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October 12, 2008
CLUB OPENING DAY
By Glen Laundy. Photo's courtesy Dale Attwood.
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| Club Commodore Mark Palazzo begins proceedings with APBA president Tony Walsh |
An above average number of spectators for a club day gathered in what would have otherwise been a perfect time to stay indoors, out of the dust storm and watch Craig Lowndes win another Bathurst 1000. Despite some very windy and somewhat treacherous conditions at the North Arm, the ASBC faithful gave the crowd something to cheer for. Blown Alcohol, Hydroplanes, 6 and 5 litre boats, 25hp outboards were all on display in what was a good day had by all.
The eager crowd were rewarded for their presence, bearing witness to speeds of 130+ mph in the Unlimited class. 'Agent Orange', 'The Boss', and 'No Remorse' played out the season opener in a 3 man race.
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| Petrol kick-start |
Clean and tidy racing was on display from the moment the flag dropped, despite testing conditions driving into a very strong headwind. Frequent flier Trevor Stanley opted to only show off his prop during the customary pre-race drive by. The 2000hp orange machine took out race 1 in what was an exceptional drive and demonstration of what our club has to offer in season 2008/2009.
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| Ken Arnott lending out his driver |
A newcomer to these breakneck speeds was fellow competitor Neil Laundy, lucky enough to be given a drive of 'No Remorse' by friend Kim Hankins. After a practice lap consisting mostly of bunny hopping in and out of the water, Neil managed to get a handle on the red beast and was flying along the straights during the second lap of the race. His fun soon ended when the bottom shaft of the driveline broke, putting 'No Remorse' out for the remainder of the day. Although the fun was shortlived for Neil, I'm told the buzz he got from 1500hp didn't end for a week.
Our 6 litre carby advocate 'Alcatraz' driven by Mike & Terry Smith showed the way amongst the rest of the field, finishing ahead of 'Bite-Me' and a somewhat timid looking 'In Excess' in all of the support races. Terry's son Mike looked impressive in just his second drive of the Evercraft, and rumour has it that their laptimes were quite similar. The field of 7 also included an old faithful- hydroplane 'Rasputin' driven by Jamie Reu.
All in all the opening race day and club reunion was a good day had by all and a success by every measure. The club thanks all involved and look forward to seeing the familiar faces at Berri on November 23rd.
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