DESPITE the economic challenges drivers are facing, Club Day Autocross went ahead at the Raleigh International Raceway on Sunday 29 March.
The strong turnout observed a minute’s silence for highly-respected raceway founder and creator Chris Piggott, who died in late-February.
Drivers were encouraged to hear that the motorsport legend’s family and friends will continue running events for the community.
Competitors on the day ranged from young women competing for their first time, through to those who remember a time when tuning was done with a screwdriver and not a laptop.
The facility was in great shape with preparation and a few passes of the water truck on race day, enough to keep the dust at bay and the surface consistent.
More experienced competitors produced some spectacular runs on the fast surface.
Other drivers experienced minor car troubles.
Battling it out for total overall time across four heats were Luke Pell in his rear-wheel-drive VW bug, and Troy Haworth in a front-wheel-drive Toyota Celica.
The pressure was on all day with a long list of regular campaigners snapping at their heels.
Autocross involves multiple laps around a dirt or bitumen circuit.
Competitors compete against the clock in various heats, with the driver who accumulates the most points across the day declared the winner.
Vehicles are divided into different categories, generally FWD, AWD and RWD.
Motorsport Australia regulations are in place and include safety equipment and medical staff.
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