The New Mazda MX-5 ND First Drive!
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2/2015 mx5vic.org.au The monThly magazine of The mazda mX-5 Club of Victoria & Tasmania The new Mazda MX-5 ND First drive! Find us at: MX-5 Club of Victoria mx5vic.org.au Print Post Publication: 100018450 13 2/2015 contents Your Committee: 2014-2015 President > Don Nicoll | (03) 9437 2787 (ah) Regulars e: [email protected] Vice President / Communications 4 President’s page: Don’s Drive(l) > Murray Finlay | 0416 247 677 e: [email protected] 5 scene about 6 membership secretary / Public officer 8 mX-5 Club grill ... meet Peter Ferguson, Eastern Victoria > Peter Dannock | 0408 522 093 (ah) e: [email protected] 10 raCV Classic showcase 2015 ... another chance to shine Treasurer > Dave Collins | (03) 9755 2167 (ah) 11 favourite road ... Buninyong-Mount Mercer Road e: [email protected] Club Captain – motor sport 11 Psssst ... join the Midnight MX-press > Tim Emery | 0424 091 167 (ah) e: [email protected] 14 That winning photo ... behind the lens assistant Club Captain – motor sport > Randy Stagno Navarra | 0409 210 872 15 mX-5 ND ... the first drive! e: [email protected] Club Captain – social 21 book review ... Mazda MX-5: the complete story > Cary Warren | 0418 368 246 (ah) 30 Warning! Some kids don’t like MX-5s e: [email protected] assistant Club Captain – social 30 lm55 Vision ... Mazda muscles up for the (virtual) track > Alex Hailstone | 0414 155 383 e: [email protected] Chapter chatter social media > Ben Sale | 0434 906 673 (ah) 12 Central: the long way around to Grantville e: [email protected] membership 22 northern Tasmania: ice creams in the bush > Will Campbell | (03) 5261 4816 (ah) e: [email protected] 24 southern Tasmania: Cool runnings merchandise > Bruce Gray | 0478 219 856 (ah) 26 Western Victoria: Australia Day run e: [email protected] Points 27 Western Victoria: Shannons show & shine > Coral Campbell | (03) 5261 4816 (ah) e: [email protected] Motor Sport ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 28 City mazda sprint Championship – rd 7 … Phillip Island Chapter Captain - Central > Geoff Roche | 0409 039 867 (ah) The Australian media drove the new MX-5 Find us at: e: [email protected] Cover ND at a special release in Spain. Photo: mX-5 Club of Chapter Captain - eastern Victoria image: courtesy motoring.com.au Victoria > Peter Ferguson | 0419 108 128 e: [email protected] Chapter Captain - north-eastern Victoria mxtra is the monthly newsletter of the Mazda MX-5 Club of Victoria & Tasmania Inc (#A0021659A). > Ron Gillick | (02) 6033 0253 (ah) PO Box 7438, Beaumaris VIC 3193. Registered for Print Post: 100018450 e: [email protected] All contributions are welcome: please send articles and photos to the editor, murray finlay: Chapter Captain - Western Victoria • e-mail: [email protected] > Ian Bradshaw | 0407 556 135 • post: mxtra, Mazda MX-5 Club of Victoria & Tasmania, PO Box 7438, Beaumaris VIC 3193 e: [email protected] Photos supplied for mxtra will also be uploaded to the Club’s online gallery. Copyright will remain with the Chapter Captain - northern Tasmania photographer, and the Club undertakes not to use them for any other purpose without express permission. > Bruce Harvey | 0438 562 224 (ah) DISCLAIMER The Mazda MX-5 Club of Victoria & Tasmania Inc., its Officers and Committee cannot be held liable for e: [email protected] any errors and/or omissions in articles, reports, notices, advertisements, comment and advice of events Chapter Captain - southern Tasmania that are published in mxtra in good faith. It should be noted that the publication of an advertisement, > John Waldock | 0409 658 716 (ah) or expression of views in articles and reports, does not necessarily imply endorsement by the Club of the advertised product or service or the views expressed in any articles or reports published in mxtra. e: [email protected] 3 Don’s Drive(l) ... ■ don nicoll – President [email protected] february already. no sooner had we Mazda’s head office facilities for awards finished celebrating new year than the lunches, plenty of free merchandise and, month has gone! most recently, some greatly appreciated Towards the end of January, VP Murray financial support for the maintenance Finlay and I met with Ben Rounsefell and of our website. For your diary … Steve Maciver from Mazda Australia. The So, we wish Ben Rounsefell and his meeting was arranged to pass the baton, family all the very best on the next See the full calendar for details so to speak. Steve is taking over from Ben, stage of his career. As someone who while Ben is off to Mazda North America has dragged his family overseas twice to assist with their customer loyalty for work commitments, I can say with February program. While we took the opportunity some certainty that the new job will be 22 Central:RACVClassicShowcase to thank Ben for all his efforts to assist easy compared with ensuring that the our Club and all the other Mazda MX-5 family are happy. 22 NTas:Roger’sRoamingRamble Clubs in Australia, I think it is appropriate all of which brings me to welcome 28 NTas:CranbournAirfieldFly-in to record some of the things that he steve maciver as our new contact man achieved while in the role. at Mazda. Most of the Club Presidents March For starters there’s NatMeet which met Steve at the NC Series 3 launch in 6-9 SouthAustralia/Vic-Tasbiennial benefitted from some hefty cash Sydney a couple of years ago. Locally, injections over the years to ensure Steve was very much a part of Mazda’s weekend,RobeSA that participant costs were kept at a involvement in the AGP, so already 7-8 NEVic:SnowyMountainsrun reasonable level. Mazda’s contributions known to those of us who participated have made a big difference to the in the AGP events. I’m very confident 8 NTas:Drivertraining,Baskerville programs and we look forward to their that Steve will ensure that the good continuing support. relations between the MX-5 Clubs and 15 Eastern:ChipruntoInverloch for our Club, three things stand out. Mazda will continue in the manner that 21 Central:MidnightMX-pressGORrun The first has been the invitation to assist we’ve enjoyed in recent times. 21 Western:Ballarat-Anglesea-GORrun Mazda in the “celebrity challenge” at the While i remember, a warm welcome Australian Grand Prix by providing our to those members joining the Club to 22 NTas:Devonportmotorshow cars for the celebrity parade lap. With the benefit from the Club Permit Scheme invitation came free entry tickets for each for cars 25 years and older. This is a 29 Sprints2014-15Rds9/10:Winton driver and a partner to each of the four new experience for our Club, never –DoubleHeader! days of the grand prix as well as lunch having had cars old enough to qualify and drinks. Although Mazda will not be until recently. I would like to make a April supporting the grand prix this year, we special mention of Peter Dannock, 4 Central:Bendigorun have still received an invitation to show our secretary, who has shepherded our cars at this year’s AGP, an offer no us through the establishment of our 12 NEVic:TastesoftheNorth-East doubt aided by our past participation. system for Club Permit eligible cars and 12 NTas:Kelly'sLadies'Day The second standout was Ben’s offer with very few hiccups. On 1 January to allow the Club to use Mazda’s this year, new rules were introduced by 12 Sprints2015Rd1:CalderPark merchandise supplier, TPF, to look after VicRoads for cars to qualify. To Peter’s our Club merchandise. This has been credit, we had to make very few changes 17-20Central:4-dayhighcountryrun as our system already meets the new a huge burden off the committee’s 19 Eastern:SouthoftheHighwayrun shoulders as well as a major solution to requirements. “dead” assets. Thanks to this arrangement finally, a warm welcome also to Peter 25-26NTas:WestCoastOvernighter we no longer have to carry stock and we Ferguson who is now formally named 27 NTas:TargaTasmania-optional have a simple despatch system. This may as Eastern Victoria Chapter Captain. not sound much but when you consider Peter’s offer to take over from Alan viewingtrips that two years ago we had over $4000 Laine was unanimously accepted by in old stock filling Steve Dunlop’s garage the committee at its January meeting. May and now we have none, it has made I would like to thank Alan for all his 2-3 NEVic:JamiesonLooprun life for the Merchandise Officer and the efforts to establish the Eastern Chapter Treasurer a lot easier. and we wish him well while he deals 9 Sprints2015Rd2:Sandown The third standout was arranging for Ben with some important family matters. 10 Club:gatheringtocommemorate We wish Peter much success in his new Sale to attend the launch of the ND in LA. firstmassgatheringofMX-5s(TBC) It was a win/win all round. The photos role in the Club. and stories that Ben Sale was able to send Must go – the driver’s seat is getting 23-25 Eastern:3Peaksrun to the Clubs as well as the material he cold! provided to Mazda was just marvellous. Remember ... Safety fast first! June On top of that, we have enjoyed the use of 14 Eastern:Leongatha-WilsonsProm Don 14 Sprints2015Rd3:Broadford 28 Eastern:Khanacross@BryantPark 4 Scene about ... ■ Photos: bronwyn roche, Kelly berggren, Caz Timbrell, John Waldock, Daniel White, Karen bradshaw 5 Current membershipcount: Membership 556 ■ Will Campbell – membership officer [email protected] andgrowing! G’dayagain! As a student of numbers, I find it Interesting that approximately david mcConville 1990 red na 20% of our members are now, or soon will be, eligible to register their MX-5s under the VicRoads Club Permit scheme.