The Townsville City Autosports Club (TCAC)  is the latest club to resume its 2020 motorsport season this weekend with the opening round of its TAG Mount Stuart Hillclimb Series taking place at the picturesque Mount Stuart.

 

Around 18 competitors are locked in to compete in the Queensland based club’s hill climb event with spectators also allowed to attend as part of the state Government’s COVID-19 current restrictions on community sporting events.

 

Despite being eased across the state, the club has still been working hard at meeting all the requirements of the Government and Motorsport Australia’s Return To Race document.

 

One of the key contributors to putting the event on, Kerry Cobbing was pleased with the number of competitors entered as it will allow them to set up solid practices for future events in the current environment.

 

“We’re really excited for this weekend. It’s not the biggest field and we were expecting a little more people than this, but at least everyone attending will get more than their money’s worth,” Cobbing said.

 

“I think it all happened a little too quickly and people hadn’t got their vehicles ready just yet, but this does work in our favour a little bit because it gives us an opportunity to test our current measures and use them as a blueprint for future events

 

“Because the lower numbers, we can concentrate on a lot of other things to get right. I feel like we’re on top of it at this point though. We have a good team helping us put this together.

 

“It’s very important to have a good team behind you when doing events, especially in circumstances like this. You can go in and take shortcuts here and there, but it will catch up with you as well as put people in danger.

 

“By having this good team behind you, the club can organise everything properly and allocate jobs to people you know they will do it properly and safely.”

 

Like many other events occurring around Australia, some of the measures the club will be implementing will be registering all spectators, enforcing social distancing amongst all drivers, spectators and officials, and reducing the number of officials needed in specific areas like timing.

 

The event will see the 18 participants have around eight runs at the 1.5km course with the result vital in the outright standings with the club having to shorten the series to just a two-round season.

 

The TAG Mount Stuart Hillclimb Series’ first round takes place at Mount Stuart in Townsville on 26 July.

Other events around Australia

GSCC Hillclimb Series Round 2Grafton Sporting Car Club Inc