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
Clive-trying-to-get-a-grip

Skid Pan Day with Paul Stokell and his team

Skid Pan Day – Saturday 11th June

By Adam Kingston, Photos Gloria Wade

With the not too distant memory of 25mls of rain on the previous Saturday, a group of excited Lotus owners mingled at the Mt Cotton Truck Skid Pan, on a beautiful Queensland winters’ morning. It was 8.30 am, a bit fresh, but the sun soon warmed us.

The cones had been strategically placed, the water had started flooding across the pristine bitumen, a few “skid pan virgins” had even washed their cars. Our instructors for the day, Steve Owen (Mark Winterbottom’s co-driver) and Andrew Price (from Paul Stokell Motorsports) ran through the program – three different courses through the day. On the first course, which was ready for us, we would have a few test runs, then the timing would start. The competition was on!

After the obligatory procession around the course, just to learn the route, the first few drivers made their initial runs. The discussion on the grandstand (Toilet block with coffee making facilities and some shade from the rising sun) was about which turns were causing the most difficulties. There also seemed to be quite a few drivers struggling to slow enough to stop inside the finishing box, ultimately resulting in a two second penalty. The challenge for some, was traction control on or off – others didn’t have the luxury. Some, myself included, always wondered what the button on the dashboard DTC actually did… we certainly found out.

The race between the 7’s/Caterham’s was as competitive as usual, with Shane, on his skinny tyres posting the best times, but the main competition was between El Presidente` showing electric pace, with his new tyres on the green S1 Elise and Garry in the heavily modified red S2. With each driver pushing, trying to find the limit – which they managed to do with ease and regularly spinning, finding the balance between power and the trusty handbrake, it was Garry on the final run who managed to shave a second off his previous time and pip Clive.

The biggest cheer from the grandstand, during the morning session was for an out of control Garry who managed to spin just in front of the finishing box, as he slid sideways towards the cones, somehow, he managed to slide the car in backwards, demonstrating the fine art of reverse parking at speed.

A big thank you for the hearty BBQ lunch which was provided and cooked by Mal and his two capable assistants, Jake and Lachlan. While we ate and discussed the finer detail of the morning’s event, the course was modified to allow two cars to race against each other. Clive threw down the gauntlet to Gary and the rest of us, with a quip about only seeing the back end of his car this time. Would he be able to back it up?

Again, after a couple of drives through the course, to learn the route, we lined up to take on the next challenge. With instructor Andrew doing his best impression of the start of the car race in the movie Grease, luckily without the outfit, we got under way. Surprisingly, or not, the biggest challenge seemed to be getting the cars around the correct course with many drivers, crumbling under the pressure of competition and missing some of the cones.

The final course change for the day, turned the entire arena into a mini Queensland Raceway, with a high speed sweeping horseshoe, starting and finishing in the same box.

Unfortunately, I and a few other drivers were unable to stay to the end of the day, the call of watching the Wallabies take on the old foe England at Suncorp pulled us away. I can only imagine the conversation in the grandstand, of, if only, and how much fun was that!

Thanks to the silent few who organised the day and to the Lotus Club who subsidised the event, it certainly is a great and safe way to find out what the cars and drivers are capable of.

The Pits
Male bonding
Scott
The line up
Girls just wanna have fun
Garry
Dick
Daryl
Jeff
On your marque
Shane surveying the skid pan
A contemplative Dick
Clive trying to get a grip
Clive giving it a bath
Cats getting ready to pounce
Cat vs Elise
Kelly, speed demon
Which way did you two go_
Shane
The Uphams

[Show slideshow]
1 2 3 ►
A Definite Plus – the Elan Plus 2 DTC Lakeside – Sat 27 August

Related Posts

mp-banner

Events, Gallery 2022, Homepage, Racing

Morgan Park Sprints R4

gold-rush-banner

Events, Gallery 2022, Homepage, Racing

Gold Rush Hill Sprint – 2022

leyburn-banner

Events, Gallery 2022, Homepage, Racing

Leyburn 2022

Random images

IMG_4376 IMG-1002 _MG_4787 as Smart Object-1 Margie-and-Cameron Jaguar-XKSS-2 9-Resting-on-the-mountain jeff adam-kingston 23-Three-amigos 5-Vyvyan-Chris-Greg-Richard-at-Julies-at-the-Rectory dtc-19 P1020867 DSC_0046 Penny_farthing_man_at_Beechworth_Festival IMG_6515 123_2378_IMG IMG_8798 IMG_4867 121_2193_IMG Berenice Stratton 1991 Mazda MX5 - 2 Geoff-with-afterburner-on 12 Cairns-9 ICC-Car-Park Lovely-Lotus-Lineup Group-8.16-Friday-Afternoon-Traffic-at-Lakeside-A-Stevens IMG_2464 The Crew Steve Arlidge 1989 Suzuki Swift - 2 img_0945 IMG_1963 A Pair of Clowns Timing Crew IMG_0097 IMG_0088 20161106_144643 The-Criterion Simon with Peter Nurburgring_car_park_2001 IMG_6399 20131005_175428 IMG_0497 IMG_0034 Mar-main-106 Jan-main-1 Ploughman's Lunch Tom_heads_up_the_first_climb image_091 P1060106 Assembly_point IMG_0588 Sep_MS03_3 IMG_4430 IMG_4876 main-18a main-11 John_Barram_main_straight IMG_6552 IMG_6222 119_1961_IMG 26d IMG_7863 PICT7314 Clive P1060349 P1050430 P1020765 IMG_3303 IMG_8015 IMG_0540 IMG_5163 image_174 Sign Steves-Europa Barram-Elise-with-Bra Checking-out-the-Ferrari_ Lunch destination Eleven-Engine-bay Jon-Young Cobra-1 Loose-Wires IMG_8886 Elans-and-Esprit Dick M6K3159 main-12 Dick R LeighCarolyn-Craig-wine-tasting_GW blasts from the past Europa buick-1 Clives in the bay aston-martin-1 Paul ready to Go Zaid and Co John awaits the go Beer time main-63 main-118 20170709_104602

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