THE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE OF THE MAZDA MX-5 CLUB OF NSW President’s Picnic | The Hunter Uncorked | Young Drivers SPRING 2016 Print Post Publication: I00006993 EDITOR MEL KELLER [email protected] CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Stephanie Katz Verne Johnson Matthew Johnson Peter Browning Andrew Digney Jean Cook Wayne Lang Ken Tuckey Tammie Hotz Amanda Jeffrey Ken Keeling Matt Sheperdson Norm Barker Malcolm Bernhardt Bob Judd Bricet Kloren Greg Casamento Ben Hayes The MX-5 Club of NSW Rachel Crawford Peter Rodgers Greg Cox Phil Mayo Liam Price Alex Breitsameter Josh Fitzgerald Lindsay Green Michael Soulos Keith Monaghan wishes all Members and Bryan Shedden Mel Keller their families a safe and CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Rob Wilkins Grant Webber Peter Hilkmann Helen Green David Gazzard Greg Cox Merry Christmas and a Peter Rodgers Wayne Lang Bob Judd Bricet Kloren Kerry Evans Roz Barker Norm Barker Matt Sheperdson Ken Keeling Jean Cook Garry Keyvar Gillian Fletcher Happy New Year Graham Fletcher Tony Heathwood Brendan Barr Graham Rochester Stewart Temesvary Peter Browning Ann Alexander Mel Keller ADVERTISING GLENN THOMAS [email protected] PUBLICATIONS OFFICER MEL KELLER [email protected] 2 Club Torque COVER Mel Keller INSIDE 11 29 News Member News 09 Motorsport Awards 11 Technical News 12 Events President’s Picnic 13 13 31 Jinba Ittai Go Kart 16 Hunter Uncorked 18 Hunter By The Numbers 20 Rate the Plate 21 Run to Dorrigo 25 Corkscrew Weekend 26 Mountain Meander 28 16 38 Run to Roses 29 Whales and All That 30 Central Coast Views 31 RPM Does Floriade 33 Run To Mayfield 34 Twice in One Day 35 Pub With No Beer Run 36 21 44 Putty Road and Porkies 37 Motorsport Supersprint Round Up 38 Wakefield Track Day 42 Winton 10 Hour 43 Hillclimb 44 26 47 Motorkhana Gallery 45 Nulon Nationals 46 MX-5 Cup 47 Coming in March 2017 ACDC Pty Ltd – MXfactor5 - Revolution Racegear Canberra MAJOR SPONSOR - MX-5 CLUB of NSW CONTACT- 0417 269 325 - 02 6262 2680 – [email protected] OUR VOLUNTEERS (L to R) James Bourke, Adam Walker, Jean Cook, Guy Coles, Stephanie Katz, Keith Monaghan, Adam Rumjahn, Gary Nobrega Concours d’Elegance JUDGING PANEL The increasing popularity of the Concours d’Elegance and Show ‘n’ Shine events at the President’s Picnic ensured our judges had a very busy day. A great deal of consultation and preparation occurred before the event including the development of software for the reporting of results. On the day, the judges had a strict time limit per vehicle to assess seven separate criteria including originality, exterior panels and paint, exterior soft top and glass, interior, boot and spare wheel, engine bay and underside and wheels. Is it any wonder that by morning’s end, they felt a bit like this...? Club Torque 5 CUrrent membersHIP COMMITTEE President [email protected] Keith Monaghan 0418 976 279 Vice President [email protected] TOTAL Glenn Thomas 0402 410 829 Treasurer [email protected] Julie Sando 0438 538 837 NEW Secretary [email protected] Wesley Hill 0422 035 893 MEMBERS Club Captain [email protected] Michael Soulos 0413 113 399 905 Membership Database Bryan Shedden [email protected] 0422 340 010 Membership 66 Ken & Maggie Liston (02) 9872 1639 Competition Secretary [email protected] Could all members please check their membership date to see if they are Ian Combes 0433 159 726 financial. If not please contact [email protected]. This is my last report Publications and Club Torque Editor as Membership Database Secretary and I would like to thank all those people Mel Keller [email protected] that have helped me to fulfil this role especially Ken & Maggie Liston. I hand 0421 069 019 over the role to Bryan Shedden who I know is busting to get at the numbers to produce a pie chart or two. Many thanks, Keith Monaghan. Website Coordinator [email protected] Position Vacant Regalia NEW members Alan & Claudine Townsley [email protected] 0414 497 976 Welcome! BreakFast Club Coordinator Peter Battisson [email protected] 0417 269 325 Canberra Convenor [email protected] Norm Barker 0409 604 041 Mark Atkinson Hayden Watson Shehan Karunaratne Bev Morony Margaret Kierse Warren Alderson Hunter Convenor [email protected] Andre Morony Tim Kierse Angela Digney Josh Fitzgerald 0404 009 304 Leslie Weng Mitchell Noy Nitasha Thomson Lindsay Green 0422 470 118 Charlie Simon Mitchell Peulic Debra McQuinn Illawarra Convenor [email protected] Stephen Simon Patricia McMurtrie Dianne Kerr Jan & Garry Gibson 0458 715 000 Stephanie Rochford-Cole Kenneth McMurtrie Scott Candy Blake Rochford-Cole Deborah Olde Natalia Greene RPM Convenor [email protected] Damien Harrop Justin Olde Darren Greene Brigid Gallop 0428 114 401 Daniel Lioner Peter Gorman Gillian Camilleri Mid North Coast Convenor [email protected] Kerry Redfern Pat Porcheddu Godwin Camilleri Graham Rochester 0414 846 218 Mario Biancucci Richard Solomon Richard Lemon Andrew Weston Robert Charlwood David Smith Sydney Convenor [email protected] 0419 914 443 Stephen Wakeling Alex Pappas Fergus Brain Guy Coles Kerri Langworthy-Ward Cecelia Wakeling James Cook Matthew Brooks Lisa Gibson Tanya Badovinac Julie Camilleri EX-OFFICIO REPRESENTATIVES Susan Brinton Greg Tunks Joe Camilleri Steven Brinton Jacqui Smith Peter Jentsch Competition Event Secretary Barry Luttrell [email protected] Michael Mock Libby Gray Joseph Maher 0411 231 107 Rosemarie Michelin-Beard Andrew Gray Dale Bourke Adam Hughes Robert Guyder Jie Ren Competition Event Manager Stuart James Nick Pearson Steven Smith David Lawler [email protected] 0403 070 644 Club Historian Elaine Caldwell (02) 9451 1432 Technical Advisor [email protected] Peter Battisson 0417 269 325 Mazda MX-5 Club of NSW Inc. PO Box 402, Beecroft NSW 2119 nsw.mx5.com.au Wesley Hill Julie Sando Glenn Thomas Secretary Treasurer Vice President Bryan Shedden Mel Keller Ian Combes Membership Database Publications Competition Keith Monaghan - President Committee 2017 Ken & Maggie Liston Alan & Claudine Townsley Michael Soulos Kerri Langworthy-Ward Membership Regalia Club Captain Sydney Convenor Jan and Garry Gibson Guy Coles (with Steph Katz) Brigid Gallop Graham Rochester Illawarra Convenors Sydney Convenor RPM Convenor Mid North Coast Convenor Norm Barker Lindsay Green Josh Fitzgerald Peter Battisson Canberra Convenor Hunter Convenor Hunter Convenor BreakFast Club PRESIDENT’S BRIEF - Bryan Shedden • The RPM and Mid North Coast Facebook groups for each Chapter. Chapters were established soon after We now have over 1000 Likes for our the Illawarra Chapter, and the Sydney Facebook page. Chapter was formalised. The transition to the new Chapter-based structure • Established the Membership Tenure is now complete, although there will Awards to acknowledge and thank always be room for new regional those members who reach milestones Chapters. of 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 years of continuous Club membership. • The Committee was restructured and responsibilities realigned to reflect the • Our motorsport offering expanded changes in Club structure and direction. dramatically. We used to organise about six track days and a supersprint round • The annual Convenors Conference at Wakefield Park each year – they was established. With the restructuring were, and continue to be, exceptionally of the Club around the Chapters, this popular. To this we added track days gathering has been vital for the planning at SMP South Circuit and Marulan, the My four-year term as President has of events, for fostering interactions MX-5 Cup racing series, driver training come to an end and at the AGM on between Chapters, and ensuring a days at Marulan, motorkhanas on the 21st October I handed over to Keith sense of unity with the Club. SMP skidpan, drift days at Sutton Road, Monaghan. I’m confident that he will hillclimbs at Ringwood Park. These strongly lead us into the next chapter • The President’s Picnic has grown events are the key to the financial of our great Club’s history. It’s time for into the showcase event for our Club – success of our Club. Keith to offer an alternate perspective on bigger and better each year. Attendance leading the Club, and for me to take a has tripled during those four years. • We have become an increasingly welcome break from the long commute attractive proposition for attracting to and from our monthly Committee • We have taken every opportunity to sponsorship and advertising with meetings. I’m not departing entirely, as celebrate important milestones and income from those sources quadrupling I’ve swapped into Keith’s previous role the big ones were: 25 years of the in four years. All those funds go straight as Membership Database Secretary, Mazda MX-5, 25th Anniversary of the back to our members in the form of which I will fulfil remotely. You can look Club, 20th Anniversary of Canberra increased benefits. forward to seeing many more of my Chapter, and 10th Anniversary of Hunter famous charts and graphs! Chapter. We also supported NatMeet • It had been many years since our last I thought I’d take this opportunity to with exceptionally strong attendance at Life membership was awarded, and reflect on what the Committee has Caloundra and Launceston. Paul Beerworth, myself and Pam & delivered for our members during the Ray Estreich were recognised for their last four years: • Our range of Regalia was reinvented, outstanding service to the Club. We based primarily on the model of “team also had Mike Hicks recognised with a • Rigorous development of annual colours” for each Chapter, united by the CAMS Service Award. business plans and budgets. We’ve common bond of consistent product not just made profits and sat on them. styles and our club logo with the Through it all, our fundamental goal We’ve actively found ways to spend Chapter name.