NatMeet Track Day at Lakeside Park
06 May 2014 / Words: Phil Ashton, Greg Bunn Photos: Trackphotos
The drivers for the NatMeet Track Day awoke early on Monday morning to be greeted with heavy skies, drizzly rain and a BOM radar image that didn't look good. Not the best conditions for racing around Lakeside Park that's developed a name as one of the most dangerous tracks in Australia.
After an early breakfast we headed off in a convoy south from Caloundra to Lakeside, 70 kilometres away. It didn't take long before our convoy fragmented as the skies opened with torrential rain (Think Cyclone Ita) pelting down and our speed dropped from the 110km/hr limit to just 30km/hr. A lot of chatter started over the CB radios about the rain with word filtering through that it wasn't raining in Brisbane. Maybe there was a slim chance that the track would be dry and rain free. Yeah and pigs fly.
By the time we arrived at the track the rain had stopped, the track was damp but drying. We all file off for the drivers briefing to be greeted with a slideshow presentation of wrecked cars that had come to grief on the track, six at the previous meeting. That put the wind up us because none of the NSW drivers had seen the track before. Doug Chapple gave the drivers briefing and he has over 40 years experience in motor sport with more recent years having been spent in Sports Cars with many Championship wins and places. Doug owned and drove a NA 1600 for many years at Lakeside.
Doug's brief talked about Lakeside being a historic track - which actually means it has very limited run off areas or gravel traps. He talked about the blind crests, highest average track speed in Australia, changes in elevation, off camber sections, cars appear in your mirrors out of nowhere so keep checking them, and then mentioned that the last death at the track was in Feb 2013. Doug asked the first timers to stay behind so he could run us through correct track position and corners lines. When finished he asked if anyone had any questions. At this point Jean put her hand up and asked for her money back!
I spoke to someone who had driven at the track many years ago and he commented that the bridge that crosses the back of the circuit was known as Dunlop Bridge. Instructions were given to pass under the 'L' in Dunlop. He asked why and was told, "L stands for live, go under the 'D' and you're dead." You really need to respect this circuit because if you don't it can bite. Hard.
Thank goodness the first session had a mostly dry track for us to negotiate our way around without incident. As the day progressed the conditions varied from dry, to rain on half the circuit, to full wet. This made it very testing for all and in a funny way, very exhilarating as drivers battled to go fast yet stay away from the walls ringing the circuit.
The first few runs were taken very conservatively as the Powerpoint presentation of wrecked cars and driver briefing notes was sitting firmly in the front of our minds. The briefing worked as we all had a great time driving a very challenging track and we all drove home with no damage and big smiles. We should thank the Queenslanders for being great hosts to all us first timers to Lakeside.
Should you wish to view some video of the track, go to this link to see Phil Ashton’s NC in action.
and this link to see the President, Bryan Shedden in Little Reddy’s last outing.
The event ended with the MX-5 Club of NSW scoring four class wins and five second places, and Bryan taking out first place in the Regularity event.
NSW Results:
Class A – Standard NA6A 1st Bryan Shedden 1:08.8749
Class B – Standard NA8 & NB 1st Keith Monaghan 1:11.3781, 2nd David Rigby 1:11.9315
Class C – Standard NC 2nd Jean Cook 1:19.4821
Class D – Modified NA6A 1st Phil Mayo 1:10.7339
Class E – Modified NB 2nd Greg Bunn 1:08.7340, Class J - 4th Lesa Bunn 1:20.6170
Class F – Modified NC 1st Peter Feutrill 1:07.9399
Class G – NB Forced Induction 2nd Ray Estreich 1:09.4266
Class H – NC increased capacity 2nd Phil Ashton 1:05.7711
Natmeet XI Funkhana
Words by Bob Quinlan
After breakfast Monday morning we left in small groups for Lakeside Raceway. For me this was the third time I had been there, the first time 1972 and not much has changed. Upon arrival we parked our MX-5s and got together for the briefing and officials were called for, so I volunteered and was given a stopwatch. Then a car gave a demo of what you had to do for the funkhana. Then another in-depth participants meeting where I asked if I could have a calendar as well as the stopwatch but I was told I would have to make do with the stopwatch.
After laughing and joking, the MX-5s lined up. They had to leave a garage made of cones, weave around three cones and stop inside another garage.The catch was the driver had a blindfold on and the passenger had to give instructions. Some were great at taking instructions they got the job done in 15 to 20 seconds, others were OK 30 to 50 seconds, then there were the odd few where the calendar was needed. The end result was one badly damaged cone and a lot of laughs.
After the funkhana the skid pan was set up for a motorkhana and a few had a go at that. I didn't, and I went over to see what the track guys were doing.
12:30pm and we all rolled out on to the track for the NatMeet photo and a lap of Lakeside.This would have to be one of the best tracks in the world for an MX-5.
Full gallery of Lakeside photos can be found at www.trackphotos.com.au.
