Image courtesy of the Sporting Car Club of South Australia
Catch up with all the action in South Australia with the latest edition of Lotus Talk, covering November 2018 and beyond, thanks to Andrew Stevens.
SA Lotus Talk
Words: Andrew Stevens
Photos: Andrew Stevens and SCCSA
An occasional contribution from our SA correspondent
SA Lotus Monthly Run
November brings the late spring climate to the Adelaide Hills, with mild sunny days before the onset of the hot weather that dries off the landscape. Despite the competition from the Lotus Track Day at Phillip Island we had a good turnout of locals for the monthly run.
This month’s run saw us set out from the toll gate at the bottom of the SE freeway, heading for one of our regular haunts, the Meadows Bakery. After a blast up to Eagle On the Hill, our group leader Chris Burton threw in a detour via the narrow and twisty Aldgate Valley Rd, which is perfect Lotus territory.
Those who remember the Adelaide Grand Prix will be aware that every year the assembled historic garage would adhere a road permit and do a semi closed road “Climb To The Eagle”, usually at anything but sedate pace. While the GP is no longer with is, the Climb To The Eagle is still a regular fixture on the Adelaide calendar, and attracts a wide variety of vehicles. This year’s climb had been held on the Friday before our run, so a blast up the twists and turns that at one stage was the main access road into Adelaide was definitely in order.
Meadows is a favourite destination for bike and car clubs heading out from Adelaide, and our perfectly timed arrival coincided with the departure of one of the bike clubs, clearing a space out the back for us all.
David and Edwina Baird had returned from their cross continent expedition, while Wayne Macintosh was able to explain the cause of his car-stopping vibration at the last run. It turned out the one of the pad retaining pins had come loose and vibrated out, which required a little fettling by the RAA service tech to get him under way again.
Tony Heard brought his recently restored Morgan fresh from its shakedown run (to Bathurst and back !).
Christmas Run
By the time you read this, our annual Christmas run will have come and gone. December 2nd will see us heading in convoy to Younghusband on the banks of the mighty Murray for a BYO Christmas BBQ. Last year’s event was great fun and Richard and Heather Knight have again opened up their hacienda overlooking one of the most picturesque parts of the river for our enjoyment.
Adelaide Motorsport Festival
The same weekend as our Christmas run is the annual Adelaide Motorsport Festival, which is getting bigger and more impressive every year. This year, touring car legend Allan Moffat will join other past touring car legends including Richards and Bowe at the AMF, which uses the parkland section of the former GP circuit. One of the factory Porsche 918s that blitzed the Nurburgring lap record will be there along with a raft of cars from F1 down.
One of the great parts of the lead-up is seeing what sort of promo video the SCCSA will create. After last year’s scenes of F1 and Group A touring cars blasting through the Henley Beach Rd underpass, and opposite locking through Victoria Square, this year’s video is another masterpiece combining a Leyton House March F1, the new Brabham supercar, and both The Bend and South Rd Superway, in a short film called “Race to The City 2018.
All British Day 2019
One of our major annual events is the All British Day held every February at the Echunga Recreation Reserve in the Adelaide Hills. This year’s event will kick off on Sunday 10th February, and the Lotus display is always well attended.
This year’s All British Day is celebrating British motorsport heritage. Of course Lotus played a big part, from Formula Ford to Formula 1, and from British Touring Cars to Le Mans and Indianapolis. From the early days at Brooklands in the UK to other international circuits including Australia, Britain played an important role in motorsport, and still does. The organisers expect to have on display an eclectic cross-section of British cars and bikes that played their part in motor sport history.
January Run
While some may still be sleeping off Christmas and the New Year’s celebrations, our first run of 2019 will depart as normal from the Sikh Centre carpark at the bottom of the SE freeway (near the Tollgate) at 9:00am on Sunday 6th January.
May you have a very Lotus Christmas. See you all in 2019!
Andrew Stevens
