Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 22:19:24 +1000 From: greta@jeack.com.au (Greta Young) Subject: CanTeen Day 1997
Well Canteen day May 4th 1997 dawned about the same as last year, overcast and threatening rain. A little warmer this year tho. I was up at the crack of dawn and on the road by about 7.15. I had to get to Peter Horans place by 7.45. When I got there Pete and Karen were organised and filling up the cars... yes Pete had Cameron's 400HP NSX and his own RED MR2 (both cars still sporting their Targa Tasmania stickers) in the driveway. Pete quickly moved them and I put an unsuspecting BT in the garage, little did she know the fun that she WAS NOT GOING to have! I piled in the RED, opps no GREEN (thankfully most of the red hidden with Green Shamrocks) MR2. I felt like I was in a "High Chair" as the Ricaros are much higher than the standard seats. Oww.. heavy clutch, but man does it bite. Although I have had BT's clutch replaced it is still abysmal and could do with yet another replacement. I should never have accepted it.. ah well.... Off we went. the silver NSX looked pretty impressive. With so many horses under the bonnet the back window has special louvers to help with the airflow.. We arrive at Cameron's to find Jeremy in his battle scarred RED MR (and he was only Petes support car in Targa ??!!) Camerons other NSX - a pristine red road car and another of Cameron's friends in an AVO prepared RX7. Yes we were an impressive bunch :)
Finally after the men buggered about for almost an hour (why couldn't I have been allowed to get up an hour later???) we were off. Oww I should say here Cameron had jumped in the silver NSX, his girlfriend in the red NSX and Pete and Karen had by this time jumped into yet another of Cameron's cars - the Cobra... yes we looked pretty good cruisin' down the highway. It was pretty neat having an NSX on each side of me .. what how.. oww they both have the same plates! Someone at AVO had given Peter the wrong plate for the silver car. Lets hope there are no police about! This could be hard to explain... maybe "what? officer you can see 2 NSX's .. we can only see one...??"
We stop to fill up with Petrol and here arrives a NEW Yellow Lotus Elan - yes another of the troop... the driver of the Lotus had actually ordered and paid for an Elise, but the dealer failed to come up with the goods, so the driver said "I have a commitment I NEED a car.. " so this is what they gave him. He most surely had fun with it on the day and I wonder what the dealership thought when it was returned. The way the tyres were smokim' I'm pickin' they may have been a bit the worse for wear!
Along the road a few more cars gathered including a Lotus (seven) not sure small open model..
We got to Laverton airbase and what a line up.. from an old datsun rally car to an F40! We had commodores, we had MR2's another RX7, a Renault alpine, a couple of 911's, an MGB, BMW M3 (last year this car performed when it was less than a week old), another cobra, a Capri, an AVO prepared RAV4, Lenny in his super dooper ute, the hod rod......
Yes the kidz remembered the 2 latter cars from the previous year - the ute - very popular, they all wanted a go, but the Hot Rod, they remembered well for it's door that wouldn't stay shut and it's crazy smokin' wheels.
There were a few girls who were very apprehensive, but I managed to persuade them that Simon in the M3 was "safe", ad he didn't let me down! I think it kinda worked for him too as the M3 was continuously full of girls..................
The poor old Porsche 911 speedster didn't have much fun, as the driver (Malcolm) spent most of the day on the loud hailer, giving orders and shouting abuse to the drivers, and generally keeping us all on the move.
The day consisted of screaming around courses marked by witches hats. To start with there were two slalom like courses, set up parallel so the drivers could "race". This was a great idea as it allowed two cars on the area at once. The next course was a lot larger and room for only one car. By now I had itchy feet (and as we weren't timing cars and using helmets there wasn't the amount of work to be done as last year) so after gaining Petes permission, I jumped in the Shamrock special. who hoo this was fun! Thankfully Pete had the cobra to play in :)
Before too long it was lunchtime and the Ventures (I dunno Big boy scouts??)were there to man the BBQ. Yummo, burgers, steak and chicken.. there were a bunch of hungry drivers and kidz!
During the afternoon session, Malcolm had this great idea of a relay race... this again used the slalom type course. Each team was made up of four cars, one waiting at the start gate and could only start after the previous car had stopped and the driver raced over to pass on the "baton". This worked well until one driver slipped on the slippery surface....
The second relay session was started involving all the cars in two teams. I was the last of the winning team, but then treachery stepped in, I was manhandled, ( and no I didn't ENJOY it.. well not too much.. ok ok , maybe a little...)unable to get to my (??) car, and when I did finally get into it NO KEYS! DAMMIT by the time I they were given back, the M3 was already on its way. I did well and nearly caught up (also a bit of cheating and not doing all the slalom..) but was ROBBED of a win...
Another course was set up and yet more fun was to be had. AT 3pm we all converged in one of the hangers. People were thanked, and each driver was presented with a scroll by CanTeen to thank them for the day. Pete had arranged for jackets to be made to commemorate the day, and these were given to the kidz. Brett (one of our members) had been there most of the day taking photographs, which will be used to make a commemorative poster.CanTeen also handed out really nice caps to all those who helped organise/run the day.
It was now that the rain decided to arrive and rain it did! A few hardy drivers succumbed to the "cry for more" from the kidz and took to a now very wet surface!
All in all another very good day. I just hope we are able to carry on the tradition, as Peter will be living in the UK this time next year. A big thanks has to go to or sponsors, a major one being the Bank of Ireland.
Official entry list!
Greta
PS I'll try to get some images sometime soon.....