before clearing within the 1st hour of the 6 Hour main event starting. Such changing conditions make a regularity even more difficult.
The results were
• 1st Panorama Mountain Men (MX-5 Club of NSW),
• 2nd Phoenix Racing (NSWRRC), and
• 3rd Barge Racing (MX-5 Club of NSW).
Our club members fielded five teams in total, plus a few club members in other teams. Thank you to all the supporting pit crew ... we could not do it without you, and to the 5 club members who were officials at the event.