"Don't just SIT in the car -
WEAR it!"

Sports 1300s at Eastern Creek
as recounted by
State Champion, Dave Williamson
in his Robin M74

Butterflies.
Large flapping butterflies.
So surely - surely it must be spring? Bloody great butterflies... in my stomach... Spring? No - Eastern Creek. Hot smells; hot oil, 100 Avgas, being rapidly devoured by impatient engines. What's this all about? Waiting at the dummy grid at Eastern Creek, engine running, brain ticking over at the same RPM.

Dave Williamson, photographed
in action by George Aungle

Thinking, "Did I check that hose, are the wheels tight?" etc. Pre-race practice, that's what it's about. So, relax - look at the oil pressure and engine temp. for the tenth time and give the six-point harness one last strangling tug to "weld" myself into the car. "Don't just sit in the car - wear it"...

A whistle-blow from the marshal means it's time to close the visor on the helmet and slowly roll out to the track, the brainwaves quickly jump up ten notches as we're waved onto the circuit at Turn One, the spluttering engine patiently waits to have its neck wrung. Finally the right foot starts to get a tad heavier - and all hell breaks loose. Gently, stupid, this is why many of us end up facing the wrong way, because the Dunlop slicks - when cold - are NOT sticky!

Look in the mirrors, where is everyone? - and how fast are they going? No use ambling all over the track, warming up tyres whilst getting in someone's way. Engine splutters quickly vanish as it "comes on cam" and pushes me into the cramped seat as we head down in Turn 2, in second gear, swinging left to right, working to get heat into the tyres. The temptation to go all out is so strong - but patience, patience. Wait until all systems are "go" - before even thinking about it, it takes a few laps.

And now - after three laps - the engine is pulling like a train, tyres are feeling good (meaning I haven't had a big lose!) and my head is coming to grips with the high G forces (almost two Gs in some corners). Now it's time to focus 100% - and go for a couple of "blinder" laps, to ensure a good Grid position.

Onto the main straight, for the big windup past the timing point, look in the mirrors, hold the small steering wheel firmly, thumbs hooked on the spokes, we're really starting to see why good aerodynamics give such an advantage to some of our cars, as the car starts to quiver as the crosswind tries to edge the car off line, as well as shake a few elderly rivets out!

8200 R.P.M. is needed to give some decent speed with the 4.4 Diff. Ratio and it happens fast on this straight. With its downhill entry, we are looking for 200kph on a good day and - I'll tell anybody - it took me many laps before I could go into Turn One without wanting to lift off. A look in the mirrors, the gentle persuasion on the wheel into such a long corner. Resist the desire to back off - even if the brain is screaming out in absolute panic: "DON'T TURN LEFT!"

The car's own wings really keep us smooth here, so it's flat out to Turn Two and to the hardest braking point of the circuit, where the car shakes and scrapes its nose like a Bloodhound after Mr Skase. The corner is best attacked 'late' and not with too much throttle, to minimise wheelspin. The car is scrabbling sloppily and no sooner than we're around the left turn, then it's a strong right at Turn Three - snick into third - and let the car wash out to the left, as we come to the hill leading down into Turn Four, absolutely flat out - 8200 in third - dab the brakes and haul right, into the slightly off-camber corner, putting the right-front wheel just onto the ripple strip as the car slides smoothly down to Turn Five.

This damn corner has me guessing - I've never driven through the same way twice! Still in third, the car likes this bend more than I do and never seems to protest at my speed (it's called too slow?) but still washes out to the edge. As we exit, I want to keep in the middle as we reach the brow of this small hill, as it is the best light into the quirky right/left Turn Six and Seven.

Very hard braking - heel and toe - into second, for brief scream to the rapidly deafening flag marshal, into third, and an exhilarating rush up Corporate Hill, changing to fourth just under the bridge. This is a heart stopper of a corner as it's: (a) fast, (b) off camber, (c) downhill - and bloody terrifying!!!

The speed down the hill to the hairpin sends (wot insurance!) messages to the brain but some judicial braking here keeps the rears from locking and smooth gearchanges keep the car from swapping ends - as many do - before the apex. Winding up through he gears - the winds circling around the hills shake the car as we roar into the last long corner before the main straight - a really double-apex corner, this one: enter early - right on adhesive limits, then slithering out to the edge, for a second bite at the last apex before the straight. The car is trying to slide onto the green stuff but gentle correction will prevent this.

Once again, down the straight and record a 1:42 lap. Not bad - but some of our cars are quicker - like Keith McClelland in the Golf original Robin who managed sub 1.39 sec. last year. Still, I'm happy with my 22 year old, 480kg black Robin M.74 made by Robbie Metcalfe - who may have been the person who said to me, 'DON'T JUST SIT IN IT, WEAR IT LIKE A GLOVE!

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