WOW – Wot a Wonderful Weekend
Over 100 cars in 5 categories enjoying the perfect weather, happy officials and a lot of track time on a great race track.
Credit Bryce Carrier Photography
The 5 category GRRS format:
Being able to deliver 2 x practice sessions,
15 Minute qualifying AND 5 Races; all in
bankers hours over two days; proves the
excellence of the delivery team and the
co-ordination for the customers. 1400 car
starts in one weekend at Lakeside proves the
value of the RACERS processes and speaking
of value, where else can you get on the
track 8 times in one weekend for $450? We
will stick with the 5 category format for
future meetings as it gives everybody the
best value for money. More categories might
mean more money for the track but we think
what we have is better for everyone.
Crashes:
There were few incidents and once again the
drivers’ radios and “clampdown” (FIA Mode 60
if you don’t know RACERS parlance) meant our
medics and fire crews were at every one of
them in well under a minute. If I was
hanging upside down in a motorcar I’d be
very glad I did not have to wait for a
Safety Car to come out on track before they
could arrive – especially if it was on
fire!
The Drivers’ Radios also proved their worth
when Race Control was able to call in a
specific car which was spilling petrol after
it had left the pits with a petrol cap that
needed tightening, before it could cause an
inferno. It is good to see that some of the
categories from down south have taken
matters into their own hands with regard to
these radios and started using them on a
category by category basis.
The efficacy of the Soft-R-Wall and CoTA
barrier systems were proven again when we
had a couple of high speed “offs” with a
Mini going in backwards coming onto the
straight, well up in 3 numbers, being
dragged out on its wheels and running in the
next race. These Injury Mitigation
Structures have been in use in Queensland
for 10 years now and have proven so
effective at minimising injuries – saving
lives – you can only wonder why other tracks
in Australia do not deploy these for the
benefit of their customers too. Maybe it is
time for the customers to demand them as
they have the most to lose.
One way traffic:
The new traffic pattern worked a treat. The
pits were as busy and bustling as ever but
now the traffic just kept moving in the same
direction and there was no queuing back up
the pit entry road. Customers coming off the
track were able to go directly back to their
carports and with greater convenience &
safety than before.
The Mini category:
This category is growing apace and what a
great presence they have on the track. The
affordable and supported business model Jim
Campbell is delivering deserves to succeed.
Once again we are seeing that many more
people will come to our sport if we can just
make it affordable and accessible. Thanks
Jim – you are really helping to grow the
sport for the average wage earner and give
us a main stream recreational presence
New Technology – LITEceivers:
Once again RACERS is showing the way forward
by trialing the LITEceiver technology at
Lakeside on Sunday with the Minis. Like the
RACEceivers (Drivers’ Radios) many of the
sanctioning bodies in the USA have been
mandating the LITEceiver devices for some
time now.
For the sake of safety through better
communication with the drivers; RACERS will
be mandating them for race meeting towards
the end of this year and they will made
available on the same basis as the
RACEceivers.
This is a traffic light right there in your
car where it is instantly visible. It simply
zip ties to a roll cage (see the photo) or
clips into a cradle for mounting on flat
surfaces. It displays the usual Clampdown,
Cancel and Caution – PLUS – last lap and
checkered flag right in the driver’s
peripheral vision EVERYWHERE around the
track. Couldn’t miss it!
Every one of the 15 Mini drivers that
trialed them for us on Sunday gave them a
thumbs up and had positive comments about
how much safer they felt because they had
instant reinforcement of the warnings that
came through on the Drivers’ Radio.
Finally – Thanks & welcome
back:
Lakeside was ALIVE this weekend! We had
nearly 500 spectators there and they were
wandering around everywhere going Oooh &
Ahhh. So many kids getting hooked on
motorsport early has to be good for the
future of what we love to do.
It was good to be able to welcome all the
Tin Top racers back to Lakeside, especially
Tony Rowe and Graham Mansey; who made up for
his lost time by entering two categories –
he had a busy weekend…
I had a great time – thanks;
yours in real motorsport – John Tetley