Self-confessed adrenaline junkie Peter Lavac, who has strong ties to the Central Coast, returned to the racetrack at Eastern Creek on August 26 after cheating death last February when he blew a tyre at 300km/h in his half-million-dollar Lamborghini racing car.
While based in Sydney, Lavac has a history of involvement with the Avoca Beach Surf Life Saving Club and featured in a short film shot on the Central Coast last year.
The life-threatening accident happened while Lavac was practising high speed cornering ahead of the annual Targa Tasmania race.
“I competed in the race last year and won two prizes, but following the accident I withdrew from this year’s race,” he said.
“The blow-out totally destroyed the rear shock absorbers and I had to send to Italy for new ones.
“Luckily I was not badly injured but I was very shaken.
“After the tyre blew I had to hold the wheel as straight as possible as the car fish-tailed around the track.
Lavac said he was a “little bit nervous” as he returned to the track, despite the car being fitted with a new set of racing tyres.
“The butterflies were fluttering and I took it easy for the first few laps, but I soon regained my confidence and floored it,” he said.
“One of the things that drives us is that the closer you are to death the more alive you feel – racing is addictive.”
Lavac is no stranger to living on the edge.
He is a bodybuilder and former pro wrestler who wrestled to put himself through university.
As well as being a race car driver and a criminal barrister, he holds a world record for a 1,000 kilometre surf ski paddle across the South China Sea from Hong Long to the Philippines in 1990 which raised money for Hong Kong orphans.
Lavac also competed at the World Surf Ski Championships at Daytona Beach Florida in 2002, taking gold in the surf ski marathon and bronze in the surf ski sprints.
“In order to qualify for the world championships I had to complete many hours of lifesaving patrols,” he said.
“I was coached by my long-time friend, Murray Braund, at Avoca Beach Surf Life Saving Club, joining the club and staying at Murrray’s Terrigal home during my training.
“Murray and I had paddled together in the 1990 paddle and he was the best possible coach and trainer.”
Lavac has also worked as a professional lifeguard and said he has had some close calls during his action-packed lifetime.
“When I was working my way through law school I disarmed a gunman while working as a bouncer at the Sydney Hilton,” he said.
“And not long after I was admitted to (law) practice, I saved a judge’s life when he was attacked in court.”
Lavac had done little speed work during his long hiatus from racing but there to cheer him on last week was his co-star in the movie Crazy Love, Samara Dawson from Woy Woy, and many of the cast and crew who worked on the movie, which was shot in Gosford last year and premiered at Toto’s Bar Ettalong Beach last December.
The premiere attracted a sell-out crowd including a cross section of celebrities from the world of entertainment, big business and the legal profession and received a standing ovation.
Lavac said a sequel, also to be filmed on the Central Coast, was in the works.
Terry Collins
