MG Interclub Challenge
The Kings Birthday long weekend saw the running of the MG Interclub Challenge with the running of three competition events over two days. The Interclub challenge is open to all MG Car Clubs in Australia although normally it has been contested mainly between South Australia and Victoria with the venue alternating between these two states.
In 2018 it was memorably won by the MG Car Club Geelong at Tailem Bend and the Collingrove Hillclimb track in South Australia. During the pandemic years the competition (like many other things) fell into abeyance until an attempt this year by the MG Car Club Victoria to resurrect it.
Sadly, despite excellent support from Victorian competitors, there were only two interstate entrants in a double entered MGF. Geelong was to be represented by five competitors but unfortunately this was reduced to four with the late withdrawal of Competition Director, Graeme Ruby who is struggling with a back injury.
Day one of competition was at the METEC Driver Training centre in Bayswater. The events of the day consisted of two Motorkhana patterns on the concrete skid pan at METEC and six Khanacross events on the bitumen interconnecting roads that crisscross the complex. I use the term bitumen advisedly as the surface of these roads was characterised by more than a few pot holes and bumps.
Despite this it was tremendous fun and greatly enjoyed by all who took part. Dan Hall in his race Midget was the quickest of the Geelong competitors over the two events. Trailing along behind him was your correspondent in his trusty old 'A', Craig Ballinger in his bright yellow Midget and Chris Freeman in his MGB GT.
Day two of competition was a Hillclimb at Robroy. We woke on Sunday morning to the sight of light drizzling rain which persisted all the way out through the hills to Rob Roy. Sadly, the light rain continued all day and was enough to make the track constantly wet. Anyone who has competed at Rob Roy in the rain knows that it can bite the unwary, so slower times were the order of the day.
Chris Freeman decided at this point that his tyres weren't up to scratch for a wet track and decamped for Geelong shortly thereafter. The rest of us soldiered on regardless. Dan Hall picked up where he left off the previous day and proceeded to lay down a series of quick runs that saw him finish the day as the quickest MG overall and 15th outright against the modern rockets.
For Craig Ballinger, it was a case of "what might have been". Determined to throw down a challenge to Dan, he managed to out brake himself into the chicane on the second last run and then got a little exuberant on the exit of said chicane on the next run.
Despite the miserable weather it was still a good fun day and we look forward to doing it again soon. There will be a short lull in the competition program over the next couple of months although our Competition Director is thinking of putting on an extra Motorkhana on the grass at Breakwater so stayed tuned for more on that.
