President’s Prattle: October 2015

President's Prattle

Hello!

Thank you to all the members who came along to the AGM and voted to continue with the current committee and club direction. A huge, heartfelt and public thank you from me to all the CLA committee as well, for without their continued and relentless support, none of this would be possible!

Minutes of the AGM will be published as soon as we can (and once Elliott gets back from a well-earned holiday) but in the meantime, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to drop any of us a line.

Many of you will be reading this either en route to, or in, the Barossa Valley for Lotus 2015, and what a lovely and fun event it is shaping up to be. I know (because I speak from first hand experience!) that the Lotus 2015 committee has worked tirelessly to put together a fantastic event, so a very big THANK YOU to all of them too – I am very much looking forward to catching up with lots of friends and having a thoroughly Lotus time.

For those unable to make the Barossa, we are lucky enough to have Richard Parramint (who is MC at L2015) coming over the Sydney and joining us for our October General Meeting at Simply Sports Cars, so if you haven’t put Tuesday 13th October in your diary, now is a good time to do so.

Also coming up in October is a whole host of fun; the HSRCA Driver Training Day at Marulan (18th), for those of a more social nature, there’s CLA’s Tyre Kick and Coffee on the third Sunday (also 18th!) of the month in Tempe, and for the motorsport tragics, there’s more fun with the Triumph round of the CSCA sprints (including their Driver Training Day the day before) on 24th and 25th.

By the time you read this, we will have re-inaugurated (did I just make that word up?) the John Dawson Damer Trophy for Round the Buckets at Eggs Benedict – I hope everyone survives and enjoys it enough to make it an annual event.

Speaking of annual events, Syd Reinhardt and I attended the Cootamundra Sprints a couple of weeks ago, and it was a hilarious weekend! We (the Club) have been invited back again next year, and I would encourage anyone who enjoys grass roots motorsport to attend – it was both relaxed and hugely enjoyable, and book-ended by a couple of drives which will forever remain in my memory. Have a look at the website for the write up and photos.

I think that’s it from me for this month. I very much look forward to seeing lots of you in the Barossa Valley, and in the meantime, keep it safe, upright and on the blackstuff!

Pip pip,
Ashton

News: Senna Lotus 97T Returns to Adelaide to Revisit 1985 Glory

Lotus 97T

The Adelaide Motorsport Festival is bringing two of Ayrton Senna’s F1 Lotus to Australia to join the eclectic field of Formula 1, Sports and Open wheelers at the Victoria Park Sprint on the 17th & 18th of October.

Almost 30 years to the day since Senna famously blitzed the field to annex pole position in the iconic JPS liveried Lotus Renault 97T, the very car that Senna used will be on track at the Adelaide Motorsport Festival. Accompanied by a Camel Lotus F1 car also driven by Senna, this is a rare opportunity to see one of the most famous cars in Lotus history back in Australia.

The Adelaide Motorsport Festival is fast becoming Australia’s answer to Goodwood, with static displays as well as on track action in the East Parklands of Adelaide.  In addition to the Victoria Park Sprint, the AMF is resurrecting the Classic Adelaide Rally, and its Friday night street party in Gouger Street.

The photograph shows the cars in transit to Adelaide, courtesy of Adelaide Motorsport Festival

By Andrew Stevens

Reminder! Eggs Benedict 2015 is Going to Be a Lot of Fun!

Eggs Benedict 2015

Just a quick reminder, given all the excitement mounting over Lotus 2015 (and I have just dropped off my car at CEVA so I am just as excited as anyone!) that this Sunday the 27th of September is Eggs Benedict at Anne and Maurice Blackwood’s estate – aka Ebony Hall.

If you haven’t already registered and intend to come along, please drop Anne an email through Seth at [email protected].

I can confirm that this will be the inaugural running of the John Dawson Damer Trophy Race around the buckets, so come prepared – there are sheep stations at stake (well, a handmade trophy by yours truly anyway!)

Looking forward to seeing you there – apparently there are over 80 attendees already registered – sounds like it could be a blast!!

Ashton Roskill

We’re Also Invited to the HSRCA’s Marulan Family and Friends Day!

The HSRCA are holding a family and friends track day at Marulan on Sunday the 18th of October, 2015, and we’re invited to join in!

The event is open to everyone from beginners to Indy 500 winners, and everyone in between, but has been tailored to those wanting to develop their skills and confidence in their car. Experienced drivers will be on hand to give advice and instruction, with the aim of doing just that.

Both instruction and timed sessions will be held throughout the day.

The Marulan Driver Training Centre has recently been extended and upgraded, and the tight circuit is great for learning lines and smooth driving while also offering a challenge to experienced drivers. All in all – great fun!

Racing and sports racing cars will be invited as well as road registrable cars. The key requirement is that each car comply with the circuit’s noise level limit.

For more information and to enter the event please grab a copy of the entry & information form below. Head to www.hsrca.com for more information, and stay tuned as more information will be made available as we get closer to the event. If you have any questions about the event, or would like to submit your entry, please contact Richard Cardew 0405 459 546 or [email protected].

Marulan Friends & Family Day Entry Form & Information [DOC]

We’re Invited to the Lugarno Lions’ Spring Festival!

The Lugarno Lions Spring Festival and Classic Vehicle Show will be held at Gannons Park in Peakhurst on Sunday the 20th of September, and promises to be a fun family day with a wonderful classic car show.

The Classic Vehicle Show at the Spring Festival has been growing steadily through its near twenty-year history, and now consistently attracts over three hundred classic cars and bikes. Much like did at the Kings School All British Day, many clubs now use this event to host their annual concours d’elegance.

It’s a great opportunity for a morning run and a social day at the festival to enjoy the Classic Vehicle Show, along with other festival activities like stalls, carnivals, jousting, horseball, rides and much more. Entry to the Spring Festival itself is free of charge.

For information on getting there, see this page.

Classic vehicles of any type or age are most welcome in the Classic Vehicle Show. A fee of $10 per vehicle applies, and is used as a donation to a range of charities. Entry opens at 7:30 AM and closes at 10 AM, and is made via Boatwrite Ave, Lugarno. Exit gates will re-open at 1:30 PM.

Space in the Classic Vehicle Show itself is limited, so booking is essential. Head to this page for the full details. For further information, contact Peter Walker, the Classic Vehicle Show Secretary, at [email protected]

We’re very happy to be able to support this wonderful event, and hope to encourage a strong Club Lotus Australia contingent to take part!

Lotus Photos: 2015 Cootamundra Sprints

Intrepid Club Lotus adventurers Ashton Roskill and Syd Reinhardt are freshly-returned from their road trip to the Cootamundra Sprints, which was held on the 5th of September, and they bring with them tales of a weekend well lived!

Read More

September 2015 Edition of Lotus Notes Available for Download!

Lotus Notes September

With the impending arrival of September comes the latest edition of Lotus Notes! The September edition has been released, thanks to the hard-working Lotus Notes team, and is  is now available for download from the ‘Members‘ page!

This month’s features include:

  • The Mount Glorious Early Morning Run
  • Lotus Club Victoria Economy Run
  • Trip to Bungendore
  • 10th Anniversary Victorian 6-Hour Relay at Philip Island
  • Night Observation

And much, much more! Head to the ‘Members’ page here to download your copy.

The newsletter is a membership benefit of Club Lotus Australia, and will as such require you to be logged in to your members account. And if you’re not a member yet, what’s up? Hit this link to find out more about the club and why you should become one!

President’s Prattle: September 2015

President's Prattle

Morning all,

A brief one this month, as of course you’ll all be at the AGM on Tuesday 8th September at Shannons so we can share plans then!

Joking aside, please do take this opportunity to consider joining the committee and contributing to the running of the club. We always welcome new members, and there is no need to be specific about which role you would like!

Simply being a general member is valuable to us to assist where available in the running of social events, organising larger events or contributing to the strategic direction of the club. So please do fill in the form and I, or any of the committee, would be delighted to second you.

Even if you have no desire to join the committee but have a strong view on what we should be doing differently, please come along and share it with us – without that feedback, running the club can be a bit of a stab in the dark.

We are only a few weeks away from the biggest and most fun event of the calendar, Lotus 2015, and a few spaces have been freed up by sadly inevitable cancellations due to changes in commitments. Their loss, however, is your potential gain! If you would like to come, please drop a line to Andrew Stevens on [email protected] and he will be happy to oblige.

Otherwise, there is lots to look forward to, including the reincarnation of the Round the Buckets at Eggs Benedict on Sunday 27th September, just before we all head off to the Barossa, so I’ll see you there if not before. We are getting better at keeping the calendar on the club website up to date, so please bookmark that and take a quick gander every now and then!

In the meantime, have fun, keep safe, upright and on the blackstuff!

Pip pip,
Ashton