July - Mazda MX-5 Club of Victoria & Tasmania

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7/2012Your CommitteePresident / Communications> Murray Finlay | (03) 9588 2868 (ah)e: president@mx5vic.org.auVice President / Editor> Don Nicoll | (03) 9437 2787 (ah)e: editor@mx5vic.org.auSecretary / Public Officer> Peter Dannock | 0408 522 093 (ah)e: secretary@mx5vic.org.auTreasurer> John Todd | (03) 8746 9529 (ah)e: treasurer@mx5vic.org.auClub Captain – Motor Sport> Robert Downes | (03) 9568 2761 (ah)e: captain@mx5vic.org.auAssistant Club Captain – Motor Sport> Daniel White | 0400 304 006e: captain2@mx5vic.org.auClub Captain – Social> Janette Todd | (03) 8746 9529 (ah)e: social@mx5vic.org.auAssistant Club Captain – Social> David Collins | (03) 9755 2167 (ah)e: social2@mx5vic.org.auMembership> Will Campbell | (03) 5261 4816 (ah)e: membership@mx5vic.org.auMerchandise> Steve Dunlop | (03) 9842 9065 (ah)e: merchandise@mx5vic.org.auPoints> Coral Campbell | (03) 5261 4816 (ah)e: points@mx5vic.org.auDepartment of Youth / Social Media> Ben Sale | 0434 906 673 (ah)–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Chapter Captain - Central> Ron Macdonald | 0422 490 786 (ah)e: central@mx5vic.org.auChapter Captain - Eastern Victoria> Grant Butler | 0403 929 315e: eastern@mx5vic.org.auChapter Captain - Northern Victoria> Ron Gillick | (02) 6033 0253 (ah)e: north-eastern@mx5vic.org.auChapter Captain - Western Victoria> John Gleeson | (03) 5333 1113 (ah)e: western@mx5vic.org.auChapter Captain - Northern Tasmania> Bruce Harvey | 0427 656 074e: northtas@mx5vic.org.auChapter Captain - Southern Tasmania> John Waldock | 0409 658 716e: southtas@mx5vic.org.audesign/publishing> Alyssa Finlay | (03) 9588 2868 (ah)contentsfeatures5 Upgraded MX-5 launched in Japan!20 Doin’ DECA22 Motorkhana: Welcome to Park-enham!23 Mazda on the track: returning to Le Mans in 201324 Getting an esky home ... Ron’s MX-5 truck substitute25 Hot MX-5 hits Goodwood26 How the wheel (and CAMS) came to be ...29 Tech Talk: NB mufflerChapter chatter:10 Central: The President’s run to Mazda12 Southern Tassie: Dawdling to Eaglehawk Neck14 Northern Tassie: Burgers in the snow ... rain!16 North-Eastern Victoria: Jingellic Run18 Western Victoria: Run to Jingellic | Run to DECAregulars4 President's corner 5 Motor Sport Torque6 Membership / Crossword 7 Scene about9 Club Grill: meet Allan Pryer, Southern TasmaniaCoverimage:Motorkhana in a corner! Mark Szuttaputs his car through its paces in the StateMotorkhana round, Pakenham Councilcarpark. Photo: Bob de Bontmxtra is the monthly newsletter of the Mazda MX-5 Club of Victoria Inc (#A0021659A)PO Box 7438, Beaumaris VIC 3193. Registered for Print Post: PP381712/2306Find us at:MX-5 Club ofVictoriaAll contributions welcome: please send articles and photos to the editor, Don Nicoll:• e-mail: editor@mx5vic.org.au• post: mxtra, Mazda MX-5 Club of Victoria & Tasmania, PO Box 7438, Beaumaris VIC 3193DISCLAIMERThe Mazda MX-5 Club of Victoria Inc., its Officers and Committee cannot be held liable for anyerrors and/or omissions in articles, reports, notices, advertisements, comment and advice ofevents that are published in mxtra in good faith. It should be noted that the publication ofan advertisement, or expression of views in articles and reports, does not necessarily implyendorsement by the Club of the advertised product or service or the views expressed in anyarticles or reports published in mxtra.3

Murray’s Corner ...■ Murray Finlay – President president@mx5vic.org.auG’day all!It’s hard to believe that yet another yearin the life of the Club has slipped by.We’ve just entered a new membershipyear, having finished 2011-2012 withyet another record number of members(541!). Our annual awards presentationis fast approaching, and the AGM is justa few weeks away. Didn’t we just have thelast one?Of course, the record membership doesn’tjust happen. It’s a combination of newmembers joining our ranks with an everincreasingnumber of existing membersretaining their links with the Club.And that has to be due to some fineleadership, on a number of fronts.Not least of these is the motor sport team,led by Robert Downes and Daniel White.Our entry fields at the Championshipevents are very large – often 40, 50 ormore! – and the standard of competitionis growing ever higher ... resulting thisyear in a four-way tie for Motor SportChampion!Then there are the Chapters, which arevery ably led by Ron Gillick (North-EasternVictoria), John Gleeson (Western Victoria),Bruce Harvey (Northern Tasmania),John Waldock (Southern Tasmania),Grant Butler (Eastern Victoria) and RonMacdonald (Central) and their variousassistant captains. Most of the Chaptersare very active indeed, and I’m sure theirhigh visibility has led to much of thegrowth the Club has enjoyed.And of course, in the middle of it all, tryingto hold on to all the strings, are the 12dedicated Committee members.From me, I offer heartfelt thanks to all inthe Club who so readily give up their timeand energy to make this such a fun andinclusive group to be part of.Over the last 12 months we have beendoing much to address the future of theClub, which has kept the Committee welland truly on its toes.The most significant development so farwas the introduction in March of the newClub structure, which divested a lot of theday-to-day responsibility for running theClub from the Committee to the Chapters.But behind the scenes we have beenchipping away at other structuralelements like a business plan, to identifywhat the Club wants to be, where wewant to go, and how best to get there.We’re looking at ways to improve ourcommunications, service our members,grow motor sport involvement, as well asat core elements including our corporategovernance and financial management.We’re also going to begin looking atadditional sources of income, which mayinclude sponsorship, as well as additionalbenefits we might be able to generate forour members.For that, though, we need to know moreabout you – our members. Our plan, forlater this year, is to survey all members(voluntarily, of course!) to get a better ideaof the number of members in differentage and income ranges, interests, othervehicles etc – and what you’re lookingfor. When we have a better idea of whowe represent and what interests you, wewill have a much clearer idea of who toapproach and what to ask for ... and whatwe can offer in return.It’s a brave new world for this Club!But back to the present. As mentioned,the annual general meeting (AGM)is coming up. It will be from 7pm onWednesday, 8 August at the Albert SailingClub, Aquatic Drive, Albert Park (followedby the August Committee meeting).Everyone is welcome to attend, but Iwould appreciate you letting me know ifyou’re coming so we can provide enoughtea and bikkies!There are no issues to vote on this year,other than the Committee election. Onethird of the Committee (four people)must stand down each year; four of thecurrent members are re-standing, butany financial member is free to nominate.(Nomination forms must be received by 7August.)If you can’t make the meeting, you canstill register your vote via a proxy form.The Notice of AGM and other forms areincluded with this month’s printed mxtraor via this month’s e-mail link.You must be a current 2012-2013financial member to stand for electionand to vote at the AGM or by proxy.That’s it for this month. I hope to see youat the awards presentation on 22 July.Until next time ... look up, stay back!MurrayFor your diary …See the full calendar for detailsJuly22 Central: run to Awards lunch22 Club: 2012 Awards presentation,Woodend28-29 Western: Ballarat toBeechworth & Mansfield runAugust4 Central: Trentham run (Saturday)8 Club: AGM, Albert Sailing Club12 South Tas: Tasman Peninsula runSeptemberTBA Central: High country run9 South Tas: Coles Bay runOctoberTBA Central: GO Road dawn run14 South Tas: Maydena run21 Eastern Vic: Gippsland run22-27 NSW South Coast week awayNovemberTBA Central: CFA run4 South Tas: Orford run25 Central: Christmas lunchRememberour ClubSmartphonecalendarThe smartphone version of the Club’sevents calendar is at www.mx5vic.org.au/smartphone/events.htmlYou can type this URL directly intoyour device, or you can visit the eventscalendar page on the Club website andclick on the small icon at the top ofthe page. Once there you can add theabove icon to your home screen. Label itsomething appropriate ...Just like on the website and the printedcalendar, the events are listed monthby-month.Just tap the month you wantand the events will cascade out on yourscreen. Tap the month again to close it.4

Motor Sport Torque■ Robert Downes – Club Captain - Motor Sport captain@mx5vic.org.au2012-2013 Round 1 andInterstate Challenge:Phillip Island – Saturday,30 JuneBy the time you read this, I am confidentthat Victoria will have defended theChallenge Trophy against NSW and thatthe standard of competition and drivinghas continued into the new season.Details next month.“Driving Instructor”Training and “JuniorDriving” Training at Winton– Saturday, 4 AugustAs mentioned last month, AROCA hasorganised instructor training andinvitations have been extended to sixMX-5 Club members. The Alfa Club isinvesting a considerable amount ofmoney to standardise and lift the qualityof its “Racecraft Training” program whichI expect to resume in March, 2013.For those interested, the Junior DriverTraining will be available as usual underthe guidance of our extremely wellcredentialledMr Graham Wilson, (“fighterpilot” of the green MX-2.5 with the 1.3litre “small block” engine).Round 2: Winton –Sunday, 5 AugustYour chance to take on the Winton “longtrack”.Phillip Island 6 Hour –Sunday, 5th AugustDespite this event clashing with Round 2at Winton, five teams of MX-5s areentered (three from NSW and two fromVictoria). There is a very strong contingentof drivers from both states and I am sureyou join me in wishing them everysuccess in the event. I am confident wewill see some impressive results.AROCA 6 Hour: Winton– Saturday and Sunday,13-14 OctoberWe are currently sorting out teams etc.for another shot at victory and again wewill have three teams competing.Until next month ...“drive responsibly at all times”Robert #26Motor sportcalendarSee the full calendar for details2012-2013 ChampionshipAugust4 Junior driver training, Winton5 Rd 2: Sprints, Winton4-5 Phillip Island 6-Hour19 Rd 3: Sprints, SandownOctober13-14 Winton 6-Hour(non-Championship event)Motorkhana 2012-2013July14 Rd 5: Huntly Saleyards, Bendigo(Saturday)August5 Rd 6: Mt Gambier SaleyardsSeptember1 Rd 7: Leongatha Saleyards, nearKoonwarra (Saturday)October13-14 Australian Championship,QueenslandUpgraded MX-5 launched in JapanMazda Motor Corporation has upgraded the Mazda MX-5 for the Japanese market.The refreshed design went on sale throughout Japan on 5 July.The design of the upgraded MX-5 (known in Japan as the Mazda Roadster)distinguishes between the sporty character of the soft top and therefined character of the power retractable hard top (RHT) through theuse of co-ordinated black and silver features respectively. The front faceof both versions has been redesigned to present a more aggressive look.For the interior, a new luxury tan color is available for the genuineleather seats. In addition, revised characteristics of the throttle andbrake booster (power braking device) have improved control of theaccelerator in the manual transmission models and the brakes in all models.The enhancements add polish to the pure driving pleasure which has made theRoadster/MX-5 famous.In addition, the updated Roadster features an Active Bonnet (pedestrian protectionsystem) which raises the rear end of the bonnet in anaccident to reduce impact to the head.There’s no word yet on anAustralian upgrade. ■5

Membership■ Will Campbell – Membership Officer membership@mx5vic.org.auHello everyone ...Another membership year has come to an end but, with thenew year now a couple of weeks old, renewals (and some newmemberships!) are flowing in.We finished 2011-12 with 541 members (another new record!),and we had over 100 renewals for 2012-13 in the first 24 hours!Reminders for this year were emailed or posted to members mid-June. If you missed out, or if you require assistance, please giveme a call on 5261 4816 or send me an email at membership@mx5vic.org.au.Please remember that we give only one month’s grace forrenewing members. If you haven’t renewed by the end of July,the July mxtra will be the last edition you receive.I would like to extend a warm welcome to the new memberswho have joined our ranks:Southern Tasmania ChapterHenry De CesareLisa-ann Gershwin2001 Sunlight Silver NB1989 Classic Red NACentral ChapterColin WarrenWestern Victoria ChapterColin NankervisChris van VelzenCurrentmembershipcount: 2341990 Classic Red NA1989 Classic Red NA2001 Black NCI say this each year: whilst the Club enjoys a particularly highparticipation rate, there are some members – some of themlong-standing – who rarely get along to events.Life can be hectic and timing is everything, but I encourage allmembers to make full use of your membership and to enjoy themany and varied events that are offered.Enjoy your MX-5 and I’ll see you out and about ...WillAlan Bennett’sMX-5 crossword #41 2 3 4 5 678 910 11 12 1314 15 16 171819 20Across1 A welcome change indirection for the driveror dancer (5)4 Signposted changes indirection (5)7 Going round and roundin an MX5 of course! (7)8 Older than kilos perrectangular centimetre(abbrev.) (3)9 Phone a friend whenstuck beside the road(abbrev.) (3)10 Petty, worthless, flimsyand inconsequential– except it aidsperformance (11)14 Don't brake withoutit! (3)17 Used in fastgear changing incombination with theheel (3)18 17 across in a sale toseparate (annag.) (7)19 Wait for the car behind(5)20 Kit out before beingment (5)Answers next month ...Down1 Drive from here to therewithout stumbling overa computer (4)2 Running while waitingready to go (6)3 You can follow a cambut there's no place forwater and a cat (6)4 As the head says, "Thisis the other side of thecoin" (4)5 An angry combinationof the road and atemper (4)6 Toyota with a red bull(4)10 Doing 7 across albeit atleast once less than afaster driver (6)11 To close in, just in case(6)12 Can you have it and eatit too? (6)13 With 17 across butwithout ice protects thefoot (3-3)15 Circular graduatedmeasuring instrument(4)16 Yours changes over timebut the MX-5's does notunless impacted byforce (4)6

Scene about ...■ Photos: John Waldock, Bob de Bont, Kelly Berggren, Karen Bradshaw, Ron Macdonald7

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The MX-5 Club GrillIntroducing ...Allan PryerSouthern Tasmania ChapterName? Allan PryerAge? 48Born (specifically where)? Ware! (Herts.,UK)Current abode? On the edge of the bushand at the foot of the mountains inMontrose, HobartProfession? Manager/Supervisor withthe Australian Bureau of Statistics in theagriculture area. Prerequisite: countingsheep doesn’t put you to sleep!Partner? Married to StaceyPets? Three cats, eight chooks andnumerous itinerant wallabies, possums,cockatoos etc.Fave food? Lamb Rogan JoshCan you cook? Secretly, yesFavourite tipple? Full-bodied redFirst drive? At 17, “Land crab”, aka Austin1800 (Mk1), called “Myrtle”First car? 1962 Hillman Minx – “Jim”,$240. Loved that car!First fender bender? 1981. The Austin1800 was T-boned by an ex-school matewhen he failed to give way. Poor “Myrtle”!Everyday driver? Hyundai ElantraCurrent MX-5? ’ 93 NA Classic Red, powersteering, needs a name ...MX-5 improvements? “Off the shelf” it’sa wonderful package. To get the best outof it, it’s mostly the driver that needs theimprovement! These help too: Mania coldair intake, KYB AGX adjustable shocks,King springs, Flyin’ Miata butterfly brace,headers, hi-flo catMX-5 dislikes? NoneWhy an MX-5? I thought such a car wasout of reach for the average person andthey still seem too good to be true. Truly acredit to Mazda to achieve what they didwith this little sports car for the price tag.A dream come true.Fluffy dice? No. No prismatic pendants, nopelvic Presleys on the dash, no frangipanis,and definitely no RMW longhorns on therear window!Passions besides the MX-5? “CW”, theAustin Healey Sprite ‘resto’; soccer; playingand recording music; video editing and3D graphics and I squeeze in the odd bit ofcake decoratingFavourite TV show / movie / book?Always like a bit of “Top Gear” but historicand science documentaries generally /anymovie where character development isat least as important as the effects / justenough time for a classic car mag!Dream wheels (money no object)? 1964Ferrari 250 GTO, Series 1 E-Type JaguarRoadster, ’60s Ferrari 250 CaliforniaWould you drive a Daewoo orSsangYong? I drive my daughter’s DaewooLeganza from time to time. Simpleanswer: NO!Favourite other Mazda? RX-8If not a Mazda (gasp!) what? Jaguar orBoxsterHow long in the Club? About five yearsHow many MX-5 Club runs? Beyondmy digital capacity (ie, more than I havefingers)Favourite Club run? From Hobart upTassie’s east coast to St Helens or across toStrahan, then a good evening with otherClub members as part of an overnighterFunniest thing seen on a Club run? Manythings, but memorable was running backup a road ½ a km to find the answer toa clue on a car rally then racing back toavoid giving the answer away to othersclose behind. Still lost ...Done DECA? No, but would like toFord vs Holden? FordWhat’s playing in your MX-5? The Church- Singles CollectionFooty team (AFL/NRL/Soccer)?Collingwood / Dragons / MelbourneVictory / Derby CountyFinal comments? I’m not sure if it’s afunction of owning an MX-5 but it doesseem strangely coincidental that all of theClub members I have met are great people.Oh, and keep raising those pop-ups or givea wave when you see another MX-5 onthe road; they need to know friends andfellow ‘5’ tragics are out there!9

Chapter chatter ...The President’s Run 27/5/12 | Central■ Words: Dave Collins ■ Photos: Ron Macdonald (gracies-place.net) ■ Run organiser: Murray FinlayThe “President’s run”, the last for Murray after six years at the helm, was done in style.We had a huge turnout of 44 MX-5s, thebiggest standard run in a long while.Gathering us all together for the briefing,Murray took the “podium” (a couple ofwell-placed rocks).Starting well, introducing Ben Rounsefell(Mazda Australia’s Loyalty Manager),the participating Committee members,Chapter leaders and new members,Murray was quickly drowned out by acouple of large black crows that alsowanted to be heard.Persevering, Murray got through thecall, reminded us to set tripmeters tozero and got us underway in two groups.John and Janette Todd “volunteered” tolead the second group. Those of us withradios were amused to hear the chatterbetween the lead and tail-end Charliefor both groups (with the benefit ofhindsight, maybe we should have useddifferent channels!).Weather threatening and tops down,we hit the Princes Highway ... and trafficlights ... and traffic lights (about 10 setsof them – they breed them down there inBerwick!).But it wasn’t long before we hit the backroads and a few were lost, necessitatingour first regroup for the second convoy.Off again for some beaut wide and twistyroads, the majority of the 40km wet, leafandbark-strewn. After all, we had justhad the wettest May day for 17 years ...We had a couple of slides and anothertwo missed turns before the mid-wayloo stop was upon us. Thanks to Coralfor standing on the corner of the footyground to show us the way, as I am sureanother missed turn would have been onthe cards.The second half of the run was notwithout incident. A group in the secondconvoy missed a turnoff to the right. Theywere chased and convinced to turn back... and then missed the turnoff the secondtime. There is no doubt rule nine of theconvoy rules was not followed today (WAITAT THE CORNER UNTIL THE CAR BEHINDCAN SEE YOU).Don’t get me wrong; we had a lot of funwith a great group of folks, quite a few of10›The “natural break”at Woori Yallock››Pass the platter ...A cut-downMazda3used forapprenticetraining

›the Mazda 1000 (1963-1968)›the Mazda 600(1962-1970)›the Mazda R360(1960-1966)››the Mazda 1800(1976-1983)the MazdaT600 truck(1959-1971)whom were on their first run or had notbeen on a run for some time.As we were driving back into the ’burbsalong High Street Road, heading towardsMazda Australia’s head office for a lovelylunch, we bunched up at the lights andwe found ourselves in the lead. Anothercardinal sin: don’t overtake the leader ...sorry John and Janette. Luckily only a fewkilometres to go.We all arrived safely at Mazda HQ, wherewe squeezed into the small car park,most of us double parking (a great sight)until we discovered a multi-story versionbehind the offices. With all the noise, weset off Mazda’s workshop alarms ... but nomatter.Soon we were inside, where a feastfor our eyes of many sorts awaited: agreat spread of food, fantastic “vintage”Mazdas, the latest CX-5 ... and the250,000th MX-5, built some 3½ yearsafter the first was released in 1989.During the proceedings, Murray wassurprised and humbled when Mazda’sBen Rounsefell presented him with asilver platter in recognition of his yearsof service to the Club. Well, almost ... thesilver version was, well, not where it wassupposed to be, so instead Ben presentedMurray with one of the caterer’s dinnerplates!Special thanks go to Mazda Australiafor their wonderful hospitality, and foropening their showroom and apprenticetraining centre for us for the day.Well done, Murray – a great president’srun. ■›The 250,000th MazdaMX-5 produced worldwide(built in 1992)11

Chapter chatter ...Dawdling to Eaglehawk Neck ...10/6/12 | Southern Tasmania■ Words: Allan Pryer■ Photos: John Waldock and Robin Tanner■ Run organisers: John Waldock›Arrrrr ... what a view! Rob & Dianne Tanner’sbeautiful Titanium NB. Oh, and Pirates Bay!Fashionably andannoyingly late once again,I arrived to hear the finalpassages from Chapter“Capitano” John Waldockbefore the departure.It was a cloudy, cool day withthreatening skies but “roofs down”was applied without discussion. MyNA is not blessed with wonderfulheating and my beanie was nowhereto be seen so, despite numerouslayers of clothing, it was with sometrepidation I assumed the position inreadiness for departure.John would lead off in hisnewly-acquired VelocityRed NB SE, having left hisbeloved NA “Feisty” athome.A nine-car convoy setoff south-east towardsthe Tasman Peninsula,heading as far asNubeena and PortArthur. Along the wayit was great to pick uplong-time membersNils and Billie intheir white NC whothemselves are from“the Peninsula”. Thedrive itself bristles withsweeping corners and›15 minutes of ham ... er, fame! Allanand John preach the MX-5 gospeltighter sections and, although the damproads introduced some added caution,there was plenty of scope to enjoy thecapabilities of our cars. And then there isthe scenery ...A quick stop at the lookout nearpicturesque Pirates Bay gave us a chanceto have a chat and welcome and get toknow new members Gary and Maureen.I also managed to find my beanie butthe need was reduced by swapping toJohn’s SE whilst he drove my NA. The SE’sheating is superior ... and it has a windblocker.Having the power of the turbo made foran interesting stint to Nubeena. It wasgreat to have that extra push of powerwhen pulling up hills and short, sharpovertakes are more possible with a pretty12›John Waldock’s “new” SE ... fellow SE drivers arenot happy about the choice of parking spot!

much instant surge. When it came to aseries of bends I found myself unsure ofapplying strong acceleration in case itthrew me into the next corner too hard.When discussing afterwards, John talkedof similar reticence but more associatedwith when to apply power on the exit ofa corner if wheel-spin is to be avoided,bearing in mind the roads were moist. I’msure in time all of this will be a forgottenconcern and John will be off into thedistance! The turbocharged SE is animpressive variation on the MX-5 themeand John will have the envious joy ofjuggling which experience to have eachday. (Note: after further running of theSE I’m finding it much more manageable,though I suspect the current tyres areapproaching their time for replacement.)The car swap also gave John the chanceto compare his NA with no suspensionmodifications (apart from a front-strutbrace) to not only the SE, but also my NAwith butterfly brace (see last edition ofmxtra), KYB AGX shocks (set at four) andKing springs. I’ll leave him to commenton that ...John: “I found the braced NA quitedifferent from my normal NA. It’s hard todecide whether or not it’s the suspensionor the brace that makes the biggestdifference, but there is certainly muchless body roll and a marked increase inchassis stiffness. I felt the braced NA waslike a mini SE in lots of ways and it wasfun to drive, feeling very competent in thecorners.”Nubeena is the main centre on thePeninsula with a population of around7,000, but all was quiet as we pulled intothe picnic area. Many headed straightfor the café to grab a nice warm drinkand a bite to eat. When I returned to thegathering there was much discussionregarding the local radio station.Apparently someone had seen ourconspicuous group of sports cars and hadnotified one of the local DJs. He had comedown for a look and, impressed with whathe saw, invited one or more of us back tothe station for a chat live on air! Beingthe Captain and very knowledgeable onthings MX-5, John W was the obviouschoice, bar his quiet retiring nature (!).He took a bit of convincing that it wasn’ta hoax and that all would be laughingupon his return from a nice walk up theroad but, supported by companions Cliffand me, he made for the radio station.We were welcomed to 97.7 CommunityRadio Nubeena by elderly DJ Dan (orwas it Stan?) and his wife. John and I satdown at a microphone each and aftera quick song (not from us thankfully!)we were “on air”. Dan was comfortableand smooth with his questions as wefumbled our way along. John spokeabout the MX-5 and the LWS (lightweightsports car) philosophy, contrasting thatwith “muscle” cars, and how our cars’natural habitat is twisty roads, not theblock between traffic lights. We brieflydiscussed the heritage of the LWS and theBritish marques such as MG, Triumph andAustin Healey. When one listener heardof our Sprite he rang in about his. Unlikea bigger operation we couldn’t hearwhat he was saying and for a momentthere was a bizarre conversation with usshouting to the room where his phonecall had been taken by Dan’s wife and herrelaying his response!!Goodness knows what it sounded like tothe listeners.After a pleasant chat Dan wound us up,thanked us and wished us well for therest of our run. It was an interestingexperience in which we were happy tofurther the cause of the MX-5 and theLWS ethos and complimented themon the service they provide to the localcommunity in general. When we returnedto the group we found that they hadbeen enjoying good food, drink andconversation as usual but also listeningin to the radio, as was a local who hadpassed by shouting “nice Daewoos”!Eventually we started back and severalcalled into The Blowhole near historicEaglehawk Neck. It was more of a swellholeon this calm day and the main threatof getting wet was coming from theclouds above so we headed home afteryet another enjoyable event. ■›lunch atNubeena›The hardy Southern Tassie Chapter members, waiting for “the off”13

›Chapter chatter ...Burgers in the snow ... rain!17/6/12 | Northern Tasmania Chapter ■ Words & photos: Kelly Berggren ■ Run organiser: Kelly BerggrenBeing Tassie, the weather is one of the first things youworry about when organising a run, especially when theultimate goal is to have the top down as much as possible.›The Abominable Carl-manI was hoping for snow on the ground butsunny skies – of course we got drizzleinstead! The morning started off hopeful,with a beautiful sunrise that lit up ourrain-sparkling red NA Mixie, but ended uppatchy at best.We started the run from the Delorainetrain park (a train set the scene nicelyby chugging past while we waited toget rolling) with six lots of die-hards,keen for a long run through VERY windyroads to Waratah. The first stage waseasy to plan – only two options via MoleCreek to Waratah – and we went outthrough Mole Creek, around the back ofMt Rolland on Olivers Road (has a greatlookout over the Tiers and you can see thepeaks of the Overland Track on clear days),past Lake Cethana and up through Moinato the Cradle Mountain turn off, then ondirectly to Waratah from there.The second thing you worry aboutwhen planning a run is rest stopsin picturesque places that havetoilet facilities. The bad news wasthat the Moina shop I’d plannedto stop at was closed! The goodnews was they have built a newhuge visitor centre for Cradle onlya few minutes up from the turnoff ... luckily! Next time I’ll actuallyplan that stop in, especially as it’sthe only public toilet in hundredsof kilometres, (incidentally, did youknow there is a government websiteJUST listing public toilets all overAustralia?!).We waited for the few who neededit at the lookout over Lake Lea andthe Vale of Belvoir – but we weren’twilling to make the short walk up thehill to see this view, the temperaturebeing ripe for snow even if it wastechnically still drizzle. I think my hubbyCarl was being a little over-preparedthough, what with the beanie, lower facemuffler (brought specially for Tassie MX-5runs!) and ultra-waterproof ski jacket.Soon after we arrived at Waratah andour lunch stop at the Bischoff Hotel.Our wonderful hosts Bev and Lou werewaiting to greet us into their toastywarm pub – and so were Ken and Lynfrom Sheffield! Ken was a very good sportand graciously welcomed us, even thoughI’d led him up the garden path just hoursbefore. Originally I’d planed to take therun from Deloraine via Sheffield, throughGunns Plains to Waratah and thenhome via the back of Rolland and MoleCreek, since the back corner of that roadbetween Mole Creek and Olivers Road isprone to black ice in the early morning.It’s much more fun the other way aroundthough, and since we had rain insteadof ice, we decided to reverse the run. Sowhen Ken and Lyn decided to join us late,(after the early clouds had held off, at myadvice that we would be going throughSheffield around 10.30am), they were leftwaiting ... waiting ... and we were gladthey decided to come on alone and joinup with the group in Waratah.Happy birthday, Kelly!Lunch held up to memory as being thebest burger I’d had in a long time – aworks burger so huge that you couldbarely manage to eat it by hand (mostused cutlery but I have a big mouth ...ha haa!). We had a good stop, taking ourtime over lunch even though it was along run, so we could have a proper chat.Just before heading off Anna surprisedme with a huge plate of yummy14

›Four seasons in one day!chocolate-chip muffins smothered inice-cream and candles – it just happenedto be my 35th birthday, and what betterway to celebrate than cruising around thewindy roads of Tas!I scoffed the ice cream and took themuffins with me so we could hit theroad, heading down the Ridgley highway.I originally planned to take the HellyerGorge road as it’s a Targa Tasmania run,but luckily Ken pulled me up by pointingout (correctly!) that the small criticalsection of road that connects across tothe fun ‘C’ roads behind the coast wasGRAVEL! OH NO! Needless to say, we tookthe other road, which was a nice driveanyway, if a bit straight.From there I took us on a very windyroute via all the curviest ‘C’ roads on themap! There were some fantastic roadsthrough forestry, paddocks, tiny towns ofthree houses. One scary moment we wereracing up a windy hill with an open dropoff to the left, when popping over the top,backlit by clear sky, was a huge tractor! Hewasn’t taking up the entire road but it feltlike it for a few seconds. Bruce behind uswas fixated on our bumper in the hopesof avoiding it, while I was scrabblingaround for the radio – I’d lost it underfoot while taking pics of Bruce behind usout the window. Being first car has somedisadvantages in that no-one can call a“traffic” or “road kill” warning for you!Soon we arrived at the Gunns Plainsvalley, which is a narrow long one witha big river running through it andlots of caves, with a wonderful viewthrough to the mountains. The hill downwas very steep, curvy and narrow, andblowing a gale of course. We stopped atGunns Plains Caves (again only publictoilet for miles!) for coffee, muffins and astretch. The sun was just setting over thehill, and with the wind still blowing a gale– but no rain at least – we didn’t stay forlong. I’d tried to stop at a local winery anda local goat cheese farm, but both wereclosed ... bummer.The road out of the valley that we tookwas VERY curvy (looked great on themap!) and very fun, taking us up throughbush, farms, past the vineyard, and overthe hill back into the sunlight. The next›Bruce & Chezsection between Gunns Plains, Sprent,Paloona to Latrobe and our finish, weremore excellent well looked after ‘C’ roadsthough beautiful country. It was dark bythe time we hit Latrobe, saying a quickgoodbye and then everyone was off tore-fill petrol tanks so they could make ithome!Nearly 400km, and over six hours ofdriving (not including getting to thestart or getting home) and a great dayhad by all on roads not often travelled -since they are so bloody far away fromcivilization! I think I’ll plan a short runnext time though... (“yay!” they all say!) ■›Louise, Cheryl, Ken, Lyn, Carl15

Chapter chatter ...Jingellic run ...17/6/12 | North-Eastern Victoria■ Words: Stuart James ■ Photos: Karen Bradshaw &Mark Gillick ■ Run organisers: Ron & Marg Gillick“What’s that ya’ say Ron?Lunch at the Jingellic Pub?-- Yeah, what a good idea!Let’s do it!”At least that’s how I recall it all started ... thoughtwe might get six or so cars for a winter’s day run!So we rocked up to Maccas in Wodonga – nextto Supercheap Auto – but they don’t do coffee ...and lo and behold 18 cars turned up, including acouple of new members – welcome!Hardy bunch these MX-5ers! Beaming facesmore than made up for the less than gloriousweather. Fantastic to see so many Western/Central members making the big effortto support our run – we really appreciateeveryone’s support.Anyway, off we set – all with roofs down if Irecall correctly? But then again that mightbe just my “no rain, no roof” mantra cloudingmy recollection. My “navigator” did mumblesomething along the lines of being reasonableabout the roof before we left home, so we didarrive at the start “roof up” – don’t think anyonegot a photo?!First leg took us out to the Hume Weir whichis near full at the start of winter and verypicturesque with the morning light and lowcloud that we experienced. Then over theBethanga Bridge and up to Granya for the greatrun over the Granya Gap to the Murray ValleyHighway.At this point the advance guard took the shortcut to the pub – to secure a seat by the fireI expect! Hook left, and on up to Shelley, theformer site of the highest railway station inVictoria when the Wodonga-Cudgewa line wasin operation.We flashed by the Koetong pub – another goodstop when time permits. At this point there is ashort cut back to Walwa – on the Victorian sideof the Murray from Jingellic. A great run but stillunsealed – all things come to those who wait ...one day.Next left to Cudgewa and Tintaldra where weagain joined the Murray River. A quick stop atCudgewa (the southern railhead used to cartsupplies into the Snowy Scheme during the postwarconstruction) to regroup and inspect publicconveniences, then downstream to Walwa andacross into NSW to the Bridge Hotel at Jingellic.›Into the Twilight Zone ...16

›Who needs a roof? Stuart James›L-R: Phil Gibson, Val Bruce, Cindy & Roger Valkenburg (potential new members),Ian Bruce, Ellie & Gerry Engwerder.What a great pub! It has a lot of localhistory but caters well for travellerstoo. A very leisurely lunch was enjoyedby everyone. The car park did look abit odd though – 4WDs and MX-5severywhere. Someone was heard to passthe remark that we looked like a bus loadof pensioners out for lunch but had todo a “take two” when we hopped into18topless MX-5s and roared off down theriver!A few cars left us at this point to headoff in various directions, including theWymah Ferry – but the road on the otherside is unsealed. The rest headed to theHume dam for a look around the walland power station. And then it happened– rain! Bugger ... up goes the roof – oh,well, some toughed it out. When youwear shorts and a furry hat all things arepossible – I’ll let you work this one out foryourselves. What happens on the run ...No wonder these are such popular roadswith the car and bike mobs, but giventhe weather, few bikes, caravans or truckswere encountered: the North-East isheaven on earth!Thank you to all the hearty souls thatcame along and helped to make the day agreat success. From the attendance sheetthey were Marg and Ron, Karen and Ian,Marge and Andrew, Patrice and Chris,Maria and Noel, Ellen and Gerry, Elaineand Bill, Val and Ian, Cindy and Roger,Neal, Gwenda, Beau, Noellene and John,Sue and Stuart, Dawn and Alan, Bronwynand Geoff, Brenda and Phil, and Brett.Special thanks to Marg and Ron foranother great day out – their efforts aregreatly appreciated by all concerned. ■17

Chapter chatter ...Run to Jingellic ...16/6/12 | Western Victoria ■ Words: Noellene GleesonIt’s Saturday, 16 June,and a few of we WesternChapter members havegot together to go and playwith our Northern friends.Seven shiny cars assembled outside ourplace all excited and rearing to go. JeffWoolf had even come to the start togo as far as Kyneton with us as he wasunable to get time off from work. Karenand Ian left on Friday and were staying inBeechworth and meeting us in Wodongaon Sunday for the start of the run.Almost time to go and we notice a nicered NC coming from the Melbournedirection. It’s Bronwyn and Geoff Roachwho had travelled up to start with usinstead of heading up the boring Hume.How good is that?!Off we go, with no pressure; we are justgoing to take our time and enjoy the day,as dinner was not until 7pm.We head through Daylesford and onto Kyneton for a coffee break. This isalways a good drive and of course all topswere down. I could not believe the goodweather after what we had been having.Get the MX-5 out and the sun shines! Poorold Jeff leaves us at Kyneton to head backhome. We all feel so sorry for him as hewould have loved this weekend.We take our time and have a coffee and alook around the Piper Street shops.About 45 minutes later and it’s backon the road towards Heathcote andNagambie. Great roads, plenty of bush,bends and turns – totally enjoyable! Whatelse could you possibly want to do on aSaturday afternoon? At Nagambie we pullin and have a picnic lunch and a greatchat. We have two prospective memberson this run and it’s a great chance for allto get to know each other.Another hour gone and off we go again.Out with the map and head to VioletTown. Turn left on to the Dookie-VioletTown Road. Great drive. Then ... oops!Where are we??Patrice gets out her tablet ... no luck.Another look at the map; we missed aturn. Off to Goorambat, then to Thoona.What lovely quaint old towns – wellworth a second look.Next it is over the Warby Ranges andinto Wangaratta. Great road andbeautiful bush. Time for a toilet stopand it is decided, as it is getting late, tohead into Wodonga along the highway.After we settle into our cabins at theBlazing Stump Motel we walk to thebistro at the hotel just metres awayto have dinner and a great night withsome of our Northern hosts.––––––––––––––Sunday is the run and it’s fantastic.Stuart report (page 16) will fill you inon that.We stay at Beechworth on Sundaynight. The Trivia Night is on at the hotelagain so once again we have a terrificnight with lots of laughter and someprizes won.After breakfast at the BeechworthBakery and some shopping we headfor home about 10am. Calling into theCheese Factory at Milawa and BrownBrothers Winery, we all had treats totake home. Yum yum!!Last time up this way we loved theWhitfield-Mansfield Road so we justhad to do it again. The weather is not askind this time – a bit damp and foggyin parts – so we can’t enjoy the view. Itdoesn’t matter though ... it’s still a greatdrive.We arrive home at about 6.30 pm.Everyone is thrilled with our weekendand all had a wonderful time.If you have never been on a NorthernChapter run, we highly recommendit. They have the best MX-5 roads,wonderful scenery, lakes and riversincluding the mighty Murray, and themost hospitable and friendly group ofpeople you could ever wish to be with.Thank you to Ron and Marg and the restof your group once again. We’ll be back!!Zoom Zoom ■Run to DECA ...23/6/12 | Western Victoria■ Words & photos: Lockie StoryWell … it’s that time again.Time to head to Sheppartonand play on the track andskidpan at DECA.Because of the distances involved I set myalarm for Saturday morning and, withmy recently-acquired second NA “Rose” (awhite 1990 NA6), headed north and west.The idea was to meet up with the rest ofthe Western Chapter contingent at thebakery in Elmore at 11.30. I was an hourearly and they were 45 minutes late! Nota problem ... I sat in the bakery surfing thenet and watching the world go by. I haveto say that, for a small town, that bakerysure is busy!When John and Noellene and Laurieand Vergie arrived, we had lunch thereand headed on to Shepparton wherewe visited the new Shepaprton MotorMuseum.This is one cool place, where they have aconstantly rotating collection of privatelyownedcars on display. I was particularlypleased that the current theme wasJaguar (Ed: Lockie is a former presidentof the Victorian Jaguar Club) and therewere 10 Jaguars on display ranging froma 1947 Mk IV Drop Head Coup, XK 120,140 and 150 DHC to one of the best earlyE Types I have ever seen. There was evenan HQ Ute with a Jaguar power plant.(WHY??)There were also cars like an early Minerva,a Maxwell, Ford Customline, Alvis DHCand many many others. The collectionalso included vintage bicycles, includingtwo Penny Farthings, and a very eclecticcollection of old and new motorcyclesincluding a 900cc Ducati, a BroughSuperior and a Harley Davidson motorscooter. (I can just picture turning up at aHarley rally on a 50cc scooter!!)After that we went for a wine tastingand a visit to the Chocolate Factory. Thenon to our motel for drinks then dinner. Ithad been a big day and we had anotherplanned for Sunday so we were off to bedat a very respectable hour.Next morning we were up and ready togo by 8am, so we headed out to DECA tofind that we were amongst the first toarrive. When all had gathered, we had18

our drivers’ briefing and were split intothree groups for the three different trialsand off we went. We had the off-camberback track (very tricky if you get it wrong),and two skid pan circuits going at onetime. There were a total of six circuits onthe skid pan for the day. This is coveredelsewhere (page 20) so I won’t go intodetails other than to say we had a steadytrickle of visitors from the WesternChapter passing through and even Ronand Marg from the North-East dropped infor a lookylou.After completing all the circuits I headedoff for my five-hour drive home, arrivingsafely home just in time to fall asleep.Total distance for my trip: 927 kilometres.I must say a big thank you to RobertDownes and the Club’s Motor Sport Crewwho gave up their time to organise,staff and run the event. Without them itwould not happen.Anybody who decided not to come, youmissed one of the best dates on thecalendar. ■Some of the delightsat the SheppartonMotor Museum›That 50ccHarley scooter!›“Rose” shines on a dark day19

Doin’ DECA ...■ Words: Don Nicoll ■ Photos: Ron Gillick, Karen BradshawA 5:30am alarm on aSunday morning, rain onthe bedroom window anda hazy mist over the streetlights can only mean onething ... it’s time for DECAagain.Breakfast, followed by a two-hour drive,saw the brain fully awake when RobertDownes asked if I would look after themoney from the folks who were payingon the day.As in previous years we were divided intothree groups (A, B and C), each of 15 or soparticipants and dispatched to Areas A, Bor the back track, after it was made veryclear what the rules were for the day.Group A were confronted with the “GateSlalom” while Group B were thrown intothe “Serpentine”, both tests being locatedon the skid pan. Group C departed for theback track where they were to get someinstruction on driving lines around thecircuit by Club’s motor sport specialistsTeruo Delacroix, David Wilken and NoelHeritage.Each group had at least two goes ineach test before moving on to the nexttest area. This was a real benefit onthe skid pan for those of us who arespatially challenged. It is interesting howa momentary lapse in concentrationduring a 180°-plus turn can result in anequally momentary panic as you try towork out where you are and where youare headed.After completing a test in each of thethree areas, early lunch was called. Thiswas as much about re-fuelling the bodyas re-heating the skid pan marshalsRobert Downes, Craig Healy and BrendanBeavis. The fourth marshal and organiserfor the day, Bob de Bont, required onlyfood as his thermals were doing a fine jobof keeping him warm!Just like last year, the weatherimproved and the skid pan and backtrack started to dry out, which meanta significant improvement in gripduring the afternoon tests. Group Atackled the “Cloverleaf” while Group Bwas challenged by a design called “QMothballs” and Group C headed off tothe back track to put earlier learning intopractice. The complexity on the two skidpan tests had increased sufficiently toRob Hampson ›Dale Fitzgerald ›Noellene Gleeson ››Alex Hailstone››Ron DiproseLockie Story20

24/6/12›Don Nicoll is a picture of concentration on the skidpan ...... and while cleaning up his five-second penalty!Colin Denman-Jones››ensure that quite a few people were hitwith five-second penalties for missinga flag. No bribes were accepted by themarshals!Once all three areas had been completed,the design for the two tests on the skidpan were changed for the last time. AreaA had a thing called “Spiro Slalom”, whichlooked easy on paper but proved trickywhen trying to do a 180° turn through anarrow gate. Needless to say there wasa bit of reversing required on the firstrun. Area B had a design called “Noughtsand Crosses” which required plenty ofconcentration to make sure you didn’t getcompletely lost.That completed the official part of theday, but when I left there was still plentyof activity on the skid pan. It is definitelyaddictive.This was my second DECA and once againI learned lots about car control, especiallywhen it was out of control on the wetskid pan. The back track mentoring wasalso really good (even if I did consistentlyleave that turn on the back section toolate, David!).One of the really inspiring aspects waswatching young drivers doing greattimes on the skid pan. It constantlyamazes me that learner drivers are notrequired to do time on a skid pan – asthey are in Germany, for example. It wasalso inspiring to watch people like Bobde Bont and Ben Sale show us how youcan navigate the tests in the minimumtime. I have no particular desire to be asaccomplished as these guys but it wasgreat to see how it can be done.A huge thank you is due to the MotorSport Team for their patience, goodhumour and constant words ofencouragement, despite the cold andearly wet conditions.If you want to know how to recovercontrol of your car when the backend (or even the front end) has lostadhesion then there is no better placeto find out than in the safe and friendlyenvironment of a Club DECA day.You don’t even need thermals ... theadrenalin highs more than compensatefor the cool and wet conditions whichseem to prevail at this time of year. ■21

Welcome to Park-enham!■ Words & photos: Bob de BontThe fourth round of the 2012NGK Victorian MotorkhanaChampionship was held on17 June and hosted by thePeugeot Car Club of Victoria.We were at Pakenham and it was cold andwet – again – but most of us didn’t care,the event was on bitumen at the PakenhamCouncil offices’ car park (Ed: no truth thatthey had parking meters in the garages!).The day started out wet, nearly dried outwith some sun, rained and finished wet.The change of venue required a lot oforganisation effort and credit must be givento those who helped to make it happen:the Pakenham Council for the use of thevenue at short notice, CAMS for providingthe necessary paperwork at very shortnotice, the Victorian Motorkhana AdvisoryPanel for developing and authorising teststo suit the venue, the Peugeot Car Club ofVictoria with the help of the Pakenham AutoClub for running the event ... and lastly thecompetitors who brought a very positiveattitude to a cold, wet and challengingevent.There were 51 competitors entered for theday in everything from a stock Honda Accordto a wild old Datsun 1600 rally car, a coupleof Austin Healy Sprites, a couple of old Minisand the custom Motorkhana Specials.The MX-5 Club was represented by fiveentries with Alex Hailstone entering herfirst motorkhana, along with Ben Sale inBen’s NA6, Troy Heasly and Dale Fitzgeraldin Troy’s NB8B, and Bob de Bont in his NB8B.The Szutta tribe had entered in their NB8Aand were representing another club.There were a total of eight tests for theday in a very tight and challenging areaincluding an uphill curving carpark on aslope boarded by kerbs. Straight Slalomincluded the curve and a round-about forthe top. Other tests were modified to fit intothe area and required some prior planning.I have never seen so many people walkingeach test before their run ... exercise at amotorsport event! The last couple of testswere newly developed and were a blast todrive.Pakenham Auto Club put on a great sausagesizzle/BBQ with coffee, tea, burgers etc tokeep the people warm and fed during theday.By about 4pm the day was done and weeach packed up and headed home. ■››DaleAlexBob›22More photos: http://min.us/mkH3D1UP/1

Motorkhana resultsMX-5s occupied the first three places in Class B with Bobwinning the class and also achieving 8th outright and 6thon handicap. Next was Mark Szutta in 2nd followed by Benin 3rd who also achieved 2nd in Novice. Alex secured anexcellent 2nd in Ladies followed by Denise Szutta in 3rd. AlexSzutta was rewarded with 5th in Juniors after a clean andneat day. Troy and Dale had departed early, thus finishingdown the field with Dale securing 6th in Novice and Troy with7th in Juniors.In the Clubs’ Championship we took another hit even withthe good individual results posted by Bob, Alex and Ben as theclubs around us all scored well, pushing the MX-5 Club to 5th.The next three rounds are all on bitumen:Round 5 on Saturday, 14/7 at Huntly Saleyards, Bendigo.Round 6 on Sunday, 5/8 at Mount Gambier Saleyards.Round 7 on Saturday, 1/9 at Leongatha Saleyards (nearKoonwarra). Gippsland Chapter members might like to comeand support or compete ...More information is available from www.motorkhanavic.com.au or from Bob de Bont on 0402 345 562 ■Mazda returning to Le MansMazda’s new Skyactiv-D Clean Diesel engine will be presentat the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans.Long-time Mazda customer Dempsey Racing in Florida, USA,has signed on to run the racing version of the powerplant inthe Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class.The engine is a 2.2-litre, four-cylinder diesel with dual-stageturbochargers helping provide “outstanding performanceand fuel economy coupled with the kind of quality, durabilityand reliability needed to produce great street cars and winendurance races,” according the John Doonan, Mazda NorthAmerican Operations’Director of MazdaMotorsports.Mazda is the only Asiancarmaker to win the 24Hours of Le Mans, withthe Mazda 787B in 1991.Source: X15 Magazine –June 2012 editionwww.x15mag.com ■23

MX-5 “truck substitute” ...■ Words & photos: Ron DiproseIn March the Navigator and I enjoyed aholiday with friends, in the moving chicane,at Porepunkah.This is the home of “Club Griffo”, known worldwide as the sponsorof the 1993 and 1996 Large Racing, Vincent sidecar assault on theIsle of Mann Southern 100.As is normal when on holiday, the Navigator bought some drinksat Bright, a small suburb of Porepunkah. A promotion to win theultimate XXXX Gold esky was running at the time, so we filled inan entry form.Weeks later, to our great surprise, a registered letter arrived tosay we had won the esky! The only problem was that we werehome by then ... and we had to claim the prize in person, atthe Bright Woolworths, 315km away!After checking out various freight options I decided to join theNorth-Eastern Victoria Chapter for their 5th Anniversary runthrough their magnificent country, thinking I would go toBright after the run to claim the prize and then work out thetransport logistics.I called Ron and Marg Gillick to let them know I intended tojoin their run. Ron kindly offered to do the transport dutiesfor me on their next trip to Melbourne (Ed: probably a goodjob you didn’t accept, given the rest of this story).Following a 5am start from home, without the Navigator,who had declined my invitation for breakfast at Benalla andcoffee at Yackandandah, I enjoyed great company and Ronand Marg’s great run, despite the moving roadblocks, as reportedin May mxtra. I’m sure the road builders were thinking of MX-5swhen they built the Tawonga Gap and Mt Buffalo roads.After farewelling the group, I drove through Porepunkah to BrightWoollies and, following the formalities, was presented with alarge bright yellow esky on a moveable stand. After some headscratching and a couple of circuits of the esky, I decided that, byremoving the base, I could fit the main part into the passengerseat.After duly ignoring some helpful advice from bystanders, Idisassembled the base and loaded it into the boot, then placedthe esky on the passenger seat and fitted the seatbelt. On thedrive to Myrtleford I found the esky was moving around too much,so a quick stop at the supermarket for some rope soon had thingsmore secure.With the soft top down to accommodate the load, I was gettingsome odd looks on the trip home through Greta, Upper Lurg andLurg, Benalla, then down the Hume highway.The diversion to Greta was to see Ned Kelly’s home. There is onlyone house in Greta and it’s not Ned’s. I have since found out thatthe Greta of Ned’s time is now called West Greta. I thought theyonly pulled those tricks in Queensland!The weather was kind, fortunately, so with the heater cranked upwe (ie, BlueMaxx, esky and I) made it home.After all that effort, the Navigator was not impressed with thenew acquisition ... something about the colour.So it has now moved back up the Hume ... to our son’s home atWallan! ■24

Hot Mazda MX-5 hits Goodwood■ Words & photos: David Hassall, John Mellor’s Go Auto News #636Mazda is set to produce a hot trackfocusedversion of its iconic MX-5 sportscar in limited numbers, but the Britishmodifiedcar may not come to Australia.Presented as the Mazda MX-5 GT Conceptwith a view to assessing customerinterest, the modified roadster will debutthis weekend at the famed GoodwoodFestival of Speed in the UK.British race engineering company JotaSport, which regularly races cars at LeMans, has squeezed another 35kW fromthe standard MX-5’s 2.0-litre four-cylinderpetrol engine, taking it from 118kW tosome 153kW using lessons learned fromits UK race program.The exhaust note has been enhanced bythe fitment of a sports exhaust systemwith a central twin tailpipe.Jota Sport has retained the standard sixspeedmanual gearbox.Suspension has been uprated to improvehandling and is adjustable for differenttrack conditions, while aerodynamicassistance is provided by a carbon-fibrefront splitter, a rear diffuser and a bootspoiler.Racing-style Recaro seats have been fittedto hold the occupants against the extraside forces and the interior also featuresa number of carbon-fibre enhancementsthat help reduce weight.With a view to customers looking to buysuch a car for track use, the MX-5 GTConcept is quipped with “road slicks” andbody-coloured – orange in the case of theconcept car – rollover bars behind theseats. ■Agent orange: The track-based MX-5 GTConcept boasts 35kW more power thanthe standard road car.›25

How the wheel (and CAMS) came to be…■ Words & drawings: 1962 CAMS Manual of Motor SportOur Club is one of about 400 affiliatedwith CAMS – the Confederation ofAustralian Motor Sport – the governingbody for motor sport in Australia.Club members involved with motor sportare very familiar with the CAMS Manualof Motor Sport, which is the annual rulebook CAMS publishes to set out thetechnical regulations governing motor sportin this country.It’s a fairly dry affair.However, recently we came across part ofthe 1962 edition of the CAMS Manual(just the fourth edition), which could seethe fun side of the sport ...Section 1The Wheel A partly apocryphal account of why we are hereAbout 50 centuries ago, in the fertileflood plain between the Euphrates andthe Tigris, a sweating peasant named, itis said, In Jinnah M’Kanik, was pushinga large wicker basket full of dates fromnearby palm trees to his humble tent.In Jinnah, like most of the human race,was hot, tired and angry. Muttering “theremust be some easier way to do this”, hiseye fell on a section of fallen palm log,and it occurred to him that he might beable to roll his basket along using thelog to support the weight and permitforward motion.The idea worked but, of course, onlyuntil the log slid out from under theback of the basket. His wife, B’aksit Reiva,suggested that he get two logs, and putone under the front as well. Thus the firstfront-end suspension was devised, andthe phrase “easy as falling off a log” firstused.Down at the oasis that night, a few ofthe boys got talking, and one of themsuggested tying one log in place underthe basket, to save constantly replacingthe rear one. This In Jinnah did, and theidea worked fine. However, as soon as hegot into soft sand, he found it took fourcamels to move the thing. So he whittledaway some of the wood between thesides, and produced a device that lookedsomething like two cones, apex to apex.The design was soon superseded. Jinnah’swife (whose name, B’aksit Reiva, meant“Moonlight over the PalmTrees”, but soon becamecorrupted to “BackseatDriver”) suggested reducingthe weight of the assemblyeven more, and Jinnahhacked away with a bronzefragment he’d picked up in ajunk shop in Ur.Not to be outdone, datecarriers all over the districtgot to work on the idea.Every new design, sketched out on ahandy piece of papyrus, evoked ironiccries of “Here’s another In Jinnah M’Kanik”,so “engineer-mechanic” was eventuallythe general name for these hopefulartisans.Urged on by his growing fame, andfinding onerous of the labour of carvingaway all the best part of the log, InJinnah bethought himself of cuttingtwo sections and fitting through thema strong branch, or “ek-sul”, to use theChaldean phrase.So the ek-sul (or axle) came into being,and at last In Jinnah has a workableassembly, which he called “Ka-at”, whichcould be translated as “useful thing”, andpronounced “cart”.The only fly remaining to mar Jinnah’sointment was the screech made as thediscs of wood revolved around the “ek-sul”.Dry and gritty, the Ka-at progressed overthe sands to the accompaniment of first,a dull “ooo”, then a sort of shrill squeak –“eel”.“Ooo-eel, ooo-eel” it went. So B’aksit Reivacalled it a “ooeel”, and thus there came onto the stage of human history one of themost simple yet far-reaching inventions.Over the centuries of conquest and tradethat followed, the “wheel” spread acrossthe known world; by 1600 BC it hadreached Egypt and enabled Pharoah’slegions to dash headlong to their owndestruction at the hands of Cecil B deMille in the Red Sea. Possibly the firstgenuine multiple traffic accident dueto excessive speed; it was used by Ben

Hur in the record lap of the 1st LatinGP; it carried Caesar and Charlemagne;Boadicea, with a special hub cap,successfully cut her enemies, and evenher own careless pedestrians, down tosize; upon it Marie Antoinette rolledto the guillotine, Napoleon’s guns toMoscow, and the Conestoga wagons toCalifornia and television fame in thelongest reliability trial thitherto recorded.Stephenson’s “Rocket” gave the wheelnew and tremendous significance for,throughout history until his first steamlocomotive, the wheel was still the loadbearingand animal-propelled device ithad been in the desert east of Eden.Stephenson made it work for itself. And itwas the enunciation of the basic principleof internal combustion that followed thediscovery of petroleum and the inventivedrive of the Industrial Revolution inEurope that opened the door to a new ageof transport, and allotted to the wheelits functions of driving and steering and,later, braking.In 1877, Nikolaus Otto, a Germanengineer, propounded the principle of areciprocating internal combustion enginewith four strokes of the piston to eachpower propulsion. The “Otto cycle” ofinduction-compression-power-exhaust(or “suck, push, shove, blow” as it mightbe called) is still the basis of 90 percentof engines, and these all spring fromGottleib Daimler’s adoption of the fourstrokeprinciple in his gas engine of 1883.Unknown to Daimler, who was a formeremployee of Otto’s, another brilliantGerman engineer was also workingtowards the production of a self-propelledvehicle, and in 1886 actually produced anauto-tricycle. This Karl Benz, whose namebecame linked with Daimler’s in afteryears both as the title of a famous firm... continued27

How the wheel (and CAMS) came to be ... (cont)and as fellow inventor.Later in the same year, 1886, Daimler produced the very firsthorseless four-wheeler, forerunner to the millions that changedthe face of man’s society – and its seat, to, for that matter.Daimler first drove his vehicle through Bad-Cannstatt inGermany in 1886. By 1890, such is the maniacal herd instinctof man, the first national automobile club was formed – inMonaco.Over the next few years, national clubs were formed in manycountries: France 1895; Belgium and Austria 1896; England1897; Italy, Holland and Switzerland 1898; Germany 1899;Hungary 1900; Ireland, Demark and South Africa 1901, USA1902, and Spain, Portugal and Sweden in 1903.Those were the days of exciting and dangerous road races.Undoubtedly the worst and wildest of these was the “Race ofDeath” scheduled to run from Paris to Madrid, but stoppedat Bordeaux, so dreadful was the carnage among drivers andspectators. By a grim coincidence, the winning car was called“Mors”, which means “death”. The subsequent public outcryvirtually ended open road racing on the Continent, though theItalian Mille Miglia survived until the late 1950s before it, to,resulted in mass tragedy.To protect their interests and the growing sport ofautomobilism, the national clubs formed a grand alliance – the“Association Internationale des Automobile-Clubs Reconnus”(AIACR). In those high and far-off Edwardian days, Australia wasof course a distant part of the Empire, and only recently hadachieved partial political independence. So far as the AIACRwas concerned, she was part of the “territory of the RAC”, andsuch motor sport as there was here then was controlled fromEngland.Upon the formation of the Australian Automobile Association,the RAC delegated certain of its powers to the AAA, andso matters stood till after World War II, by which time theAIACR had changed its title to “Federation Internationale del’Automobile” (FIA).In 1952 another body was formed in Europe whose interestswere solely those pertaining to touring motoring. Upon the AAAbecoming affiliated with this group (the “AIT”), naturally it gaveup sporting powers, and this is where we came in.To exercise these powers on behalf of the RAC, the Confederationof Australian Motor Sport was formed by existing sportingenthusiasts in Australia, and its existence dates, therefore,from March 1st, 1953. In 1958, having completed five yearsof control, CAMS was granted provisional autonomy on therecommendation of the RAC and, this having been ratified by theGeneral Assembly of the FIA in 1960, in that latter year Australiabecame a separate and legal partner of the older countrieswhich had seen the very earliest days of the horseless carriage.Today motor sport in Australia is a great and still-growingsource of participation and interest. Racing, of both the highestinternational standard and on local club tracks, is a yearroundthrill. Enormously expensive world-class tracks existin New South Wales and Victoria, and the famous Bathurstand Longford circuits in NSW and Tasmania comprise closedpublic roads. Other first-class circuits have been devised andbuilt from wartime airstrips and taxiways in Queensland, WestAustralia and South Australia. In addition, there is a numberof circuits of a mile to a mile-and-a-half long, built on privateproperty in various rural areas. An annual circuit of top-lineevents, including the Australian Grand Prix; there are at leasta score of diversified hillclimbs, innumerable gymkhanas andsocial meetings are held by the 20,000 club members, and(most popular of all with actual competitors) the characteristicAustralian reliability trials and rallies are amongst the longestand hardest in the world.It is in these latter events that the best and worst crews and carsare found out. Ingenuity, skill, patience, fortitude, good humour– all are tested to the fullest.Somewhere along a dark and lonely road, on a cold and rainynight far removed in space and time from the hot sands ofprehistoric Mesopotamia, it is not unlikely that there can befound a stranded, struggling crew with a wheel deep in mudechoing the words of In Jinnah of immortal fame: “There must besome easier way of doing this.”The Wheel, it might almost be said, has turned full circle. ■~ CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, 4th edition, 196228

NB muffler■ Words & photos: Paul WatsontechalkHello to all.I have been a memberof the Mazda MX-5 Clubsince I bought our littledream car, a 2002 NB Titanium, just over12 months ago. Unfortunately given ourwork commitments and living on thePeninsula, I haven’t been able to attendany Club runs. I hope to change this inthe future.I read the newsletter on most occasionsand find the content very informative.Some time ago there was an articlewritten about “Gracie” that spoke aboutexhausts and mufflers. This was of greatinterest to me as I wanted my MX-5 tohave a note. This article talked aboutN-Power mufflers. I liked the fact it was acheap solution and that a Club member(Ron Macdonald) was happy with theresult.Along with not being able to source an N–Power muffler for my MX-5, I researchedthe cost of a full system from one of theadvertisers in mxtra and found this wellbeyond my budget.I then started asking around locally andcould not believe the fact that everyoneI spoke to pointed me in the direction ofone business: Darren’s Exhaust, located inRosebud.Darren could not have been moreaccommodating. He made a few phonecalls on my behalf and we soon had myMX-5 booked in. The installation took halfa day and the workmanship is great.I stressed to Darren I didn’t want the noteof the exhaust to be deafening and hecertainly understood where I was comingfrom. I have now taken my MX for its firstdecent run and I am rapt with the result.If you are in the market for a new mufflerthen I can recommend Darren. Onlytrouble is you have to travel to Rosebud.Oh, and the cost?$260.All who recommended him to me said hewas too cheap!For those interested:Darren’s Muffler and Exhaust CentreFactory 2, 3 Newington AveRosebudTel: 5981 229929

A new option for the MX-5 ownerOven Baked Enamel Services have taken the next step forward in service forMX-5 Owners, Lovers and Club Members.We can offer a full mechanical and service department with specialist MX-5mechanics and accident repairers working to factory specifications.QualityEndorsedCompany◆ Full range of second hand mechanical body and trim panels available ◆ Suspension, exhaust and performance kits◆ Fully equipped workshop facility◆ Competitive rates on all work◆ FREE towing for mechanical breakdown and collision◆ Special rates to Club Members - Free loan car available to Members◆ Contact Dick to discuss your mechanical needsOven Baked Enamel Services are a factory approved repairer with 20 years ofexperience on Mazda, your smash repair specialist◆◆◆◆◆Chassis alignment specialistsAir conditioning and detailingInsurance claims, advice serviceLifetime work guaranteeAll spray work in Seetal Low Bake ovenContact - Dick RicheyFREE no obligation quote.34 Molan Street, Ringwood 3134Tel 03 9870 0520 / Fax 03 9879 6545

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