A Country Classic

The Bend Classic

28-29 October 2024

Report by John Lemm. Pics by John Lemm

The 2024 Bend Classic at the Shell V-Power Motorsport Park was a very different event in 2024. Not just historic racing, but also drag racing, a rodeo, BBQ festival, ute muster and concerts (both kinds of music – Country AND Western). Lee Kernaghan, Kasey Chambers and Beccy Cole starred on the Saturday evening.

While Sprints and Regularity used the 3.4km West circuit configuration the 4.9 km International circuit was claimed by the racers – Formula 5000, Groups F, M & O and the meeting’s largest entry – the THR Developments Historic Touring Cars.
WA’s Paul Stubber’s Camaro took the Top 10 shootout with 2:08.1, while Jason Humble’s Chev Nova in 10th found engine problems – but was back again for Sunday.

Race 1

Third on the grid, Aldo de Paoli’s Camaro clutch failed on the line, causing a scrape between SA’s Josh Axford’s Escort RS1600 and Adrian Moyle’s Camaro. Meanwhile Jamie Tilley’s Boss 302 Mustang outbraked Stubber into T1 for the lead closely followed by Brad Tilley’s Mustang and Vic’s Andrew Beard’s Camaro.

Then Stubber opened up the Camaro on the long straight to take the lead on L2. A great battle for fifth was going on between SA’s Adam Smith (Falcon GT) and Vics Darren Collins (Mustang), Pete Meuleman (Mustang), Michael Hibbert (Charger), Nathan Gordon (HQ Monaro), and Axford.

While Stubber and the two Tilleys pulled away from the field, David Wheatley’s Cooper S blew a head gasket and Keith Kassulke had a major Camaro oil leak.
But wait! Stubber’s Camaro jams in third gear, finishing third behind Jamie and Brad and followed by Beard, Collins and Smith.

Race 2

Stubber had grabbed the lead back from Brad and Jamie by T6 as de Paoli’s Camaro from rear of grid was fifth behind Smith and ahead of Beard by the end of L1.
Jamie displaced Brad for second by L3 with de Paoli then challenging Brad for third, to be past both Tilleys by the end of the lap.

Stubber had brake failure at T1 on the final lap going off track and scattering the field a little, as Jamie went on to win by 5 seconds from de Paoli and 9 seconds from Brad and ahead of Smith and Beard, with Stubber limping home in 6th spot.

Race 3

Jamie Tilley’s winning Mustang’s diff had been failing. Dad’s white car was sacrificed and the diff swapped over to the black one for Day 2.
The start saw de Paoli grab the lead from Jamie, Smith, Beard, Stubber, Humble, Hibbert, Axford and Meuleman.

By L2 Tilley was right on de Paoli’s tail as they pulled away from the rest with Stubber now up to third. On the same lap Stuart Barnes’ Cortina bonnet flew up to smash the windscreen and call out a brief yellow, before retreating behind the barricade.

With 3 laps to go, Tilley, pulled fastest lap and a 3 second lead over de Paoli and Stubber, now in tyre trouble but well ahead of Smith, Humble, Beard and Hibbert.

Race 4

de Paoli, Tilley and Stubber cleared out from Smith, Beard, Humble, and Hibbert. The Nova and the Charger retired by the end of the next lap, leaving Meuleman, Axford and Rodney Hotchkin (Falcon GTHO) fighting for sixth.

On L4, Tilley’s race was over, dropping down the field into the pits with power steering failure.

With 2 laps to go, Smith’s Falcon lost fuel pressure, but he elected to limp on to the finish, crossing the line in 10th.

Meanwhile de Paoli crossed the line 8 seconds ahead of Stubber, followed by Beard, Meuleman and Axford who’d kept the big cars honest all weekend.

A great weekend of racing – WA’s Blake Watson winning the under 1600cc trophy from NSW’s Francis Meier and David Roberts, Josh Axford the 1600 -3500cc with his 1615cc BDA Escort over the SA XU-1s of Rob Smith and Evan Gobell, with Paul Stubber taking Over 3500cc from Andrew Beard and Adam Smith, who showed wisdom in pushing on to finish the final race.