NatMeet - Baskerville track day
13 March 2016 / Words by Phil Donnelley, Photos by Grant Webber & Josh Fitzgerald
The 2016 NatMeet in Launceston was a very special week of activities for everyone. However, at the top of my list was the track day at Baskerville, just north of Hobart. This 2km circuit, first opened in 1958 and is the oldest continuously operating track in Australia. It is pure MX-5 heaven! Valentines Day was a perfect date to fall in love with this place after the straight-line blast at Symmons Plains the day before.
I'm old enough to remember when Baskerville was the only circuit in Tasmania and hosted top level racing during the 60s and 70s. Touring car championship rounds were run there with Minis, Cortina GTs, FJ/FX Holdens, Mk.I Jaguars etc. competing.
While similar to South Circuit at SMP, going up and down, it's more exciting, not as technical and just pure enjoyment to drive. The straight is long enough to get to 160+km/hr, goes downhill at about 15° but feels much more, has a hump in it, with a huge brake at the end to negotiate the fast left hander at the end!
There is about 40m change in elevation from bottom to top. At the top of the steep hill there is a totally blind left hander that drops away sharply to reveal the apex and whether you're on line, or not ...
The left hander onto the straight is also downhill, off camber and sweeping, deceptively tricky.
Not one person there had a bad word to say about the circuit, everyone loved it, there were big smiles all round. This track was so seductive it even induced Luke into a (half) spin, and that's something you don't see very often!
A total of 30 drivers made the return trip from Launceston, with many opting for only a couple runs in the morning so that they could return early and prepare for Concours the next day. Lucky for them - they missed out on the rain that made things very interesting in the afternoon.
The MG Car Club of Tasmania ran the day very well. One interesting difference was they ran the sprints in groups of four cars, with a standing start! They do things differently in Tasmania, to say the least.
Have a look at the track on YouTube, the ups and downs are not too evident on video but you'll get the idea. Driving this track was well worth the 2 hour drive and 6am departure to get there from Launceston. Simply the best day!
We offer a huge thank you to the MG Car Cub of Tasmania for running the day, and the Mini Car Club of Tasmania who provided the BBQ on the day. Fabulous!
More photos by Grant Webber and Josh Fitzgerald.
Watch a lap with Bryan Shedden.
Fastest Lap Times
| Driver | Club | Class | Best Lap |
| Colin Denman-Jones | VIC/TAS | non-NatMeet | 1:04.17 |
| Kim Cole | VIC/TAS | 8 | 1:04.51 |
| Russell Garner | VIC/TAS | non-NatMeet | 1:04.68 |
| Bryan Shedden | NSW | 2 | 1:05.70 |
| Luke Kovacic | NSW | non-NatMeet | 1:05.93 |
| Peter Barnwell | NSW | 3 | 1:07.06 |
| Craig Healy | VIC/TAS | non-NatMeet | 1:07.64 |
| Stuart Lutz | QLD | 8 | 1:08.00 |
| Sam Gumina | VIC/TAS | non-NatMeet | 1:08.51 |
| Kim Jacobs | NSW | 3 | 1:08.68 |
| Alan Conrad | VIC/TAS | 7 | 1:08.91 |
| Randy Stagno Navarro | VIC/TAS | non-NatMeet | 1:08.92 |
| Warren Hotz | NSW | 6 | 1:09.77 |
| Matt Brogan | VIC/TAS | non-NatMeet | 1:09.82 |
| Peter Dannock | VIC/TAS | 1 | 1:09.96 |
| Andrew Tate | VIC/TAS | 7 | 1:10.10 |
| Don Battisson | NSW | 6 | 1:10.11 |
| Phillip Donnelley | NSW | 2 | 1:10.50 |
| Phil Mayo | NSW | 5 | 1:11.01 |
| Joe Kovacic | NSW | non-NatMeet | 1:11.69 |
| Simeon Ouzas | VIC/TAS | non-NatMeet | 1:11.92 |
| Michael Watt | VIC/TAS | non-NatMeet | 1:12.07 |
| Peter Battisson | NSW | 7 | 1:12.25 |
| Mark Seville | QLD | 4 | 1:12.43 |
| Josh Fitzgerald | NSW | 8 | 1:12.62 |
| Robert Pimm | NSW | 2 | 1:13.58 |
| Kerry Reynolds | VIC/TAS | 2 | 1:14.35 |
| Lyall Tilson | WA | 1 | 1:15.38 |
| Allen Weber | SA | 8 | 1:17.24 |
| Helen Green | NSW | 8 | 1:19.23 |
| Lindsay Green | NSW | 8 | 1:19.39 |
