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The Circuit
The Lakeside Motorsport Complex includes the famous Lakeside International Raceway and
Roadcraft driver training facility.
Located between the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane, the circuit sits on the banks of Lake
Kurwongbah in Queensland. For decades, the circuit was second only to Bathurst as
Australia's fastest race track.
Considered a true driver's circuit, Lakeside International Raceway
runs in a clockwise direction and the difficulty of its
corners are compounded by dramatic changes in elevation. Furthermore, all corners
share a common radius, which allows competitors to develop a rhythm,
however, concentration cannot be allowed to lapse as all corners feature a change
from positive to negative camber mid-corner.
Nine times Bathurst winner, Peter Brock says, "Lakeside
is a driver's track. Bumpy, hilly and fast - it sorts them all out. Tyres melt
as quick as the drivers."
Brad Jones says, "A demanding, flowing circuit where
horsepower will be a major factor along with a good grid position."
Five times Australian Touring Car Champion, Dick Johnson
says. "I cut my teeth there and I haven't missed too many meetings. It is one
of the best, most free-flowing circuits in the country. It also has the
highest average speed of any racetrack in the country, even though it is just
2.41km long. I enjoy driving there."
The corners at Lakeside have become infamous within the
motor racing ranks. Tarmac turns such as the Kink, the Karrousel, the Bus Stop
and the Eastern Loop have all claimed their fair share competitors, but none
more so than Hungry Corner.
It's a free flowing circuit that undulates
across rolling green hills, but don't be deceived by the scenery, it's only for the
brave as run-off area is at a premium.
How
did Hungry Corner get its name?
Many believe that the infamous Hungry
Corner is so-named due to its appetite for swallowing up competitors, but an
email from one of the original constructors of Lakeside provides a first-hand
account."My name
is Richard Torpy, and was on the scene when Lakeside was first mooted. Since
from about 1959 I came to be a friend of Orlando Basile
(always known as Tony), who was a protege'
of Sid Sakzewski and for a number of years drove Sid's Porsche Carrera.
During business trips to Brisbane I always made contact
with Tony, and even stayed at his house a couple of times. And we used to go
to Sid's house of a Sunday and discuss motorsport,
of course. It was here that the idea of Lakeside was born.
During the course of its construction, I actually drove a
bulldozer for a few hours at "Hungry
Corner", which was taking
vast amounts of earth to fill it, as it was actually a bog. This caused Sid to
say "This corner is "hungry for earth", to which
Tony said, "That's a good
name for it, Hungry Corner".
I actually attended the first meeting,
and because there was difficulty in getting competitors to attend, and
the fact that I lived in Sydney, I was asked by Tony to be Lakeside's
volunteer agent in Sydney to offer the Sydney drivers starting money to go to
Lakeside.
Thus I became involved with the Geoghegans, the
Howards, Kevin Bartlett, Frank Matich and most of the other Sydney drivers who
attended the early meetings.
Then Sid decided to hold an International
Meeting to tie in with the Tasman Series, and everything was in place except
they had no real drawcard ;they had to have Moss or
Brabham to ensure the success of the meeting, and I was given the brief of
contracting one or the other - they could not afford
both. Thus I was on hand at Sydney Airport when
Brabham landed, and even though Moss was their preferred driver, he was not
due for a couple of more days, so working on the old adage "a bird in the
hand", I made my pitch to Brabham. He accepted, and
Tony and I passed over his starting money, in the pits at Warwick Farm
meeting, the week before the Lakeside meeting.
As my wife had a child that same time, it looked as though
I would miss the Lakeside meeting, but Tony said that as I was responsible for
signing their drawcard, he would arrange for me to fly up on the morning of
the meeting, and he organised for me to leave Lakeside after Jack won the race
in the helicopter booked for Jack so that he could fly to Sydney and connect
for a flight to London to attend John Surtees wedding."
Through
Driver's Goggles
Here's how Scuderia
Veloce Ferrari 250LM attacks Lakeside
by David McKay,
owner, Scuderia Veloce and Motor Editor, Sydney's Daily and Sunday Telegraph
Click on these pages to enlarge.
 
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