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

Noosa Hillclimb July 2015

Pat-Dick-Jon-a-winning-line-up

Fourteen torturous corners

By Dick Reynolds

The word went out about 2 months ago. ‘The Hill’ awaits in July – 25th and 26th to be exact. Fourteen torturous corners winding their way up Gyandier Drive just out of Tewantin on the Sunshine Coast.

This place is legendary for providing exciting drives and eating cars. We never seem to get many takers for the event from Lotus – ‘pussies’ I suspect. Well, not Jon Young and yours truly – because we love it, and so does Jason McGarry when he’s available. This year we were joined by Pat Richards (Lotus Elise Type R) from Mackay and a couple of his mates, Peter Quinn (Austin Healey Sprite) and Rob Manning (Mini). I should also mention the rowdy turbo rabble from the Sunshine Coast Motorsport Club were there in abundance.

Put up the tents, checked the car over, did all the paperwork, got ‘scruted’, listened to the drivers’ briefing – no mention of the latest CPR or fire emergency practices – walked back to the cars and waited for our call.

Jon was Number 12 and I was 17. So we both wheeled down to the start together to line up. Get a green light, nudge nudge, wink wink from the starter and it’s clutch out, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd before the first right hander – about 90km/h – then left at 2, right at 3, left at 4 and mass panic for 5. Six is flat so about 120 and a bit, then the worst corner – 7. Tightens, off camber exit, and presents concrete blocks, a tree and a few all too tiny tyres just out of the exit. Left and right full throttle through 8 and 9 and on to the hairpin 10 to thrill the crowd with a bit of opposite lock or whatever takes your fancy.

11, 12 and 13 are almost full throttle esses, encased, enfolded or threatened by umpteen concrete blocks, followed by 14, which significantly has the finish line half way ‘round it. Significantly ‘cos that’s where you’ll come off second best – usually! Problem is if you come in too fast, you kiss the barriers and if you realise you are too fast and back off, you kiss the barriers. I’m talking crash, not pash type kissing! Think we had 3 or four hit the wall on Sunday.

Having driven all that; you get the biggest thrill in Queensland motorsport – in my opinion, of course. Back off, ‘U-turn’ in behind the other competitors waiting up the top and breathe that sigh of relief, feel the tingly fingers and cross yourself – safe at the top once again!

We did 8 runs for the weekend, with Jon sorting the car on Saturday, and punting it Sunday for a 71.56 – top 100 placing at number 99. I had the car sorted, so got straight into it, battling Antoinette Redhead for most of the weekend in her lovely MGB, and came out 28th with a 64.30.

The others mentioned earlier: Elise 52nd, with 67.16, Austin Healey 125th with 77.35 and the Mini 106th with a 72.87.

Just for the record, Michael von Rappard (I hope his mum knows he’s out) cleaned up with a 52.44 in the Dallara F392. Michael Heerings of DTC fame 13th with a 61.66, and Glen Hooper with the AWD Riot (seen lurking at the DTC) 7th with a 59.96.

All told, a great weekend of motorsport, with Jon taking 3rd place in Sports Cars 0 to 1600cc, Pat taking 3rd place in Sports Cars 1601 to 2000cc and myself bagging 1st in the same class.

Packed the cars, collected our trophies, filled up with fuel and convoyed back to Brisbane.

Magic!

Dicks-Race-Transport Jon-and-Dick Pat-Dick-Jon-winning-line-up Pat-Richards The-Dallara
[Show thumbnails]
Mt Glorious Run – July 2015 Samford to Birches

Related Posts

marburg-banner

EMRs, Gallery 2022, Homepage, News

Marburg Pub Run – 4 Sept 2022

chapman-classics-banner

Articles, Gallery 2021, Homepage, News, Technical

Chapman Era Classics

aussie-elises-banner

Articles, Homepage, News

Aussie Elises

Random images

IMG_4435 Crossing the finish line concours-6 Mike-and-Mick 3-Arrival-at-Birches-2 Inglorious_end_for_car_1 img_1587 IMG_3899 McL_30 IMG_4392 20151208_203934_LLS IMG_7144 IMG_4906 image_141 IMG_7482 119_1951_IMG MG_4311 2_IMG_9488 PICT7271 Mt-Cotton-Hillclimb-Sep17-05 IMG_3347 Mixed-Field IMG_20210501_091901-1 Mt-Cotton-2007 ICC-Tony-G IMG_2462 Evans Wheels Russel-Barry_gw Main_street_of_Beechworth_festival 20161106_094219 Liam IMGP0426 see-that-cow Track Map Steve Car 176 Kelly-Pitt At-The-Exclusive-Auto-Centre-2 IMG_8462 0209tg main-2 Mar-main-56 Jan-Welcome-to-Lakeside- Wade-about-to-do-the-treetop-walk main-5 Lotus-Elise-S3-on-display-4 P1060550 P1010421 IMG_0043 Sep_MS03_2 Ealand_Lotus_Smeeth_Lotus_20_Chisholm_Gemini_Mk3 IMG_9149 img_1097 20131005_175500 20131005_175428 IMG_7351 P1060554 IMG_2608 IMG_1255 183_183 156_156 Gloria_John_Maggie_Graham_Mike_standing_Pato_Melinda_Gary_Maree_Geoff_JPG P1050437 IMG_4014 IMG_4001 IMG_3990 IMG_8464 IMG_5066 IMG_6338 IMG_7979 IMG_3632 IMG_5163 Susan-Steve-and-Jen award-tony-galletly A-couple-of-Elises fullsizeoutput_6568 main-3 Alan-Bents-Esprit-1 Tactics 20181021_104810 Heading for Mt Alford 1_gw Manificent-12-cylinders Very French This-pic-by-Steve volvos The-office Loose-Wires End-HPSC-Car-Park IMG_0029 Pat-and-Jono Beep Beep George-penny-farthing Jason IMG_6165 alex-photo-3 beautiful-healey-engine Clive IMGP8480 main-41 Winters Morning in a Seven

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