Lotus Club Queensland
Dedicated to the promotion and enhancement of the Lotus experience
  • Home
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Monthly Meeting
    • Join the Club
    • Stay informed
    • Membership Application
  • Events
    • Current Events
    • Day Run Sign On Form
    • Articles
    • Lotus 2019
  • DTC
    • DTC Entry
    • 2020
      • DTC Live Results Sept 2020
      • DTC Live Results August 2020
      • DTC Live Results June 2020
      • DTC Live Results March 2020
    • 2019
      • DTC Live Results Oct 2019
      • DTC Live Results Sept 2019
      • DTC Live Results July 2019
      • DTC Live Results March 2019
      • DTC Live Results Feb 2019
    • 2018
      • DTC Live Results Aug 2018
      • DTC Live Results July 2018
      • DTC Live Results April 2018
      • DTC Live Results March 2018
    • 2017
      • DTC Live Results Aug 2017
      • DTC Live Results July 2017
      • DTC Live Results June 2017
      • DTC Live Results March 2017
    • DTC Articles
  • Calendar
  • For Sale
    • Classifieds
    • Merchandise
  • Technical
    • Expert Panel
    • Model Info
    • Driving
      • Paul Stokell’s Driving Events
    • Autokhana Layouts
  • Links
    • Suppliers & Parts
    • Video Links
    • Lotus Racing
    • Lotus Cortinas
      • Lotus Cortina Articles
      • Lotus Cortina Videos
  • Galleries
    • All Galleries
      • Gallery 2020
      • Gallery 2019
      • Gallery 2018
      • Gallery 2017
      • Gallery 2016
      • Gallery 2015
      • Gallery 2014
      • Gallery 2013
      • Gallery 2012
      • Gallery 2011
      • Gallery 2010
      • Gallery pre-2010
    • Articles
  • Magazine
    • Magazine 2020
    • Magazine 2019
    • Magazine 2018
    • Magazine 2017
    • Magazine 2016
    • Magazine 2015
    • Magazine 2014
    • Pre-2014
      • Magazine 2013
      • Magazine 2012
      • Magazine 2011
      • Magazine 2010
      • Magazine 2009
IMG-0999

2016 Track & Driver Training Day

Lotus Brisbane with the Willims Motor Group invited LCCQ to fill four spots at their exclusive 2016 Track and Training Day partnered with Paul Stokell Driving Events.

By Alex Molocznyk. Photos by Shane Murphy.

Five Lotus turned up including myself although the other four were not club members one potentially is.

  • Naresh – Exige S
  • Dave – Elise S
  • Andy – Elise (no Traction Control)
  • Richard – Elise (with Traction Control)
  • Alex – Elise (No TC or ABS)

The format for the day was training in braking, slalom handling and racing lines then group track time under the tuition of Paul’s experienced team of instructors made up of current drivers from various racing categories. All attendees had their own cars and were split into groups determined by the marques: Lotus, Bentley, Audi, Lamborghini and a sole Maserati. The Lambos stood out aurally with an unmistakeable growl and visually in that they were all dazzling white; looking more like a wedding procession. The instructors mentioned they had difficulty identifying which one was which because they all looked the same.

The braking practice involved braking to the limit before ABS kicked in. Mine (being the only old school car without ABS) kept locking up the front passenger wheel. The instructor’s diagnosis was incorrect corner weight distribution and he recommended the balance be checked with corner scales. They were too professional to mention that it may have been an excess of lard on the driver’s side.

The slalom motorkhana-type course was what the Lotus is made for and everyone easily dispatched it with grins on their faces. We heard it was a bit of a handful for the Bentleys. The racing lines using the Clubman circuit was a follow-the-instructor procession using cones laid out as reference points for braking, apex and acceleration.

IMG-1006

The first track session with an instructor as passenger was followed by a superb buffet lunch. There was a lot to take in and trying to adopt the morning’s training produced some ragged performances that slowly improved with each lap. My instructor offered to drive my car to show me its capabilities after lunch. After a lap to familiarise himself with the car and its locking brake he went into the first turn at the fastest speed the car had ever been and proceeded in the same manner around the rest of the course. While I was bracing against the g forces that pushed me either into the passenger door or against the driver depending on the direction of the corner he maintained a smooth consistent high speed. His complete control of the car was absolutely astonishing. The cool, calm mastery and domination over the car while explaining what he was doing at the same time was amazing and showed what sets the professional driver apart from the rest of us.

The demonstration gave me the confidence to drive that much faster with each track session. By the end of the day we all agreed that we were driving faster and much better than in the morning. One of the highlights of the later afternoon session was the Loti easily keeping up with the Lambos through all the corners despite the huge power difference that became evident on the straights. Same as switching on DRS.

Responses by our Lotus team members on what they learned on the day:

“How sh*t I am”
“Room for improvement”
“Um spinning out 360. Don’t do it again” (following three 360 spins on the day)
“A whole lap with the instructor”
“Nailing turn 6”

It was a great way to spend a working day and our thanks to Willims and Lotus Brisbane for putting on a great event and to Paul Stokell and his team for turning us into faster drivers.

IMG-0999
IMG-1001
IMG-1002
IMG-1004
IMG-1006
IMG-1007

[Show slideshow]
ICC Round 3 – Mt Cotton Hillclimb Targa Tasmania 2016

Related Posts

t-supercars-banner

Articles, Caterham, Events, Gallery 2020, Homepage

Townsville Supersprint 2020

dtc-banner

DTC, Events, Gallery 2020, Homepage, Racing

DTC – Friday 14 August 2020

morgan-park-banner

Articles, Events, Gallery 2020, Homepage, Racing

Morgan Park Sprints – Aug 2020

Random images

IMG_0308
IMG_0363
IMG_0022
Ploughman's Lunch
Start_Mt_Cotton_Qld_Hillclimb
P1060111
IMG_0007
P1010411
Daryls-Cat-on-the-track-
Green-line-up
Daryl-and-Moira-heading-back-to-Canungra
Caught!-
Mar-main-3
Mar-main-61
main-8
Donning-Drizabone-challenge
IMG_8501
IMG_8507
image_163
IMG_5102
IMG_5115
IMG_5117
IMG_5124
IMG_5167
IMG_5199
IMG_3639
IMG_7960
IMG_8060
P1090180
P8310145
Club_Lotus_Dec_08_016
Club_Lotus_Dec_08_026
20090822_087
P1060244
Austin_Healy
IMG_7819
IMG_8887
IMG_7756
image_135
image_215
IMG_6772
IMG_7665
IMG_4269
IMG_4282
118_1816_IMG
IMG_3621
P6210139
P1020865
5.Elises-garaged
btiu-13
12-The-outdoor-breakfast-lot
Milling Crowd
emr-2
Ormiston-2
Car 151
Daryl
Kelly, speed demon
Camp Lotus
Lindsay and Crew
Shane M
IMG-0154
20170226_070921
Arrival at Mavis's Kitchen
Jon and Dick
Colin-Norma-Carolyn-Craig_gw
gw_Greg
gw_Lotus reflections
gw_Pato
IMG_4968
maps
nathan-06
20180916_072038
Elisa-and-Cris-Johansen-and-his-Honda-powered-Elise-S1-G-Stevens
Lakeside-sighting-laps-A-Stevens
Angus-Mackie-and-Will-Piddington
Lotus-left-right-centre_gw
Des-Hill-by-SDPICS
Waiting for the fog to lift 1
_MG_9526 as Smart Object-1
IMG20200202084857
Barram-Elise-with-Bra
Steves-nose
Dick
Dick on the tools
Clive-Chris-Meg_gw
Lotus-Plus2-2
Drivers Briefing
20170923_112907
20181111_144457
Eleven-gurus-George-Row-and-Tony-Galletly-by-Gavin-Goeldner
IMGP8596
Golden-Grove-Estate_GW
on the deck
Rob's-Elise-2
IMAG5952
IMG_9115
IMG_2410
alvis-2
Transport-Museum-Hillman-Minx-1960-3
main-117

Recent Articles

  • Townsville Supersprint 2020
  • DTC – Friday 14 August 2020
  • Morgan Park Sprints – Aug 2020
  • The Covid Cam
  • Noosa Winter Hillclimb – August 2020
  • Stokell Track Day – July 2020
  • Lakeside DTC – Sunday 21 June 2020
  • Lotus Club Drive In a Covid 19 Environment

Latest Gallery Images

The-Europas Shanes-Seven Europas-new-and-old Daryls-Seven Daryl-manning-the-timing IMG_20200621_104957

Search articles by category

Archived articles

Lotus Club Queensland
© Lotus Club Queensland   |   Site by Black Eye Studios