21/3 APRIL 2015 [ $8 ] LOTUS & Clubman Notes THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE COMBINED LOTUS CLUBS OF AUSTRALIA FEATURES Special Guest at LOTUS2015 announced Auto Avenue Display at the Australian GP DTC brings the usual suspects and a few laughs Lotus at the Phillip Island Historic Race Meeting A Lotus Love Affair Print Post Approved 100001716 “NO ONE KNOWS YOUR PASSION LIKE SHANNONS.” The passion, the pride of ownership, the sheer emotional attachment – no one understands it better than Shannons. So when it comes to insurance for your special car, daily drive, bike or even your home, there’s only one person you should talk to – a fellow enthusiast at Shannons. And remember, you can pay your premium by the month at no extra cost. So call Shannons for a quote on 13 46 46. INSURANCE FOR MOTORING ENTHUSIASTS | CALL 13 46 46 FOR A QUOTE | SHANNONS.COM.AU Shannons Pty Limited ABN 91 099 692 636 is an authorised representative of AAI Limited ABN 48 005 297 807, the product issuer. 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CLUB LOTUS AUSTRALIA (NSW) April 2015 VOLUME 21 ISSUE 3 COMMITTEE Club Lotus Australia PO Box 220, STRATHFIELD NSW 2135 President Ashton Roskill 0408 202 208 [email protected] FEATURES Vice-President Anne Blackwood 0413 22 11 23 [email protected] Treasurer Kristine Bennett 0414 781 524 [email protected] 05 South Australian Lotus Talk Secretary Elliott Nicholls H (02) 9484 3749 [email protected] 07 Lotus Club Queensland Competition Secretary Mike Basquil (02) 9533 2140 [email protected] breakfast run & CAMS Delegate 09 Special Guest at LOTUS2015 General Committee Keith Edwards 0417286976 [email protected] announced James Chan 10 Auto Avenue Display at the Rob Costa Australian GP Point score Michael Donnan (02) 9389 0461 [email protected] 12 Quokka Talk Webmaster Seth Reinhardt 14 A Mollison March Meeting Public Officer & Maurice Blackwood 0417 218 462 mozzieb@ ispdr.net.au 16 DTC brings the usual suspects Club Plates and a few laughs CMC Delegates Evan Jones 0411103043 [email protected] 18 Lotus at the Phillip Island [email protected] Historic Race Meeting Magazine coordinator Tom Devitt 61 417 295 549 [email protected] 20 Queensland Interclub Challenge CLA State Delegates Eddie Lankhorst for WA [email protected] 21 2015 CSCA March Report John Barrass for Tas [email protected] 22 Valé Gerard Ducarouge David Leaney for ACT [email protected] 22 Valé Dennis Ortenburger Andrew Stevens for SA [email protected] 23 A Lotus Love Affair 26 Lotus Elites No 7 LOTUS CLUB VICTORIA COMMITTEE PO Box 79, Hawthorn Business Centre, VIC 3122 REGULARS LCV Website: www.lotusclubvic.asn.au President Chris O’Connor [email protected] 02 President’s Message Vice President Cris Johansen [email protected] 03 President’s Waffle Treasurer Kevin Neville [email protected] 04 President’s Prattle Secretary John King [email protected] 30 Classifieds Other Members David Buntin [email protected] Mike Byrne [email protected] Alec Spyrou [email protected] LOTUS CLUB QUEENSLAND COMMITTEE 16 Julia Street, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006 LCQ Website:www.lotusclubqueensland.com President Clive Wade [email protected] 0418 196 570 Vice President Geoff Noble [email protected] 0419 643 365 Secretary Jon Young [email protected] 0417 745 790 Treasurer Daryl Wilson [email protected] 0418 711 227 Social Coordinator John Barram [email protected] 0458 321 458 Magazine Shane Murphy [email protected] 0413 616 169 Coordinator Webmaster Vyvyan Black [email protected] 0417 646 202 CAMS Delegate Greg Bray [email protected] 07 3206 1395 For any last minute updates check your state’s website! Claudio Vecchio’s 1989 Excel SA at the www.clublotus.com.au AGP display. Photo by Ron Glasgow. www.lotusclubvic.asn.au www.lotusclubqueensland.com LOTUS & CLUBMAN NOTES APRIL 2015 [ 1 ] President’s Message By CHRIS O’CONNOR, President LCV Australian Grand Prix Display been ruined with years of drag racing). So far the state rounds they used to take us along the The AGP has been run and won and, while it so good, but the first journey down the pit front straight, half way down we did a U-turn was not a happy hunting ground for the Lotus entrance road (gained after working through which took us onto the Thunderdome, where we completed almost one lap then did another team, off the track LCV were represented in a maze of concrete and tyre wall barriers) U turn to take us back onto the circuit. That was the Shannon’s display by 19 of our members’ revealed that it was BUMPY. Not a little bit entertaining. It also hosted numerous sprint cars. The cars were a great representation of bumpy but seriously bumpy. Some events limit meetings, OLTs, driver education – ranging from Lotus through the years, ranging from 1955 speed down the pit entrance road due to its school kids to high performance training days, to the present. Dennis Hogan and Simon bumpy nature, but MSCA didn’t so the bumps and mid-week “Test and Tune” days. It even Henbest spent several months coordinating were quite something at 8000 rpm in fifth. Once off the pit entrance road we were back on the used to host nationally televised Rallycross and arranging the display and we, as a club, circuit proper which was only a little bit bumpy events with bitumen, dirt, water splashes and thank them for all of the time and effort that in the braking area for turn one. big jumps. Brocky was just about unbeatable in they put in to this venture. We also express our a mid-engined, purpose built Torana. Calder is gratitude to the owners of the cars displayed, During the first timed runs a few of us noticed an important venue in the history of Australian as this required a big commitment on their a big black thing along the pit entrance road. Motor Racing history and it is shocking and sad part. The car had to be delivered to the display Speculation was rife as to what this black to see it in its current state. area on the Wednesday before the event, was thing was. Yours truly thought that it was a on display for the four days of the AGP then rock on the track, someone else thought that March Monthly Meeting needed to be picked up after the conclusion of it was a dead bird (are you getting an idea of Can I, on your behalf, thank Mel Mollison for the race. the size of this thing?). Turns out it was a bit of a most entertaining address about his time the track as the track was breaking up along MSCA Calder racing in, and officiating for, touring car racing the pit entrance road. A long delay ensued as throughout Australia. It was a great glimpse The second round of the MSCA championship a witches hat “island” was set up about 50m into top level racing from the late 1960s to the was held at Calder on March 14th. A report on from the exit of the turn (recall that the track is mid 1970s. Mel was very matter-of-fact about the day’s proceedings appears elsewhere in marked out by concrete and tyre wall barriers his experiences and his anecdotes were both this magazine but it would be remiss of me not here so the “island” was unsighted). We were fascinating and amusing. Thank you, Mel, for a to mention all of our helpers on the day. The instructed that you needed to pass one side of most memorable evening. MSCA is seeking the help of member car clubs the “island” and no passing until you got back to provide officials and assistance and LCV was on the circuit proper (seemingly miles away). rostered on to provide officials at the Calder Does this sound like a recipe for a disastrous meeting. Several LCV members are regular day? Well it wasn’t. The day was a great day at officials at MSCA, including Petrina and Bruce the track – highly entertaining and heaps of fun Astbury, Nick Ng, Stuart King, Alec Spyrou – the bumpy bits actually added to the interest. and Michael Cooke. We thank them for their Despite the fun we all had on track, the tale of commitment to MSCA, without their efforts the woe outlined above is really quite sad. Calder sprint meeting that so many of us enjoy would used to host the Australian Grand Prix and not be able to proceed. These regulars were did so in the four years leading up to the first joined on the day by Mike Byrne and Joshua Adelaide GP in 1985. I saw World Champions WELCOME Robbins (Cris Johansen and John King also NEW LCV MEMBERS: Alain Prost, Nelson Piquet and Alan Jones race volunteered but sufficient numbers meant that in the same AGP race at Calder! That’s eight Richard Williams [2012 Elise S] their services were not required). World Championships between them. It was a Peter Rebbechi [Lotus 11 Replica] Calder in the last few years has developed an mainstay of the Touring Cars and had a couple Tristan Atkins [1997 Elise S1] ability to underwhelm or even disappoint. I, of the tin-top races there each year (including, Chris Simonis [2012 Evora S] along with many others, went along with low I think, an endurance round). It was also a Sharma Simonis expectations.