Super Sprint series at Morgan Park

[Hoolio]

Last weekend I went to Morgan Park for my first Super Sprint event and I thought I'd share my experiences in the hope of enticing some more MX-5s there next year.

For those familiar with club track days and QR sprints, the format is a little different. All sorts of cars enter, everything from Minis to single seaters, and the cars are categorised according to the CAMS regs (so an MX-5 is in the ‘Sports Cars’ category). Entries for the event are arranged so that cars in the same category are grouped together. Last weekend we had 17 groups of 8 cars each.

Each run is 4 laps from a standing start on the grid. Cars are released two at a time, with 5 seconds interval before the next two are released. The result is determined by your total elapsed time for the 4 laps. The organisers are not fussy about the position individual cars take on the grid, so the competitors tend to arrange the group so that the faster cars are at the front. This, and just 8 cars on the circuit, means that it's not crowded out there and you can focus on your own technique, but you are actually racing the others in real time too. I found it an interesting transition between the simple sprints, and full-on circuit racing. At the end of the weekend, your best 4-lap run is the one which generates points for the series.

This is a two-day event with a big entry list, so there is plenty of time between runs to relax. Each car gets as many runs in the weekend as time allows. We had wet weather on the Saturday and a few delays, so got only 5 runs over the weekend, but I'm told that 6 is normal and sometimes it's as many as 8. It's run as an annual series, so you must register for the series before you can enter an individual event. There are 4 events during the year, plus a Championship event at the end of the year. Costs this year were $220 for the series registration, then $70 per event, and the Championship event is $125. The circuit is open for general practice on the Friday (for only that weekend's competitors) and I think the cost is just $30.

This was the first time I have dríven at Morgan Park. It's a great circuit, and one which I think will suit the MX-5 well when I learn it (and the car) better. The whole event was very well run and everyone was so friendly and helpful, both officials and fellow competitors. There is a strong social side to it as well as the competition and the entire weekend was thoroughly enjoyable.

In case anyone is wondering how I got on, here's the brief story. I arrived in the rain on the Friday afternoon, too late for general practice as I had been still preparing the car on Friday morning! I unloaded the car, got the paperwork and scrutineering done, and pitched my tent (there is camping at the circuit for cheapskates like me). Saturday was wet the whole day. On my first run I took my place on the grid, in an unfamiliar car, on a circuit I had never dríven, in the wet… By this time I had already spun the car on the out lap, so I decided to launch gently off the grid and follow someone else and just see where the circuit goes. The rest of the day was much the same, although I experimented with tyre pressures and managed to get the car a bit more driveable by the end of the day. Sunday was clear and dry and I started to get a feel for both the circuit and the car (I have just bought the car and this was the first time I had really run it in dry conditions at any circuit). Needless to say my times were no where near to being competitive, but that didn't stop me having fun.

There were just three MX-5s there last weekend and it would be great to see more. If anyone is thinking of entering next year, it is essential that you register for the series. Registration forms are sent out in December and entries close in early January (that was the timing for this year anyway). The circuit is taking expressions of interest now for the series registration, so you need to contact the circuit and get your name down. Once you have registered for the series, you enter each of the 4 events individually (entries close a couple of weeks before each event).

This is a CAMS event, but you don't need a CAMS log booked car. Even a standard road car is fine as long as you fit a fire extinguisher and the blue triangle sticker to mark the position of the battery.

http://morganparkraceway.com.au/qld-super-sprint/

[The American]

Thanks for the info Hoolio. You might have met Peter Barnes at Morgan Park in a blue NA? He's also mentioned this series to me, and getting some Mx-5s entered for next year!

[Magpie]

Thanks, based on the format it may be considered in 2017, depending on plans.

[Hoolio]

Thanks for the info Hoolio. You might have met Peter Barnes at Morgan Park in a blue NA? He's also mentioned this series to me, and getting some Mx-5s entered for next year!

The name doesn't ring a bell and I don't see him on the entry list. Perhaps he is a candidate for encouragement for next year.