FROM DAIRY FARM TO MOTORSPORT ICON – 50 YEARS OF LAKESIDE

“ If you can learn to race a motorbike at Lakeside you can compete at any track in the world.” – Mick Doohan, five times Moto GP World Champion

“Lakeside is a real driver’s circuit, one of the few left in the country outside of Bathurst.” – Dick Johnson, five times Australian Touring Car Champion

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One of Australia’s most exciting and enduring motor racing circuits, Lakeside Park (or Lakeside International Raceway, as it was previously known) this year celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Who would have thought that a racetrack with such humble beginnings, built on a dairy farm by volunteer labour with borrowed machinery, would have gone on to survive fifty turbulent years and garner such an acclaimed international reputation?

But Lakeside has survived and prospered, enriching its fans with 50 years of unforgettable motor racing memories, from its official opening 1961, to its pair of Grand Prix in 1966 and 1969, rounds of the legendary Tasman series, the Australian Superbike Championships, the roaring sports sedans and of course, the circuit’s mainstay for many years the Australian Touring Car Championship.

To mark this year’s golden milestone of 50 years, Queensland Raceways, the operators of Lakeside Park, will hold four celebratory events throughout the course of 2011. The four events are:

Tribute To The Originals, April 8-10 (for pre-1969 cars);
Festival of Formula Cars, May 27-29 (for open wheelers and motor bikes);
50 Years of Sports Cars, July 22-24 (for sports cars of all ages);
and 50 Years of Touring Cars, incorporating The Lakeside Classic, August 12-14 (for historic touring cars of all ages).

With racing and regularity categories on track, as well as displays at various points throughout the venue, this event will provide the ultimate trip down memory lane for anyone
who has participated or spectated at the iconic Lakeside circuit over the past 50 years.

Emergency Management Team will be providing the Medical services at each of these events.

DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP HEATS UP WITH MASSIVE LINE-UP AT LAKESIDE

by Queensland Raceways.

The state’s premier amateur motor racing competition, the Queensland Raceways’ Drivers Championship (QRDC) launches into its second round for 2011 at the legendary Lakeside Park circuit, with more than 100

cars to grid up on the weekend of Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1. The 2011 Queensland Raceways’ Drivers Championship consists of five rounds – three at Queensland Raceway (March 5/6, July 9/10 and

November 12/13) and two at Lakeside Park (April 30/May 1 and September 10/11).

Round two contains an amazing schedule of categories, lead by two grids of Group N historic touring cars, the evergreen open wheelers of Formula V, the Australian Trans-Am Championship, Improved Production,

the exciting new PLR Clubman/Sports Car category the and the mixed group of QR Sports and Sedans. The Group N designation covers production touring cars up to 1972 and the Queensland contingent

includes some wonderful cars such as 48-215, FJ and EH Holdens, Monaros, Toranas, Ford Falcons, Mustangs, Cortinas, Escorts and Customlines, Mazda RX2s, Datsun 1600s, Minis and a smattering of

Hilmans, Valiants and Alfas. Expect to see exceptionally spirited racing as these experienced drivers hurl their gorgeous old machines around the undulating Lakeside track.

The new PLR Clubman/Sports Car Series is also set to provide close racing and hot lap times around Lakeside. During the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s clubman and sports car categories were regularly included on the

bill at almost every racetrack in Australia. Over the past two decades, however, many of the older drivers began to retire and their prized machines went into storage where they gathered dust and perished

rubber. Only a handful of clubman and sports car owners carried on, enjoying the thrills of these nimble, lightweight racers.

Thanks to a dedicated group of enthusiasts and a generous sponsor, 2011 sees the revival of these cars on the Queensland motor racing scene, with the launch of the PLR Engine Reconditioning Clubman/Sports

Car Series. “All of these vehicles are either home made, kit cars or manufactured in very low volumes by specialist carmakers,” explained organiser Stuart Paterson. “The difference between the two groups being that

clubman cars were originally made as road-going vehicles while sports cars are purpose-built racers.”

Run over two action-packed days, Queensland Raceways’ Drivers Championship round two will see qualifying and racing on Saturday, with a full day of racing on Sunday.

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Emergency Management Team would like to thank the officials at Lakeside and congratulate our team on the superb response to one of the biggest accidents seen at Lakeside this year.

BIG DAY AT THE RACES CONCLUDES BATHURST MOTOR FESTIVAL

A BIG WEEKEND at the Bathurst Motor Festival has finished with a big Easter Sunday of racing at Mount Panorama today.

Five race and two regularity categories wrapped up their respective weekends after another near-perfect Autumn day in Bathurst, with only some early fog slightly delaying proceedings before the sun broke through.

The biggest race of the day was the Production Sports Car one-hour enduro, won spectacularly by Andrew Miedecke and Jamie Augustine in their thundering Daytona Coupe’.

The victory wasn’t without its challenges, however, Augustine forced to serve a drive-through penalty early in the race after jumping the start before then taking the car back to pit lane for their compulsory pit stop and driver change.

Powered by a six-litre V8, Bathurst veteran Miedecke still managed to bring the car home a convincing margin ahead of a furious battle for second between regular GT racers Ted Huglin (Lamborghini Gallardo LP560) and Ray Angus (Porsche 997 GT3 Cup) that waged until the final corner.

Huglin, who turns 75 next Friday, was especially pleased to finish second after his $450,000 car was punted into the barriers on Saturday in an expensive incident.

Peter Lucas teamed with Garth Walden to finish fourth in a Lotus Exige to make it four brands in the top four, with Andrew Macpherson and local driver Mike Reedy finishing fifth in their similar car.

The second round of the Commodore Cup series also wrapped up their weekend with an another two-driver race, today’s action packed 14-lapper won convincingly by Geoff Emery and Steve Owen – despite starting from the back of the field.

They held of Marcus Zukanovic and Gerard McLeod in the race – but it was Ross McGregor and young Newcastle driver Drew Russell who combined to win the round – thanks to their stunning victory in yesterday’s first heat.

Zukanovic and McLeod were second overall whilst reigning series champion Adam Beechey and Dean Croswell finished third.

Peter Carr continued his domination of the Aussie Racing Cars class this weekend, but was beaten in the third race held this morning.

A reverse top-ten affair, Kyle Clews and Carr charged through the pack to run first and second at the end of the race but the man that dominated the opening two wasn’t able to catch Clews in front.

Carr retuned serve in the finale' to win weekend overall in convincing fashion.

Luke Ellery rebounded from a disappointing start to the weekend by winning the third and final Formula Ford race, as the category showed why it’s been missed from Mountain racing for the last eight years.

Victorian Rob Storey won the weekend overall thanks to his two brilliant victories in races one and two, with Greg Woodrow, Brett Francis and Ryan Campbell finishing in the top five overall.

Storey jumped to an early lead in today’s final race but Ellery was steadily working his way up from fifth place – moving to third on lap three before passing two cars to take the lead he’d never lose the next lap.

Shaun Jamieson continued on his merry way to win the Ashley Cooper 2011 Saloon Car challenge, sweeping both races today comfortably – as well as the overall weekend thanks to four wins from four starts.

Matt Lovell finished second overall for the weekend with Simon Tabinor third in his Commodore.

On Saturday night a sold-out dinner held in Bathurst raised funds for the Organ Donation cause supported by the Saloon Car ranks this weekend, in honour of the late Ashley Cooper.

Alex Veryinis continued his strong weekend in the New South Wales Road Racing Club’s final regularity session today, again scoring the lowest out of the 30 cars that took to the track.

Chris Kingsland (BMW) and Gerard Skelley (BMW) both finished just a handful of points behind the HSV driver as the regularity fields enjoyed their first chance to take the Mountain this weekend.

The Porsche Club of NSW held two sessions today, Phil Treloar (Porsche 996) continuing his good form by scoring the lowest number of penalty points out of any regularity session (just 24) this morning. Long-time Porsche competitor Geoff Morgan was on top in the second session of the day.

Category and spectator information are available on the comprehensive website; www.bathurstmotorfestival.com.au

Photography by Amanda Ridley-Elliott