Story by Peter Quinn, photos by Shane Murphy.
Hot and sticky or hard and cold? That was the question on everyone’s lips at the Qld Lotus Club Lakeside April DTC. It’s all about the tyres they say.
This is serious stuff!
Whispering and inadvertent glances at engines, intakes, tyres and the like with quiet calculation going on. The hiss of valves, hands covering digital pressure readouts, should someone look over their shoulder to gain some insight to their secret.
Louis Hamilton-like stances of confidence in the drivers’ briefing displaying an attitude of “I’ve got this sorted!”
A wide range of false advice being bandied around by some on anything from corner lines, gear selection and tyre pressures, in a desperate attempt to curtail their opponent’s efforts.
Yes, this is very, very serious stuff.
The DTC brought out a total of 49 competitors competing in cars ranging right through the spectrum including Lotus, Caterham, Westfield, Porsche, BMW, Renault, Leyland, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Honda and Toyota.
While showers were forecast, the weather held out to mostly sunny skies, reasonably warm track and a cool breeze unlike the previous DTC where a wet track dominated.
The day was won by Stephen Foss in a 2008 Westfield XTR2 at 45.941 with Lindsay Close second in a 2007 Lotus Exige at 46.424 and third to Evan Molloy in a 2006 Lotus Exige S at 46.878.
While Dick Reynolds came an impressive fourth in his 1988 Caterham Super 7 at 47.165 his claim that if all cars were excluded Caterhams would have come 1st, 2nd and 3rd. I found this logic rather confusing, along with his tyre pressure advice he freely handed out on the day.
At the end of the day all the “Serious Stuff” had been overshadowed by “Fun”. What a fun event at a wonderful venue in a relatively safe environment where the most damage you may sustain is to your pride. Well done to the originators and organisers of this event, it is unique and a “must do” on the calendar of events.
Special thanks must go to Gail Hart and Alex Molocznyk who managed timing for the day. We certainly appreciate the effort you put in to make it a great day for us all. Thanks also to Daryl Wilson and his team in timing setup as well as organising the day.
A good day was had by all.
