MSCA Wrap: Sandown - 2021
Hi everyone, Last Saturday we headed to soggy Sandown to not only take on the track but also the elements. The weather gods were not smiling; they were crying cold tears of rain, and lots of it. While The Husband and his crew were snug-as-a-bug and running a tight ship upstairs, the rest of us were doing our best to stay on the black stuff and avoid the red flag.
A warm welcome to Tim Shepherd from the Maserati Club who ably assisted The Husband and David Kelly in the tower. During driver’s briefing the Husband had set an ambitious target of no more than two recoveries for the event. In my work lingo, to say that was a stretch target would be an understatement given the conditions. But try we did, and thanks to overall good driver standards and respectful on-track behaviour we ended the event with around four recoveries. A great effort, all things considered.
Unfortunately, a lovely little Fiat came to grief but thankfully his driver was unhurt and in good spirits. Steve has generously joined the flag marshalling team while he gets his car sorted – a great way to give back and stay connected. A couple of long time MSCA friends also experienced the Close Walls of Sandown but thankfully no major damage was reported; just a tail lamp or two and perhaps a slightly bruised ego. As I have said many times before in these wraps, cars can be fixed, people not so easily. Our drivers were safe, and their cars will be trackside again soon.
Whilst the inclement weather slowed Miss Elise and I down, it did not have the same effect on others. Tim Blakeney in his beautifully prepared Ford Falcon set the fastest time of the day with 1:17:5 followed by Phil Nicholson in his super-cool Lotus Exige (1:21:6), with Peter Owen in his Nissan 200SX right up his tail pipe (1:21:7). Well done to you all!
A huge thank you to our volunteer officials who worked in the cold and pouring rain all day without a word of complaint. Thank you for helping out at gate check-in and for handing out dorians and run group stickers. Thank you for safely leading us out under flashing lights; for releasing us safely from Dummy Grid; for checking over our cars and for waving flags at us to keep us out harm’s way and fast approaching cars! None of our fun is possible without you and we are very grateful for all that you do for us.
We hosted the Porsche 6-hour relay practice during the last hour of the day. By then, the weather had really set in and 30 minutes into practice it began to hail. The Husband, exercising a good dose of common sense and caution, red flagged the session. That was to be the prelude of the weather to come for the following day. Sunday arrived and along with it, heaving rain clouds. Optimistically I kept looking at the weather app – surely there will be a break in the weather.
The Husband was confident that conditions would clear. I was not (you can guess who Little Miss Sunshine is in our relationship). No change in sight. Rain and lots of it was on the way. Miss Elise and I had a lot of time for reflection under numerous safety cars and constant rain. We learnt much about each other as we dodged the river between at turn 1 and 2, spinning cars at almost every corner and the big fat fast Porsches powering down both straights, making visibility look like my granny’s winter soup. With each lap, I trusted Miss Elise more. I responded to her feedback, dialled in and started having some fun. I was thankful that she kept me safe and dry (thank goodness I wasn’t in my Little Clubbie!).
Well done to all the MSCA competitors who took to the track on Sunday under challenging conditions to compete in the Porsche 6-hour event. The field was well represented by MSCA folks in a variety of teams and cars. I am so pleased to report that one of our MSCA clubs, Triumph Racing from TSOA won the event! Congratulations to Phil Nicholson, Rob Splatt, Alister Ondarchie, David Kelly, Michael Kip and Mark Campbell. A fantastic outcome under very tricky conditions. The TSOA have a long and proud history of competing in regularity events and this was a well-deserved win. The challenge has now been set for the 6-hour event at Phillip Island later in in the year. Winton Sunday 16 May – we’re on!
We are heading to country Victoria to run at one of my favourite tracks, Winton. It’s been a while since we’ve sprinted at this technical track and it will be good to go regional and support local community. At this event, we’re hosting Round 1 of the Victorian Super Sprint Championship which is sure to draw in the competitors from various clubs. The event is now open so get your entries in. The Bend – Queen’s birthday, Sunday 13 June.
Planning is underway for our premier event of the year. We have 16 spots left for The Bend so if you’re interested in competing and have not yet entered, get your skates on so you don’t miss out. The Bend Welcome Dinner for MSCA competitors For MSCA affiliated club members, your entry fee of $290 for The Bend includes one free ticket to the Welcome Dinner held at Rydges Pit Lane Hotel on Saturday 12 June. You can purchase an additional dinner ticket for your partner or buddy when you enter. The cost of this additional ticket is $55 per person. Dinner includes a two-course meal and surprise guest speaker (don’t worry, it’s not The Husband).
To let us know you’re coming, when you enter the event, please select: “Saturday Night Dinner (1 Complimentary ticket for MSCA VIC members)”
I look forward to seeing you at Winton next month. In the meantime, stay well and take care.
Petrina