What a finish!
3-4 August 2024
Report by Darren Knight with Chris Ralph. Pics by Phil Wisewould and Daysy Motorsport
Saturday surprises
Qualifying:
Thirty-five JUST CARS racers, the biggest entry in the event’s history, faced the sharp early morning light. Last year’s 50k Cup winner NSW’s Brad Tilley looked a good bet to repeat the dose by plonking his Mustang on pole.
Running to Group Nc specifications, the 289 notchback benefits from decades of Mustang race preparation by Australia’s foremost historic touring family. Setting a time of 1.34.2 he was 1.4 seconds clear of Vic’s Adrian Moyle, the first of the five Camaros in the top ten.
The Tilley Racing-prepared Mustang of Adam Walton was third ahead of the only Mazda RX2 in the field, that of Vic’s Peter McNiven who headed a trio of home-state Camaros: Tony Hubbard, Dom Leo and Brent Trengrove.
Qld’s Graeme Wakefield’s ’68 Mustang was eighth, ahead of the amazing Mini of Adam Bressington, south again after his Historic Winton dominance in May. Tenth was WA’s Aldo De Paoli finding his way around on his first visit to Winton in the rapid red Camaro.
(Non) Race 1
The excitement and expectation knew no bounds for the opener. It lasted less than a lap. While Tilley’s slightly better start got him ahead of Moyle, Graeme Wakefield out of eighth spun and sat facing the traffic at T1, poor Bill Trengrove in the ex-Clem Smith Mustang had nowhere to go and smacked the later Mustang snout to snout.
Out came the red flag. It was declared a non-race, Wakefield was out for the weekend, as was Hubbard’s Camaro which had snapped an axle before race start.
Sunday races – one short, one long.
Race 2 – the ‘warm up’
The early morning 5-lapper had extra pressure on it for excitement after the R1 fiasco. Tilley hooked up well to lead into turn one with Winton debutant Adam Walton (Mustang) spearing out of second to make it a Team Tilley Mustang one-two. Peter McNiven (Mazda) nipped in front of Moyle to grab third place before Aldo De Paoli’s Camaro that podium spot as a huge battle erupted between the Camaros of Brent Trengrove and Dom Leo, the latter often sideways but getting through before the former’s clutch failed, keeping him in third gear.
Fun further back
Richard Hill (Mini) ran over the kerb at the sweeper and collected the FJ Holden of Phil Barrow, putting his Mini out. the ‘Invited’ Mini of Keith Collins had a torrid battle with Les Walmsley’s Cortina, edging him by seven thousandths of a second at the end. Racer Industries’ own Gordon Cox, ever faster in his Mk11 Cortina, was muttering “back off Don!” (or words to that effect) holding out out Don Knight in the earlier Mk1 version by just three tenths of a second. Steve Russell-Clarke (“We’re in the entertainment business!”) had the little orange Austin A40 cooking in a mighty tussle with the FJ Supercar of Phil Barrow.
New record set
On the last lap De Paoli grabbed second off Walton who just held onto third in front of Moyle and McNiven on the final lap. Tilley won, lowering his own 2023 lap record to 1.34.4, McNiven was fifth in front of Leo and Bressington, whose Mini topped the pre`65 Group Nb machinery, while Andrew Beard (Camaro) had his hands full with Marc Tessari’s Monaro. Brent Trengrove held on to tenth ahead of Geoff Munday’s Camaro while Stephen Pillekers won the Torana battle by just edging out Queenslander David Streat for twelfth.
Race Three – the JUST CARS 50K Cup
In bright midday sunshine Tilley again led the big field away as Moyle made a much better start to leap into second place, though De Paoli was soon through. Walton and McNiven began a real ding-dong struggle for a podium place while further back John Harrison (Cortina) kept sometime TCM racer Leo Tobin (Mustang) busy in his return to Group N. Francis Meier (Mini) hassled the Best Presented winning Cortina of Les Walmsley before eventually breaking clear.
Some Chevies stopped chasing
A few of the ‘bow tie brigade’ didn’t like the long race – Geoff Munday retired his Camaro in a cloud of smoke, De Paoli suffered power steering failure which ended a mighty charge, Andrew Beard left the track not to return and Adrian Moyle’s front left suspension arm would fail on the last lap.
The rotary chase begins
With the race ten laps down former 50k Cup winner McNiven started applying pressure to the V8s. De Paoli was now out, he despatched Walton, three laps later he he’d taken Moyle and started the pursuit of race leader Tilley. The sound of the rotary buzzing loudly signalled the Victorian was not going home wondering. The gap closed slightly as the laps wore down and second place seemed secure.
8/100ths of a second!
Suddenly Tilley ran off at the end of the old back straight on the penultimate lap, re-joining in front but now with big brake issues and the Mazda on his tail. McNiven swooped on the nobbled Pony and grabbed the lead within sight of the flag. Tilley was not giving up and made a final lunge at the line as the flagman flung out the checker but McNiven just held on by a bee’s nose to take an incredibly exciting win.
Even more drama
Tilley had floored it but still had no brakes and careered off the front straight at T1, bouncing, spinning and jumping across a ditch laden grass infield. (Surely time for a grade please Winton?) Walton was third jumping a limping Moyle on the last lap, Leo and Makulu Vehicle Storage Driver of the Meeting Marc Tessari (HQ Monaro) heading Brent Trengrove’s Camaro, with Bressington again first of the Nb cars in a brilliant eighth outright.
David Streat’s ninth in his Torana made the trip south seem worthwhile, as former HTCAV double champ Pete Meuleman came back to tenth ahead of Stephen Pillekers and another fightback, Richard Hill (Mini). Right through the field the racing had been fast and furious.
The VHRR should be rightly proud of their efforts and will be diligently planning our next stop on the Victorian Historic calendar – Historic Sandown over November 9-10 – where another big field of JUST CARS Historic Tourers will descend on the famous Melbourne circuit. Plan to be there!