ALFA ROMEO CELEBRATES LAKESIDE’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY

[Neil Choi]

Hi there all,

Just helping out the AROCA Qld folks, if you can participate, it will be a fantastic weekend of racing.

You should contact AROCA Qld competition secretary Ken Percival  at alfa.kp@bigpond.net.au


Regards
Neil

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ALFA ROMEO CELEBRATES LAKESIDE'S 50TH ANNIVERSARY WITH 2011
EAST COAST CHALLENGE

"If you can learn to race a motorbike at Lakeside you can compete at any track in the world." – Mick Doohan, five times Moto GP World Champion
"Lakeside is a real driver's circuit, one of the few left in the country outside of Bathurst." – Dick Johnson, five times Australian Touring Car Champion
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One of Australia's most exciting and enduring motor racing circuits, Lakeside Park (or Lakeside International Raceway, as it was previously known) this year celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Who would have thought that a racetrack with such humble beginnings, built on a dairy farm by volunteer labour with borrowed machinery, would have gone on to survive fifty turbulent years and garner such an acclaimed international reputation?

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

On July 22-24 this year Lakeside will play host to the third of its 50th anniversary race meetings, the Festival of Sports Cars and Alfa Romeo will be there to join in the festivities with two categories of Alfas tackling the fast, undulating curves of the historic circuit as part of the 2011 Alfa Romeo East Coast Challenge.
AROCA Qld has secured two categories in the Festival of Sports Cars race meeting, with both slots holding a capacity of 20 cars. After consultation with the Veloce Racing Association, the plan is to run one group under the Veloce racing rules (see the Veloce rules document below) and the other as an open AASA category.

Anybody not familiar with the AASA racing regulations, please contact AROCA Qld competition secretary Ken Percival for clarification (alfa.kp@bigpond.net.au). Just quickly though, AASA cars require a minimum half roll cage, fire extinguisher, internal and external safety cut out switch and all the appropriate switch, battery and tow point markings. Whilst AROCA Qld members will be running on semi-slicks, as per our competition rules, visitors are quite welcome to run on slicks in the AASA category. As with CAMS race meetings, AASA racers require a full race suit, boots, socks, gloves, balaclava and AS1698 approved (or equivalent FIA, BS or Snell) helmet.

By running along these lines, we hope to encourage maximum participation from racers from New South Wales, Victoria and possibly even South Australia, who may not have competed in Queensland in the past. With a large crowd assured and an amazing array of historic sports cars taking part in the weekend, we encourage all Alfa lovers to come and experience this history-laden race circuit as we celebrate its past and its incredible renaissance.

An entry form will be available on the AROCA Qld website in the next week or so and will be emailed to those who have competed in past East Coast Challenges. Race entry will be a very reasonable $200 and this includes a dedicated pit carport for the weekend, a 20-minute qualifying session and 4 x 8 lap races spread over Saturday and Sunday. Lakeside's operators Queensland Raceways will provide trophies for 1st, 2nd & 3rd places in each category. Your $200 entry fee also entitles you to 4 x weekend gate passes, valued at $40 each – one for you and three for friends, family or crew.

Friday practice will be available for $120 if paid on the day, or the bargain price of $60 if pre-paid with your entry form. That's a minimum of 4 x ½ hour sessions for $60! That's the cheapest test and tune available anywhere. At this stage a Friday night BBQ on the deck on the Lakeside Function centre is also being proposed, at a cost of $25 pp.
Ken Percival will distribute supplementary regulations for the race meeting a little closer to the event. The AROCA Qld committee will also work on a dinner for Saturday, July 23 for interstate guests, local participants and other club members, as well as accommodation deals with motels/hotels close to the circuit and a show 'n' shine display for Sunday, July 24.

If you are considering entering, please email Ken Percival ASAP to alert him of your interest. Get your backside trackside at Lakeside. It'll be a weekend to remember!