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This week, V8 Super car racings Enforcer Russell Ingall and Steve Own took a group of Gold Coast SUNS players out of their comfort zone, strapped them into his V8 super car and gave them the ride of their lives at the Norwell, Driver training centre on the Gold Coast.
Any chance you get to do a hot lap with one of V8 supercar racings best drivers is always going to be fun, however there was a serious message to the day which was organised by Gold Coast SUNS Player Development Manager Simon Fletcher.
80 percent of the Gold Coast SUNS young list are still on their P plates and with many of them now living away from home, Simon Fletcher arranged a course that would improve the players general driving skills.
After a detailed safety briefing, Ingall and the Driver training team sent the players out onto the skid pan, a device used to simulate losing control of your vehicle.
It was the perfect platform for Fletcher and an important afternoon in the progression of the young Gold Coast SUNS players as athletes and men.
“We have a big focus on our players being good community members and a major part they play in the community is being safe, responsible, competent drivers.”
“This course gave them a better understanding of what they need to do in situations where they may lose control of the car in a controlled environment before it happens for real on the road.”
When they weren’t sliding around on the skid pan, the players were being educated on all areas of day to day driving including learning how ABS brake systems work, steering and accelerating in corners driving on a slippery, wet road and much more.
At the end of the afternoons session the boys were taken back at how they had initially struggled to control the cars in everyday situations and it really drove home the fact that every P plate driver should receive advanced driver training once they have been given the responsibility of driving a motor vehicle.
While it was a great afternoon, it’s also improved the safety of the Gold Coasts SUNS most precious cargo their young players and made the Gold Coast roads, just a little safer.
