Our great Queensland race circuit, Lakeside International Raceway, finally opened its gates for the first race meeting since being closed many year ago. The noise restrictions were relaxed for a special racing event they called the Lakeside Classic Festival.
Lakeside is draped in history with all the greats having raced there back in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. We were there all weekend with a couple of cars from the collection - Chris racing in the Mulvahill Bathurst RX7, myself running the Moffat GTHO Phase III around the track, and Dick Johnson’s Greens Tuf on display-only due to some technical issues. Lakeside still looks and feels like it was from the early eighties, perhaps better now that the current management, run under John Tetly have resurfaced the track and given it a much needed facelift with new pit facilities and buildings. One glaring difference hangs over the main straight however, a huge E Toll test facility, which we have been told can still get an image when you go through at 250km/h, which I did try in the HO, still waiting to get the ticket in the mail...
We also had the pleasure of being able to take a few of our biggest fans around the track in the HO, one of whom was our very excitable Brand Manager, Georgia Way, her recount of the experiace is as follows;
“When I was told that I was in the line up to sit in the passenger seat of the Moffat Phase III (possibly one of the meanest cars I have ever had the pleasure of hearing) whilst ripping around the track at Lakeside, I could hardly contain my excitement. At first I thought Dan was trying to get me worked up and was just pulling my leg (like he enjoys doing on a daily basis), which is why I turned up to the race track without long pants or long sleeves. After a little bickering about whether or not he told me to bring appropriate clothing and me telling him the story of ‘The Boy Who Cried Wolf’, we found me some very flattering King Gee’s to don on my debut on the race track.
As I stood at the pits waiting for Dan to pull up, there were many envious eyes staring at me and wondering if I would chicken out at the last minute (and were ready and waiting to take my place). The car roars up, I jump in and get pulled left, right and centre as I get strapped in – and let me tell you, these straps were not made for females!
We take off, and I don’t think it had quite hit me yet that I am in a major piece of Australian motor racing history... until we get to the first corner when all I could think was “It’s OK... even IF Dan is willing to risk me, he is not willing to risk this car... I hope...” And this thought returned at every corner we approached – in fact I think I was repeating it to myself over and over again the whole way around each and every corner!
However, although I was on edge every second we were racing around that track, I was disappointed to see the chequered flags as I was just starting to picture myself as a racer-chick (in my very fashionable King Gee’s).
What an experience. Thank you Dan for a ride I will never forget... and thank you for taking it easy on me too...”
We look forward to many more race style events at Lakeside in the future and ask for everyone to get behind us and support this major player in Queensland motor racing. Keep an eye out for more events with our cars at this legendary track!
Event Highlight: Seeing Georgia in the the borrowed King Gees and oversized jeans so she could do a few laps in the Moffat Phase III. Ahh the sacrafices girls have to make...
