ATC UPDATE: On the road again…

ATC UPDATE: On the road again…

They're back in action

The good people at Renault Australia have pulled out all stops and with the R27's dodgy starter motor replaced, the boys are on the road again. The repairs mean they'll miss today's activities, but they WILL make Coffs Harbour tonight and be back in the thick of competition tomorrow... More details soon... 

This story should have been about how much fun we (Ottley and I) had on the opening day at Eastern Creek, Western Sydney International Dragway (WSID) and the Raymond Terrace Hill Climb. Instead it's about the disappointment of discovering our Renault Clio R27 wouldn't start at the end of the day.

Having travelled all the way to Taree without trouble, when we went to move the Renault closer to our room, it wouldn't start. I thought Steve was kidding at first, but then the disappointment sunk in. After checking the fuses and having a poke around with the help of our rivals, we loaded the Clio R27 on the back of a tow truck.

After our friendly Taree tow truck driver, Peter, got the car to the nearest Renault dealer in Newcastle, we have just been informed by the dealer the starter motor has seized. As this is written Renault Australia is removing one from its Sydney-based Clio press car and driving it to Newcastle. We'll miss today's action, but with any luck we'll be back in the game for the final day of ATC action ex-Coffs Harbour.

This is a stark reminder of the dangers of buying any low-volume vehicle and driving it outside a major metropolitan area. The Clio R27 is a ripper drive but if something goes wrong it's likely to leave anyone other than a specially trained Renault technician scratching their heads.

It was disappointing end to a day that started so positively, when the alarm went off at 6:22am and two bleary-eyed blokes crawled out of bed. [Ed: two beds I hope…]

The first day of official competition began with a hearty breakfast and briefing and before long we were cruising down the road towards Eastern Creek Raceway.

Steve was one of the first drivers out on the four-kilometre track and with past experience of the circuit managed to overtake supposedly faster and highly fancied (and modified) Volkswagen Golf R32 fairly early in his stint. As per ATC schedule, this was followed by a figure eight auto test on the skid pan then quarter mile runs at WSID.

When my turn came to compete in all three events, I can't say I felt very confident -- having had less than an hour driving the car on local roads and with no prior experience of Eastern Creek. I donned my helmet and was waved onto the track for a warm-up lap and within a few corners I felt comfortable to start pushing the car's limits – a testament to the Clio's tidy chassis set-up.

By my second lap I was gaining ground on the more fancied R32 (with co-driver at the helm), carrying higher corner speeds, but losing ground on the straights to the extra grunt of the Volkswagen. More than anything else, the Clio's Brembo brakes shone, allowing me dive ridiculously deep into corners. Talk about fun!

After the hot laps I felt well and truly comfortable in the Clio, a car that had plenty of other drivers talking. It was probably one of the lowest powered cars out of the gathered fleet, but out on the track it surprised many competitors. The shared adrenaline created much camaraderie -- all racers were chatting eagerly after a few runs.

Next was the figure eight auto test at Eastern Creek Raceway, which took about half a minute and involved lots of screeching tyres. It was a bit short to get too excited about but showed which drivers had tight car control. Speaking of which, there was one particular Holden SS ute that finished off with a lurid powerslide. Intentional or not, it garnered a round of applause and grins all round.

The final test was over at WSID. Quarter mile drags are not really the front-wheel drive Renault Clio R27's forte so the less said about that the better.

After ploughing through a substantial lunch we drove roughly 200km north to Raymond Terrace, for a short hillclimb event. We arrived a little late after taking a detour and the heavens opened, but this didn't hurt our chances. In fact, the Clio performed better than a lot of other cars in the treacherous conditions, despite heavy understeer.

After both Steve and I completed two runs of the hillclimb each, it was off to Taree, another two hours drive north. Talking animatedly of the next days competition after both of us put in strong performances, we pulled into the motel in Taree and unloaded our luggage. And then it happened…

While we wait for Renault's mercy dash, at least we can go and visit Taree's famous Big Oyster -- which by the way, is now a Nissan dealership…

After our successful and enjoyable debut in the opening round of the Australian Tarmac Challenge in Victoria, the Carsales Network is back for more. The second round of the series begins this morning at Sydney's Eastern Creek Raceway and once again we will be behind the wheel of a Renault Clio RenaultSport F1 Edition R27.

One thing missing from the Team Carsales RenaultSport entry this time around is co-driver, Melissa McCormick. Melissa drew the short straw (not!) and right now is preparing to drive the new Porsche Panamara across the Nullabor (tough life for some!). Instead, yours truly (Stephen Ottley) be joined by Feann Torr for our trip north to Tweed Heads via Taree and Coffs Harbour. An ATC rookie, Feann will have to lean on my vast experience gathered from my one previous event…

Preparation for the event began a few weeks ago when the entry was filed and travel arrangements were made. But they became more serious last Friday when I arrived in Sydney to collect the R27 for a pre-event shakedown.

Given the car had only limited use since the last event I decided to give it a proper workout on Monday with a run over the Blue Mountains and up to Singleton before heading back to Sydney via the famous Putty Road. The R27 performed faultlessly and after a quick wash was ready for ATC action.

But before we focused on the ATC there was time for a quick stop at the new Audi Lighthouse not far from Sydney Airport, to see what all the fuss was about. The building is certainly impressive and well worth a look even if you aren't interested in buying a new Audi anytime soon. After a quick lunch of fried rice at the Lighthouse's Café Bavaria, we turned our focus to the ATC again and last night headed to the Chifley Eastern Creek. After checking into the hotel we headed straight to registration and scrutineering.

Thanks to the helpful ATC team the paperwork didn't take long and Feann and I were faced with the task of applying the event stickers to the trusty Clio. That sounds easier than it is but we eventually got it done (with a couple of bubbles and imperfections) and the Renault breezed through the rest of scrutineering.