Mx5, Chapter 2

[The American]

Nice drive, you should go on Australia's got talent.

I think if more people in Mx5’s showed up to these things, there would be more competition, and my average driving would be more obvious!

[Daffy]

Nice drive, you should go on Australia's got talent.

I think if more people in Mx5’s showed up to these things, there would be more competition, and my average driving would be more obvious!

Hopefully my new rostering system will allow me to plan ahead better this year (end half), so I can actually attend some of these events to make you look good (my next event will literally be my 1st)!!!!!!

[Red_Bullet]

Thanks for posting this up. Looks like fun, I've done DTC with the Lotus Car Club a few times, this layout is longer and faster. I gotta get my L2S license again and make use of it this year. They have a really active schedule at Sunshine Coast Motor sport club.

Makes me wonder how I've not really come across them before.

[The American]

I participated in a gymkhana with the Sunshine Coast Motorsports Club on Sunday. It was raining on and off throughout the day, and so there was not much of an opportunity to build pace in consistent conditions - but clearly, everyone was in the same boat!



This event is planned as a two day competition in August this year.

[The American]

The White Mouse has been dragged out, dusted off, pampered with fresh oil and filter, and is loaded ready for the drive to Mt Morgan for the Gold Rush Hill Sprint.

It will be over two days this time, and with 100 competitors, there should be plenty of attempts.

[The American]

Here's clip of last weekend's adventure in Central Queensland.

I am not driving the car near it's potential , which I am certain is all in my head and confidence levels . Oh well - I suppose I'll have to find more time in the seat!

The Gold Rush Hill Sprint is a long way from Brisbane and for Those South of the Border, but it is a pretty special bit of road. If you have an event bucket list, this should be on it.

[The American]

I’ve entered The White Mouse in the Sunshine Coast Sprints this coming weekend. The track uses the service roads within the show grounds and the pits are inside some of the pavilions, out of most of the weather.

The Sunshine Coast Motorsport Club is running the event and they ran their first ‘trial’ at this venue earlier this year which, while very wet, was well run.

This time the track runs clockwise (previously anti clockwise) and adds an extra ‘beak’ that gives the track map the appearance of an albatross head (to my eyes!)

[The American]

The Sunshine Coast Motorsports Club has run a few trial club events using the service roads within the Nambour Show Grounds. I entered one of them earlier this year. I quite enjoy competing somewhere new, and so when the opportunity pops up to enter the ‘first of’ a new event, I try to make it happen. I ran at the first Wondai sprint, and the first Gold Rush Hillsprint.

There’s a Hillclimb in Mackay (The Pinnacle) and in Townsville (Mt Stewart) which I haven’t competed - such a long way to drive. I also haven’t been to the Mountainview track near Grafton yet, but apart from those, I think I’ve entered every Hillclimb and street sprint within cooee of SEQ and a few in NSW.

Current bucket list includes Speed on Tweed which is scheduled for a revival in 2020 and The Legend of the Lakes Hillclimb in Mt Gambier SA.

The draw to these events for me is the time attack format, the inability for competitors to practice the track and the grass roots organisation that goes into making these events happen.

The Sunshine Coast Sprints track uses service roads inside the Nambour Showgrounds, running around the perimeter of the grounds.



As is common with these events, there is lots of infrastructure around the track that could be hit, and this is protected with tyre barriers or concrete barriers. This means that mistakes can be costly and there is little run off or room for mistakes - and most drive accordingly. Chicanes are used to ensure speeds are kept within a safe limit - safe for the driver and spectators, but not intended to protect cars. Cones on corners and chicanes attracted a five second penalty if dislodged.



The event program ran over two days, and the 101 competitors ran approximately ten times on each day. The weather was consistent on both days, and so best times were achieved in the warmer afternoon sessions on both days. There were a few retirements after day 1, and so the time between runs decreased a little on day two.
Timing was done using Westhold transponders and so it was possible to have multiple cars on the track concurrently (which contributed the relatively high run count for the weekend).

On my third run of the Saturday, I set a really good time - 45.96 - which put me in third outright. This was a nice early confidence booster, and I was able to chip away at my times each run to stay around 4th outright and 1st in class, which is where I finished the weekend.

Comfortably leading my class (open, 3000cc to 5000cc). My goal was to catch the person in 3rd place who was driving a 300hp WRX. Around midday on Sunday, he destroyed his clutch and was out of the event with a best time of 44.07. Given that I was only a few tenths behind that, and was improving every run, I though I had a good chance of tipping him off the podium. Mid afternoon on Sunday I set a 44.33 leaving only .26 to find. On the next run, changing into second gear off the line there was a loud ‘pop’ and suddenly I had a box full of neutrals.

I initially thought it was the gearbox because I expected that my clutch pack LSD would have provided some drive through the remaining axle. It wasn’t until I had it on the trailer that I climbed under and identified the axle broken within the CV boot. It was the axle that broke, and not the CV:



That’s racing, and an opportunity for an upgrade.

Anyway, my best time was still enough to keep 1st in class and 4th outright.



Here’s a clip from the event


The Skid Factory of Mighty Car Mods fame. also entered in one of their recent project cars. There is an episode on youtube featuring this event.

[bruce]

Time for a lemon squash...

[Red_Bullet]

Good job, improving each run. Yes the infrastructure and barriers look daunting.

[The American]

Good job, improving each run. Yes the infrastructure and barriers look daunting.

It was a buzz. Definitely felt like I got into the groove, and wasn’t too distracted by the hard objects :-)

Time for a lemon squash...

Not sure if they are looking for a Kirks sponsorship or XXXX!

[The American]

The replacement axles are 5 weeks away. Thus begins the (now officially annual) broken car sabbatical.

European Hillclimb videos are good meditative materials for such periods of repose....

[The American]

Newsflash: The axles have almost left America, after a brief pause to confirm ABS ring fitment.

[The American]

New axles

The shafts are about 3mm thicker and the CV housings are significantly bigger. New next to old for comparison:







Just waiting on a set of MR2 hubs to arrive.

[Magpie]

Next track day?