President s report Welcome to Round 6 of the Autocross season bought to us by Unique Gyprock. Unique Gyprock is a first time sponsor for the car club and we cannot thank them enough for coming on board and sponsoring the final round of the season. Also a big thanks go to Les George for arranging this for us. We all need to continue to support all our sponsors as much as we can. The dates for the 2017 season are in at CAMS awaiting approval and we will get them out to members once they are approved. The club will be holding the second Motorkhana for 2016 in the southern speedway car park on Sunday 6 th of November. The event will be sponsored by Bogan and Proud and we must thank them as well as young David Laing for arranging the sponsorship and also being the event Secretary for this event. Due to a change in my roster at work I have told the club committee that I will not be standing for president or be on the committee in 2017. I have been on a few committees over the years but the SWTCC group has been the best to work with by a mile. As president I have been approached by different members, asking questions like why we don t change this rule or that rule. My first answer is to put their queries in writing to the club so the committee can discuss it, as it is not the president s job to change club rules. An even better way to get things happening is to join the committee. We are always looking for new blood. I have worked with a lot of good people in the club over the last 14 years. Some of these are as follows but not limited to or in any particular order, the Miles family, the Hastie family, the Saunders, the Stones and Thompson s, the Huitenga s, the Dixon s, the Rattenbury s and the Lathwell s all these people have put a lot of work in over the years and still do. Another family that also does a huge job is the Barrett s. From racing to commentating, and the Ambulance at every Autocross event, even strait after a 12 hour night shift. Something I cannot see myself doing in 2017. I must thank all these people plus everyone else that has served the club so well over the years. I am not disappearing from the club and will still be helping out where I can and I will also be racing at every event that does not clash with work, and no, I will not be selling either of my race cars as I have already been asked. So please come forward and put your hand up for the Presidents role and also do not forget that the club is also on the look out for a new secretary for 2017. A new member asked me how I got into this sport and I remember Jenny Gerdei being asked this same question many years ago and the answer is the same as what my wife said when I got off the phone and told her I had just bought my first Autocross car Bloody Paul Lowther. On a final note, all grades but one are still up for grabs at today s event. Ron Ferguson
Blast From The Past PH 0417 194 789 Email ant_dye@bigpond.net.au Early days of the current track when the track used to cut up quite badly. This driver showing how its done. The cars colour should be a giveaway as to who the driver is. He has a bit more horsepower at his disposal now days. SWTCC Manufacturers Championship Points awarded based on 4, 3, 2, 1 for overall position in each class. Rd1 Rd2 Rd3 Rd4 Rd5 Rd6 Total Toyota 16 18 20 18 21 91 Hyundai 11 20 11 16 9 67 Mitsubishi 9 7 5 10 14 45 Ford 1 5 9 6 5 26 Nissan/Dat 7-3 4 7 21 Subaru 7 2 6 2 3 20 Daewoo 3 4 3 4-14 Holden 2 3 3 - - 8 Maximum Attack. Colin McCrae at Rally Australia.
Kirup Stages Rally A new name for this round of the WARC, formally known as Lewana, but despite being a month later in the year the weather was still typically cold and wet. 38 crews faced 3 stages run twice that were a combination of damp but fast and flowing and tight twisty and very muddy. Some drivers revelled in these conditions but others including the crew of Matt and Jenny Gerdei struggled early on with understeer running off on stage 1 and having to dig themselves out. In the crews defence it was their first rally for the season after Matt s dad Chris crashed the car last year and it had also had some major mods with new suspension and a dog gearbox. Matt and Jenny are hoping for a more competitive season next year. Five other SWTCC crews represented the club but results were mixed. In the WARC John and Tahni Macara started off with typical speed posting the second fastest time on stages 1 and 2 but unfortunately mechanical issues slowed the car on stage 3 and the crew were out by stage 4. Kody Reynolds and co-driver Anthony Staltari started off well in the Trade Hire Busselton 2wd Subaru, 10 th fastest on stage 1 but had a high speed off on stage 2 in the slippery conditions and were lucky to get back on the stage. Once Kody got his confidence back his stage times were back around the top 10 but time lost would mean a final result of 16 th. Mitch and Stuart Clarke continued on from their win in the clubman class last rally with a very solid second place, beating home 2 turbo charged Nissans in there Datsun 1600. Go the Datto. Carl and Tracy Rattenbury looked to be in great form with 3 rd on stage 1 and 1 st on stage 2 ahead of eventual clubman cup winner Kiel Douglas in a V8 Commodore. But on stage 3 a high speed mishap that almost meant disaster,combined with fuel fumes in the car rattled the crew and they dropped further time to the leaders on the final stage, finishing 6 th overall. Mark Huitenga and Jonathon Morland-Barrett enjoyed the rally with the stages basically in Marks back yard, with a best stage result of 11 th they finished the rally in 15 th. The next round is the tough Safari Rally based in the forests south of Chidlow on the 15 th of October. This will be the final round of the WARC with the clubman championship having one more round after that, the Darling 200 in Jarrahdale. If you are interested in spectating or even volunteering to help with these events go to RallyWA.com.au for more info.
Meet your Club Member If you have seen the Flano covered ( Yes that s real Flannelette ) Mitsubishi Lancer with the word Bogan and Proud on it and wondered what the story is behind that car well you are not alone. I too asked this question, literally, to the man behind the wheel, Mark Stoner. Bogan and Proud is in fact Marks business. The business, that Mark admits started as a bit of a joke, sells Hats, shirts, stubbie holders and anything else you can imagine for living a Proud Bogan life. It was while running this business from a stall at the Bunbury Show that Mark saw the SWTCC display and after a yak with the crew thought it sounded like great fun. Now Mark and mate Bruce England are hooked and have even race at the BORMSA auto X in Beverly. Mark, his partner and their 5 kids live in Rockingham and Mark says he can t understand why more people don t compete in what he is happy to promote as fun friendly motorsport that s only a little over an hour from home. Check out the Bogan and Proud online shop and Facebook page.
Autocross Rd 5... Dry at Last. The 4 th of September and at last drivers were greeted with a dry track after the wet and muddy condition of the last few rounds and the first run times told the story. Kyle Grant was on the money straight away posting a 1.15.56 to set the pace for the rest of the day. This was fastest by more than a second. On the second run for experts it was Brendon Quartermaine that was fastest beating Kyles first run time by 0.06 of a second. Kyle was could only manage 7 th fastest with Andrew Jensen 2 nd and Adam Barrett 3 rd. Kyle then returned to form on run 3 and 4 with a 13.40 and a 13.75 securing the win. Andrew Jensen continued to empress in his relatively under powered for the class Hyundai Excel backing up his 2 nd on run 2 with a 3 rd and then a 1 st in the final run to grab 2 nd overall. Brenden Quartermaine was 3 rd. Grade 1 was taken out by Mitchell Bradford with top 3 times on every run. Trevor Dace traded in the Mazda he had been driving most of the year for a Mitsubishi Lancer and the result was immediate winning the first run and then trading places with Mitchell for the rest of the day to take 2 nd overall. Ben Lathwell had a great day. His first three runs were within half of a second of each other. But I am not sure what happened between run 3 and 4, but Ben put down a cracking 1.16 flat for the win and dad Dave in the same car was 2 nd with a 16.91. The 2 fastest times for grade 1 all day. 3 rd overall in grade 1 was Bens reward. Regular top 3 driver Jason Gardiner didn t have a great day. The mighty Lanos tipping on its roof on run 2. David Laing dominated grade 2 with times that would have seen him 2 nd in experts. All 4 times were under 1.18 and his final run was a 1.13.43. Just 0.03 of a second off the fastest time of the day. Well done David. The best of the rest was Mat McComish while Adam Hastie pushed the Getz into 3 rd. Grade 3 saw Darren Loxton who did a bit of Auto X back in the Benger era come to terms with the MR2 and put in some quick times, dropping into the 1.18.00 s by the end of the day to take out the win. Adrian Hewitt was fastest early on but could not match the improving Loxton to take second. Glen Cawood was consistent all day and took out third. Mal Watson would have featured in the top 3 in his MR2 with some great times spoilt by a mishap on run 3 but bounced back on run 4 only 0.87 of a second off the fastest grade 3 time of the day. Ladies, and Kathy miles was looking at another clean sweep but Jenny Gerdei pipped her by 0.68 of a second on the final run. Cathy 1 st and Jenny 2 nd for the day with Kelsey Gerdei 3 rd with a fastest time of 1.23.81. Juniors was taken out by Luke Millar but he didn t have it all his own way with Blake Rattenbury winning the first run. Blake would then swap 2 nd and 3 rd place with Nathan Quartermaine for the rest of the day. A 1.23.46 securing him 2 nd for the day with Nathan 3 rd. Jason Gardiner during and then after his roll over on run 2. Damage to the car didn t seem too bad and given what we have already seen of Jason s panel beating skill I think the Leaping Lanos will race again.