Motorsport in Australia continues to ramp up with five club events across three states this weekend, including New South Wales, who becomes the latest state to host an event since restrictions came into place.
Ahead of the weekend, motorsport.org.au has a brief look at each event.
Multi-Club Motorkhana
Maffra and District Car Club
Boisdale Hillclimb Circuit
Sunday 14 June
The Maffra and District Car Club expect between 25 and 30 competitors to take part in this weekend’s motorkhana, which is now a club-only event.
Competitors will run on around eight in a bid, while a number of junior drivers will also use the event to learn racing skills.
To stay in line with the Motorsport Australia Return to Race strategy, the club has installed significant signage at the location and made all briefings, sign on and documentation electronic.
“We are more relieved than excited to be honest. It’s been hard yards, but we’re getting there,” Maffra representative Greg Cook explained.
“Working through the COVID-19 requirements has been challenging, but we have figured out the secret and we’re on our way.
“Everything we have done means there is no need to have any competitor contact in the morning. It may be weird but the methods we are implementing now, we will look at continuing post COVID-19.
“I will be relieved once we get the first car rolling because that is the hard part done. Looking forward to that moment.”
.jpg?sfvrsn=8a92999_3)
BMWDCM Sandown Come and Try 2020
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne
Sandown International Raceway
Sunday 14 June
There will be no competition on Sunday at the iconic Sandown Raceway as the club looks to give its members an opportunity to get behind the wheel.
The club will divide the entrants into smaller groups and give each group a number of 15-minute sessions throughout the day.
Every entrant, whose name will be on a list, will be required to undergo a temperature test before they enter the facility and will only be allowed one pit member, as well as receiving all documentation before they arrive.
With the number of entrants capped at 60, the club’s Graeme Bell was thrilled on the enthusiasm shown by both drivers and officials in attending the event.
“We are very excited. We’ve been inundated with interest from both competitors and officials who want to get back out here,” Bell said.
“We are doing it as a practice day to get everyone back out on the road and remember how to drive.
“Everyone wants to get back on track and that is what we live for so we can’t wait.”
Round 3 Motorkhana Series 2020
South Eastern Automobile Club
SEAC Park
Sunday 14 June
.jpg?sfvrsn=d7133b07_3)
SEAC returns for its second event in as many weeks with the third round of its 2020 Motorkhana Series.
The club is not expecting to have too many members enter the round, but has confirmed 16 tests will feature at its home in SEAC park and competitors will get multiple runs at each test.
Following on from its successful Come and Try event last week, the club is confident it can produce an event of similar success, but will wait until a number of drivers have been entered before confirming.
PCNSW Night Motorkhana 2020
Porsche Club New South Wales
Sydney Motor Sport Park
Saturday 13 June
The club will be ticking off two major milestones this weekend - it’s first motorkhana since COVID-19 restrictions came in and its first night motorkhana.
During the four hour event, the 38 entered competitors will have two runs at two patterns with the potential for a third experimental pattern.
Like all other events, the club has appointed a COVID checker, who will make sure everything is abiding by the Motorsport Australia Return to Race guidelines, in the hope it has a successful outing for a bigger event next week.
“We’re really excited. As a club we do a lot of motorsport events and our members have missed racing a lot,’ Club representative Timothy Bickford said.
“The motorkhana is not a competition round because we have never done a night round in the past.
“Everybody is really excited to get back into it. We have a Supersprint next week which has a healthy number of entrants and it’s why this weekend is important. We know things are going to need sorting out, which will prepare us properly for next week.
.jpg?sfvrsn=c26aed8f_3)
Westmere Khanacross
Ararat Car Club
Westmere Rec Reserve
Sunday 14 June
After already running khanacrosses and motorkhanas in 2020, the Ararat Car Club are back in business with their first event since March and the club are taking no chances, making it an invite-only event.
The event has 18 competitors already locked in for the six test khanacross, which will run different combinations of one track.
The club has also created entry and exit points, five hand sanitiser stations and all briefings and self-scrutineering will be done pre-event.
“You don’t realise how much you miss racing until you can’t do it,” event organiser Chris Harwood said.
“But we’re here now and everyone is understanding of the things we need to do to make sure the event can run without issues. This includes abiding by the rules and looking after each other, so everyone really good about that.”
.jpg?sfvrsn=8b15928f_3)