Kicking off at Sandown

State Series Round 1. 16-18 February 2024

Report by Chris Ralph. Pics by  Phil Wisewould  

Although historic tourers fielded 15 cars for Round 1 of the VSCRC, Feb 17/18, they were lumped in with the HQs in a 26 car field. Six Camaros, four Mustangs and a lone Falcon GTHO made the contingent power heavy, with three Cortinas and a Mini ready for a four-way four-cylinder fight. Many racers were saving themselves and cars for the Island Classic just three weeks away…

Qualifying

Peter Meuleman’s Nb Mustang snuck into P5, interrupting the sweep of six Camaros at the top of the field: Adrian Moyle, Dominic Leo, Brent Trengrove, Trevor Talbot, Andrew Beard and Geoff Munday – the first three were all in the 1:22s so Race 1 was to be eagerly anticipated. Regular NSW visitor Jerry Lenstra’s smart grey Cortina was the quickest of the small cars, while Ray Hepburn made the most of the long trek over from WA to squeeze another meeting in for his immaculate 351 Mustang Fastback.

Race 1. 11 laps, Saturday afternoon

Brent Trengrove’s Camaro took the honours just half a second ahead of Trevor Talbot, with Adrian Moyle just under a second behind him. The fleet Pete Meuleman skipped into fourth, holding out the Camaros of Leo, Beard and Munday, the GTHO of Brett Hotchkin and Bill Trengrove’s Nb Mustang. Don Knight was the fastest four ahead of the first appearances of Luke Paterson’s Mini and Peter Olver in the ex-Mick Stupka Cortina.

Conner McLeod, starting from the back of the grid, only completed a lap in the pink Torana, Leo Tobin’s Mustang and Jerry’s Lenstra’s Cortina were out for the weekend, but Ray Hepburn’s Mustang would fight another day…

Race 2. 11 laps, Sunday morning

Brent Trengrove prevailed again and the late morning track conditions offered up a ripping 1.21.88 for him and a 1.21.91 for the hard charging Adrian Moyle in second in what was a fantastic dice in the feature race. Dom Leo came in third, but only .6 sec in front of Peter Meuleman, with Munday’s Camaro and Hepburn’s Mustang only .2 secs apart, two seconds behind him. Knight led Olver home in the Cortinas, Paterson’s Mini retired, as did Beard’s Camaro and Hotchkin’s HO.

Race 3. 11 laps, Sunday afternoon

Only ten cars faced the starter and it was pretty much a re-run of R2 – Trengrove, Moyle and Leo took the honours but fastest lap bragging rights went to Moyle – by under 1/100th of a second over the winner. Andrew Beard, getting ever more comfortable in his new silver Camaro charged from the back of the grid to grab fourth over Munday, with the Nb Mustangs of Mueleman and Bill Trengrove following in sixth and seventh. The experienced Knight prevailed over the debutant Olver in the Cortinas, while Hepburn’s Mustang retired on Lap 3.

Despite the low numbers the meeting provided top racing, in amongst the HQs to make it feel busier than usual. But the biggest meeting of the year was looming…