By Trevor Jackson
THE Legend of the Lakes hill climb is more than just another motorsport event for the father and son team of Bruce and Cohen Hamilton.
It has become an opportunity for the duo to share their experience on and off the track and bond while preparing their race car for the weekend.
The pair run a 2006 Falcon XR6, with little done to it apart from safety features.
They have spent countless hours in the shed creating the vehicle and both will drive in this year’s event.
The Falcon was purchased from an auction in Melbourne, with some parts from Bruce’s previous car added, which included the all-important roll cage, the seats and harnesses, plus a few other bits and pieces to make the job of going fast a bit more comfortable.
The Hamiltons compete in the 3001cc to 6000cc category and hope to have an impact this year, if not against other competitors, against each other.
It is that healthy rivalry which keeps the team ticking over, with no shortage of banter between the pair.
But the major focus is of course safely covering the Valley Lakes course at pace.
For Bruce there is a bit more riding on the event, as he sees his 16-year-old son – who has his learner’s permit to drive on the road – tackle what can be an unforgiving section of road when run at speed.
“Cohen was 14 when he did his first hill climb here in this car,” Bruce said.
“His mother asked ‘how are you going mate?’.
“He said ‘flat in second’.
“She said ‘how fast is that mate?’.
“He said ‘about 135′, so his mother was having kittens, as to be expected.
“But you are not out in the forest or on the open road.
“It is a dedicated event, a closed road, you have the ambulance, all the emergency services, it is safe, you have a harness, a helmet, a neck restraint.”
Despite those safety devices Bruce said it was an emotional moment to see his son take on the hill for the first time three years ago.
“It was very emotional,” he said.
“As a parent your natural instinct is to look after your children but I have no control over this at all.
“It is very hard to let go but at the same time it is probably a growing experience for me to be able to let go.”
Cohen had tasted some motorsport previously with his involvement in the South Eastern Automobile Club but was still nervous taking on the public road for the first time.
“I did a bit of racing, low-level stuff like motorkhana and khanacross,” he said.
“Motorkhana is slow but technical and khanacross is a bit faster but still technical.
“I think it set me up really well for this.
“Down the bottom it is a bit technical and up the top you have to be pretty spot on.
“It is definitely different going at speed.”
The pair certainly seem to enjoy their time together working on the car, despite what Bruce described as butting heads sometimes over the build.
“Everyone has their own opinions about how to do something but you have to come together,” he said.
“The younger generation is more techno savvy and I am going from the stuff I remember from the past, which is more hands-on and trade-based.”
For Cohen it has been an interesting experience but one he clearly enjoys.
“To work with dad is sometimes quite painful,” he joked.
“We, to some extent, work together.
“We have worked on this car together to get it ready to where it is now.”
There may be a wager – a can of coke according to Bruce – on the outcome of the weekend, but he said it is more ego and pride.
“It is about bragging rights,” Cohen said.
“I will definitely let him know about it on Sunday night if I beat him, without a doubt.
“But it goes the other way as well.”
One part of the technology advances in the sport is the on-board cameras, which Bruce has tasted the less-enjoyable side of after an off-road excursion at the Port MacDonnell Twin Peaks hill climb.
“There is always the GoPro,” he said.
“If something goes wrong it is uploaded and everyone sees it.”
Cohen’s response – “He went on his little exploring expedition at Twin Peaks and I took the GoPro out and uploaded it 10 minutes later,” he said.
“I was not impressed,” Bruce added.
Whatever the outcome of the Hamiltons’ experience this weekend, one thing is for sure.
Sunday night when everything is done and dusted, the two will be discussing the event – possibly over that can of coke – deciding who has the bragging rights, maybe running through the in-car footage, with the outside chance the odd video or two might appear on social media at some stage.
