2007 VIC CLUB SERIES

From a scorching 36 degrees at round 1 to a damp and windy 13 for round 2. Ah, Melbourne. Sunburn one day, pneumonia the next.

It was a day where neither the skies nor the track would confirm whether it would be dry, wet, or wetter. So we all scratched our heads, unwrapped the wet tyres and hoped that nobody had hung out their washing.

Fortunately the rain stayed away (don't say that out loud or some farmers might appear out of nowhere and beat you to a pulp).

All photos on this page taken by


At drivers' briefing there was much discussion about the issue of closing speeds between the 250 Gearbox Karts and us Rotaxes. It was a good discussion and most agreed- slower karts should be aware of the faster ones whilst on the straights, the faster karts should be a little understanding to the slower ones in the corners where we are concentrating on racing lines.

Pity it all gets forgotten out on the track. A 250 gesticulated wildly as I took the racing line into turn 1 where he passed me on the inside from a million miles behind. Unfortunately we can't run separate races and that's the way it is. With a little understanding there's no reason why we can't coexist but I admit I still jump out of my skin when the 250's blast on by.

Note spectators walking away. Was it something I said..?

But just before that, it was the usual pleasure wandering through the paddock rubbernecking the cars for the club sprints, the type of motorsport where it all began for me. There was a Kings' Red Datsun 1600 (P510). That was my first (two) car(s)! Parked next to it was a Hillman Hunter. Some people will run anything.

My biggest problem was a return of the old lack-of-slow-corner-speed costing me several seconds a lap at the hairpins. That, and a spectacular high-speed 360deg spin at the magnificent southern loop exit. A friend of mine from Lara was the quarry contractor who supplied the sandtrap stones for the Phillip Island GP track. I must have a word with him about the size of those rocks.

It was almost exit one Hyper Racer even before race 1. Brad Stebbing mounted the kerb into Honda Hairpin, launched and butchered the front fairing. It was a potentially nasty moment leaving Brad with numb fingers, and a little mystified.

"And don't answer back!" Brad looks sternly at his fairing-less Hyper Racer

So off to race 1, and I'm very pensive about the slow corner speed.

RACE 1

Another problem making an unwelcome return was sluggish starts where the engine has near-death experiences all the way to the first corner. The entire field sailed by me while the little Rotax had an identity crisis, forgetting that throttle down means go faster, not the other way around. When it finally began acting like an internal combustion engine, the only people behind me were other poor souls with similarly confused motors.

I arrived at Honda Hairpin to be greeted by a smokey traffic jam and nothing on the track but marbles. Entering the corner backwards enabled me to see those behind me doing the same thing. One of them was my Round 1 nemesis, David Byrne. We both crawled off, vying for the title of "least-slowest-to-get-going". I think I won.

All the road and then some. Exiting Siberia

The gap to the rest of the field was too great and the slow corner speed, or lack thereof, was driving me nuts. The last two laps were spent following Rotax debutante Tracey Tyler, sister of 250 legend and all-round nice bloke Darren (and partner of equally good bloke Dean Davies who was having his own debut in 250 Inters). I reckon I could have got her into Honda but for the permanent yellow there. Then again, no excuses...

As much as I'd love to patronise and say it was "great to see her having a go", that wouldn't suffice- she drove an excellent race!

Over-the-shoulder check for those scary 250's...exiting Honda

I dawdled in 8th place. Wicksy cleaned up the win for Hyper Racer, with Evan Fuller 2nd, Mike Smith an excellent 3rd, with Lee Filliponi, having a much better start to his meeting than Rd 1, in 4th. P-platers David Lane and Michael Treloar (a manager in Jason Bright's V8 Supercar team) came home 5th and 6th.

"Lonely at Lukey Heights"...seeks friendship, good times, and more bluddy low-end grunt

Guns Rod Clark and Peter Howard recovered from some early problems, with Rod ahead of me in 7th and Peter in 9th, almost getting me on the line. Their beautifully prepared Howard Equipment Racing yellow machines were sporting impressive new front fairings. They were in the style of the F1 highnose design pioneered by Adrian Newey many years ago. It looked like a highly developed thing and surely had the goods in the aero department.

Howard Equipment Racing formation flying.

RACE 2

The ideal race meeting is where you spend the time in-between races reading the paper, socialising or texting your wife/girlfriend/mum to tell her how you're going in the hope she'll be interested. This was not one of those meetings. I needed to nail this slow corner speed thing. Everything which could be cleaned was cleaned. Then I had an epiphany. Against all the technically correct advice I went for a leaner carby jet instead of the suggested richer in the damp conditions.

And voila (whoever she is). This time I launched off the start, nailing Byrnie and Lee Filliponi. I even got a sniff of Peter Howard. The leaner jet sacrificed a few revs at the top but the nett gain was greater.

This time the traffic jam occurred at the Southern Loop. There were karts everywhere, sideways and dead ahead, NASCAR oval style, one of them was Tracy Tyler having an intense initiation ceremony. The most enduring memory at this point was seeing Mark Wicks in the factory Hyper Racer airborne through the gravel trap. Another Hyper front fairing destroyed. At least two others joined him as spectators including Brad Stebbing, adding to his misery.

Eventual heavies winner Evan Fuller nails me

It was looking like today's events were going to be races of attrition. Not that I like gaining places this way but it's part of the game and it speaks volumes for staying out of trouble. I was even able to mix it with some Lights, including Hyper's Shaun Trounson. It almost ended depressingly when he executed a graceful spin right in front of me in the middle of Honda. It was inches away from claiming both of us. That would have been four bent Hypers! The irony ...it's Shaun who does the fibreglass work. Either way he still has a busy week ahead.

With eyes as big as plates I was left to play with Mike Smith in what looked like a repeat of Heat 4 from Round 1 in February- most laps we were side by side and across the line neither of us knew who'd prevailed. I don't think I took a breath for half a lap.

Chasing Mike Smith into MG, about to go neck and neck to the line

He pipped me for third place by millimetres. Fourth place seems to be my best-result groundhog day.

RACE 3

Heh heh. I finally got the mother of all starts, passing Byrne, Smith, and even the two Howard machines. They both got me back through turn 1. I got them back again as Tracey Tyler had some mid-corner dramas in the southern loop. They got me again exiting MG. That's the longest I've stayed in front of those guys! Exciting stuff.

Skies still threatening...over Lukey Heights lap 1 Heat 3

Mark Wicks, forced to run sans-front fairing for the final, looked awkward but still had amazing chassis speed as usual. I hung with him longer than I ever have, but eventually had to accept the inevitable and watched him sail away, only to get consumed by the Howard machines, Clark taking the win with Peter Howard in second. Wicksy soldiered on in third, Evan Fuller fourth, daylight back to me in fifth. Another big gap back to Byrnie, and the rest.

Through Siberia in Heat 3 following Wicksy's cold legs, leading Evan Fuller and light class's Ashley Hawkins, who we really hope is related to Jennifer..

It would have been a lonely race but for Ross Occhipinti in the lone 80cc Gearbox. The 80's are great fun to run against, with more acceleration out of slow and medium corners, but a healthy Rotax can usually run with them down the straights. Ross's was a little off song so I used him to get the occasional tow. Ross, by the way, is cousin of Ricky Occhipinti, former National Formula 3 star.

Ross Occhipinti and his great-looking 80cc gbox.