Phillip Island Circuit can be found 2 hours south of Melbourne, Australia. It is a track rich with history having held its first race in 1926 called The 100 Miles Road Race which later came to be known as the very first Australian Grand Prix. In similar vein to American Oval racing of today it was run on a high speed rectangle of public roads with 4 identical corners. Safety issues eventually put an end to racing at the old circuit in 1935.

As the story goes, 6 local business men took over the development in 1951 and relocated the circuit 2km away from the old dusty roads. They soon ran into problems as a result of the coastal land with its steep grades. It eventually saw its first race in December 1956.

An endurance event in 1962, the Armstrong 500, damaged the track so badly they could not afford the repairs and had to close shop. The Armstrong 500 was moved to Bathurst and eventually came to be known as the famous Bathurst 1000. Phillip Island Circuit meanwhile changed hands again to muffler manufacturer and racing driver Len Lukey.

Under his management the track prospered and saw the rise of legends such as Bob Jane, Peter Brock, Norm Beechey, Allan Moffat, Pete Geoghegan, Colin Bond, John Harvey and Dick Johnson. Sadly the track suffered further damage and racing declined in the late ’70′s. The owners farmed the land while it was closed to racing and sold it in 1985.

Its third revival seems like its best yet. Thrilling fans with the Superbike World Championships and Australian Touring Car Championships the track has had a great run through the nineties and the noughties. With the property being purchased by Linfox in 2004 the roar of engines is sure to continue for years to come on Phillip Island.

To tell us a bit about the track and what makes it so special I hunted down a regular.

Our first driver interviewed was a Chris with an MX5. Nothing has changed for our second interview as I talk to another Chris with an MX5. Chris Tonna is a 38 year old who was born in Wollongong and later moved to Sydney only to find a job in Wollongong and travel there each day. At least he’s travelling against the peak hour madness.

Cars in his past include the ultimate sleeper, a Toyota Corolla KE20 in mustard yellow. You know, ones like your grandmother used to drive only this one had a Celica twin cam drivetrain. A Daihatsu Charade got him around for a while in his deep dark past and also a Mazda 323 Panel Van which he used to street drift. He found the parts were cheap when he had to replace the diff and it cost him a whole $90! I’ve bought o-rings that cost more than that… His current daily is a practical ’08 Nissan Navara 6sp Diesel.

With pride he tells me he has been into cars all of his life. You can’t doubt him when you find out he has restored a Ford XB Fairmont Hardtop over a period of 14 years. It takes real dedication to stick to a project for that long. He sold the XB to fund his foray into racing with the purchase of a wrecked Mazda MX5 NA8.

He briefly explains his MX5 experiences:

I raced the NA for 3 years before purchasing another wreck – a Japanense 2004 model SE turbo which is my current car. It is now in Australian SP spec with the garret turbo and Mazda factory manifolds.This car has proven to be one of the most successful NB turbos racing today. It won a race in its first ever meeting in 2007, then went on to win 2 races outright at State level and numerous class wins with Production Sports Cars at sprints and enduros plus many club level racing wins. Most notable are winning the 2009 National MX5 Championship for Class 2B cars at Morgan Park and having won a race at Mt Panorama in the 2009 FOSC meeting whilst coming 3rd from 45th in a wet race at the same meeting.

A very impressive history and what a race that would have been to finish 3rd from 45th! His resume is one to be proud of:

2002 NSW MX5 Club Champion Class 5

2003 Class 1A and 1B NSW State Supersprint Champion

2004 Production Sportscars Rookie of the Year and 3rd place in Class C

2007 FOSC Oran Park first win with the new car

2007 V8 Supercar Test with HPM Racing for drive at Bathurst (awarded the drive)

2008 First race win at State Championship level – Prod Sports Round 1

2009 FOSC 3rd place (wet) and 1st Place at Mt Panorama

2009 Morgan Park, MX5 Nationals – Class 2B Championship winner

2009 Philip Island Cue Sports Car Enduro – 8th Outright and 2nd in Class B

2009 Sandown Shannons Nationalas: Debut in the Australian Manufacturers Championship in a Ford FPV GTP (3rd in class)

Let’s see what he has to say about our feature track:

Philip Island Raceway is either the best track in Australia or a very close second. I am still undecided. In any case, it is the smoothest and fastest track in Australia and it’s well suited to fast sports cars like my turbocharged MX5. I have raced at Philip Island 4 times now in the annual Cue Sports Car Enduro 1 hour race. It is a pilgramage I look forward to with great anticipation each year.

Motor racing is full of superlatives and most fit this track well. Turn 1 is a ballsy corner approached well over the 220kph mark with a slight brake and turn in under power in 6th gear. The recipe for a good lap time. Turn 3 (southern loop) sees the car back up over the 200kph mark, when I get it right, before braking into Honda (turn 4). Exiting Siberia sees the approach into the famous Hay shed at the top of 5th gear and again into the low 200kph zone before one of the most famous corners in Australia, Lukey Heights. I love the feeling of looking into the sky on the approach to Lukey as you battle the car trying to spit itself off the track – truly a unique corner. Then coming back on to the main straight in 5th gear as the camber disappears and you nail the throttle through the firewall, drift to the edge of the ripple strip and grin at the fast run down the straight.

The racing is always close and the MX5 always manages to surprise punters in more fancied iron. It’s great being the underdog in motor racing.

Every lap is a challenge at Phillip Island. It’s fast and ballsy and that’s why I like it. I will never forget the first time I came down Gardner Straight at full noise, passed under the Melbourne bridge and looked straight out to Bass Straight… and remembered there was still some 300 metres before turn 1 so I’d better focus on the job at hand. Any track where corners are taken in 5th and 6th works for me.

I’ve had some great times and some heart stoppers at Phillip Island. My most memorable is from this years race. Driving with a fogged up windscreen while looking out the side windows to work out where I was on the track. I had very little visibility until the pitstop in the 22nd minute. Not fun in the wet sitting inches from the cars around you.

Q&A With Chris Tonna

What is your choice of fuel?

BP Ultimate only

What is your choice of tyre?

Dunlop Slicks and Wets

What is your choice of brake pads?

Porterfield and Hawk

Have you tracked without underpants to save weight?

No – I need them. Have you see the way Porsche drivers act when a Mazda overtakes them!?

What are your thoughts on the driver training our kids are receiving in Australia?

Having worked as a driver trainer I can safely attest we have it all wrong. We concentrate on passing tests and not speeding. Why not train our drivers with the skills to make better decisions regardless of speed. Remember, speed doesn’t kill – but the bad decisions you make, speeding or not – will kill you. I could go on for days on this one, but I think you get my drift.

Will you be encouraging your children to participate in motor sports either for fun or for driver training?

For sure to both the skills and the fun.

What is your favourite car related movie?

Mad Max, the original.

What is your favourite driving song?

Any ACDC, Metallica or Foo Fighters will do.

What is your favourite species of dinosaurs?

XY Falcons!

If a Padre wielding 6HB pencils guy gave you $163,259 which track car would you buy?

Either a Porcshe GT3 996 cup car and some spare tyres or a Ralliart prepared Evo10…

Is your fuel tank half full or half empty?

Half full.

Any final words?

I wish motor sport was more a case of man and machine and not man and his wallet. The wallet has ruined motor sport. The richest guy will always win – until it rains. :)

And on that note while Chris waited for his class to be called to the grid he ran off to the pits to spend some time with his rainsticks. Thank you Chris for taking the time to share your experiences with us and good luck in 2010.

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