The GGLC has just secured a single run group at Sonoma Raceway on Sunday April 10, 2022. We are sharing the day with LightSpeed. This is for Intermediate and Advanced drivers only and you will be mixed in a single run group. We will have open passing on most of the course with pointbys requried in the more tricky and high speed turns. You must have 15 trackdays mininmum experience and be comfortable in a mostly open passing format. Price is $285 for five 20 minute sessions and you do not have to be a GGLC member. Go to http://msreg.com/gglcsonoma to register. Hurry up because this is certain to sell out fast.
Hope you all have been working on your cars over the winter break and are ready to start racing again! The GGLC will hold our first autox event of the season at the Cow Palace in Daly City on Sunday March 27th.
Online waivers can be signed using SpeedWaiver. It’s best to use your phone as part of the signing process requires taking a photo of yourself: https://gglotusax.speedwaiver.com/yekml
Passengers, co-drivers, and instructors will be allowed to ride together in the same car as long as both people are vaccinated or both are from the same household. Guests are also welcome as long as they are vaccinated. Please read the event guidelines carefully: http://www.gglotus.org/ggcalend/covid.htm
The Cow Palace has been receiving noise complaints, so please note the following restrictions:
• Have a functioning muffled exhaust system • Run adjustable exhaust systems in the quietest mode. • Always follow local regulations when driving to and from the event. • Accelerate slowly from lights. No “showboating” for any reason. Please report any violation to event management. • Avoid extraneous revving of engines • No heating brakes and/or tires by accelerating and decelerating off course • Obey the 15mph paddock speed while on-site
Again, be sure to read the event guidelines. If you fail to adhere to them you will not be permitted to run and you will be asked to leave, forfeiting your entry fees.
The GGLC 2022 Track Day Schedule (subject to change)
Feb 5 – LCOSC Streets of Willow
Feb 23 – GGLC Laguna Seca
Mar 14 – GGLC Buttonwillow
May 16 – GGLC Thunderhill East
July 7 – GGLC Sonoma Raceway
Sept 2 – GGLC Sonoma Raceway
Oct 15 – LCOSC Streets of Willow
Registration will open on MotorsportReg a few weeks before each event. For more info about track days with the GGLC please visit the club track day page.
The GGLC 2022 Autocross Schedule (subject to change)
March 27 – Cow Palace
April 10 – Crows Landing
May 21 – Crows Landing
June 12 – Cow Palace
July 9 – Cow Palace
August 13 – Cow Palace
September 17 – Crows Landing
October 16 – Crows Landing
Registration will open on MotorsportReg a few weeks before each event. For more info about autocrossing with the GGLC please visit the club autocross page.
(Hethel, UK – 22 December 2021) Today, Lotus commemorates the last of the Elise, Exige and Evora sports cars.
The trio were photographed on site with many of the Lotus team who contributed to the design, engineering, assembly and sales of the cars.
Between these three model lines and over the course of 26 years, a total of 51,738 cars will have come off the production line. Combined, they represent almost half of the total production of Lotus in its 73-year history. In addition, 9,715 sports cars were built for Lotus’ third-party clients, including GM and Tesla.
From 1996 to 2000, the first-generation Elise and Exige sports cars were built in a small assembly hall at Hethel alongside the Lotus Esprit. The current assembly lines, which were installed in 2000, will be dismantled and replaced with all-new state-of-the-art facilities in support of the all-new Emira factory. Full Emira production begins in the spring, after the prototype and test phases currently underway are completed, taking Lotus sports car production into an exciting, high-tech and semi-automated era, and increasing capacity up to 5,000 units per year on a single shift pattern.
The last examples of the Elise, Exige and Evora models are reserved for Lotus’ growing heritage collection.
Joining the collection will be the last Elise, a Sport 240 Final Edition finished in Yellow and the last of 35,124 cars; the last Exige, a Cup 430 Final Edition in Heritage Racing Green – number 10,497; and the last Evora – a GT430 Sport finished in Dark Metallic Grey – the last of a production run of 6,117.
The Elise and Exige sports cars are built around the Lotus ‘small car platform’. On the same platform, and also manufactured by Lotus at Hethel were the Opel Speedster / Vauxhall VX220 (7,200 cars built between 2000 and 2005) and the Tesla Roadster (2,515 cars built between 2007 and 2012). Therefore, including the Lotus 340R, Europa, 2-Eleven and 3-Eleven cars, this brings the total Lotus small car platform production volumes to 56,618 cars.
Matt Windle, Managing Director, Lotus Cars, said: “First of all, I would like to thank the Lotus team who have worked on the Elise, Exige and Evora over the years and who are now transferring to Emira and Evija manufacturing. I would also like to convey enormous gratitude to all the customers of the Elise, Exige and Evora over the last 26 years for their passion, enthusiasm and support. These customers have given our ‘three Es’ true cult status – usually reserved for long-out-of-production classics. As we say farewell to the last few cars, we look forward to the Emira and Evija in the all-new factories at Hethel and sub-assembly facilities in Norwich, which introduce greater efficiencies and automation, higher quality and flexibility and the hugely exciting next chapter in our Vision80 strategy.”
Russell Carr, Design Director, Lotus Cars, added: “These iconic cars have not only played a huge role in Lotus’ 73-year history but have also been ever-present in my daily life. Together with the Lotus design team, I have lived and breathed these cars for over 26 years. We will miss them, but a bit like Christmas, once it’s over, the excitement for the next one starts to build – and that’s what’s happening now at Lotus with the Evija, Emira and forthcoming Type 132. 2022 is going to be a great year as a new Lotus generation swings into action.”
Gavan Kershaw, Director of Vehicle Attributes, said: “The Elise, particularly, has been a huge part of my life. It was conceived when I had just finished my apprenticeship and I was working in the vehicle workshops helping to build early prototypes. The Exige will always remain close to me, as the development programme was the first that I worked on as an engineer and I also won the British GT3 championship in a race version. The Evora is also hugely important as it showed that you can have high performance and award-winning handling without sacrificing the longer-journey GT ability. I have first-hand experience of this as I won the British GT4 championships in one and I will never forget leading the technical programme for our Evora Le Mans campaign where we achieved a podium.”
Richard Rackham, Head of Vehicle Concepts, who was vehicle architect on the Lotus Elise and part of the team that pioneered extruded and bonded aluminium technology in the automotive industry, said: “The impact of these three cars has been spectacular over the years, technically, structurally and dynamically. But all technologies and innovations move on and, if you had asked me of my proudest moment four years ago, I would have, without hesitation, said the Elise chassis. However, this has been usurped by our new Project LEVA architecture for our new range of electric sports cars, starting with the Type 135 in a few years’ time. This is now the zenith of Lotus architectures as it has moved the technology game so much further. There is a lot to look forward to.”
Next out of the Lotus stable is the Emira, the critically acclaimed new mid-engineered sports car from Lotus. Launched last July at Hethel and on a world tour ever since, it’s the last petrol-powered car from Lotus. Joining the first electric Lotus – the Evija hypercar and the most powerful production car in the world – will be the all-electric Type 132, Lotus’ first SUV, which will be revealed to the world in the spring.
Come join the Golden Gate Lotus Club for an open track event at Laguna Seca Raceway on Monday, March 29, 2021. This will be a 90dB event and all types of cars are welcome to join.
Price is $250 for members and $270 for non-members. You can become a GGLC member for $25 when you register and take the member discount immediately.
This event will be divided into 3 run groups running every 20 minutes. You will sign up for Novice, Intermediate, or Advanced, depending on your skill level and experience. Advanced Group is for experienced drivers with 18+ track days/racing experience or equivalent. Intermediate Group is for drivers with a minimum of 8 track days experience, and Novice Group will be for drivers with at least 1 track day of prior experience. Sign-up for whichever group is appropriate for your experience level. Since the group size is limited by Laguna Seca, it may be difficult to switch to another group if you feel uncomfortable or if you signed-up for the wrong run group. Open wheeled cars will be allowed only in the Advanced Group.
Be aware that Laguna Seca will strictly enforce the 90dB sound limit. If you have a loud exhaust or intake, you should take appropriate measures to ensure you pass the sound meter.
Each driver is responsible for ensuring that his car is in proper track condition. We will not conduct a regular tech inspection of everyone’s cars but we will take a close look at any car that appears to be poorly maintained or that we receive reports about. Any cars with significant body damage or missing paint are likely to be subjected to an inspection. Lemon’s and similar race cars are welcome at our events, but if you bring one, then you should expect us to visit your pit and make a close inspection of your car. Anything that we feel is unsafe or likely to cause your car to break on-track will be reason for disqualification. BIG no-nos include sketchy fuel lines, any fuel or water leaks, moderate or larger oil leaks, loose parts, cord showing or nearly showing thru tires. Of course there are many other issues that could disqualify you as well.
For drivers experiencing mechanical failures that result in dropping oil on the track, damage to track property such as broken brake markers, etc., and deployment of the fire truck which results in any additional charges to us for clean-up, repair to track property, etc., we will consider whether to pass on these additional costs to the responsible driver on a case-by-case basis.
Please note that we will be making some adjustments to our normal track day due to the Coronavirus. Also, be prepared to jump through some Monterey County hoops to comply with their Covid requirements. We will do our best to keep you up to date on what those are.
1. There will be no beginner spots available since this would require us to put a coach in your passenger seat.
2. There will likely be no type of in-person sign-up at the track and we will conduct a “virtual driver’s meeting” by email.
3. You should expect to receive an email a few days before the event that will explain all the exciting stuff that you would normally hear at our regular meeting and you are required to read the WHOLE THING.
4. At the track we will also likely conduct a brief “meeting” over the PA system with some important details and updates that you must listen to.
5. We will not be supplying any coffee, munchies, etc. and we will not have our large shade structure for everybody to hang out under.
6. Everyone must maintain appropriate social distance of 6’ from persons whom you don’t live with and/or didn’t ride up in the same car.
7. Each person must bring a face covering so that it will be available in case they need to interact with others at close range.
Click here to sign up via MotorsportsReg. Within a few days of registering, you will receive a confirmation email with some event details. Read this email. If you do not receive a confirmation email, check your SPAM folder. Another email will be sent out a few days before the event with Driver’s meeting info and probably more Covid stuff. Read it!
Registration to the GGLC track day at Buttonwillow Raceway on May 29, 2021 are now open at MotorsportsReg. This event is open to all types of cars. Open top cars must have a roll bar or factory installed popup bar/rollover protection. Open wheel cars will only be allowed in the Advanced Group. We will not conduct a tech inspection of your car unless its appearance indicates that we should. Lemon’s type cars are welcome but we will likely take a close look at it before we let you on track. Any fuel or water/water leaks or loose parts are reason for rejection. Small oil leaks are acceptable. You are responsible for making certain that your car is track-ready. All cars must have 6″ tall numbers on both sides. Pick any number.
We are running BOTH directions at this event, going clockwise in the morning and counterclockwise in the afternoon. We did this a few years ago at Buttonwillow and again last season at Thunderhill 5-Mile and it was very popular both times.
We are running 3 groups and each group will get 7or 8 twenty minute sessions.
Advanced Group is for Drivers with 15+ track days experience or equivalent. This group will be open passing without point byes.
Intermediate Group is for drivers with 5+ track days experience or equivalent. This group will allow open passing on most short and long straights without a point bye and passing in turns and braking zones with a point bye.
Novice Group is for drivers with 1+ track days experience or equivalent. This group will allow open passing on the long straights only and passing with a point bye in turns and braking zones.
Sign up for the appropriate group. If you decide at the track that you should be moved to a different group we can normally accommodate this.
At this time we are not accepting Beginners drivers with zero days track experience. If Covid condition improve so that we can put a coach in the passenger’s seat then we will allow beginners to signup
Damage to the track, walls, facilities, etc may be charged back to the responsible person. Special charges for fire crews, oil cleanup, etc may also be charged back to the responsible driver. We will decide this on a case-by-case basis.
Price for this event is $195 if you register by January 31 and $215 after this date. You can also get a additional $20 discount if you are a GGLC member or purchase a GGLC membership during registration. We do not offer money back refunds. If you cancel by May 14 you will get a credit for a future event that is transferable to other people. No refunds or credits will be offered after May 14. If Covid prevents the event from taking place or the government prevents you from traveling you will be offered a full refund.
The Driver’s meeting may be online or in-person depending on the Covid situation at the time.
Waiver’s will likely be signed online through Speedwaiver and you will receive a notice about this later.
We also have the following events scheduled: February 27 at Streets of Willows – registration open March 29 at Laguna Seca (registration will open soon) July 17 at Thunderhill West (not fully confirmed yet) September 17 at Laguna (not fully confirmed yet) October 5 Thunderhill 5-mile (not fully confirmed yet)
