Lotus Club Queensland
Dedicated to the promotion and enhancement of the Lotus experience
Login
Register
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Membership
    • Member Login
  • Events
    • Calendar
  • Motorsport
    • Lakeside DTC Timed Laps
    • LAKESIDE DTC RESULTS
  • Magazine
  • For Sale
    • Merchandise
    • Classifieds
  • Posts
  • Galleries
  • Directory
    • Suppliers & Parts
    • Advertisers
  • Archives

2021 Gold Rush Hill Sprint, Toyota Celica GT4 and Classic Lotus

By Ian Loxton.

A few paragraphs from a country based (Bungundarra, via Yeppoon) Lotus Club Queensland member on recent activities.

Ian’s Toyota Celica GT4

I have been very enthused to compete in the Gold Rush Hill Sprint conducted near Mt Morgan, Central Queensland each July since 2018 i.e. apart from 2020 when it was cancelled. I was successful in gaining a 2021 entry. For 2021, the hillclimb course had been extended to 3 km in length making it the longest ‘hillclimb’ event climb in Queensland. As an occasional hillclimb competitor at Mt Stuart, Townsville and Noosa, the Gold Rush Hill Sprint had attracted my interest. In addition, at 3 km long the course had some similarities to short Targa Rally Special stages. I was a former Targa Australia Rally entrant earning 3 finisher medallions (2 from Targa High Country and 1 from Targa Great Barrier Reef) and one DNF from the 2019 Targa Great Barrier Reef following a catastrophic turbocharger failure in the GT4.

+2 arrives in Bungundarra following its recovery in 2015

As Jason McGarry stated in his very interesting September LCQ article about the 2021 Gold Rush Hill Sprint there were 3 club members from SE Queensland competing, while I was competing in my Toyota Celica GT4 tarmac rally car. The course was excellent, very smooth tarmac pavement and reminiscent of parts of some Targa Rally Special Stages. The first kilometre was very fast, even with the two round hay bale chicanes. I enthuse about long hillclimbs including Targa stages which have included such famous climbs as the Mt Buller stage in Targa High Country, the Gilles, and Kuranda Ranges in Targa Great Barrier Reef. If I was to name a favourite ‘climb’ it is the 18km long Mt Buller stage in Targa High Country. I am looking forward to entering the 2022 Gold Rush Hill Sprint and support Jason’s comment to encourage other club members to compete.

You might be wondering why someone with a Toyota Celica GT4 tarmac rally car is writing a note in the Lotus Club Queensland magazine. Well, I also own a 1969 Lotus Elan +2 undergoing a slow (very slow I should emphasise) full restoration. I purchased the car in 2015 (it had been parked up since 1982 under a house in Brisbane) and have been slowly working on the project particularly over the last 3 years or so; with the excellent advice of several classic Lotus owners and club members guiding me over the phone and by email including many photos. I gratefully acknowledge the support of these club members who have assisted me with modification drawings, guidance on parts suppliers and specialist fibreglass advice.

+2 body restoration progress in August 2021

The chassis/subframe has been restored, most mechanicals fully overhauled and rebuilt, but the body is taking the most effort. I have been working on the body for most of 2021 and still haven’t completed the full paint removal task. Completion of the paint removal is on the horizon for the end of 2021, then the fibreglass repairs commence. Unfortunately, there are many body repairs required – because of previous owners’ ‘driving’ styles and the reworking of prior repairs (e.g. layup repairs over paint, road grime etc). I have included some photos of the +2 and club members with classic Lotus will be only too familiar with such restoration images and I am sure would quote, ‘been there, done that’.

Gold Rush Hill Sprint Lunch at the Heart of Europe, Ormiston

Related Posts

mp-banner

Events, Gallery 2022, Homepage, Racing

Morgan Park Sprints R4

duratec-banner

Articles, Homepage, Technical

Duratec Elise – better late than never

gold-rush-banner

Events, Gallery 2022, Homepage, Racing

Gold Rush Hill Sprint – 2022

Random images

McL_13 IMG_6365 IMG_0901 076_76 IMG_7879 01c IMG_7415 112_1294_IMG IMG_4340 IMG_7639 IMG_4199 image_191 IMG_6742 IMG_4409 121_2170_IMG IMG_8141 IMG_8787 113_1366_IMG P1020849 IMGP1164 MG_8791 4.Mat-Clive-Barry MG_6625 18-Nightcap-before-bed _MG_5012 as Smart Object-1 Jon and fans Peter and Martin Pit-Crew Russel-Barry_gw Retail-therapy-in-action Hariett-Mackie-and-her-mum-Elizabeth-Mackie IMG_0382 IMG_0482 IMGP8577 Ploughman's Lunch Ploughman's Lunch P1080250 P1080252 Lecht_Ski_resort_Scotland P1060103 IMG_0263_1 Lotus_leads_field_David main-8 At-The-Exclusive-Auto-Centre-2 Mar-main-25 Lock-Load-Transport-QLD-teamed-up-with-TILTA-Trailers-to-display-their-wares IMG_1430 clubmans image_055 image_187 IMG_7398 IMG_5090 IMG_5128 IMG_3634 IMG_8608 0067 IMG_8060 Ron-Hickman-with-Lotus-Elan IMG_20210925_095015 Barry and John Coffee-at-Rutherglen-2 _MG_9540 as Smart Object-1 27-jm35 047 IMG20210427103700 IMG_1427 Display-1 Monument-at-the-original-Track-Airfield Taking in the fresh air Fossys-XTR2 photo-5 Ferrari-F40 Photo-of-the-flinstone-on-track-not-actually-at-AGP-or-phillip-I-lr Matt-Geoff-and-Martin Ken, Phil, Gail, Barry, John Mt-Alford-area_GW Chris Spaced-around-the-picnic-table Sam getting scruted Paul Carroll A bit of Understeer img_2031 Lotus Pack IMG_8649 End-HPSC-Car-Park Paintwork-on-restoration IMG_9696 Pit Pass Daryl and Mal IMG_9084 IMGP8379 Clive following Martin liam's-exige Hands on hips IMAG6032 main-40 Transport-Museum-Toyota-S800-1 daimler morris-minor-engine-bay main-114 IMAG6120

Recent Articles

  • Morgan Park Sprints R4
  • Kev’s Big Day Out
  • Duratec Elise – better late than never
  • Gold Rush Hill Sprint – 2022
  • Marburg Pub Run – 4 Sept 2022
  • Unique +2 Road Trip to Brisbane
  • Leyburn 2022
  • August 2022 DTC

Latest Gallery Images

20220220_093834 20220220_093818 20220220_093827 20220220_093743 20220220_093812 20220220_093730

Search articles by category

Archived articles

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