Apologies for the delay in wishing you all a very happy 2025, and if the evidence to date is anything to go by, it should be a blast!

I hope you all got a decent break over the Christmas and New Year holidays, and managed to spend some time in the garage making sure the car(s) are ready for this year!

Last weekend saw the motorsport calendar kick off with a bang, with the first Lotus Australia Track Day running in cahoots with the Bathurst 12 Hour. Judging by the photos I have seen, it was a fantastic event, with the extra challenge of some damp track, which always provides an additional impetus to concentrate, particularly at Bathurst!

The HSRCA also ran a very well attended and great fun Return to Goulburn historic race meeting. For several reasons it was a lovely event, not least because it marked the reopening of Wakefield Park, now rechristened One Raceway, and the 30th anniversary of the opening of the original circuit.

I had hoped to take the Elite, as in Brian Caldersmith’s hands it participated in the original race meeting, but unfortunately events conspired against us, and I ended up taking the Elise. This in itself was a joy, not least because both Syd Reinhardt and John Culvenor were also there in theirs, and we managed a group shot to celebrate 20 years since we all gathered at Wakefield for the inaugural Aussie Elises trackday. (I couldn’t and still can’t remember the date, but no doubt someone will remind me).

We all had a ball re-learning the track, which is a little longer, and a lot of fun still. Of course much of the fun was not on the track at all – it was the wonderful conversations, banter and eating and drinking that went on. Particular thanks to Garth Selig for getting us all fired up to be there, as mentioned, to Syd and John for their company on the circuit, and to Dan Bando who was having too much fun in the Formula Vees, but managed to find time to join us for dinner on the Saturday evening. A lovely weekend, hopefully the first of many.

Elsewhere, grateful thanks to Evan for organising the run to the Motorfest in Gerringong on Sunday 15th February, and to Craig Sheppard for organising the upcoming Beecroft to Burrawang Blast on Sunday 23rd February. The Burrawang lunch is full, but if you haven’t already registered, please send us an email and we will place you on our waiting list. If you’ve not yet dusted off the car, now’s a good time to check the tyres and fluids (on which subject, I had to put a new set of rubber on the Elise, and the v70s that came off had a date code from 2013 :))

And of course you can’t forget the gathering of the great and the good from across Australia that is Lotus 2025, taking place in and around Border Country over the weekend of 7-10th March, and based in Wangaratta. I’m very much looking forward to seeing lots of friends there, many who I haven’t seen for far too long. If you haven’t registered yet, it’s not too late to do so.

In sad news, we learnt that Neil Trama’s wife and life partner Elizabeth passed away after a short illness just before Christmas. Our thoughts and condolences are with Neil and Elizabeth’s families.

With that, I will get this to Seth, and leave you with my bet for 2025 – last year I reckoned it would be peak EV year, and although not yet confirmed, the heat has certainly come out of that bubble, here at least. This year will see the demise of the latest crass affirmative action plan disguised as DE&I policies, and good riddance – if ever there was a demeaning and mediocratic set of policies, that was one.

Take care, stay safe, and keep it upright and mostly on the tarmac.

Pip pip,
Ashton