Sydney Summer Series

NO BLUES AS CHEVY & MUSTANG LUNATICS BRUTALISE McMAHONS

In a murderous assault on McMahons Point last night, around 220 punters worked their vehicles into a lather of forward gear, reverse gear, and then forward gear again - as they grappled with Kim 'Berly Clark' Welinski's great course at Lavender Bay and environs. This was a night of Masters & Johnson, of 'doing a Larry', of working the lever, and craning the neck, as Kim set a new record for 'in-out' control deployment as he threw the dice in one of the Sydney Summer Series favourite locations. And despite the warmish beginnings (early drivers were seen reaching for the Neverfail), most cars completed their circuits without boiling, and were rewarded with bottled water at the download and the promise of a 'little something' at the Commodore to follow. This was a fantastic evening of cunning running and Sydney on show. The Summer Series at it's best.

With flags aflutter at Watt Park, and shade aplenty, arriving drivers presented their credentials at the race desk and retired to Jacaranda or gum tree to consider their course. Many consulted rival pitt crews, whereas others preferred to ponder event tactics around the privacy of the non operating bubbler. The V8 drivers from Team Big Foot made use of the children's play area to cement their plans - sending their women drivers out first, as the blokes mixed 'quality' daddy time with cursory race planning. It was a scene to behold - and wonder at if you were a passing worker nursing a touch too much weight.

'The Tissue' had opted for a 1:7500 scale map that eliminated the North Sydney CBD in favour of a fast loop east (on firm bitumen and timber) and a madness of gear work on the McMahons peninsular itself. Compared with our last start here (seven years ago at 1:10,000), it looked a goer for the six cylinder models, and probably a nice earner for the lesser (British) vehicles. Further study however, failed to calm drivers and navigators alike. Arriving with full tanks and an itch to accelerate, Kim's masterstroke slowly filtered across the goggles. McMahons was going to frustrate. Blues Point was going to frustrate. This was going to be a race in the lower gears, where mothers with eyes in the back of their heads might have a distinct advantage.

Looking at the course, and observing early starters, cemented the McMahons view. Most liked the close knit circuit, the tight corners and the points available in this western half - and promptly worked uphill. Many followed their highlighters across a tortuous scrawl here - initially to 4/25, or to 5/15, or straight to 26, in a mad tussle with forward and reverse. Despite the gaggle of circles in the middle, it was hard to avoid climbing, with the more challenging of Kim's placements (28,29,19,20 etc) dragging drivers down and then up again. The puff-o-metre was engaged in this pursuit of points, as runners wistfully asked to be reincarnated as Norm Beechey in the Chev.

Many vehicles found themselves with time to spare after the western circuit, and flew past the pitt's to add 14/24. Some further to 12/22 before bailing in a series of sharp left handers. The east had it's fans however, especially amongst the faster models. The Luna leg had less need of gear work, as pedal to the metal thinking rose to the fore. Bob Jayne would have had the Jag at full throttle along the flog from 12 to 22, to 11 and on to 21 - as did many younger motorists. You now see the course with its two distinct halves. The tight circuit and gear work west and the speed in the east. But if the east looked obvious, Kim 'Not Beazley' provided a beautiful sucked in thirty with his placement of control #21. Runners ran on, and on here, mesmerised by the Opera House and the upsey downsey path, only to return to a lousy tenner under the Bradfield. And the east probably provided the 'lonely pot' in control #3 - well off circuit as drivers negotiated the 23/24 chicane.

There were many great sites, and some fun stuff in Wendy Whiteley's garden (#14) and the paths on and up to #24. Views galore, probably making this the stand out grand prix of the year. Who paused at 30, at 28, at 29, at 11, 21? - the list goes on. And getting back to our in-out theme - a good 8/9 controls needing reverse gear probably also makes this one of the great rally events of the calendar.

Sydney Summer Series - putting you in the drivers seat!    

Great stuff, and a course that did fall to the new breed in the Red Bull stable. It looks like we had a quartet of 600 pointers on the podium, with 'Graeme' Hill taking the Lotus across the line in first place in 42.37 - eighteen seconds from Richard 'British Racing' Green. Glenn and Jegor complete the line up, although Steve 'McQueen' Ryan (in the Mustang) should have joined them but for his navigator folding his map over #21, and seeing him cross the line in 40.52 - but going thirty short. Strong language was detected at the debrief!

Scoring seems to have followed in descending dollops of tenners, with a duo of 590's and another quartet of 570's (including Gill) split by an excellent 580 pointer by 'The Ink Bottle'. While most teams had their drivers well into double figures (some going three, going four, going five for the first time), we also record our solo two figure finisher, Beverly 'The All Blacks' Johnson, taking the chequered flag and fifty bottles of Krug as she touched down near the corner post in 42.56. And talking 'solo', we record a solo SJW (Ellen Currie) with 250pts for her work with the Spice Girls, and a solo JM (Aidan Dawson) putting up 520 in only 38 minutes! Contracts are being inked as we (& Bernie) speak.

Most other classes were well contested with many new faces noted by the press box. Unusually, the vintage model sports car category saw a three way tie, with 'Side Valve' Ron, Lloyd and 'Maserati' Malcolm all in for tyres and fuel and a 370 point reward. The Dunk collected 470 to win JM, Neil Hawthorne took gold in SVM with 500, Jimmy held thirty over Mathew 'The Bushranger' Morgan in WaM, and Cheryl Bluett shared 160 points with (the delightfully named Tasmanian star) Tasminka daku Jovicluc! Other classy stars that deserve a nod from Pork Pie include Carol Jacobson in LW (back from Italy and already looking to swap the Camry for a Vespa), Lisa & Claire holding ten over Catherine in OW, and Paula Shingler piling 100 on Sharon 'The Lamb Roast' Lambert (520/420) in Veteran Women.

Great work from a very big field, with all points posted and available for intimate viewing in the 'Mount Panorama' Bar. And excellent to see Sophie Didou from France, and Melissa Thomas from Range Runners in Queensland enjoying the racing in Sydney. Back in town? Great to see Chris Brown back from Cork for a few days, and hopefully able to work up one of his much loved (and missed) optimal routes from last night.

So, at 204 entries (more like 220+ drivers on the circuit when you add the group navigators and side car passengers), this was a top night and a big night for the Sydney Summer Series. It almost seems the more difficult the parking trackside, the bigger the crowd. Long may it continue! And continue it will, with next weeks flog moving back from the strongly bitumen course at Luna/Lavender, to an area with a whiff of gum and a touch of bush track might favour the ribbed tyre over the racing slick. Yes punters and addicts who can't get enough - the SSS rolls on to event five at Pidding Park in Ryde next Wednesday with Graeme Dawson and his star family working their magic in this super and contrasting area. Bush, tracks, ovals, streets, creek lines and the mausoleums of many Italian families in the adjacent cemetery, make for a heady mix. Join 'The Door' and the superb Garingal team as they back up for two in a row. It will be a cracker!