The Last Hurrah

Island Magic

23-24 November 2024

Report by Darren Knight. Pics by Phil Wisewould

Saturday’s Qualifying

Nineteen qualifiers slipped out on to the iffy surface. Unsurprisingly the top four were all Camaros – WA’s Paul Stubber, Adrian Moyle, Geoff Munday and Andrew Beard. Next in line, the fiery Mazda RX2 of Peter McNiven ahead of Glenn Miles’ Charger.

Behind him but with no hard feelings, Darren Jones in the Mustang, still sporting the spare door from Andrew Clempson’s rally car after a jammed Miles Charger throttle T-boned him at Historic Sandown a couple of weeks before. The wily veteran Bill Trengrove slotted in next in another Nb Mustang, ahead of NSW’s Quentin Bland in the V6 Capri and Rob van Stokrom’s 68 Mustang rounding out the top ten.

The returning David Brown had his Datsun 1600 cooking while Don Knight topped the trio of Cortinas that included Peter Olver and Gordon Cox. The stage was set, but the curtain came down before play could take place. The sad medical incident that took the life of another competitor was respected by all.

Race 1, Slippery Sunday, 10 mins

Necks were craned to the skies pre-race as drivers pondered on wet or dry rubber. In the end it was almost an even split, with Adrian Moyle on wets giving pole winner Paul Stubber all sorts of hurry up as the veteran West Aussie opted for drys.

Geoff Munday’s Camaro looked very strong in third while Andrew Beard’s Camaro slowed with the gearbox issues that had afflicted him in qualifying. The Datsun of David Brown struggled for grip as did Trevor Talbot (Camaro) and everyone else, with times ten seconds slower across the field.

Craig Miles’ Charger found the grass while (no-relation) Glenn was giving the V8 boys something to think about in his fellow Charger. Darren Jones suffered a stuck throttle in his Mustang and Rob van Stokrom looped his Mustang, the former mount of the late Alan McKelvie who would be honoured with a trophy in his name for the race winner.

Stubber eventually broke clear of Moyle to take the win with Munday third and Glenn Miles fourth, ahead of McNiven, Bland, Trengrove, and Pillekers, who evoked memories of Brock in the rain with his Torana running the skinny little Sprintmasters with wets, holding out Pete Meuleman (Mustang).

Race 2 – the Isola di Capri Victorian Historic Touring Car Trophy

The misty rain thankfully abated for the final race of the year and Stubber took full advantage, blasting away to lead the 20-minute trophy event. Munday went nowhere with massive wheel spin and lost many positions. He then found himself immersed in a huge battle with Talbot, Beard and the Nb Mustang of Bill Trengrove.

Peter McNiven (Mazda) nipped under Glenn Miles to snatch third until the latter fell off at the hairpin, re-joining shortly after. Quentin Bland (Capri) ran strongly inside the top ten as the Cortinas of Don Knight, Peter Olver and Gordon Cox ran in close company in the early stages.

Stubber wasted little time in attempting to lower his own lap record (1:45.31) set at this meeting last year and with no pressure from behind duly did so with an astounding 1:44.58 – quite a feat with a car now in its 25th year of competition. Moyle and Beard completed the all-Chev podium in front of McNiven and Munday with Glenn Miles, Trengrove, Meuleman, Bland and Jones completing the ten.

After the celebrity checker waving of Eddie Dobbs at Sandown it was the turn of another retired HTCAV racer, the perennial fan favourite Fast Johnny Luxmoore who carried out his task with aplomb, despite some rude gestures from his mates as they whizzed by.

So that was a wrap for ’24 with the Just Cars tourers returning once again in ’25 for the biggest historic meeting in the Southern Hemisphere, the Phillip Island Classic in March. Time to make those accommodation arrangements now!