What an exhilarating and exhausting couple of days and a great learning experience for me. With the invaluable input from Sharon Caldwell, Aaron Knight, Dave Gerard, Glen Slender, Eric Manderson and Mike Bonfield, we were able to put together most of the pre event registration and housekeeping issues with a minimum of fuss. Completion of Indemnity Forms and Scrutineering on the Sunday evening certainly made for a far less hectic time for the management team (read here “Sharon”) on Monday morning. A couple of issues with setting up of dual time sets for the hill climb and Rolling 350 Sprint (my fault) meant a slightly delayed start but we were soon able to catch up and the program ran pretty much to timetable over the whole two days.
It was great to catch up with the MR2 family members who have been coming for a few years and just as rewarding to welcome the new entrants, many of whom were experiencing their first ever track day experience. The new guys were warned that track days can easily become an addiction and I think they have all been smitten with the disease. A number have already applied for adoption.
Benny Tran came along for a few demonstration runs in his incredible Turbo K swapped SW20 and blasted a rolling start 350 metres in 8.547 seconds. A few lucky passengers , including perennial passenger, Sharon, got a blast in this 700 horsepower weapon. A great showcase for the K20 swap. Watch out if Benny decides to build a circuit oriented K20 swap. Proving that horsepower can be extracted from the CT26, Glen Slender’s 10.069 was the quickest of the
thoroughbred MR2s
Sharon Caldwell is fast approaching, if not having already achieved, legendary status as the matriarch (or if she prefers, big sister) of the MR2 family. Her organisation, gentle tips and prods to me and cheerful manner in dealing with all sorts of requests from entrants were most appreciated.
Sharon was hesitant to accept the task of calling the program from the tower but took to it like a duck to water. Professional, on time, with enthusiasm and a touch of humour, she owned the task and made sure everyone was assembled on the dummy grid in time to ensure the event ran to schedule. A huge vote of thanks from me Sharon, and I am sure I speak for everyone there who really appreciated a job well done.
Thank you to the volunteers who officiated at the meeting and were hammered by the heat with temperatures on Tuesday reaching 34.6 C Monday and 38.6 C Tuesday
in the shade, Dave, Mike, Daniel Joel and Thomas, got smashed by the outdoor sun to manage your on track safety during the event. Shading himself and Dave with a large umbrella at the start finish line, Mike went close to performing a creditable Mary Poppins impersonation as cars flashed by at top speed on the straight.
To Paul Brell and Geoff Fear, what can we really say? Two guys who love cars and motorsport in particular. Their advice, knowledge and practical assistance to keep cars running in very trying conditions was greatly appreciated and we will be certain to invite them back in the future. As an added bonus, Geoff’s ability to impart track knowledge in a few short laps helped a number of entrants to substantially better their lap times.
Thanks also to Anthony Oh from AO Photographics for his awesome camera work. Anthony proved that he can also be quick in front of the camera setting a PB for himself in the Toyota 86.
I also have to thank Lisa from Eldee Timing Solutions for accommodating my last minute requests as I learnt some of the intricacies of the timing software. Every request was met with a smile.
Congratulations to Glenn (Admin) for finally lowering the longstanding MR2 lap record to 1.07.681 and to all those who managed to achieve new personal bests in such hot and trying conditions.
Finally congratulations to everyone that entered. Without each and every one of you, the event would not happen. The camaraderie amongst this group is incredible. It facilitates a safe, fun event which can provide whatever level of competition you desire. Maybe it is friendly rivalry and banter between you and your mates , maybe it’s setting your own personal best, or maybe it is just enjoying a little bit of speed in a safe environment without the risk of a speeding ticket.
To each and every one of you, thank you for your support. We have taken on your comments about the weather and have already commenced negotiations with Wakefield Park for the next event at a cooler time of the year (and agreed to a 90db instead of the 85 db limit). Keep an eye on this Forum and Facebook for early information.