The Esses Hillclimb
March 5, 2022
Day 1 of the competition was a run from the Bathurst Light Car Club on Conrod Straight to Skyline. This is the opposite direction to that used for racing so many of the things used for attacking corners, like the red and white ripple strips, are in the wrong place. They can still be used, but the corner apexes are not where they would be coming down the hill. Getting the gear change and braking points right can also be a bit of a challenge, but if motor sport wasn't challenging it wouldn't be worth doing.
(In 1978 I competed in a mixed event that included a short rally, a motorkhana and a tarmac event. The tarmac was this very hillclimb. I ran it in my rally Datsun 1600, and apart from having totally incorrect gear ratios and rally tyres and a suspension setup designed for dirt not bitumen it was fun. Not fast, but exciting. If I had to do it again with the same equipment I probably wouldn't.)
I know, I know - it's Forrest's Elbow, named for motorcycle rider Jack Forrest
who crashed there in a race in 1947. But I didn't make the map, I just added the
flags to show the start and finish of the hillclimb course.
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| Well, it is a Gazoo-branded car. | |
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And you can find the results here
| Place | Driver | Car | |
| 1 | Dean Tighe | Empire Wraith |  |
| 2 | Kevin Mackrell | Datsun 260Z | |
| 3 | Peter Brown | Prosport Mulsanne | |
| 4 | Matthew Brown | Audi RS4 | |
| 5 | Wayne Penrose | Volkswagen Beetle | |
