A First Timers Perspective on the MDTC

07 March 2016 / Story: Liam Price Photos: Grant Webber

A first timer’s perspective on the Marulan driver training day:

It was a bright and early Sunday start for club president Bryan Shedden and myself. A 1-hour drive through the tight and twisty turns of the Macquarie Pass heated up the tyres for the day ahead. This would be my last drive as a complete novice to the skill of driving.

For some background information, the Marulan Driver Training Centre is a 90-minute drive from Sydney. A tight twisting track with a top speed of around 100kph, it’s a match made in heaven for an MX-5. Before commencement of any track activities, you are guided by a walk around the track with commentary on the best way to smoothly transition through the corners. Nerves were high following the talk, the constant reminder in every newcomer’s head was the ever possibility of damaging your pride and joy.

Drivers are divided into 6 groups based on their selection of driving ability and experience. As a first timer, I was given an adviser for the first 3 rounds of my driver training experience. Waiting at the starting line, I put my helmet on and handed the car over to my first advisor. David Lawler drove my car out on the track first to show me the capabilities of the car, in my mind we were going quite fast at the time. However, David assured me with confidence that this felt like a drive to the shops for him. By the end of the day, he was right.

The expert advice I received from David towards tackling the Marulan track was finely honed in by the time of my 3rd adviser. Pay close attention to the smooth steering inputs, the moment of braking in a straight before the turn ahead, finally mashing the throttle trying to hit the perfect apex. Within these 3 rounds on the track, I had learnt more about driving then since I was an L plater. If anyone asks me what the best modification to your MX-5 will achieve the best gains from, all I say now is time on a track. Mazda developed all 4 generations of the MX-5 with the idea of “Jinba ittai”, this translates to "horse and rider as one". Going for a faster horse is worthless without being a competent rider. For those who want to maximise there learning potential, ask for a ride in an expert drivers car, the experience will be priceless to understanding your car’s capability on the track.

I would like to say thank you to the organisers of the day and all involved in providing advice for the first timers. The experience will go down as the best $100 I’ve spent towards enjoying my MX-5. Thanks also to Deckspeed Racing for their major sponsorship of the Club, which helped to minimise the entry cost for first-timers like myself.

More of Grant Webbers photos: HERE and (Hi-Res Files): HERE