June/July Mag 08 - Phillip Island Auto Racing Club

PIARC
access to motor sport
Notes
June/July
2008
Photos Courtesy of
Steve of SD Pics
Phillip Island
Print Post Approved
PP 325147/0004
Phillip Island Auto Racing Club Ltd ACN 004351446
Registered Office
RVAC First Avenue Moorabbin Airport 3194
Telephone: (03) 9578 5728
Club Night -
First Thursday of Each
Month at the Aero Club
First Ave Moorabbin Airport
1

piarc notes
PIARC Board Of Directors
& Committees - 2008
Board of Directors
president & chairman
Peter Nelson
Mob 0419 394 631 AH 9551 0026
E-mail peter.nelson@piarc.com.au
vice presidents
Geoff Bull
AH 9803 3633
E-mail geoff.bull@piarc.com.au
Matt Balcombe
Mob 0438 826 415
E-mail matt.balcombe@piarc.com.au
treasurer & company secretary
Graeme Taylor
AH 9551 2573
E-mail treasurer@piarc.com.au
Other Board Members
Warren Reid
Mob 0417 873 273 AH 9386 0646
E-mail warren.reid@piarc.com.au
David Bellenger
Mob 0419 479 390
E-mail kartracer@optushome.com.au
board secretary
Jean Bellenger
AH 9701 5566
E-mail jeanb1@optusnet.com.au
Mark Scorah
Mob 0408 108 363 AH 9775 6629
Delegates
CAMS
Brian Williams
group 5
Warren Reid
Matt Balcombe
PIARC website
www.piarc.com.au
manager -
Matt Balcombe
E-mail webmaster@piarc.com.au
House committee
club captain & VSRS delegate
Geoff Bull
AH 9803 3633
E-mail geoff.bull@piarc.com.au
Sub committees
race committee
Peter Nelson
clubsport committee
Warren Reid
Ken Smith
AH 9773 1133
E-mail ken.smith@piarc.com,au
Henk Duncan
BH 9802 6466 AH 9598 3021
E-mail bbedding@bigpond.net.au
Brian Williams
CAMS delegate & RTA Permits
BH 9758 8856 AH 9754 8328
E-mail bgwilliams@net2000.com.au
RVAC/Clubrooms Liason
Ross Earl
0439 875 022 / 03 9570 3918
Darren Smith
Mob 0418 593 016 AH 9773 1133
RTA Permits
Brian Williams
Membership registrar
Renee Pickering
C/- RVAC Bldg First Ave Moorabbin Airport
AH 9459 2453 Mob. 0419 831 604
E-mail membership@piarc.com.au
Magazine
Ashley Benjamin & Sandra Ashman
magazine@piarc.com.au
89 Paget Ave, Glenroy 3046
AH 9306 4384
E-mail magazine@piarc.com.au
NOTE: The articles and views reprinted in this magazine are not
necessarily those held by the Committees of PIARC. PIARC is an
affiliated club with CAMS and a member of the Group V Association.
2

access to motor sport
Clubnights 2008
Clubnight Aug 7
Members choice DVD Night
Come and see your favourite Motorsport DVDs
Lots available
Clubnight Sept 4
TBA
Watch the web site for further details
When: First Thursday of every month.
Where: Royal Victorian Aero Club
First Avenue
Moorabbin Airport, Mentone
(next to King Island Airways)
Time: Dinner is available from
6.00 pm from the Bistro
(please ring Marilyn & book if eating Ph 9580 0069)
with Formalities from 8.30
All members and their guests are welcome at the club during the clubnight and also during its opening hours,
seven days a week. Aero Club Ph. 9580 0069
3

piarc notes
www.piarc.com.au
∞
∞
∞
∞
∞
∞
∞
∞
Latest Event Results
Free Web Based PIARC email address
Calendar of Events
Online Membership Signup
Links to other hot Motorsport sites
PIARC Email Contact Information & Addresses
Latest PIARC Notes Online
Online Sprint Entry & Supp Regs available
And lots more!
Visit www.piarc.com.au today!
Club Regalia
Official PIARC merchandise is now available from
Chris Earl
For orders/information phone AH 9570 3918
4

access to motor sport
Gear up for Coming Events
PIARC 2008
EVENT PLANNER
August
2-3 VMCI Broadford Hillclimb
Championship may be included in
G5 series
07 Clubnight
Royal Victorian Aero Club
Formalities from 8.30
08-10 Shannons National Motor Race
Championships
PIARC
Contact Geoff Bull for info
September
4 Clubnight
Royal Victorian Aero Club
Formalties from 8.30
12-14 V8 Supercars - Phillip Island 500
20-21 September Island Sprint
Group 5 Round 4
28 Group 5 Motorkhana Rd7
TCCA Venue-Werribee
16 PIARC COTY Dinner
Brighton SavoyEvent
Information Page 9
24 40th HAC Interclub Motorkhana
Huningdale Auto Club date, TBA
,
October
02 Clubnight
Royal Victorian Areo Club
Jason Bright
V8 Superstar &
Britek Team owner
08 The big V8 event-
The Bathurst 1000
Hire that big screen NOW.
17 Practice day for weekend race
entry's organised by PI circuit
18-19 VSCRC Round 4
5

piarc notes
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Improve your car, phone Glenn or Chris today.
(03) 9469 2914
or call in to
72 Lipton Drive, Thomastown
www.centrelinesuspension.com.au
Log on and browse through our website.
EFT facilities available for most cards
Free assessment for PIARC members
6

Nelsons Column
August 2008
access to motor sport
In this issue we have a number of references
to the Australian Institute of Motor Sport
Safety (AIMSS) and we are proud to say that
we are strong supporters of the concept.
The FIA created a Safety Institute some
years ago, and CAMS decided that Australia
should have a similar body to compliment
the international one. Hence, the AIMSS.
In May, we hosted an AIMSS night at which
we presented AIMSS with financial support
and Geoff has released a media report on
that, which we have copied here for your
information. We are in a position to repeat
the donation again shortly, and hopefully will
be able to repeat this further in the coming
years.
We are fully aware that over the years, the
need for race drivers to be members of a
CAMS club has appeared to be an almost useless
gesture aimed at maintaining the clubs
by providing members who actually appear to
have no need for a club. Why not be a member
of CAMS merely by taking out a licence?
Our work with AIMSS is one reason why clubs
do have a strong place in our sport and why
all members, drivers included, need to reflect
on this from time to time. As a club, we join
together to participate in group activities, in
our case conduct motorsport events. At the
level we do this, we have been able to put
aside some pretty good assets which then
have increased in value. Individuals cannot
function at this level, and companies usually
and reasonably create the assets for their
own benefit. With PIARC now being able to
provide some of those assets to organizations
such as the AIMSS, we are directly supporting
work directly related to the safety of motor
racing drivers and other participants.
If you look back in history, we provided support
and assistance to the Victorian Fire and
Rescue Squad in the same manner to help get
them started. They now provide a great professional
service for the benefit of us all. In
a similar fashion, we encouraged and assisted
Team Medical Australia to get up and running
and will work with them in the future to further
improve what is already a great medical
coverage at our events.
Looking more deeply at the ways we have of
contributing towards the well being of all our
sport’s participants, consider recent developments
in motor racing which, while generally
going unnoticed, are tangible factors in the
future of our sport. We have always been
driven to improve our processes and systems
at events, in order to better and more safely
control of the activities. This was given a kick
along when Graeme Beverage died at Albert
Park at the 2001 AGP. The coroner, police,
other civil authorities, the AGPC, and CAMS
were all forced to have a deeper look at how
we were going about our business and many
changes were introduced which, while frustratingly
intrusive at times, have enhanced
the way we go about things. A lot of what
has been introduced was already being done
in a piece-meal fashion, but is now done more
thoroughly and is better documented so that
the work has a benefit to all participants, now
and in the future. It is also providing much
better protection against liabilities that may
arise. There is a “paper trail” for much of our
work, which is then a defence against claims
of negligence and incompetence.
CAMS, driven by Bruce Keys, worked on an
Official’s Safety Program primarily for the
AGP. At the AGP, we have an intensive briefing
program for officials every year, supported
by copious documentation. The OSP audits
those programs to ensure that they are being
presented properly and to good affect.
Cont. page 11
7

piarc notes
65 Kelletts Road,
Rowville
Tel (03) 9764 2811
Fax (03) 9764 8740
8

access to motor sport
COTY Dinner
Clubman of the Year
Competitor of the Year
Saturday 16th August 2008
7:00pm
The Brighton Savoy, 150 The Esplanade, Brighton
$90 per person. Includes: 3 course meal, beer, wine & soft drink
Semi Formal:
Men – Jacket & tie (no denim)
Ladies – ‘after five’
Tables of 10 are available.
Limited Numbers . . so book early!
Return this portion with your payment NO LATER THAN 3rd August 2007
YES I would like to book tickets, please tick or number your selection:
Name
Table of 10
Address
No. of tickets required:
Send cheque or money order (made out to PIARC) to:
Mark Scorah
19 Noel Rd
Langwarrin 3910
Ph 9775 6629 (AH)
0408 108 363
Email: mark.scorah@piarc.com.au
9

piarc notes
828 Sydney Road,
Brunswick, Victoria 3056.
Tel: (03) 9386 5331
Fax: 61 03 9386 9153
Victorian 6 Hour Regularity
Relay Supported By PIARC
PIARC is fielding a team of cars and drivers for the above event to be held at the island
30-31 August at the Phillip Island track.
This is an event where drivers nominate a consistent time for lapping the circuit over
a set 6 hour period. In order for a team to win drivers times must be consistent with
their laps. Times higher or lower than the nominated lap time can result in the driver
forfeiting their lap so consistency is the key. At the end of the 6 hours the team that
was the most consistent with its lap times wins.
PIARC is fielding a team and is looking for drivers and their cars for this event. If you
are interested then please contact Ken Smith on the following A/H’s number –
03 9773 1133
10

access to motor sport
Nelsons Column cont.
The OSP also works closely with the CAMS
Track Safety Committee under Brian Shead
to ensure that the temporary circuit we have
to use is put together to the required standards
and that items do not go undetected
which could create risks for those who have
to “work” there.
Bruce, along with Andrew Fisher, has also
played a strong role in developing the Compliance
Checker program, which is aimed at
ensuring that event organizers have covered
all the civil requirements necessary for our
events. This became more urgent in the last
few years when Worksafe decided that
our venues were work places, regardless of
whether the participants were paid workers
or not, and the Worksafe demands of a safe
work environment suddenly were identified as
being all our responsibilities. Before that, we
all tended to pay lip service to the concept of
a collective OH&S policy. PIARC has strongly
supported this concept, although rejecting
the incredible amount of paper required when
it was initially introduced. Two years ago at
the PI V8 race meeting, we had to produce
some ninety-six sheets of paper to satisfy
the program. Danny Jones and I took this as
a challenge, and partly due to our contributions,
Bruce and Andrew have reduced the
work-load down to perhaps a dozen sheets
of paper all told.
Since Greg Hansford was killed at Phillip Island
in 1995, PIARC together with Sgt. John
Nolan of the Cowes police wrote the Critical
Incident Protocols to ensure that police and
event organizers worked together in such
circumstances, to firstly investigate the incident
thoroughly but with minimal need for
interference to the activities on the day. The
secondary benefit is not as obvious, but it allows
the coroner and the sport to learn from
such problems at our events, and to better
prevent them from happening again. These
protocols are now the basis of Critical Incident
responses at all the major motorsport events
in Australia, and in a number of other countries
as well – being almost universally accepted
by police forces as being totally appropriate
in the circumstances, and at the same time,
supportive of their necessary legal roles.
Since Beverage, we have also worked with
the police at events such as the F1 and Moto
Grands Prix, to enhance the Critical Incident
Protocols by anticipating what may be necessary
in the case of a Critical Incident, and
putting that in place in advance. The sheer
size of these events and the insatiable hunger
by the media for details of all the morbid
happenings at events of international interest
make it much harder to process Critical
Incidents there, and so every step that is
put in place in advance can make an incredible
difference.
At Albert Park I have Inspector Mick Talbot
with me at all times so that he is fully aware
of the circumstances of ever medical alert,
and is not left wondering if we are hiding the
seriousness of incidents to prevent the police
from showing an interest. Mick is a good
friend these days, and I can honestly say it
is a comfort to have him there, not an intrusion.
Similarly, we have Sen. Sgt Jeff Smith
at Phillip Island for the international bike
races, and he too is most supportive of how
we go about our roles and at the same time,
allow them to carry out their duties. These
good things do not come about by accident.
11

piarc notes
Nelsons Column cont.
I mentioned OH&S earlier, and this too has
forced a different concept onto us all. Danny
Jonas prowling the paddock looking for power
leads on the ground is just the tip of the iceberg.
By Worksafe insisting we take a more
responsible attitude towards work conditions,
and by holding organizers and landowners as
ultimately responsible, it is no longer good
enough to say we are all there as volunteers
and responsible for our own actions but not
those of others. As Worksafe defended in a
recent court case, V8 Supercars was responsible
for a contractor that they had organized
to come onto a circuit to do some work for
the teams and CAMS was held responsible as
the sanctioning body, although I believe this
second “blame” could have been defended
further in court, but at the expense of the
organizer who would then have born the same
blame. Danny now checks off all contractors,
whether we have arranged them or not, and
insists that they each have their own OH&S
policies (or adopt the CAMS policy which is
applicable to all CAMS events), has stated
safe work practices, and appropriate insurance
in place. If you think about this, and
as you now read in regulations, each team is
also responsible for the work practices of
all their team, and also for any contractor
they arrange, whether it be a replacement
windscreen being replaced, or a tow truck
to take home their damaged racecar.
PIARC has been at the forefront of much
of this development, partly because of
circumstances and opportunity, but more
because we have the attitude that requires
a continual improvement in how we do things
and we have a close relationship with CAMS
that puts us in a good position to contribute
strongly.
And we have a much safer and better flowing
sport because of that.
Peter Nelson
President – PIARC.
12

access to motor sport
AIMSS
PIARC CLUBNIGHT BOOSTS FUNDS FOR AIMSS
(AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF MOTORSPORT SAFETY)
For its May monthly club night PIARC played host to the third of AIMSS (AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF
MOTORSPORT SAFETY) Head and Neck Restraint, Harnesses and Seats Workshops, on this occasion held at
the PIARC clubrooms at Moorabbin Airport.
AIMSS had previously conducted successful workshops in Sydney and Brisbane which had attracted good
attendances but could not match the outstanding 55 attendees on the 1 st May at Moorabbin.
AIMSS was represented by Chairman Dr Michael Henderson, Board member Allan Moffat & CEO Dr Rob
Nethercote and they were joined by an expert panel of presenters consisting of David Black Racetech NZ, Tullio
Saltamacchina & Mark Zellner from Revolution Racegear, Greg Yard from Simpson Products and David Ridden,
Geordie Miles and Kamryn Williams from Autofocus Marketing.
The night was an outstanding success and was capped off when PIARC President Peter Nelson presented
Michael Henderson with an authenticated framed AGP Poster bearing signatures of all F1 Drivers competing.
The poster was to be sold or auctioned by AIMSS with proceeds being directed to projects including the Safety
Harness Lifeing investigation project to be undertaken later this year by AIMSS.
This investigation is aimed at extending current short permitted harness life, providing savings for competitors
whilst maintaining high standards with this expensive but very necessary safety equipment.
Peter Nelson in presenting the poster to Dr Henderson said that PIARC was using this donation as a means of
putting some of its resources and funds towards the safety of its competing members and in fact all drivers who
compete in events conducted by PIARC and other clubs throughout Australia.
After the presentation Tasmanian motor sport identity Guy Thompson, who had flown over especially for the
Workshop, offered $5000-00 for the poster, to add to his collection of motor sport memorabilia? The offer was
gratefully accepted.
Guy attended the workshop in his capacity as the Tasmanian member of NASR Speedway Safety Advisory
Committee and was pleased not only to obtain the poster but to assist AIMSS funding in the process.
13

piarc notes
Send your articles to -
Ashley Benjamin
89 Paget Ave
Glenroy Vic 3046
or e-Mail to
magazine@piarc.com.au
If you send an e-mail please include
your contribution as a word doc.,
single column, attachment, photo’s in
jpeg format where possible. If you
have 6 photo’s or more divide them
up into more than one message.
If you have a Legal Problem call
WOLLERMAN SHACKLOCK
BARRISTERS & SOLICITORS
We provide a full range of Legal Services including:
* Wills and Probate * Subdivisions & Land Development
* Commercial Law * Motor Vehicle Accidents & Traffic Law
* Fixed Price Conveyancing * Legal Services for Small Businesses
* Family Law * Criminal Law
* Advisers to Motorsport * Aviation Law
FIRST FLOOR, 8 GLOUCESTER AVENUE, BERWICK
Telephone (03) 9707 1155
Facsimile (03) 9707 4834
E-mail - admin@wslegal.com.au
14

Clubnight June 2008
access to motor sport
CLUB NIGHT
June 2008
Guest Speaker
The members present were transfixed when
Geoff Bull introduced to us the Honorable
Justice Lex Lasry, as it soon became apparent
that this was going to be a talk like no other
presented to PIARC.
‘Tonight is unique as (quote) my motor racing
career (unquote) is concerned as it is the first
time that my interest in motor racing is described
as a career, and I shall savor it.
The Hon. Justice Lex Lasry QC.
…….a self confessed petrol head and all round
nice guy. Owning an orange, black and white
TNT colored 1996 Porsche GT3, #48.
‘Lex Lasry was admitted to practice as a prosecutor
in 1973 and later became a renowned
criminal defense lawyer. He was quickly recognized
within the legal profession for his
astuteness and high intelligence. He became
well known within Victorian legal circles for
his role assisting the Costigan Royal Commission,
as temporary counsel assisting the
national Crime Authority, and for his role in
inquiries following fatal police shootings in
the late 1980’s. But it was when he turned to
criminal defense law that Lex Lasry was put
most prominently in the public eye’…..
Excerpt from the Australian Catholic University
web page after the Hon. Justice Lex
Lasry was awarded an Honorary Doctorate
for his contribution to social justice and law
at the Melbourne Campus Arts and Sciences
Graduation Ceremony on 6 th May 2008.
This “career” started around thirty six years
ago - a friend had a MG TC and was in the MG
Car Club. Enthused, I ended up with one as well.
This was super fast for a standard MG midget,
and one that I would rather race than polish. I
made the necessary modifications ~ I took the
front bumper bar off to make it go faster.
So at Calder I entered my first road race. Some
of the heroes of the MG Car Club in those days
were Ken Price, John Latham, Peter Beasley
and Paul Trevethan, all in sports cars. Also racing
was the then Secretary of the club, John
Wratten in a 1934 MG P Type and the pace
of that car was making me look really good.
I was coming second last by half a lap and he
was half a lap behind me. It was amusing up to
that point. The thing that shocked me was on
the last lap and the last corner (Repco corner)
John flipped it and killed himself. I can still
remember seeing the car back at the pits and
there was hardly any damage to the car, being
a spindly thing with a high centre of gravity, it
had done a complete roll and landed on its wheels
but John had snapped his neck in the process.
I was devastated but the promoters rang and
encouraged me to stay in the sport.
By this time I had nearly finished Uni, staged
an armed robbery in the Monash Law School for
the purpose of staging a court case in which I
played the prosecutor having been the driver
of the get away car. Of course we picked a
car, nimble, fast, good handling and looked the
part….. we chose a Morris 1100 S, we got away,
and later I got to prosecute myself!
15

piarc notes
Clubnight June 2008 Cont.
Next I purchased a Mini Cooper S. Looking at
them now in the Historic race meetings I wonder
how I ever fitted in one!
Then came the burgundy colored road going
1600cc Ford Cortina GT, first entered into
races we had no place being in – touring car
races. We also put knobby tyres on it and ran
in rally cross events. I can still remember being
at Calder Park Raceway sitting on the pit
counter in my new race suit thinking I was
glad I stayed in the sport as I was such an
ornament to it, and I was sitting next to Bob
Jane, also an ornament to the sport. He really
was though, and I had tremendous respect for
him. I remember Bob won a touring car race,
in a Monaro 350, in the only time it snowed at
Calder, it was phenomenal.
Now Bob made a wise crack about my car;
laughing at the Cortina he asked “what type
of tyres are they?”
I proudly replied “Dunlop AquaJets” “Hmmmm,
on a circuit car”.Bob laughed and sniggered to
others, then walked off. So ended my long term
relationship with Bob Jane.
We did well in that car; even if the other share
holders in the car drove better than me!
By this stage the legal career was starting to
move. Cars weren’t just my life, my business,
they were everything. I’d race at weekends,
then in the magistrates court I was defending
the crash and bash actions day in day out. The
ambition so far as I was concerned besides
being a Formula One driver as I had the obvious
surplus of talent was also that I wanted to
be a criminal lawyer. I probably came to this
view directly as a result of the Ryan-Walker
case of the late 1960’s, and in particular the
1967 execution of Ronald Ryan which was so
controversial. If you wanted to be involved in
the aspects of law which were most important
in people’s lives, then you had to be involved in
criminal cases.
And I straight away recognized, whether it
is a view shared by Derryn Hinch or Andrew
Bolt or anybody else, the truth is that criminal
lawyers do defend people charged with serious
crime and stand between the State and those
people. The lawyers have a significant effect
on defending people’s liberty.
With the career and the family taking off (Lex
and his wife have two sons and two daughters)
the hobby had to take a back seat. In spite
of this, I did get hooked up with some people,
Chris and Neil Swingler, and the highly sophisticated
Triumph Spitfire. The first one I
raced was previously owned by John Gourlay.
Didn’t do very well but that was followed by a
Triumph GT6.
Last year at Phillip Island I was approached by
a fella who asked me did I know it was in someone’s
shed and did I want to pay the $7,000.00
to own it again….’no I didn’t’ was the instant
answer. I hadn’t done so well in the Triumph
Spitfire but in the GT6 you’d be amazed to know
in that year I proudly competed in every round
of the under 2 litre Sports Car Championship
and finished fourth over the year. Pretty good
as most drivers didn’t finish most races, and it
gave me the chance to at least share the track
with Alan Moffat in his red 935 Porsche later
owned by Bruce Harris; and John Latham who
was winning the Championship.
16

access to motor sport
In 1981 the career took over and I was prosecuting
a fellow named Chris Flannery. You
might of heard of Chris, known by all sorts of
descriptions one being Mr. Rent-a-Kill, a genuine
psychopath. A person who had no empathy
for other people and killed as a living.
Chris and his mates had the audacity to kill
a barrister. The barrister was Roger Wilson,
and this murder was a dead set mystery. Roger
had been seen driving his 924 Porsche home
but never arrived.
His car was found at the airport but he was
never seen again - no body was ever recovered
and there was a circumstantial case
against Chris Flannery and several of his
accomplices.
There was a lot of publicity and it was the
type of case I wanted to be involved in as
the prosecutor and on several occasions during
the course of the trial he seemed to get
excited when you did something to hurt his
case. Those blue eyes went a steely grey and
on a couple of occasions he would comment,
most unsettlingly “you’re off you dog” for
example was the type of thing he’d say in
court. And of course you would just press on,
you are not the slightest bit frightened - you
just didn’t sleep at night.
At the end of the case the jury said,” Not
Guilty”.
Fortunately for us, as I was thinking I would
have to spend the rest of my life in the court
room, as I couldn’t go anywhere safe, the New
South Wales Police arrived and arrested him
for the murder of “Lizard” Locksley. He was
acquitted of that charge as well and he proceeded
to join the Sydney under world with the
likes of Roger Rogerson and Tommy Domican
eventually was murdered himself.
That was all very exciting and as the motor
racing was in recess during the eighties, I
joined Frank Costigan’s Royal Commission into
the Federated Shipping Painters and Dockers
Union. I now live in Port Melbourne. I thought
those days came to an end when a few years
ago, outside our supermarket in Bay Street
when there was an execution style killing of
notorious criminal Victor Peirce.
A gangland killing probably by a well known
crim., over money that had been paid over
another hit, which didn’t happen either.
In those days of the 1980s, Port Melbourne
was full of institutions and full of criminals
and wharfies, and there was a pub on every
corner. Probably one of the most famous
publicans was Fred Cooke a footballer and
businessman (did I hear someone say he sold
more than beer) if you don’t mind.
The 1990’s was then getting a bit serious and I
was appointed a Queens Counsel, a point when
you have to stop mucking around and take your
work more seriously. The work was fascinating
and I enjoyed every minute of it.
About that time a friend turned fifty; being
four or five years older than me. I asked him
what he was doing for his fiftieth and he said
he was going to buy a Porsche!
I had always wanted a Porsche. As a kid my
favorite toy was a silver hard top 356B.
Not to be outdone, the next weekend I went
to Dutton’s. I talked to the salesman who now
owns his own business.
He shows me a red 3.2 Carerra.
17

piarc notes
Clubnight June 2008 Cont.
After all those years in motor racing, I was
not going to be sucked in by any salesman,
(Hmmmm). It was a Saturday morning and he
said I could take it home for the weekend!
By that time my eyes were rotating in their
sockets and all I could say was ‘ga,ga,ga’. He
said that we might need to sign some documents,
I replied “I’ll sign anything!”
I bought the car….had the necessary work
done and found myself back in the same
place as I was in the seventies. Joined the
Porsche Club then found they don’t race . A
few drive days later and I bought another
Porsche - a 964 RS - which I later sold for
not much money.
I sold that really as before I die; which could
be anytime the way I drive, I’d like to drive
a really competitive race car. So I bought a
former Nations Cup car that had been sponsored
by TNT, a GT3. Bought it without again
asking any of the right questions.
By the time I got the car back from Sydney
of course it was not competitive and everyone
knows if you want to be competitive you have
to have a Cup Car, so is it me or is it the car?
Probably BOTH!
Although it is not a particularly competitive
car I now feel that I’m in something that really
was designed to race. In a sense that it
is what encapsulates what I feel about motor
sport. There is something about being at the
racetrack, pulling on a helmet, sitting in a car
even if you are at the back of the grid….I’m
about to turn sixty and I can’t let it go – but
perhaps I should! I have had the support of
my long suffering wife while I’ve been in court,
at the office or at a motor racing track over
the past thirty five years, and her attitude
is “if I can’t let it go then I might as well
keep on going!”
Tongue in cheek-(I wish she had had said that
way back - I might have won a championship
by now….! )
The other thing I really enjoyed was working
with CAMS, helping revamp the judicial processes
for the V8 Supercar racing in particular.
Peter Wollerman is the IPO and a great person
to work with. At every hearing that I attend I
try to make everyone understand me. To make
motor sport work properly, it has to be kept
simple and straight forward. And if someone
has to be penalised, they have to be penalised
fairly.
Tied in with this work, I chaired the enquiries
over the Mark Porter fatality at Bathurst
and the Peter Brock fatality in Western Australia.
There are always benefits we can learn from
these incidents. Mark Porter lost control, came
to a rest sideways across the track to the oncoming
traffic. What we learned was that what
happened appeared to be bound to happen in
the circumstances. The question was how hard
was he hit and would he survive? On the video
you see him put up his hands to his helmet just
before he was hit.
It reminds us of the risk and the excitement
of it is what make the sport attractive as well
as making it dangerous at times.
That brings us up to the last few years which
have been dominated by David Hicks at Guantanamo
Bay. I went there twice with the Law
Council of Australia. There was also my client
in Singapore - Van Tuong Nguyen - who was
executed after being convicted of attempting
to export 400 grams of heroin.
This sort of takes me back to where I started
in 1967 when Ryan case was on and in the early
1970’s when I met a lot of barristers who defended
murderers and took on the serious task
under the pressure of whether their client would
be convicted or not.
18

access to motor sport
Recently I came across Brian Morley, who was
a journalist who went to Ryan’s execution to
cover it as a member of the general public.
He watched Ryan’s hanging as a public witness.
He was struck by what he described as
“the coldness and deliberateness of it” - the
extinguishing of a human life where the person
had no choice but to allow himself to be
killed. Brian immediately became an opponent
to capital punishment and it has affected him
ever since. He could not give a speech like this
without becoming very emotional . I can now
empathize with Brian after seeing my client
Van before he went to his death in Singapore,
and the sense of calm and dignity he had. That
case became in a sense the most proudest and
the most difficult thing I have done.
In my motor sport career I have experienced
other emotional moments, to witness phenomenal
courage. When Craig Lowndes had his big
crash at Calder and the other drivers came to
his assistance, oblivious to the risks. James
Hunt who went to Niki Lauder’s aid risking
tremendous harm to himself to aid another.
Van Nguyen in Singapore faced his death with
courage. I think about Van’s courage a lot, and
while I’m in the race car I use it as a sense
of motivation.
The calmness and courage that he displayed
in the face of death is an inspiration to me.
For some reason, I don’t understand the state
of Victoria made me a Supreme Court Judge.
So here I am in this conservative atmosphere
with a bunch of colleagues who independently
and impartially as they can be, dispense justice.
And now proudly, even though I haven’t
won a Championship (and pulling the bumper
bar off the MG didn’t make it go any quicker) I
am now the only racing Judge that I know.
I am very proud of this although I have
only done one race meeting (which was at
Sandown) since being appointed.We all need
something that takes us away from that which
dominates our lives. The really great thing about
being around motor racing people is they are not
lawyers! They speak a language that I understand.
It is a fantastic antidote - the sounds, smell,
atmosphere, fight over pit garages, ‘no’ I’m not
going to sit in the rain., hooking the car up and
towing it home.
The time has to come when it will come to an end
and I’m not like the champions of motor sport
who regret it coming to an end. Motor sport won’t
miss me as a competitor. But I will be sad when
it comes time that I have to give it away.
If you are around the Supreme Court, just come
on in and if there is a spare spot in the jury,
someone might pop you on it.
To wind up the evening, Geoff graciously thanked
Lex for his enlightening speech “Lex you do great
credit to yourself and your family, your profession,
your club and the sport”, then couldn’t help
having a few passing shots
- “how on earth did you ever get a job in law
when you can’t even fill in your entry form properly?”
- and“ if you are thinking about your job while
your driving, no wonder you come last!”
- also ‘it’s interesting , Lex goes motor racing
to get away from work where as we go to work
to get away from motor racing!”
……and hang on to that Porsche as it will be worth
a lot some day!
Biography:
-Graduated from Hailbury College
-Attended Monash University
-Admitted to practice in 1973
-QC 1990
-Former chair of the Victorian Criminal Bar Association
2004 Aug. appointed independent observer representing the
Law Council of Australia at the trial of Australian Guantanamo
19

piarc notes
Bay detainee David Matthew Hicks.
- He attended military Commission hearings at Guantanamo
Bay in 2004 Aug and 2007 March.
-Between 2003 -2006 acted as senior counsel assisting
the Coronial inquiry into the Canberra bushfires.
-Defense council in criminal cases in Australia and overseas.
– Acted on behalf of Joseph Thomas-terror trial
which Thomas was convicted of receiving funds from
terrorist organizations and passport offences, the
conviction was overturned.
-Represented Van Tuong Nguyen-convicted of drug trafficking
in Singapore 2004 and executed Dec. 2005 .
-Recently taken up the cases of two of the Bali nine
convicted of drug trafficking offences.
-Lasry is entitled to practice law in the Australian jurisdiction
of Vic., NSW, NT, QLD, SA and WA.
- Member of the Council of the International Criminal
Bar for Counsel practicing before the International
Court of Justice.
-Chairs appellate hearings for the Confederation of
Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) and for V8 Supercar
racing.
-Holds a racing car licence.
-Has Chambers in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney.
-Was appointed as a Justice of the Supreme Court of
Victoria on 23 rd Oct 2007.
-Awarded an Honorary Doctorate by ACU on 6 th May
2008
Cheers,
Sue Halliwell

Head & Neck Restraints
access to motor sport
HEAD & NECK RESTRAINTS
Viewpoint from Justin Brown
Earlier this year I attended the seminar
on Head and Neck Restraint run by the
Australian Institute of Motor Sport
Safety (AIMSS) and sponsored by PIARC,
and have been asked to give you an overview
of the current thinking in this critical area
of safety. Why me, you ask? I deal with
soft tissue whiplash injuries to the neck
every day as a chiropractor, and I’ve raced
Historic Touring Cars for the last 15 years.
If you get to see someone like me after a
race shunt, you’re lucky. The alternative
is not appealing.
Dr. Michael Henderson, AIMSS Chairman,
delivered the address. Michael is credited
with developing the racing harness that we
all use, initially pioneered by Jackie Stewart
in Europe in the 1960s. Michael has written
extensively on the subject and had years of
experience in road safety in NSW. Not bad
for a bloke who campaigns a historic open
wheeler competitively still today. When Dr.
Henderson has something to say on safety,
the FIA takes notice – not just those of us
lower down the food chain.
The AIMSS is researching for the FIA
the possibility of increasing the useable
life of your FIA-approved harness. This
project is being undertaken in co-operation
with “Autoliv”, the harness manufacturer
here in Melbourne. You may not believe it
but the FIA is interested in a cost-benefit
analysis of every safety system used,
being fully aware that high initial purchase
or lifing costs will deter many from using
the products.
Head and neck restraint is necessary to minimise
not only whiplash or soft-tissue loads to neck
but to limit head excursion and resultant impact,
and most importantly to limit potentially fatal
neck loads (particularly in axial tension or
stretching). This last injury is the one that
“bites”, often termed catastrophic neck injury
and resulting in death or serious injury. Data
presented showed that some well known deaths
in motorsport have occurred at impact speeds
of less than 60 mph – yes 60 mph can result
in deceleration loads in excess of 50 G. You
may be traveling well in excess of 200 km/hr
but much of this speed has washed off by the
time you hit something solid. Heaven forbid
the T-bone incident where you’re stationary and
hit by another vehicle without any appreciable
slowing.
Impact accelerations are measured over 1/10 th
of a second. The following table gives an average
for various situations:
1. Median car accident 10g
2. Road car – seat belt test 30 g
3. Risk of whiplash (soft tissue) 40 g
4. SFI test for belts 50 g
5. SFI test for neck restraints 68 g
6. FIA test for neck restraints 75 g
7. “Kubica” wall impact 75 g
We’ve all seen the crash-sled footage of the
dummy undergoing deceleration. It seems fairly
certain to me that if you hit something hard
enough with only a properly adjusted safety
harness you will probably impact the steering
wheel at least, and who knows what you’ll hit in a
side-on impact. The bare minimum seems to be
a full face helmet and a window net. Remember,
the V8 Supercar drivers who persist with an
open face helmet at least have a neck brace and
a winged seat to save on dental bills.
21

piarc notes
Head & Neck Restraints Cont.
Without a neck brace the head and neck
movement is horrific in an impact, your belts
and the soft tissues of your neck can and do
stretch. Neck restraint was only adopted
after airbags were found to be unsuccessful
in racing cars. Whether this was a location
issue or a deployment problem I don’t know.
Interestingly though, there seems to be
some work in this area in aviation, with belt
mounted systems being studied.
HANS
The most widely used restraint is the HANS
device, with which we are all familiar made
either by Hubbard-Downing or under license
by Stand 21 or Schroth. This device works
well in frontal/rearward impacts, limiting
flexion (forward), extension (backward) and
axial stretching of the neck. Side-on impacts
with the HANS device are still problematic
unless it is used in conjunction with a winged
seat (closed cars) or deformable cockpit
protection (modern F1 style). The earlier
HANS devices limited your ability to turn
your neck because of the fixed tethers to
your helmet but newer models have a sliding
tether system which can be fitted to earlier
models. The more expensive HANS device
is significantly lighter than the entry level
model and all models require your shoulder
harness attachment points to be fairly
close together to make sure the device is
properly secured to your shoulders. Your
helmet must have tether posts which can
be retrofitted if your helmet is Snell SA95
or SA 2000 certified but AS1698 certified
helmets can’t be modified.
LEATT
The Leatt brace addresses the problem in
a different manner from the HANS device
because it clips together fully enclosing your
neck. It does not require tether posts and
side bending, forward flexion and backward
extension are limited by the helmet contacting
the brace. Tethers are attached to the chin
straps to prevent axial stretching and the
shoulder harness is more positively located
on the device at four points. Leatt supplies
three different length locking pins, a choice
made according to the wearer’s chest depth.
This type of brace takes practice to put on
with the helmet attached. In fact, I found it
takes a while to master the technique. As the
belts are more positively located under wings on
this brace, you need to flip the belts off after
undoing the rotary buckle – possibly taking a split
second more to get out than you’re used to.
HUTCHENS
The last restraint demonstrated was the
Hutchens Hybrid. This carbon fibre device is
worn like a harness and attached to your helmet
with a tether necessitating existing attachment
points or helmet modification. Performance
comparisons against the HANS device suggest
superior restraint and reduced neck loads in
frontal, oblique and side impacts.
So … which one? In short, all three of these
meet FIA or SFI standards and are legal in
Australia for competition to national level.
International events mandate FIA not SFI, so
only the HANS complies. Would someone please
explain why the FIA only gives the nod to one
device when the testing standards from the
SFI are comparable? The FIA standard holds
22

access to motor sport
the moral high ground but requires either
modification to your helmet or the purchase
of a new one. If this stops one person from
buying an SFI device that doesn’t require a
new helmet, it is one too many.
My preference is for the Leatt brace
because I feel the cost-benefit is superior
(no new helmet) and because I felt this brace
addressed the shortfall of the HANS in not
protecting enough from side impact. The Leatt
brace is bulky and you need to practice putting
it on and off and getting out of the car. I
didn’t when I first tried it. Also, the Leatt
allows freedom to turn your neck and it is only
now that the HANS has been modified with a
sliding tether to allow the same. The Hutchens
looks complicated with its restraining harness
being worn under your vehicle harness but it
may turn out to be the safest.
Either way, just buy one. Forego one race
meeting cost, combine it with a window net
and the safest, most “wrap-around” seat
your category will allow and get back on the
track.
Have a look at some of the crash test footage
from HANS, Leatt, Hutchens, or on You Tube.
Talk to competitors who have copped a bit
hit. It’s not mandatory yet but it should be.
None of us will ever be as brave as Nuvolari
driving without a helmet or seatbelt, but that’s
simply progress.
Costs
HANS $1400 + helmet or mods.
Leatt $1000
Hutchens $1500-1600 + Helmet or mods
Websites
www.leattbrace.com.au
www.hutchensdevice.com.au
www.hansdevice.com (US site)
You Tube – HANS device
23

piarc notes
COTY Dinner 2008
24

Bits'n'Pieces - July 2008
access to motor sport
The PHILLIP ISLAND & SAN REMO AD-
VERTISER is always a good read if you want
to catch up on local news from The Island.
A lot of the news there these days is about
the protest about the desalinisation plant
proposed for just down the road, on the
mainland. Another protest is regarding the
plan to place a rubbish transfer station in
Gap Rd, which links the track with Cowes.
I’m not going to enter into the relative arguments,
but it seems a shame that people
feel they have to get “agro” to achieve the
publicity they are seeking. I guess the protest
and appeals about the Linfox proposals
for the circuit come into this bracket as
well. So much of it appears to be Not In
My Backyard.
The Warley Hospital in Cowes has gone, and
the nursing home will be closed as well any
day now, after looking like it would get a
reprieve for a while. There are other nursing
homes on Phillip Island but it is always a
shame when an institution which has been a
part of life for so many years finally disappears.
PIARC has used the services of the
Warley Hospital over the many years we
have been associated with the area. I can
remember years ago when we used to run
combined car and bike events. Whenever a
rider fell off, he was sent to Warley to have
the gravel removed from his skin, piece by
piece. This was in the days when the track
was a “spray seal” surface, with small stones
embedded in bitumen. Trouble was that it
tended to get embedded in the skin as well
when a rider slid over it at high speed. Our
track doctors could not devote enough time
to remove all the stones, so took the easy
way out and sent them into town, to the
dismay of the local doctors who really did
not want to be doing this on their weekends.
The local doctors have now established a surgery
with after-hours emergency service,
in Thompson Ave, just as you enter town,
and the Wonthaggi Hospital provides a 24
hour emergency department so keep that in
mind next time you have some drama while
down there.
Have you ever looked to your right as you
cross over the Phillip Island bridge, and
seen an odd pylon in the water, close to
the piers at Newhaven. It has been there
since 2006 and has been used for trials to
harness the energy of tidal movement to
generate electricity. A new large underwater
turbine was installed there in mid-January
this year and ARC Operations are confident
that they are on the way to an alternative
power source to match the wind turbines in
their “green” credentials. That stretch of
water is ideal for such tests, as the tidal
flow be cause of its much higher that average
tidal flows, and if you have ever stood
in the water on the San Remo beach while
the tide is in full flow, you will understand
this only too well.
A Note from the Editor.
While photos submitted are greatly appreciated,
can the senders please include
detail of names, cars, locations. Without this
detail, there is unfortunately little point in
publishing them.
25

piarc notes
For Sale
RX4 Imp Production
mazda rx-4 x imp production car
blue/ white 13b p/p motec f/inj. s/steel balanced exh. needham 5spd c/
ratio box in rx-7 s4 turbo box plus spare std turbo box. race l.s.d. 41/44/
48 ratios. also
2nd car coupe good to restore some rust in usual places but mainly straight
car.complete except for engine .
3rd coupe currently has cyl engine but is rx good only for parts car a bit
rough has been repaired a few times b/fore.
contact g.walker 0408521290.
26

access to motor sport
Remember “Back When ??"
PIARC, SOME 30 YEARS AGO
(Checking out from December 1976 - #92 in the series
The first half of the Summer Season has
been run in 1976, with two race meetings in
November. Part 1 of the classics went well
with three national championships and two
local championships. These were reported on
in the last issue, but we did not mention that
John Leffler became the Gold Star Champion
at our meeting, but was beaten home for
first place by our very own Alf Costanze in
his F.5000. A very popular win for Alf. Other
highlights were Alan Hamilton taking the
lead for a few laps of the Group A Sportscar
race in his Turbo Porsche, Stewart Kostera
(the elder) winning in the ex-Garrie Cooper
Elfin MS7, forty seven F.Vees on the grid
for their final race of the day, Peter Jansen
finishing the Rover 500K in third place after
driving us all nuts through out the meeting
with his antics, Lew Wade bringing down
two Tiger Moths for a fly past at Control
Tower height (fortunately before the current
bridges were constructed), and Greg
Hansford being evaluated for a CAMS car
licence. He passed with flying colours and
we were most impressed with his switch
from bikes to cars.
The balance of the Summer Season was
two meetings in January – New Year featuring
the Lew Wade Motors National Vee
Challenge and the Victorian rand Prix for
Motorcycles, and the Australia Day weekend
featuring the Goodrich Radial Challenge.
Bad news from the Summer Series was that
the touring cars did a fair bit of damage to
the track and Kage, Henk Duncan, Geoff Bull,
Alan and David Rossiter staying down to work
through the week to dig out the damaged areas
and then bring in the concrete trucks to fill
up the holes. As usual, all the reinforcement
was fences and bedsteads from the farm and
the local tip, and the final finish was applied to
the surface by Bert Stoppa and his sons who
were masters at this art by now. With their
help we could have built to world’s strongest
race track, if only we had the money, and
didn’t have to go back to our own jobs the
following week.
The way things have fallen with dates, Alan
Campbell was able to run a PIARC sprint at
the circuit late in January.
Following on from Kage’s unusual road tests
some time ago, Wal Head used his professional
contacts to conduct a road test on the
S.S.Fairsky – started off as a cargo vessel
then aircraft carrier before being converted
to passenger service in 1957 (a bit like a sports
sedan which started off as a shopping car, then
a production race car). Main details included
Length - 502 feet long, Height – just under
the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Weight – 15240
tonnes, Capacity – 1429 passengers, Engines
– General Electric steam turbines, Brakes
– none, Steering – not much, Power – 8500
SHP normal, and 9350 SHP when desperate,
Turning Circle – 2000 feet. Final opinion was
“Useless for commuting but unsurpassed as
a holiday vehicle”.
27

piarc notes
A Load of Bull
Time waits for no man or woman and 2008 is
certainly disappearing in that manner what
with Race Meetings and Club Activities rushing
past at a great rate of knots.
Since the last PIARC Notes which featured
Ted Huglin’s brand new stickered up (wait
for the black PIARC stickers) Lamborghini
Gallardo (well it was new at the start of
our VSCRC meeting), we have had our first
Shannons Nationals round for the year and
two fantastic club nights with guest speakers
Justice Lex Lasry in June and Acting
Inspector Jeff Smith.
For those not fortunate enough to have attended
the June club night Sue Halliwell has
produced her usual detailed report on the tale
of Lex Lasry. That article appears elsewhere
in this magazine and makes a good read.
Jeff Smith was our guest last week and has
been a member of the Victorian Police Major
Accident Squad for 16 years and presented
a varied talk on the role the Squad plays in
fatal accidents or accidents where a fatality
is likely.
Jeff is also usually in attendance at MotoGP
in a standby role and has become quite well
known to a number of us.
He presented a great insight into the way
fatal incidents (rather than accidents, Jeff
refers to them as crimes) are investigated
and the high tech equipment & skills now used
to reconstruct these incidents and establish
the facts to present to the coroner.
Jeff also gave us some interesting stats on
booze buses, drug buses, types of crashes,
gathering evidence etc.
Our August Club Night will take a more laid
back approach after a string of fantastic
guests and will be in the form of a DVD night
watching some favourite footage of events
and maybe some more of the latest Top Gear
DVDs.
September 4th activities are still not confirmed
so watch out on the web and for Matts
regular E-Notes.
October 2 nd is already booked and features
a visit from Britek Motorsport owner and
former Formula Ford Champion, Bathurst
winner and Gold Star Champ Jason Bright.
We also tend to forget Jason has had a successful
international career, starring in the
USA in Formula Ford, Indy Lights and was
headed for Champ cars before returning home
after the dollars ran out. Don’t miss this
great night a week before Bathurst.
On the racing scene our Shannons national
round in June produced the largest Shannons
entry to date with 165 across 6 categories,
Sports Sedans, Commodore Cup, Australian
Manufacturers Championship, Formula 3, a
fantastic 37 Formula Vees and a massive 53
HQs.
Out of those fields it was somewhat surprising
that in the cool but pleasant June weather
that 4 lap records were broken, some in fact
on several occasions.
Lee castle in a WRX set a new Production Car
record of 1.49.8475, whilst Darren Hossack
in his fantastic new John Gourlay owned Audi
Chev laid down a phenomenal 1.31.8615 new
Sports Sedan benchmark. New South Welshman
Tim Hamilton made his mark on the Formula
Vee 1600 record with a 1.52.9995.
Of great interest was the preservation of evidence
and crash scenes as this unfortunately
involves us as officials from time to time when
we have serious accidents at the track.
28

A Load of Bull Cont.
access to motor sport
Leanne Tander got fired up by her unfortunate
drive through and pummelled the Formula 3
record leaving it at 1.26.9031 which is only
2.68 seconds outside the Outright Circuit
record. This record is another high point in
what is turning into an illustrious career in
that I believe it to be the first Category Lap
Record set by a woman in Australian Motor
Sport. Keep up the great work Leanne, the
Gold Star is within reach.
Our 5 racing members at the Shannons, Brian
Sampson, Luke Youlden,
Andrew Williams, Anthony D’Anna and current
Competitor of the Year Marcus Zukanovic all
acquitted themselves well in their respective
categories of Formula 3, Sports Sedans, HQs,
Formula Vee and Commodore Cup.
Marcus put a smile on Mick’s face with his
return to Commodore Cup yielding 2 firsts and
a third, Luke Youlden 2 thirds and a second,
Andrew Williams a fifth, thirty third and ninth,
Anthony D’Anna eleventh and eighteenth and
Sambo thirteenth & fifteenth in his first F3
drive in years. Overall a great result for our
racing members.
You may have noticed the Hollywood Hotel is
for sale, but Theo advises the great discounts
for members and competitors are still happening
in the short term regardless of whether
the business, the property or both sell.
Also remember that Dominic Miles at the Eco
Resort has also put together a great package
of discounted accommodation for all our
events including sprints.
The Eco Resort Restaurant and Pizza Place
also get a big tick for great food having now
sampled both.
Both the Hollywood Hotel and Eco Resort have
generously put up prizes for the Coty Dinner
on 16 th August.
No time to waste, reading this magazine, stop
now and book now for the COTY Dinner at
Brighton Savoy. Call Mark Scorah on 97756629
or email him mark.scorah@piarc.com.au without
delay.
See you soon
Regards
Geoff
29

piarc notes
Special Deal for PIARC Members
Your SPONSORS’ branch is located at
25% OFF!!
$29.95
20% OFF!!
RSEA offer PIARC members 10% discount off store items, simply present your
membership card to validate your discount.
$21.55
RSEA stores are located in Tullamarine, Laverton, Moorabbin, Bayswater & Dandenong.
They are a big supplier of safety gear and clothing including –
Footwear
Jackets
CAT, HUSKI, Rainbird, clothing
Eye protection made by known brands, great for serious bike riding without a serious
price.
Ear protection, what did you say?
Check out a store near you.
Insect Repellent
20%
30
Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer. E

access to motor sport
Birthdays
31

piarc notes
Birthdays Cont.
32

access to motor sport
Club Regalia
OFFICIALS SHIRT @ $40.00
(Short sleeve and pocket) Sizes:
XXS,S,M,L,XL
OFFICIALS SHIRT @ $40.00
(Long sleeve and pocket) Sizes:
XXS,XS,S,M,LXL
PLAIN 250 GM PIQUE POLO SHIRT @
$35.00
(Bottle Green) Sizes: S,M,L,XL,XXL,(XXXL
SPEC ORDER)
DROP NEEDLE POLO SHIRT @ $35.00
(Black with patterned collar) Sizes
S,M,L,XL,XXL
250 GM PIQUE POLO SHIRT @ 40.00
(White with Striped collar) Sizes
S,M,L,XL,XXL
TWILL POLO @ $40.00
(Bottle Green with white stripe in collar)
Sizes S,M,L,XL,XXL
POLO FLEECE 1/2 ZIPP @ $50.00
(Bottle Green with side pockets) Sizes
S,M,L,XL,XXL
POLO FLEECE VEST @45.00
(Black & Charcoal with side pockets)
M,L,XL,XXL
LONG LINE JACKET @ $110.00
(Black & Red with polar fleece lining) Sizes
S,M,L,XL,XXL
CAPS @ 15.00 ea.
(Two tone Forest & Fawn)
BEANIES @ $15.00 ea.
(Black)
WET WEATHER SETS @ 70.00
(White with PIARC on back) Sizes
M,L,XL,XXL,XXXL
PIARC CLOTH BADGES @ $5 ea.
PIARC “ACCESS TO MOTORSPORT”
Stickers @ $2.00 ea.
PIARC "SHIELD STICKERS" @ 2.00 ea.
PIARC “RADIATOR BADGE” @ $20.00
ea.
PIARC “LAPEL PINS” @ $10.00 ea.
reduced prices
Yellow Rugby Tops - White Rugby Tops -
Yellow Polo Shirts - Yellow T-Shirts - White
Overalls -
Old Style Wet Weather gear and Old Style
Jackets available in various sizes
FOR ALL CLUB GEAR PLEASE CONTACT:
Chris Earl
Phone 9570-3918
Or See me at
CLUB NIGHT /
SPRINTS /
RACE MEETINGS
33

piarc notes
Phillip Island Record Of Trophy Winners
Endeavour Cup.
1977 Ian Geogheghan -Porsche 935 Conducted For Spts Cars
1991 Bob Minogue -Lola T430 F5000 Conducted For Libre
1992 Mike Drewer -Richards 201 Af2 “ “ “
1993 Wayne Ford -Ralt Rt34 Af2 “ “ “
1994 Arthur Abrahams -Reynard 92d F/Brab” “ “
1995 Arthur Abrahams -Reynard 92d F/3000” “ “
1996 Chas Jacobsen -Reynard 92d F/Hold” “ “
1997 Chas Jacobsen -Reynard 92d F/Hold” “ “
1998 Chas Jacobsen -Reynard 92d F/Hold” “ “
1999 Not Conducted
2000 Chas Jacobsen -Dallara 396 F/Three
2001 Not Conducted
2002 Ojars Balodis -Porsche 944 C/Ducted For Porsche944
2003 John Morriss -Porsche 944 “ “ “ ‘
2004 Kane Rose -Porsche 944 “ “ “
2005 Brent Rose -Porsche 944 “ “ “
2006 Robert Lange -Porsche 944 “ “ ”
2007 Tony Westaway -Porsche 944 “ “ “
50k Plate For Sports Sedans.
1977 Garry Rogers -Monaro Gts 35o
1991 Tony Hubbard -Commodore Vn
1992 Bill Emeny -Nissan Stanza Turbo
1993 Barry Jamieson -Falcon Eb
1994 Bob Jolly -Commodore Vk
1995 Mike Imrie -Saab Coupe
1996 Robin Doherty -Commodore Vp
1997 Bruce De Boo -Mazda Rx7
1998 Mike Imrie -Saab Coupe
1999 Barry Jameson -Falcon El
2000 Richard Catchlove -Mazda Rx7
2001 Dean Randle -Saab Coupe
2002 Chris Muscat -Mazda Rx7
2003 Chris Muscat -Mazda Rx7
2004 Darren Hossack -Saab Chev
2005 Dean Randle -Saab Coupe
2006 Dean Randle -Saab Coupe
2007 Glen Hastings -Cortina V8
Governor Phillip Cup.
1978 David Richardson -Matich Sr3
2006 Mort Fitzgerald -Mgb V8
2007 Not Conducted
34

access to motor sport
San Remo Saloon Car Challenge
2001 Leon Fletcher -Vn Commodore Saloon Cars
2003 Robert Macready -Vn Commodore Saloon Cars
2004 Steve Kwiatkowski -Ea Falcon Saloon Cars
2005 2007 Not Conducted
Matthew Flinders Plate.
1978 Bruce Young -Torana Conducted For Sports Sedans
1991 Andrew Brown -Mazda Rx3 Conducted For Club Cars
1992 Phil Morriss -Datsun 1600 “ “ “ “
1993 Ken Douglas -Mazda Rx7 “ “ “ “
1994 Ken Douglas -Mazda Rx7 Club Car Nationals
1995 Warick Massey -Mazda Rx7 Conducted For Club Cars
1996 Ken Douglas -Mazda Rx7 “ “ “ “
1997 Mario Calagari -Mazda Rx7 “ “ “ “
1998 Denis Gallagher -Mazda Rx7 “ “ “ “
1999 Andrew Brown -Mazda Rx7 Club Car Nationals
2000 Rohan Ambrose -Mazda Rx7 Conducted For Club Cars
2001 Ken Douglas -Mazda Rx7 Improved Production Cars
2002 Wayne Wakefield -Mazda 808 Improved Production Cars
2003 Warick Massey -Mazda Rx7 “ “ “
2004 Leanne Tander -Mazda Rx7 “ “ “
2005 Mario Caligari -Mazda Rx7 “ “ “
2006 Anthony Wallis -Mazda Rx3 “ “ “
2007 Ben Schoots -Mazda Rx7 “ “ “
Victorian Road Racing Championship(John Roxborough Trophy)
1968 John Walker -Elfin Mono Af2
1969 John Roxborough -Lotus
1991 Arthur Abrahams -Ransburgh Cheetah Af2
1992 Russell Davidson -Ransburgh Cheetah Af2
1993 Arthur Abrahams -Reynard 913 Af2
1994 David Bruce -Reynard 893 Af2
1995 Simon Hardwidge -Dallara F393 Af2
1996 Wayne Ford -Ralt Rt34 Af2
1997 Brian Sampson -Dallara F393 Af2
1998 Wayne Ford -Ralt Rt34 Af2
1999 Chas Jacobsen -Dallara 396 Af2/3
2000 James Manderson -Dallara 391 F/Three
2001 Not Conducted
2002 Michael Caruso -Dallara 301 F/Three
2003-2007 Not Conducted
35

piarc notes
PIARC Changes
COMMITTEE CHANGES
ROAD SIGNS REPLACED
Stuart Greig has retired from
the PIARC Committee of Management after
many years of service to the club. Stuart’s
ever-expanding business empire makes it
almost impossible for him to devote time to
the committee these days, and he has offered
to step aside. We thank him for his years
of service, both as Club Captain and Board
Member, and for the experience he has brought
to the club.
Danny Jonas has been invited to attend
committee meetings to fill the gap until the
next elections. Danny has been particularly
active at race meetings running our paddock, as
well as specialising in Compliance Checking and
OH&S. He is in the reverse position to Stuart,
in that he has reduced his work commitment
to his company so that he can spend more time
playing with motorsport.
Peter Nelson – President.
We have mentioned before that the Bass Coast
Shire was replacing the road signs that denoted
each corner of the original Grand Prix circuit on
Phillip Island.
Graeme Noonan has been keeping a close eye
on the situation and was in the right spot at
the right time to retrieve one of the original
signs from the council yard and it is now
secure in the PIARC garage at the circuit.
The new road signs are up and on display to
commemorate the original road races. They
feature the LCCA insignia, quite rightly because
the Light Car Club was the promoter of those
events. Unfortunately, the LCCA folded some
years back now after attempting some overly
ambitious international events at Sandown.
The sign shown in the photo is at the corner
of Berrys Beach Rd and Ventnor Rd, just up
the road from the old pits and paddock. Still
a paddock, even if the pits have gone, as has
the “Bridge of Sighs”, a further two hundred
metres down Berrys Beach Rd.
36

AIMSS
First Year Report
access to motor sport
At the 2008 Formula 1 ING Australian Grand Prix, the Australian Institute for Motor Sport Safety
(AIMSS) celebrated its first anniversary. The official launch of AIMSS was on 15 March at the 2007 Australian
Grand Prix. In the year that followed, the vision of former CAMS President and FIA Vice President
John Large that Australia should have its own institute to complement the FIA Institute for Motor
Sport Safety has become a reality.
Appointments
At the commencement of 2007, Dr Michael Henderson was appointed as Chairman of AIMSS and
former CAMS Chief Executive Officer, Dr Rob Nethercote, as the General Manager of AIMSS. Directors
of the Board were Colin Osborne, Bob Glindemann and Andrew Papadopoulos and subsequently Allan
Moffat, Mark Larkham and Garry Connelly were confirmed as Directors.
A Research Advisory Group was established and two meetings were held during the year with the
object of identifying potential research and education projects and developing protocols for those initiatives
to be undertaken. The Research Advisory Group is also chaired by Dr Henderson with the other
members being Tony Caldersmith, Rob Chadwick, Dr Tom Gibson, Richard Hollway, Professor Jack
McLean and Professor Rod Troutbeck.
The Mission of AIMSS
AIMSS has as its mission to be:
1. The Institute founded by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) to:
(a) promote improvements in the safety of motor sport
(b) coordinate safety related programs of research and education and other safety initiatives
(c) promote the relationship between motor sport and road safety
(d) make representations to government and other organisations on motor sport safety
2. The driving force for the improvement of safety in motor sport in Australia
3. Recognised by Government for its expertise in motor sport safety.
To achieve this ideal, the AIMSS Board created AIMSS as a professional industry association incorporating
Corporate Membership for manufacturers and suppliers to the motor sport industry and CAMS
affiliated clubs, together with Professional Membership for individuals who compete or work in motor
sport. In its first year AIMSS has gained significant support from those who have joined as Corporate or
Professional Members and a list of members is attached in recognition of their support.
Research
In order to conduct research in a sound academic environment, strategic partnerships have been
formed with the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC), the Centre for Accident Research
and Road Safety – Queensland (CARRS-Q) at the Queensland University of Technology, the
Centre for Automotive Safety Research at the University of Adelaide and the RMIT University. These
partnerships will develop as AIMSS endorses research projects and, at its inaugural meeting in May
2007, the Research Advisory Group identified a range of potential research projects for AIMSS to support.
The ability for AIMSS to undertake research depends on income from membership fees and other
sources, including the FIA Institute for Motor Sport Safety, drawing on funds allocated from the FIA
Foundation. Early in 2008, The FIA approved our application for funding for research into hydration and
the effects of carbon monoxide on drivers, crew and officials at the Clipsal 500. The findings and recommendations
are of great interest to AIMSS, V8 Supercars Australia and its teams, and the FIA which
has other closed categories of racing around the world which may experience similar circumstances.
37

piarc notes
Another early 2008 AIMSS research project is one being undertaken by Autoliv Australia following a
request from the CAMS Technical Committee to test racing harness life. This has been funded jointly
by the Historic Sports and Racing Car Association of NSW, the MG Car Club of Queensland, The
Phillip Island Auto Racing Club and the Sporting Car Club of South Australia and has the potential to
bring forward a recommendation to extend intervals between replacement of harnesses or to confirm
that the current intervals are sound.
Further applications for research are also before the FIA Institute. These include projects to develop
an evidence-based methodology for controlling risk in motor sport, to understand the relationship
between age and driver capability and an extension of research commenced in 2007 to collate and
analyse CAMS event incident data with the potential to redefine incident reporting in Australian and
overseas. Other research initiatives are encouraged and will be considered as they come to hand.
Education
An essential role for AIMSS is to conduct educational programs which will assist all participants in
motor sport to make decisions which enhance safety. The AIMSS ‘Safety-First’ Seminar was held late
in October 2007 to highlight the range of safety issues which exist and should be addressed. The
Report of Proceedings has been published and is available at www.aimss.com.au.
Discussions at the ‘Safety-First’ Seminar confirmed the need for education on the choice and use of
head and neck restraints, including their relationship to safety harnesses and race seats as part of the
personal protection system. AIMSS therefore made plans to conduct workshops on the topic during
the first half of 2008 in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, with others to follow later in the year. These
have now been completed successfully with over 130 participants attending the three workshops and
an AIMSS Guideline paper is being developed for publication.
Concluding Comment
In its first year of operation, progress has exceeded expectations and 2008 will be an important year
for AIMSS as it embarks further on an increasing range of research and educational initiatives.
The calibre of those involved and supporting AIMSS and the strength of the relationship with the FIA
provide an indication that AIMSS has become an important part of motor sport in this country and
beyond. It has the potential to bring significant positive change in support of the vision held by John
Large that such an initiative could make the sport safer.
38

Join PIARC Today!
access to motor sport
Monthly PIARC club nights at our fully licenced clubrooms / restaurant, use of the restaurant on all
days of the month, affiliate membership of the Royal Victorian Aero Club, special functions conducted throughout the year by the
club and others, invitations to club sporting events conducted by PIARC and other clubs, free PIARC logo window sticker, regular
contact through the club website at “piarc.com.au” and the club magazine – “PIARC NOTES”.
Single: $60
Family: $70
A CAMS level 2 speed event licence is needed to compete at some club events and a CAMS officials licence is needed to participate
in our trackside fun. Application forms are available from CAMS on 1300 653 529, or from PIARC prior to events where they are
needed.
Cheque or Money order: Complete this membership application and post it with the required fee to:
Membership registrar - PIARC
RVAC Building
First Avenue
Moorabbin Airport Vic 3194
Electronic Funds Transfer: Complete this membership application, email to membership@piarc.com.au and Transfer required fee to:
BSB 083 214 Account 51518 1568
Please include your Full Name in the details when using EFT so we are able to match payments & reduce delay in delivery.
Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms
I would like my business name & number available to other Club members to contact:
(write Business name here)
(cross out one)
I am happy for my details & email address to be used by the Club for direct contact about
Club activities & news
(cross out one)
:
Please list Name, Gender & Dates of Birth for all additional family members you wish to be members of the club.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Participating in club motorsport
Participating in open motor racing
Social nights at the clubrooms at Moorabbin Airport. Social activities at other locations
(dinners, film nights, winery tours)
Officiating at motorsport events. Other ??
Applicant’s signature:-
Membership Fee enclosed:- $ .
I have paid by: or (made out to PIARC)
or (please circle / highlight payment option chosen)
Date :- Tax Invoice PIARC ABN 90 004 351 446
39

piarc notes
A Guide to Phillip Island
Accommodation
www.visitphillipisland.com
Phillip Island Tourism Association Official Website
Or Call
Phillip Island Information Centre
1300 366 422
7 days a Week
For a Personalised Accommodation Booking Service
and up to date information
40