After an informal, interactive introduction by Rallyschool boss Mick Ryan, head instructors Steve Glenney (2008 1st outright Targa Tasmania, 2009 1st Classic Targa Wrest Point), Brendan Reeves and co-driver Rhianon Smyth (2010 Pacific Cup Rally Champions, 2010 1st 2WD Showroom Targa Tasmania) took over the laid-back vibe, whilst discussing the key points of difference between tarmac rallying and circuit racing, with attitude, safety and ‘getting the car to the finish’ being the main priorities.

The group was then split into drivers and co-drivers, the drivers taking practical instruction in their own vehicles on the challengingly narrow and undulating 2.16km Broadford circuit (chosen to simulate a tarmac stage) whilst the co-drivers gained further insights from Rhianon on all aspects of co-driving, focussing on preparing rally documentation, safety requirements, reconnaissance and pace noting.

This split format allowed the drivers a solid two hours of instructional track time, where they could call on the services of Steve and Brendan to hone their tarmac lines, which Steve said “should allow for a metre of road on either side of the car, to allow you room to re-adjust should something unexpected occur”.

“It was an awesome experience,” said Ryan, a rookie who is building an Escort for Targa High Country. “The old work ute (which he brought along) hasn’t seen 5000rpm for a long time! The guys taught us to be alert, to look for where the surface is greasy or bumpy, and to drive with a safety margin…because anything could lie beyond that blind crest on a Targa stage.”

Over a tasty lunch of scones and rolls the crews reconvened with the instructors to communicate their learning experiences. The importance of working as a team and preparing for consistent, sustainable pace was re-iterated, along with some driving tips that would contribute to finishing well- things like running one gear higher than you might on a circuit to ease tyre degradation and modulating braking over inconsistent surfaces.

Rhianon passed on some basic pace notes for Broadford, which the teams could take on-circuit to modify as they worked on developing their own rhythm.

For the afternoon session crews jumped in and out of the pits, speaking with Mick and the instructors, who answered an array of questions from setup (“Soften the suspension from a circuit spec, for traction and bump compliance”) to numbering corners in the notes (“On a 1 to 10 system, a 3L should represent a 90 degree left turn…”).

Andrea and Lyndal, who were “Co-Drivers A and B” in Scott’s Evo 6, were amazed at the level of advice Rhianon provided. Lyndal, who was already looking to book further training with Rallyschool, confessed to “having the bug,” but after seeing her climb weak-kneed out of the Evo, we weren’t sure which bug she was referring to!

Just as the crews were gaining confidence, Mick played his joker. The cars would now run the circuit in an anti-clockwise direction- a first, according to the Broadford officials.

All of a sudden the circuit became a Targa stage, full of unknowns. Though the instructors remained on-hand, the onus of developing notes now fell on to the crews.

Continuing to practice what they had learned on the day, confidence returned, and speeds rose in correlation to the smiling faces. Lapping continued well into the afternoon, the session ending after 4pm- a great deal of instructional and free lap track time for only $375 ($95 for co-drivers including food through the day).

As goodbyes were exchanged, Mick summarised the feedback he had received: “The groups that had some experience all said, ‘We wish this training was available when we were rookies!’ whilst the newcomers commented that the day has given them a far more solid grounding for the coming Targa events than they otherwise would have received.”

Rallyschool’s aim is to host more of these events in future, which is a great thing for the sport.

UPDATE: Rallyschool received the following feedback from one of the Broadford training participants, Owen Boak:

“As a competitor with quite a few years driving around racetracks I came to Targa with the attitude that I can drive fast – so let’s go and show ‘em… and crashed like many from the same background before me (including many ‘name’ drivers).

The reality is that rallying is a totally different mindset and unless you realize this and the importance of the team effort involved you will likely come unstuck.

I only wish that I could’ve had the opportunity to spend some time with top flight drivers to learn more about the different approach required when I first started – I think Targa should make this course mandatory for ALL newcomers who do not come from a rallying background- no matter how big their reputation, ego or bank balance.”

Brendo and Rhi have entered the 2010 Pacific Cup, which takes in three rounds of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC). Their first forest foray of 2010 was at New Zealand’s Rally Whangaeri earlier in July, where they finished 3rd overall and 2nd in the Pacific cup to Kiwi Hayden Paddon, who will not be in Queensland this year. The final Pacific Cup event will be held in New Caledonia at the end of August. As they have been granted ‘wildcard’ entry to Rally Queensland, they will also be eligible for APRC points.

It will be great competition for the brother-sister team, as it gives them a chance to gauge their pace against ARC drivers on gravel for the first time since their accident in Rally SA last year, as well as sharing the stages with guys like Alister McRae, Chris Atkinson and Cody Crocker who will be participating in the APRC section.

Atkinson was complimentary of Brendo in NZ:

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After leasing an Impreza in NZ and transplanting their own suspension, Brendan and Rhianon will be back in their own www.rallyschool.com.au STi for Queensland and hope to build on the solid performance achieved in NZ. “The first day in New Zealand, perhaps we were a bit too conservative, just easing back into things on gravel after all our tarmac rallies this year,” said Brendo. “We were happier with our rhythm on the second day and being back in our own car on home soil should be an advantage for us.”

We will be watching the stage results with interest.

The official Rally Queensland press release text can be found below:

THE biggest field for a championship rally in Australia in years, 83 cars, will start the International Rally of Queensland on the Sunshine Coast this Friday.

The final entry list for the 30 July-1 August event features teams from India, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, New Zealand, New Caledonia and Australia, plus a star-studded driver line-up.

Starting in Caloundra on Friday night with two tarmac special stages at the Coates Hire Rally Shootout, the event will host round four of the 2010 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship, round five of the Australian Rally Championship, rounds three and four of the Queensland Rally Championship, the third and final round of the Australian Classic Rally Competition and a category for All Comers.

Event Director Errol Bailey promises spectators will be treated to a thrilling display of skill by international drivers making their only Australian appearance this year.

They international line-up comprises Australian Chris Atkinson, formerly with the Subaru World Rally Team and now the factory Proton R3 Malaysia squad, teammate and British Rally Champion Alister McRae (Scotland), Team MRF’s Asia Pacific champion Katsu Taguchi (Japan) and his Indian Rally Champion teammate Guarav Gill (India), Rifat Sungkar (Indonesia), Atsushi Masumura (Japan), Brian Green (New Zealand) and Jean-Louis Leyraud (France).

Three young Australians, Brendan Reeves (21), Glen Raymond (25) and Nathan Quinn (24), have been given a chance to showcase their talents with wildcard entries in the Asia Pacific field, but the man who beat everyone in the 2009 event, Victorian Simon Evans, will run only in the Australian Rally Championship division in a bid to clinch his fourth driver’s crown.

“This is a fabulous field for the International Rally of Queensland. There will be more talent, more cars and more variety than has been seen at a championship rally in Australia for many years and certainly at our own event since the mid-nineties,” Mr Bailey said.

“If spectators have never seen a world-ranked driver like Chris Atkinson at work in a genuine works rally car like the Proton Satria Neo S2000 before, they’re in for a fantastic experience.

“There will be great battles to watch in every part of the field – the Classics will be particularly exciting to watch – and plenty of chances for spectators to see the cars in action and at rest.”

Promoters Brisbane Sporting Car Club have added new opportunities for spectators to see the cars on this year’s event, the 42nd as a round of the Australian championship.

After the Caloundra-under-lights Coates Hire Rally Shootout, the rally resumes on Saturday with an 8 am service break in the main street of the pretty hinterland town of Kenilworth, where fans and locals are expected to turn out in force.

At the end of the day, crews will make a meet-and-greet visit to Cooroy from 5 pm en route to the secure overnight compound (parc ferme) at the ocean-front SurfAir at Marcoola resort and rally headquarters.

Of the crews not required to enter the parc ferme, many will spend the night at Imbil, the location of the Novus Autoglass Service Park, where the Mary Valley Show Society will welcome them and spectators at the inaugural U-ROCK when IROQ party. The headline act is the harmonica-playing Mayor of the Sunshine Coast Regional Council Bob Abbot with his eight-piece Boreen Point Connexion band.

The Service Park at the Imbil showgrounds and the Spectator Park just outside the town will be the hub of weekend activity.

Crews will contest eight gravel special stages in the Imbil State Forest on Saturday and a further eight on Sunday, returning to the Service Park – a popular place for fans to see the cars and drivers – a total of five times before the winner arrives at the Imbil finish podium at 3.30 pm.

Leave your thoughts in the comments- can it be as great as Targa Tassie?

Personally, I think it is a wonderful opportunity for Victoria and the high country region, to bring sporting tourism in for something other than snow skiing and fishing (both of which, admittedly, are great, but don’t sustain the communities through the lean months).

I want to see some tie-in with the local gourmet food and wine producers, with static displays of Lamborghinis sure to appeal to the Masterchef set. Also, there needs to be lots of promotion in Mansfield itself, as the old Buller Sprint had the town thronging when the prologue was run through the town’s streets. When that was removed, the Sprint was then confined to the hill itself, in turn confining spectators to only a couple of spectating zones and no way to move off the hill until the road re-opened.

The roads themselves appear well picked. All the tarmac guys rate Buller itself as one of the best stages in Australian rallying, and to expand on that with runs through Whitfield, Tolmie and Jamieson provide a great mix of quick and curly curves.

This event being on the mainland is a bit double-edged when compared to its illustrious forebear. On one hand, the access to the region is far better than in Tassie, but many would argue that the wilderness and seperation of the Apple Isle is what is at the core of its appeal in the first place. Budget wise, though, Targa High Country makes more sense to more people. It remains to be seen if it can be profitable…fingers crossed.

With these words said via car to pit radio during the weekend of the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, it was clear the feud was over. The long, bitter quarrel that had raged over many years against the backdrop of the most competitive motorsport arena had finally come to resolution.

The two great rivals Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost had spoken. Following Alain Prost’s retirement as the 1993 champion, Senna’s attitude towards Prost changed remarkably. Ayrton treated Alain differently, as a colleague rather than a competitor. Sadly later that weekend in San Marino while negotiating Tamburello early in the race, Senna’s Williams Renault bottomed out over the same bump as previous laps- but this time Senna didn’t, couldn’t hold it. There was a fault in the steering column that rendered his steering numb and useless. Senna was a passenger as his Williams slammed straight into the concrete wall at around 150mph. It was a horrendous crash, though it is believed that Senna would have survived except for the unfortunate, cruel blow to the head from a suspension part that pierced his helmet. Tragically Ayrton Senna da Silva succumbed to his great wounds later that day. It was part of a black weekend where fellow driver Roland Ratzenberger lost his life and close friend Rubens Barrichello ended up in hospital after shocking accidents. Brazil declared three days of mourning and people openly wept in the streets. Alain Prost was quoted as saying “I have lost my greatest rival. The only driver that I ever respected…”

Formula 1 and motorsport in general had lost one of its heroes. The charismatic Brazilian, the terror in the yellow helmet. His memory lives on with those who were fortunate enough to see this fierce competitor behind the wheel. Alain Prost felt as though part of him died that day too, so tightly these two competitors, now friends were connected.

Ayrton Senna was one of the most gifted drivers of the modern era. As far as raw talent, his abilities in the car were astounding. Throughout his illustrious career he earned a reputation for rising to a higher level in qualifying – at the time of his death holding the record for the most pole positions with 65. In the race sometimes it was no different; he had the capability to do a fantastic first lap and simply disappear from the field. Though often rash and prone to the occasional silly mistakes that cost him good finishes, Senna scored 41 Grand Prix victories. A key attribute was his aggression, allowing him to slice through the lapped cars with ease. In wet conditions he was even more superior, leaving everyone else in his wake. He became World Champion three times- in 1988, 1990 and 1991.

While Senna relied on a ruthless driving nature that endeared him to his millions of fans, Prost was more mature and drove more tactical races. He preferred to focus on race setup and driving the race to his preconceived plan rather than the fastest qualifying lap. Prost was not usually as quick as Senna in qualifying; such was Senna’s blistering pace and ability to focus so intently on a single lap. But don’t be mistaken for thinking that because of this Prost was not quick – he was, blindingly so. You could see this over the course of a race distance. He never appeared ragged or under pressure but his lap times were deceptively rapid. He was much more a complete driver than Senna – perhaps the most complete race driver of all time.

In qualifying his rationale was that one did not always have to start first to win, if the car qualified in the top four then that it was easy enough to be victorious. Prost won 51 Grands Prix, the most in Formula One history until Michael Schumacher came along and rewrote the record books years later. Often during the race Prost would settle for second or third place, rather than risking his car and a good finish to catch the leader. He was also very easy on the car, protecting his machinery from too much wear and tear in case he needed the engine, tyres, etc in good shape later in the race. It was this tactical approach and incredible smoothness in his driving that earned him the nickname ‘The Professor’. He became World Champion four times and finished second or better in eight of his thirteen career seasons, retiring on a high note after becoming World Champion in his final season.

Dream Beginnings and Teamwork

Let us turn the clock back a few years to the close of the 1987 Formula 1 season. Nelson Piquet had won his third Championship from Williams-Honda team mate Nigel Mansell. The new shining star Ayrton Senna was third in the similarly engined Lotus while fourth was Prost in the ageing McLaren-TAG. The following year two significant additions would join Prost at McLaren to form the modern F1 Dream Team. Fans relished the chance of seeing Alain Prost with his new team mate Ayrton Senna battling it out in their newly Honda motivated McLarens…the 1988 season couldn’t come soon enough.

At first the two new team mates discussed the set-up of the cars and shared testing. While completely different people, their talents created a tremendously productive partnership. However Senna was a young star full of potential with sights set on becoming the number one driver in the sport and beating his illustrious team mate, already a twice World Champion by 1988. Soon, Prost noticed Senna was quite introverted and was less friendly with him than his previous team mate Stefan Johansson.

Putting this aside for a moment, history shows the McLaren MP4/4 of 1988 as class of the field; between them the dream team took 15 of a possible 16 wins. The season wasn’t without its share of incidents between the two and psychologically things were simmering behind closed doors towards the end of the season.

These mind games almost boiled over at Round 13, in Portugal. At the start of the race Prost, who had for a change qualified fastest, slipped back to second after being out dragged by Senna on the cleaner side of the grid. Prost made an attempt to protect his position, slightly squeezing Senna towards the grass on the side of the track but Senna held on and led the first lap. This weekend, however, Prost was in no mood to hang about. Full of confidence and looking to gain an edge over Senna he pulled alongside to pass as they came down the front straight to start the second lap. Senna then made a very aggressive chop, swerving straight at Prost. Alain used aggression against aggression, kept his foot down and passed Senna; it was very dangerous and could have resulted in a monumental high-speed crash. Later, after winning the race, Prost was not amused and words were exchanged between the two.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zznJjSncGCE

Senna went on to win the 1988 championship taking eight wins to Prost’s seven. The season came to a sporting end with Alain Prost gallant in defeat. “Senna was too good this year,” admitted Prost, already looking forward to next season.

The Sporting Rivalry becomes bitter

Formula 1 fans waited impatiently for the 1989 season to start, eager to witness Prost’s advance on Senna’s title. However unlike the previous year, this season was not to have an amicable outcome. Throughout the year, the battle grew somewhat ugly with the sporting rivalry turning hostile. The McLaren-Honda team was pushed to the limit just in keeping up with its drivers.

Round 2 in San Marino proved the tipping point. The McLaren was again the class of the field, the car’s superiority attributed as much to the designers and engineers as the drivers, who themselves refined the McLaren-Honda combination after exhaustive test sessions. The net result was that both Senna and Prost were lapping 2-3 seconds proud of anyone else.

After over a year of enjoying their superiority on the track, the two drivers had developed a gentlemen’s agreement. Since they were so superior it made no sense to attack each other at the start so whoever led away would be allowed to proceed unchallenged into the first corner. It relied on both the honesty and integrity of each other’s word.

Senna got the drop on Prost at the start and both McLarens were drawing away until Gerhard Berger’s Ferrari hit the wall on the outside of the fast Tamburello curve. Within seconds the whole car was engulfed in flames. Fortunately Gerhard was fine apart from some burns to parts of his body.

As the race was red flagged it necessitated a restart. This time it was Prost who led away from the grid, not defending his line through Tamburello or the first corner Tosa as per the standing gentlemen’s agreement. Imagine his shock then, to see Senna slithering up the inside into the first corner and driving off into the distance. Prost was demoralised; his word had always been his bond and his fears about Senna had been justified. Senna duly won the race with Prost finishing a distant second. Afterwards Prost was asked if he had a problem during the race; his answer was a polite “no comment” as he stormed off to talk to McLaren team manager Ron Dennis in the motor home. Senna’s version of events was that the agreement stood for the race start, but it did not stand for the race restart. With his blatant disregard for their agreement, Senna’s integrity was shot to bits as as far as Prost was concerned: “Senna plays by his own rules and it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks or says about it,” Prost was later quoted as saying.

From that day forward the already strained relations between the two champion drivers quickly deteriorated. In his sixth consecutive year at McLaren, Prost felt as though it was his team, his family. With the arrival of Senna and Honda the previous year it was supposed to add to that family, however soon after the San Marino weekend Prost felt himself becoming distant from Honda and some members of the McLaren team. Prost complained that his car and equipment was not to the standard of Senna’s and Senna spoke out that Prost just could not keep up his pace. Indeed, while Senna was usually quicker in qualifying there was an occasion at the Italian Grand Prix where the gap was over 1.7 seconds! In this instance Prost felt his engine was well down on power. Honda insisted they were exactly the same, but it seemed to Prost a little too coincidental that his car seemed inferior just as he had made an announcement that he was joining Ferrari for the 1990 season.

Prost won the Italian Grand Prix due to a combination of luck and an engine problem for Senna. On the victory rostrum, Prost enjoyed the cheers from the Italian fans and he dropped his winning trophy down to them, a gesture of defiance to McLaren and his perceived unfair treatment. Ron Dennis was not amused and dumped his winning constructor’s trophy at Prost’s feet before storming off. It seemed the perfect marriage between Prost, McLaren and Senna was shattered for good. Although Prost was ahead by 20 points in the championship standings with four races left, the obvious performance deficit to his team mate was worrying him. Despite this, Prost seemed to put it behind him and came out to perform well in the next two races, finishing second and third respectively. With two races remaining he was sixteen points ahead. The championship could be decided at Round 15 in Japan.

In simple terms Prost could win the title if Senna didn’t win the race. During an interview prior to the race Prost stated that many times over the past two seasons he had given in to avoid a crash with his team mate’s aggressive driving, but today it would be different. The door would not be open for Senna simply to walk though and he feared the two might collide on the track at some point if neither driver gave way.

It all boils over

The scene was set then – A race between the two champions for the Formula 1 crown. As the race started Senna had a bad start, allowing Prost to build a comfortable lead of five seconds. Over the next 40 laps the gap between the two drivers was never greater than five seconds, never less than two. The tension around the circuit could have been cut through with a knife. Senna dug deep and in the closing laps he had caught Prost. The crowd was on its feet!

On lap 46 of 53, Senna made a desperate lunge up the inside of Prost into the final chicane. He was a long way back, too far back as many would agree. As he stated before the race, Prost would not give in to an aggressive move and duly closed the door. The two cars collided.

Prost retired instantly, but Senna received a push start and eventually won the race. He was disqualified afterwards for the assisted restart as it was rightly deemed illegal by the stewards, and thus Prost was crowned Champion-elect.

Senna was gutted. McLaren launched an appeal on Senna’s behalf. The two drivers met in the McLaren garage and Prost congratulated Senna on a fine race, but Senna just ignored him. Later when asked about the incident Senna said he never caused the accident in Japan, it was not his “responsibilit”. Even after he was shown the race footage from the overhead helicopter view Senna is reported as saying “The video is wrong!” Incidentally, Senna did not win the last race of the season in Australia and Prost was officially crowned 1989 World Champion. It was not one of his happiest victories, and he left McLaren seeking happier times away from Senna with Ferrari.

The feud had reached epic proportions and it continued into the 1990 season. The two champions pushed their teams very hard during the championship but the pair maintained a bitter silence and kept their distance away from the track. Not so on track; the pair were almost inseparable. Once again the championship decider came down to the second last race in Japan though this time the roles were reversed…Senna would win the championship if Prost didn’t finish the race.

As usual Senna qualified first and Prost second in the Ferrari. Race day was going to be one hot ticket. Fears were high of another race incident similar to that of 12 months earlier, though most hoped to see a genuine fight for the title.

To say it was bitterly disappointing for race fans may be a little kind. After being refused his request to move pole position to the clean side of the track, Senna was furious and vowed to give his McLaren full power into the first corner- If anyone decided to turn in first there would be an accident and so be it.

Prost got a better start and was a car length ahead of Senna approaching the first turn. True to his personal vow, Senna rammed straight into the back of the Ferrari, sending them both spinning off the track, instantly out of the race. The body language said it all afterwards. Both drivers got out of their cars and walked in opposite directions. Senna had won his second championship in very controversial circumstances. To many this was Senna’s lowest point, where he showed his true colours. A ruthless racer who would do anything it takes to win. He faced a ban from Formula 1 and almost retired at the end of the season.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6qdIRzbukM

The coming of the 1991 season saw an uncompetitive Ferrari for Prost. Senna’s McLaren was simply too superior and the two did not get a chance to fight for the championship that year. That did not stop occasional on-track spats- a near-miss in Germany where Prost was run off the track as he went to pass Senna kept the feud in the press, Prost vowing to ‘push him out’ the next time they met.

Senna ended up with his third championship while Prost publicly criticized his team’s lack of performance and was promptly fired late in the season. The Senna fan camp now felt this was one of Prost’s low points on top of blaming him for the crash in the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix.

In 1992 Prost took a sabbatical year from Formula 1. The psychological toll of the past four seasons was great and time was needed to refresh his hunger for Formula 1 racing. Ayrton Senna did not win the championship in 1992 with his increasingly uncompetitive McLaren coming up against the mighty Nigel Mansell in the Williams-Renault.

The 1993 season dawned with Prost returning to Formula 1 at the wheel of the Williams-Renault. Senna was still racing for McLaren but was using Ford customer engines instead of the factory Honda after the Japanese manufacturer pulled out after 1992. In competitive machinery again, Prost and Senna resumed their on track battles. Senna was valiant in the slightly inferior McLaren but Prost won seven races to Senna’s five on his way to a fourth and last World Driver’s Championship.
After finishing second to Senna at the final race in Australia, Alain Prost officially retired. He spoke to Senna about perhaps shaking hands on the podium in front of the TV cameras and putting on a good show for the fans. Senna didn’t say a word, but invited Prost onto the top step of the podium after the presentations. The two great rivals standing side by side on the top step was a striking sight.

For five years the Prost vs Senna rivalry captivated the majority of F1 fans and community, polarising them into two groups. You were either a Senna fan and Prost was the enemy, or you were a Prost fan and couldn’t stand the sight of Senna leading a race. Their rivalry, their feud…their war was so fierce it shocked some but in essence it was truly wonderful. It pushed the two men far above anyone else, to heights never thought attainable. When Prost finally retired as champion at the end of the 1993 season, the two great rivals finally put aside their quarrels and started patching up their personal relationship together.

It is my belief that there will not be a rivalry as fierce and exciting as Prost vs Senna for a very long time, perhaps never again. Something that special with two enormously talented drivers such as Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost does not come along that often.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKKgrMROP7s

Summary of results
88-93 (excluding 92)
Total races – 80
Total Senna and Prost wins combined – 56
Percentage win rate Prost 23/80 = 29%
Percentage win rate Senna 33/80 = 41%
Percentage Win rate combined – 56/80 = 70%

Total points 88-93 (except 92)
Senna – 90, 60, 78, 96, 73 = 397
Prost – 87, 76, 71, 34, 99 = 367

Water crossing
They decided to make a splash on the international scene by tackling Rally Whangaeri in New Zealand with a leased Ford Fiesta. This first foray overseas also saw Brendan’s front-drive competition debut. “Rally Whangaeri came about because the Fiesta Sporting trophy hadn’t taken off in terms of popularity and they wanted an international driver to boost exposure. We had minimal testing in the car and I found that it needed to be set up for entry well before a corner, so we could drive through under power. My usual left-foot braking technique wasn’t as effective in the Fiesta, due to the brake booster (he had never rallied with one before) altering the pedal feel and making it harder to pivot into turns. Despite this we lead all Fiestas after the first day and were again ahead of the pace on the second. A puncture cost us some time but our challenge ended when we returned to the car. It wouldn’t start because the battery had gone flat,” he remembers.

Whangaeri was the precursor event to participation in the WRC round in New Zealand, again in the Fiesta. When I ask Reeves about nerves, he smiles, but his response is quite assured: “We took a lot from the experience, just seeing how much importance the WRC guys place on reconnaissance and being specific with their notes. I wasn’t nervous being in front of them, as obviously they were running well ahead on the road.”

As for the rally itself, they finished first in the Fiesta class and 25th outright- despite a broken ball joint on the last stage sapping time. Off the back of this performance Brendan earned a wild card entry to the UK for a Fiesta shootout. The majority of other invitees had been running the cars all season…

“Twenty junior drivers were flown in from around the world to compete, the prize being a contract with M-Sport (Ford’s international rally team). The first day we did fitness and psychological tests, and I came out at the top of the list. Day 2 was the actual driving. The conditions were very difficult for me, being minus five degrees and with an icy surface- I’d never driven on that type of surface before. It was a 3km stage and we had three allocated runs each, but I never had my last run as the driver before me destroyed the Fiesta! My second run was good enough for eighth overall, but I had a lot more time in hand as I got to grips with the car. Unfortunately I never got the opportunity to show it,” he says with slight annoyance. Regardless, Reeves made it through to the final five and was interviewed by an illustrious panel that included Marcus Gronholm and Malcolm Wilson. After his demeanour was assessed, they placed him third overall- a remarkable result given the circumstances.

Targa time
Back in Australia Rhianon had an opportunity to co-drive for Rick Bates in the Targa Tasmania for the factory Mazda team in a Mazda3 MPS. Bates was impressed with her professionalism and when an opening came up to drive a second MPS she recommended Brendan. The siblings were subsequently entered in the showroom class for the Tasmanian Tarmac Challenge, as preparation for an assault on the Targa in 2009. The result was a strong eighth outright and first in showroom class.

This momentum carried into the Targa as they won the 2WD Showroom class at Targa Tassie after mixing it in the wet with the Mitsubishi Evos- until the MPS was penalised for a tyre change (against Targa rules) after a puncture.
Gravel, however, continued to be the Reeves focal point. “Our intention was to do as many pace noted gravel rallies as possible, to gain more experience and good enough results to allow an entry into the Australian WRC round in Perth,” he says.

The early results were encouraging despite a small budget which did little for continuity of competition and equipment. “We were fortunate to have Mick offer us a Rally School STI for a couple of events. We won outright at Rally Lithgow in NSW and came second behind Eli (Evans) in South Australia despite being in a less developed car. “

Rising star
Two further key results leap out from his results page. The first was his performance in the Pirelli Star Driver event in Queensland, with Glenn Weston co-driving (Smyth was part of an all-girl team with Emma Gilmour). “This concept pitted drivers under 26 against each other where we competed for points on each stage rather than going by totalled stage times,” he says. “There was some exceptional competition with Eli Evans, Hayden Paddon and Nathan Quinn present. The top 2 guys were to be invited to an Asian Pacific shootout, with the winner getting a paid drive in the Production Car class of the WRC.” Reeves/Weston were duly victorious and one guaranteed spot was theirs, the shootout scheduled for aforementioned WRC round in Northern NSW.

The wander back to Whangarei
A chance for more international exposure came when Brendan was able to lease Emma Gilmour’s STI to enter the New Zealand APRC round, again at Whangarei. This time his intent was nothing less than outright victory. With Weston alongside, Reeves showed confidence and poise as he mixed it with the best rally drivers in the Asia Pacific championship. “The car was very well set up; with a terrific diff program that Emma had developed with Possum Bourne Motorsport to suit the NZ roads. Again we didn’t have much opportunity to test, but still we were running second overall behind Paddon. Cody (Crocker) was third, but driving a new and unsorted car so I expected a fight as the rally continued on. On the fourth last stage, we caught up to Richard Mason, who had blown a turbo and filled the stage with smoke. I lost too much time behind it, and Cody’s clear run allowed him passed. There just wasn’t enough time for me to catch it back up!” The rallying fraternity were mightily impressed with this 20 year old arriving to drive a leased car serviced by borrowed crew to a podium in his first outright Asia Pacific event. Things were looking great, and confidence in the Reeves camp was sky-high for a memorable performance in the Australian WRC event.

Learning experience
Rhainon returned to the co-driving chair for the ARC’s Rally SA, but it was here that all the hard grafted momentum stalled with a massive accident that separated the Rally School STI’s engine from its frame. “We were really focussed on running at the front and we were setting fastest stage times. Unfortunately the car developed a misfire and with the time lost came a need to claw it back. I don’t remember much of the accident- but in the lead up we were doing over 180km/h approaching a 9L over a crest. We landed on a gutter on the right side, the gutter then pulling the car up and into a gumtree before spinning us into another tree on the left. “

Rhianon suffered breaks in both legs and heels, while Brendan cracked vertebrae in his neck. As a result, the guaranteed entry into the Australian WRC in Northern NSW had to be shelved as it was on only three weeks later. “We were pretty shattered and Rhianon had to have several operations to set her legs. She maintained her positivity throughout, and she has vowed to get back alongside me again in 2010,” he explains.

An incident as monumental as this can have a negative effect when one climbs back behind the wheel, however Reeves enlisted the help of a sports psychologist, Anthony Klarica, who was recommended by Simon Evans to assist in his rehabilitation. “He basically helped me refocus on my goals for the future, and to move forward with real positivity for the time ahead,” Brendan remembers.

Fightback
The return came on a local VRC round, the Akademos that he had previously won outright in the naturally aspirated RS. This time he entered in the STI that he had prepared for Perth, alongside Ben Atkinson, who is best known for sitting with Cody Crocker. “My intent was to ease myself back into the groove. Ben was so good about it, being very encouraging. To start with I was braking far too early, but I knew my reasons for it. We were initially running second outright, eventually upping our pace and eventually taking the win, so it was great for the confidence knowing I could still do it.”

Moving forward
So, what lies ahead in 2010 for Brendan Reeves? “I have an entry in Rally Tasmania in our LHD STI Spec-C, with Rhianon returning alongside,” he says. “We are entered in the outright class which allows us some freedoms in tyres, gearbox and engine. The competition is going to be intense- Jim Richards in his Porsche GT2 will be there, Tony Quinn’s GT-R…and Steve Glenney in a similar spec car to my own.” A ‘who’s who of recent Targa Tasmania winners, in other words.

“Things are also looking good for another attack on Showroom class in the Mazda MPS at Targa Tasmania and we’d love to do it again. It is a an event that consumes you… our ‘recce’ last year racked up over 6000kms as the roads change so much in wet/dry conditions. The challenge in making the tyres last the event was an education in smoothness and utilising a higher gear in corners to rely on torque to drag you out without spinning wheels.”

Strong drives in these local events will contribute to 2010’s ultimate goal- to further develop an international profile with entries in selected Asia Pacific and (hopefully) WRC rounds. Reeves is currently talking with a couple of international outfits to achieve this, and early feedback suggests things are progressing well.

The competition driving will be augmented with further work at the rally school (“It’s very cheap testing!”) and his ability to develop hardware has led to some further opportunities- in fact, after our chat he is off to test a new generation of tarmac rally tyre at Phillip Island, aboard a Les Walkden 2008 STI. I jokingly offer my availability should he “Need any circuit tips,” and he kindly goes along with the (attempted) comedy in his easy, down-to-earth manner. As we depart, it is this flash of personality that leaves the biggest impression. He combines good nature with an immense natural talent that is supported by an inquisitive, professional, committed attitude; the net result bringing a true self-belief that will see him go a very long way in the rallying world. Watch this space and remember the name- ‘Brendo’ is on a mission.

*If you are interested in supporting Brendan and Rhianon’s rallying, please feel free to contact us at info@lautista.com.au for further information. They have also introduced a new service designed to develop co-drivers- again, email us for info or visit www.brendanreeves.com.au .

With a jab of handbrake, the Evo pulls alongside the viewing platform, its driver’s face already broken into a smile as he hears yet again the incoherent ramblings of another passenger who has just had their perceptions of fast driving altered forever. The driver, completely relaxed, climbs out, the Evo now sitting idle, its previously superheated internals now ticking cool. He pulls up a chair alongside mine, shakes my hand. “G’Day, I’m Brendo. Nice to meet you.”

‘Brendo’ is perhaps better known as Brendan Reeves, the 21 year old country Victorian who has already proved himself as one of the quickest rally drivers in the country. His resume is already highly impressive and many in the industry are tipping massive things in his rallying future.

Fuelling the passion
How did it all begin? “My Dad Michael was a successful rally driver, winning the Victorian Rally Championship in 1997 and 2003. I remember going to watch him long before I was old enough to drive, helping out in the service crew. I was fascinated by the sport, and when my older brother Nathan got into go-karting I wanted to as well,” he recalls.
Even at the age of 7, Reeves had established that he wanted to be a professional rally driver when he grew up. Obviously not yet old enough to drive a car, he entered the world of karting and participated until he was 11, but found the atmosphere a little tense with other parents pushing their children a little too firmly to be the next Schumacher.
Being so young at the time, he remembers that the new information was quickly absorbed. “I learned race-craft on the karts, and almost unconsciously developed an understanding of the tarmac ‘line’- of entry, apex and exit, which helps me even today on bitumen.”

Reeves played Aussie Rules football and hockey as he ticked away the couple of years required before he could legally compete in local Autocross events. By the time he was 15, brother Nathan was already into rallying and father Michael felt it was time to retire from the stages to devote all his time to developing his children’s rallying interests (I say children as daughter Rhianon Smyth is today a highly successful co-driver in her own right, and usually partners Reeves on major events.)

Dirty work
Out at the family farm at Wedderburn, Michael built a dirt practice track and Brendan’s first memorable dirt experiences came in an assortment of Datsun’s, along with a stripped out Falcon. “It had no weight in it so the suspension worked quite well, and it had a torquey engine so I quickly learned about oversteer!” he laughs.

Brendan fondly recalls Sunday afternoons where he would race a stopwatch over 6kms around the track, battling for top time against his father, brother and friends. “It was fantastic to have the benefit of that track. Combined with Dad’s advice, along with that of his rallying friends, was invaluable. I still occasionally venture out there for testing.”

The move into autocross was “To learn the ropes in a competitive environment at low cost,” he says.
Obviously a fast learner, Brendan at 16 years old became the youngest ever winner of the Victorian Autocross Championship, which pits drivers against the clock over a range of 2km dirt circuits. He competed in a Datsun 240Z that he keeps to this day. “It was a great, reliable car, with around 280bhp and the ‘Option 1’ dog-leg gearbox which the works teams used back in the Seventies. Being rear-wheel drive and quite powerful, I learned a lot about being smooth with my inputs and aiming for the cleanest, grippiest exit lines during that time.”

At the end of 2005 Brendan entered Nathan’s Datsun 1600 in his first stage rally with his father’s old co-driver, Robin Smalley. “Having an experienced hand guiding me at that point was vital,” Brendan remembers. “I drove right on the edge in the first stage, as fast as I could go. As the stage ended, Robin said ‘You don’t need to drive anywhere near that hard to win this event.’ The underlying message really sunk in- you had to manage your speed in a way to combine good pace with enough margin to bring the car home. I also discovered how fit you had to be to achieve consistency. There was a 57km night stage, still the longest I have ever driven, and I came out of it panting. Dad caught me, and said ‘What’s the matter, Brendo? A bit puffed are we!?’”

Brandan’s quickly developing professional mindset was enhanced by an invitation to a 3 day course at the Australian Institute of Sport Rally Development program. Here he was presented with further tools that would assist his development. “We basically learned the other side of rallying. Most people think we just turn up and drive the cars. The AIS educated us about nutrition and mental/physical fitness, but also introduced skills in dealing with the larger rallying community- sponsors and media in particular.”

Adaptation
2006 saw Reeves participate in a couple of rounds of the RS Cup, a championship designed for the all-wheel drive, naturally aspirated Impreza RS. “It was…enlightening!” he grins. “Going from the 240Z which had big power but not much grip to something completely the opposite dictated a change in driving style. The RS was all about keeping up momentum through the corners.”

He quickly adapted, winning the RS cup with a twelfth outright at the 2006 NGK Rally of Melbourne, a round of the Australian Rally Championship (ARC). Rallyschool.com.au owner Mick Ryan reminds me that “Brendo also won a Victorian event outright in the RS…against turbocharged STI Imprezas… including one driven by his brother!”
In light of this banter, it is obvious the siblings enjoy a good natured rivalry. Rhianon, who also works the Melbourne rally school weekends with her brothers, appears to enjoy stirring the pot- at one stage cheekily asking a returning school student which brother was the quicker ‘hot lap’ instructor. When “Nathan” was the response, she made sure Brendan heard about it! “But those laps are about going sideways not about speed!” was his smiling response.

The national stage
Brendan’s impressive performances in the RS led to a real breakthrough for 2007, as Les Walkden provided a privately owned left hand drive STI for Brendan and Rhianon to compete in the ARC. “Les was a big supporter of the RS challenge and after it finished in ’06 he wanted to give a young driver a chance to step up. I was lucky enough to be chosen,” he recalls.

It was another steep learning curve as Reeves was new to LHD and the Impreza’s ‘dog ‘box’. The established rallying fraternity, more close-knit than in other forms of motorsport, were quick to lend the new boy a hand. “Cody Crocker was great,” Reeves says. “A fortnight before the first Rally in Queensland he came out to the farm and, on that same dirt track Dad had made, he showed me how to get to grips with the car.”

This quick familiarisation led to a scarcely believable third outright in Queensland, but the lingering taste of champagne was not long to last, for at the next event in Western Australia Brendan and Rhianon failed to finish. “We’d come through to the last stage and were again looking good on pace. It was a wet stage…we crashed and basically destroyed the car. It was humbling, especially after experiencing the elation of Queensland.”

Reeves/Smyth ended the ARC season sixth overall and third privateer. Ever competitive, he recalls with disappointment the missed opportunity to take third overall with a strong finish in the Melbourne finale. “The Victorian drought made the surfaces very slippery. On the fourth stage I misheard the pace note for a 7 Right and lost my spot on the stage. We ended up rolling seven times…,” he says, voice trailing off at the memory.

The ‘new boy’ had thus made an STI-sized dent (sorry) on the sport, and as time went by he found that the advice that was once free-flowing from guys like Crocker, Simon Evans, Ed Ordynski and Neal Bates was now replaced with competitive banter as their respect for his ability grew. “Cody and Simon sometimes work for the rally school, and we always try to one-up each other, the aim being to slide the car as much as possible!” he laughs.

The brother/sister team then spent the summer of 2007/08 developing their pace note communication, adapting the familiar 1 to 10 corner grading system to their own specifications under the guidance of the aforementioned Crocker and Ordynski. A more diverse range of opportunities were to come in the new year….

Follow the link for part 2: Part 2

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Ferrari Classiche, the specialist division set up in Maranello to provide owners of historic Ferraris with restoration, maintenance, supply of parts and issues Certificates of authenticity, has completed the restoration of the unique Corsa Indianapolis single-seater, a one-off built in 1953.

Chassis 0388 was built with the specific intention of competing in the 1953 Indianapolis 500 and, had it competed, would have been Ferrari’s first attempt at America’s greatest race. Nevertheless, it was raced across the USA with motorsport luminaries such as Carroll Shelby behind the wheel. Historically, it represents a step away from the Formula One cars of the same era and indicates the rapidly growing importance of the American market to Ferrari.

The restoration included not just the unique Corsa Indianapolis, but also tracking down all the documentation for the car to ensure its full and accurate heritage.

The Monoposto Corsa Indianapolis project started 1953 with the idea of participating in the Indianapolis 500, which eventually wasn’t completed, probably due to the numerous other motorsport projects in which the Scuderia department was involved. On 21 January 1954 the car was sold to Luigi Chinetti, then Ferrari importer for North America. The following month the car was shown at the New York Motor Sports Show. The Daytona Speed Week GP, in February 1955, was the car’s first official appearance in a race, where it was driven by Bob Said.

1956 was the busiest year for the Monoposto Corsa Indianapolis: in May Giuseppe Farina used the car for a test in Indianapolis, on 15 July it was driven by Carroll Shelby at the SCCA Mount Washington hillclimb and on 22 July at the SCCA Golden Jubilee hillclimb in Indianapolis. In the year 1958 the car returned to the factory for modifications for the Monza/Indianapolis race, with Harry Schell behind the wheel.

After the competition the car returned to Maranello for repairs and further modifications, for a new coachwork in Formula 1 style in 1960 bodied by Carrozzeria Fantuzzi. In the same year the car was tested by Cliff Allison on the Modena race track. The Monoposto Corsa Indianapolis concluded its motorsport activities and changed the owner several times.

HISTORIC RESEARCH

The historic research for such a particular project started with the identification of the assembly sheet 250/I (Indianapolis). The tubular chassis with extra tubular bracing (with no existing designs) was made by the chassis supplier Gilco.

Naturally it is important to underline the existence of a specific list of components dating from March 1953, entitled “250 Indianapolis”, encompassing components that were specifically designed and identified as “250″. These included clutch, suspensions, hubs, braking system, fuel tank, oil radiator and tank (the car also had a double Houdaille shock absorbers rather than the usual single absorber).

In that context, the design in February 1953 of the Tipo “250 I” engine had an identical bore and stroke (68 mm) yielding an overall displacement of 2963.45 cc. The engine was initially equipped with a single-stage supercharger, then with two superchargers and twin Weber carburettors (various types were tested: twin Weber 40 IF4Cs, 46 DCFs and 42 DCFs).

Probably because of the many different racing projects dealt with by the Racing Division at the time, the development of this design didn’t go according to schedule and it was only bench-tested at the end of September 1953. A few days before the other test, a 375 engine was tested, while this was subsequently fitted when the car was delivered to Chinetti.

RESTORATION ACTIVITIES

The restoration of such a highly unusual car involved followed Ferrari Classiche’s usual methods for restoration work carried out at the factory, while the running gear was stripped down and verified in correspondence to the original design and state of deterioration, to determine whether the parts could be re-used.

The car’s similarity to the original design and eventual modifications made by the factory over time were verified through the analysis of the assembly sheet, analysis of the list of components (all of the components, divided by group, required to complete the car). Following a verification of the components installed and correspondences of the same to the original design was carried out, followed by a verification of the components’ treatments (engine, gearbox, differential, suspension, brakes, transmission assembly, timing gear, ignition, lubrication, cooling system and exhaust system) to ensure that the same were rendered compliant with the initial specifications.

FERRARI CLASSICHE

Ferrari Classiche provides owners of historic Ferraris with restoration, maintenance and supply of parts, thanks to a process that involves researching the cars’ original designs which are held in the company’s own technical-historical archive and issues Certificates of authenticity to road-going Ferraris over 20 years old as well as to all competition cars (such as the Monoposto Corsa Indianapolis), including Formula 1 single-seaters, regardless of the year they were built.

The Company’s body, responsible for evaluating the cases presented, is the CO.CER (Comitato di Certificazione), chaired by Engineer Piero Ferrari. The certification document officially attests to the cars’ authenticity and also provides a further guarantee for buyers should the vehicles ever be sold. Introduced in 2009, the Attestation for vehicles of historic interest is now available to Ferrari cars that, although they do not fully comply with the strict Ferrari authenticity certification criteria, have been deemed, as a result of their competition and/or international recognized show history, to be of historic interest.

Based in the original old factory building, Ferrari Classiche opened its doors in July 2006 and has since become a major player in the protection of the unique Ferrari heritage. In fact, it has already issued around 1,200 certifications of authenticity and has completely restored a total of over 30 cars at its workshop.

As the first round of the newly created Australian Tarmac Championship (ATC), the 7th running of the Pacific Hire Mt Buller Sprint was an opportunity for leading tarmac crews to get a jump start in the standings.

The championship spans four rounds with Buller run on the first weekend in December being followed by Targa Wrest point in January and March’s Lake Mountain sprint, before culminating with the jewel- the 2010 Targa Tasmania from 27 April to 2 May.

Though this year’s edition had 77 entrants vying for honours across Classic and Modern classes, the absence of 2008 winner George Miedecke along with Targa Tasmania winner Tony Quinn and Jim Richards robbed the event of some ‘top-line’ quality depth. This was further reduced when the newly finished Weeks/Crunkhorn Gallardo, pre-race favourite and stage record holder, was sidelined with electrical problems after only managing one clean run on the Saturday morning. “The crew did a wonderful job in even getting the new car to the start line, but there was no point continuing if it wasn’t right,” Weeks said of his new mount, which was hastily completed over the 3 weeks between his Porsche RS victory in Classic Adelaide and the start of Buller.

Regardless of the reduction, the remaining cream (bad cooking pun) rose to the top and an intense battle ensued with 2006 winners Jason and John White eventually taking overall honours in their flame-spitting Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera Type R and scoring 250 points towards the ATC.

The Whites beat out Steve Jones/ Ben Searcy (230 points) in their impressive R35 GTR (known amongst the start line spectators as the ‘silent assassin’- so quiet, yet so efficient) with rally star Dean Herridge and co-driver Chris Murphy taking the final step on the podium in their wastegate fluttering 2008 Sti Impreza.

Another formerly victorious team in Ray Vandersee/ John Allen finished 4th in their manic Skelta G-Force- “There wasn’t much grip in the early going and we had a couple of spins, but it came together as the event went on,” explained co-driver Allen of their performance.

‘Showroom’ modern was won by journalist and committed racer Dean Evans with co-driver Simone Bachmann (10th overall) in a Lancer Evo X Club Spec, complete with dual-clutch SST gearbox.

In classic, the experienced duo of Rex Broadbent and Chris Randell took their wailing 1974 RS 911 to victory, beating rivals Pye and Lenne in another RS by 40 seconds after the 10 runs. In overall rankings these classics were 12th and 15th. The Porsche domination of this category was a suitable nod to the German marquee, who were the initial sponsors of the first Buller Sprint back in 2004.

The White’s also took kudos for the fastest run of the weekend with a staggering 8.26.01 which translated to an average speed of over 114km/h for the 16km course. However, word amongst the quickest teams was that times were around 15 seconds faster this year, due to the removal of the final left hand hairpin so favoured by spectators. This means that Weeks’ 8.36 from 2008 remains the time to beat.

New for this year was a ‘thoroughbred touring’ category, whereby curious enthusiasts could bring a helmet and enter their road car to enjoy the climb behind a pace car, all under closed road competition conditions. It appears that the intent- to whet competitive appetites in preparation for further participation in tarmac rallying- rubbed off on many of the group, with Audi S3 driver Steuart Meers vowing to return: “That is 15 minutes of pure adrenalin…surely a roll cage wouldn’t be that impractical,” he laughed. He added that event organisers Mountain Motorsports had really made the touring drivers feel part of the event, with merchandise and social functions allowing the group to mix with the professional racers.

Despite the eminently reasonable entry price of $10 for the weekend, it appeared as though spectator numbers were reduced compared with previous years (which had been held over the Melbourne Cup weekend). Sentiment amongst racegoers was that there needed to be more opportunity for spectator movement between stages, along with more viewing sections on the climb as in previous years, where some of the offset car-parks scattered along the climb were utilised for this purpose.

Also under scrutiny was the prologue, run over the last 2.5km of road for the last couple of years, which worked well for competitors and crew alike but limited spectator and community involvement. Perhaps a return to the days of running through the Mansfield streets, and involving the largest local town needs to be considered to showcase the magic of tarmac rallying to a broader audience. Thankfully the organisers are in negotiations for this to happen.

The championship focus now shifts to Targa Wrest Point, which features the finest sections of Southern Tasmanian tarmac. With Broadbent not entered at the time of writing, team Pye/Lenne has a chance to take a clear lead in the classic standings- though they will face strong competition from Andrew Miedecke/Daniel Wilson in their V8 powered Capri Perana. In modern, the White’s bring a 20 point buffer over Jones/Searcy, but with Quinn, Richards and Weeks back online, the action at the front is sure to be fierce.

Here we were then. We found the sign-in office easily enough, after narrowly avoiding a maniacally driven 125i convertible which nearly rear-ended us. A good start to a day of dedicated driver development!

We were instructed to traverse the main straight’s underpass, acoustic fun in itself, after which we were greeted with the sight of a row of perfectly prepared current model BMW 325i’s quietly warming through.

Random workers buzzed around, all in appropriate ‘BMW Driver Training’ gear, looking effortlessly professional. This feeling of slick organisation was set to continue as we were ushered into the conference room above the main pit area to enjoy a wide-ranging breakfast spread accompanied by ‘available all day ‘refreshments. I must admit to feeling nervous and not wanting much but the fresh fruit kept me on song through the theory sessions. To the instructors’ infinite wisdom, this was all covered in one block at the start of the day, all the better to allow us to focus on the practical applications behind the wheel.

A few glances and nods were swapped amongst students as said instructors entered the lecture room. Geoff Brabham, son of 3 time World Champion Jack, a Le Mans winner in his own right and chief instructor for BMW Australia, was there to not only supervise but to participate in the day! Not bad we thought, given this was the Advanced 1 ‘introductory’ course.

Joining Geoff were Derek and Rhys, and it was Derek that presented the theoretical component to the day. Obviously super comfortable in his role, former Police driver trainer Derek took us through several key components of safe driving on the road. Specifically, he encouraged us to use our vision more completely. It was a mantra often repeated: “Humans are designed to only look for hazards a few metres ahead of themselves, so they would be avoided at running speed. Most drivers only look at what is immediately in front of them, when they should be looking much further ahead.” Think of it this way: If you were looking at the bumper of the car ahead, you wouldn’t see what was beyond it. But if you were looking beyond, you could still see the bumper of that car in your lower sightline.

We went through the effects of braking and how long it actually takes when you factor in your reaction time and that of the car in exerting full brake pressure. At 100km/h the reality is that you should be keeping at least 5 seconds between you and the car in front to enable adequate hazard avoidance time. This caused some debate amongst the students who claimed that if you did that people would continue to cut into your lane ahead of you. Derek’s response provided food for thought: “So what, how much time out of your journey do you actually lose by letting them in?”

Next we looked at grip and how the different forces of braking, accelerating and cornering affect the tyre, particularly in an emergency situation. This extended into footage of oversteer and understeer to reiterate the effects of incorrect steering, throttle and brake inputs, and how to control these issues when faced with them.

Finally we were encouraged to utilise a particular steering method that worked on the 9 to 3 hand positions encouraged by the traditional BMW 3 spoke wheel. Your hands should stay in this position until 90 degrees of lock is required, at which point the bottom hand should disengage and rest just below the wheel. If more steering is needed, the upper arm can continue to sweep the wheel through to 180 degrees while the bottom hand picks up its position at the top of the wheel, in a similar method to ‘hand over hand’. As lock is unwound, the hands return to the 9 to 3 position, all very nice in theory and quite simple in application once you get used to it, the power steering assisting with its light touch.

“OK,” I hear you say, “enough of the theory!”- We were divided into groups of 2 and allocated one 325i’s per team. Once we had found our mount, my co-driver Daniel and I got busy familiarising ourselves with the Beemer and all its gadgets including car-to-car intercoms for communication. “Bloody electric memory seats, DSC, sport-shift auto trans, run flat tyres” I may have uttered; the tech laden features of a modern BMW quite a change from the old world familiarity of my Alfa 105 coupe.

Seating position was paramount, ensuring you had bent arms (wrists should dangle over the top of the steering wheel) while maintaining good visibility , with the pedals situated close enough to your feet to enable comfortable exertion of full pressure.

We trundled out in groups to the skidpan section, which was set up with witch’s hats to form a slalom course designed to familiarise us with both car and steering technique.

Following this, the fun really began, for, in Geoff’s own words: “We now venture out onto the circuit to put theory into practice….and also just because it is simply good fun!”

We were split into groups of 4, each group then following an instructor’s DCT-equipped M3 Sedan onto the vast expanse of Phillip Island’s Gardner straight.

Daniel, my co-driver, was immediately on it, wringing the 325i through the gears in manual mode, straight six emitting a cultured howl to 7000rpm. Each driver had 2 laps at the head of the queue, before moving over to rejoin at the tail of the snake. The first driver was to control the pace, with the instructor (initially Geoff Brabham for us, which was surreal in itself) matching his speed to that car. As we came to the front of the queue, the shrunken images of the other 325’s in the rear mirror suggested that Dan’s speed was superior to the others. Geoff came onto the radio to move us into the faster group headed by Derek. This was fine initially, as Daniel quickly adjusted to the higher speeds. Quickly, though, butterflies entered the cabin when a lap and a half later we pitted for the driver change and I was expected to be right up to speed…

Thankfully, my first laps of Phillip Island (complete with cones directing entry, apex and exit points) were at the rear of my group, for the pace was cracking and I wanted to ease myself into experiencing this new car/circuit combination.

The circuit certainly lived up to all I had heard about it, with long, adversely cambered double apex bends, shiveringly quick curves, steep braking zones and sharp hairpins combining with a very high average speed to form a complete challenge.

By the time I worked to the front of the queue, more detail was becoming apparent- primarily the skill of the instructors, which was humbling to say the least. Real appreciation developed by observing how they could maintain consistent gaps with people behind them, whose speed varied wildly, while at the same time studying student’s lines and making constructive comments at speeds of up 200km/h.

I felt that I was now using my vision more completely, craning my neck to look past the thick A-pillar to the exit of Honda corner and squeezing the throttle earlier and earlier. My largest adjustment came with timing my ‘track-out’; unwinding steering lock quickly enough to get the car pointed for exit as early as possible. This went hand in hand with using the entire track surface rather than instinctively keeping left, and by the end of the session I felt as though I was lapping as well as the others surrounding me.

As for impressions of the 325i, both Daniel and I felt it best to leave the gearbox in performance auto mode, which changed down gears for you under hard braking and clung to them longer on exit. It seemed to respond better than the manual mode, which felt slow-witted; trying to short-shift out of MG, for example, wasn’t working as the lag in making the shift saw it change up as you ran to the apex of the left hander that followed.

Another issue surrounded the run-flat tyres which contributed to quite dull feel through the steering. Geoff was diplomatic about them, while Derek was more succinct, saying that he “much prefers” running traditional rubber.

The morning shifted to more technical development, with half heading over to the skidpan, whilst my group moved onto Gardner straight to run through some braking and avoidance exercises.

Rhys ran this session, demonstrating in the M3 what we’d be expected to do each time. Initially, we did straight-line braking tests both with and without ABS, at 80km/h and 100km/h, noting the change in pedal feel (the trick is to mash the pedal with it on, at which point the pedal ‘pulses’.)

The beauty of ABS is that it still allows the driver to control the car through steering, whilst braking heavily. Come the high speed wet lane change exercises, I have to admit that the ABS required quite an adjustment for me, as my natural reaction to an emergency brake is to feel for the point of lockup and modulate the pedal to maintain some steering. In practice I took out many a cone, tank-slapping my way between the lanes…of course, being first in the group made this doubly embarrassing as I sat laughing nervously with the hazard lights blinking.

After another break we made a beeline for the skidpan, which was a chance for Derek to show off his skills behind the wheel. Well, with a 414bhp M3 and a wet pan, it’d be rude not to! Again it was humbling to observe this- as he tipped broadside between the cones, Derek spoke through our intercoms as if he was having a nice cup of tea and a bikkie (he probably was).

Our first tests involved provoking understeer with the DSG system switched off. This wasn’t so much about recovering traction loss, as about feeling the benefit of the new technology. A brisk run to 50km/h and a wrench of the wheel to the right saw the 325’s nose skid straight on- again, instinct told me to ease throttle and steering to recover grip, which I duly did. “Nice recovery,” said Derek, “but not the objective of the exercise. Do it again!” The second time, I let the nose plough on until I received a “Good!” through the speaker. By the time of the third run DSC was on. Keeping the foot down, the car still understeered initially, but caught up in time to alter the forces and tighten our line without much driver input. An odd feeling- as it removed you from the equation.

Oversteer came next, and while many salivated at the prospect the combined effects of run flat tyres and a slow-witted auto gearbox meant these well balanced Beemers struggled to maintain any slide. We were asked to provoke the rear by simply stomping the throttle upon turning for a slow right. Again, understeer took over, before the ‘box caught up and spun the wheels furiously into oversteer.

Everyone in the group spun like a top, even Ian, a former sprint-car driver. It seemed the issues mentioned above combined with a lack of throttle sensitivity (it is electrically operated) to create this effect, which even Derek appeared confused by. Regardless, with DSC back on the rear was noticeably more controlled but it further removed that layer of involvement that enthusiasts so craved. The good news was that in safety terms for most drivers it really does the job.

Armed with our new appreciation we ventured back on track. As before DSC was compulsory but in dry conditions its presence was hardly noticed. I was now far smoother, turning in later than before, applying throttle sooner, and running to the ripple strips on exit. My rhythm from Siberia through to Lukey heights was developing well, a gentle ease of pressure through the Hayshed allowing for a cleaner apex as the climb began. Geoff came onto the intercom, talking through his lap up ahead with a quote on smoothness that had us all laughing ourselves wide of the next apex- “Compare the experience to, I don’t know, dating Jennifer Hawkins. Always be smooth, caress with your touch…”

Our day concluded with passenger hot laps in the instructor’s M3s. Derek was our chauffer and gave us a first-hand experience of his sideways skills, hitting both apices through the Southern Loop in a haze of smoke before exceeding 240km/h down Gardner straight. If my eyes were not already widened enough, this final experience topped the day off. I now can’t wait to participate in the next lever, Advanced 2- the keys to an M3 for the day beckon.