Some of you may have seen this on Facebook but here I go anyway.
Sunday 22/01/2017 was a day i'll remember forever, I took the Lotus 51 to the track, and a 50 year old and long cherished dream turned into a reality. And it was every bit and more as good as I have always thought it would be. Total joy to finally drive an open wheeler.
It was stunning. A huge thanks to Paula for letting me realise my dream, and my friends who rallied round to help at the track.
The car ran like a Swiss watch, observers trackside said that it sounded good and strong too. It was music in my ears, possibly I think the most memorable exhilarating day of my life. Often you hear people say they stoked up the dream so much that the reality could not meet the mark. For me despite idealising it for the last 50 years, it was even better.
And my best time? 1:15.01 for an average of 115kph - a long way to go yet but I know where at least 5 or 6 seconds lie within easy grasp. The lap record for a modern FF is 55.3 set in 2009, I won't get to that in a 50 year old car, but less than 1:10 is my next goal.
I was chuffed to receive congratulations from a couple of seasoned racers there who felt it that it was a very good showing for a first time out, and for shaving a solid 4 seconds consistently off my times over my final session. Apparently regularity should be my forte at the moment 😄
It is around 35 years since I actually drove what might be described as fast in anything, and by hell it was FAN BLOODY TASTIC - the 51a is such a sweet handling and easy to drive car, it's a joy 😄👍🏻
Some video below - Camera mount seemed to pick up a lot of vibration noise
Lotus 51a 1968 onboard - my first drive - Symonds Plains 22/01/2017
https://youtu.be/rvTmT1nj9WwLotus 51a 1968 onboard - my first overtake - Symonds Plains 22/01/2017
https://youtu.be/UfyoZM4xbw8Seems it might have made a bit of history too. As my friend who is on the CAMS historic committee here and who helped on the day wrote to tell me.
"On another note there was much discussion on Sunday about the last early Lotus racing cars that ran at Symmons Plains. I looked back through my program collection and came up with these entries.
David Sternberg Lotus 32B November 1969 and Bruce Gowans was running the Lotus 23 at the same meeting.
Geoghegan’s Lotus 39 and 59 at the March 1970 meeting. Lotus 23 and two Lotus 7 at the same meeting
For the March 1971 meeting Bruce Gowans got his Lotus 23B
Lotus23B and one of the Sevens running in September and November 1971
September 1972 the Lotus 23 now owned by Allan Watts raced with Gowans Louts 23B
Ex Gowans 23B raced by Ian Howard (now West Tamar Council Municipal Engineer) September 1975
Howard Lotus 23B February 1976 along with another Engineer friend of mine Wayne Clark in his Lotus Super 7 which he still has. Ditto September
November 1976 Glen Warren joined the other two in his Super 7
All 3 again at March 1977 meeting
September 1977 and the xHoward 23B had passed to John Walker and the Sevens were put away
November 1978 Wayne Clark Lotus Super 7
March 1979 John Walker Lotus 23B (with turbo two litre Pinto)
May 1979 John Walker Lotus 23B
March 1980 John Walker Lotus 23B – John sold the car to Melbourne a few years later and I expect that was it for Lotus until the Elises ran here a few years back.
Your run in an open wheeler Lotus I suspect is the first since the Geoghegan’s in March 1970"
Cheers - John
