Where to start! May has been a big, positive month of motorsport and activities and I couldn’t be happier about it.
The beginning of the month saw Supercars Teams return to Western Australia after a two year hiatus due to COVID, so it was great to be back at Wanneroo Raceway. Saturday saw a return to night racing, always a spectacle with glowing brake rotors and fireworks. Sunday was equally impressive, the weather was warm and sunny it was great to turn it on for the fans after so long away.
It was also a well overdue chance to catch up with our WA friends, spending time at Tyrepower Bayswater on the Saturday prior with their staff and supporters. It was a great turn out with some impressive cars on show at the store. They are a great Team and it was good fun seeing everyone that came to say ‘hi’ after so long.
It was while in WA I had a call from good friend Scott Taylor with an idea about entering the Bathurst 12 Hour. Idea being – four friends, in a 2021 Porsche Carrera Australia Cup Car, running for charity.
We were not out there for an outright win, but an awesome opportunity to bring awareness and funds to a much needed cause. I didn’t think twice and the first organisation that came to mind was the Prostate Cancer Foundation. A cause very close to my heart given I have a personal family connection but also a cause close to the Tyrepower family.
And so the project began.
Scott Taylor, Alex Davison, Geoff Emery and myself attacked the Mountain, in what was at times tricky conditions with fog, rain, sun and a field of 2022 spec GT3 cars chasing us down. We stuck to our plan of staying out of trouble, racing consistently and being there for the chequered flag.
Not being in the outright honours category, I’m proud to say that not only did we finish without incident; we were in the top ten overall, first Porsche and took out our Class win. To add to that, nearly $70,000 raised for The Prostate Cancer Foundation. By all accounts, an amazing result from everyone involved in the Team both on and off track.
From there it was a short turn around to the Supercars event at Winton back behind the microphone calling support categories and in pitlane reporting. Also as with Perth, it was a return to an event that unfortunately was another that we were not able to attend due to COVID. The weather, racing and fans certainly turned it on.
To round out the month, the last Friday in May always marks the Australian Road Safety Foundation’s fatality free Friday. It’s a day that we aim to have zero fatalities on our roads, but hearing the stories this year it’s challenging to see that our road fatalities have increased on last year.
1127 in 2021.
That’s 1127 lives lost; families, communities and our first responders impacted. To mention a few.
The message is simple – Focus on the road. It’s a simple choice to make to look after your fellow road users and your loved ones.
Attention to the road and also what is underneath you. We’ve all seen plenty of wet weather recently and changed road conditions, as well as cars perhaps not being driven as regularly.
We are all now back on the roads more, so take a health check on your vehicle. Simple checks like tyre condition including tread depth, pressures, alignment are all things that you should regularly monitor. But if you’re unsure, your local Tyrepower can help you and be trusted for assistance and advice.
Looking forward to another big month ahead, there’s a few exciting things on the radar.
But until then, stay safe on the roads and keep smiling.
CL
