Huge entry at this weekend’s Phillip Island Classic
A huge entry of 512 racing, sports and touring cars spanning eight decades is taking part in this weekend’s the 26th Phillip Island Classic Festival of Motorsport on the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit.
Confirming its status as the largest historic racing event of its type in the Southern Hemisphere, this year’s ‘Classic’ has attracted 17 entries from overseas enthusiasts, with cars and drivers from the UK, Germany, the United States and New Zealand taking part.
Amongst them are three important historic sports cars that had to be airfreighted to the meeting at the 11th hour after a prolonged dock strike on the US West Coast prevented them travelling by container.
The rapid early 1980s March sports cars being raced by Lilo Zicron and David Jacobs and the unique 1962 Sabra sports of Jacob Shalit only arrived early this week just in time for pre-meeting scrutineering.
A highlight of the meeting for many enthusiasts who have travelled from all around Australia to attend, will be the first appearance at Phillip Island for many years of the famous factory-built TransAm Mustang that transformed Australian Touring Car Racing when first driven by Allan Moffat in 1969.
The car has been brought specially to Melbourne from the Bowden’s Own collection in Buderim, Queensland and will be driven over the weekend by Chris Bowden and 1967 Bathurst winner, Fred Gibson in 15 minute parades celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Mustang on both Saturday and Sunday.
Another on-track highlight of both days will be the15 minute demonstrations of many of the famous 5.0-litre touring cars that dominated V8 Supercar racing in the1990s and early 2000s.
Sunday’s programme also includes a tribute to the late Sir Jack Brabham, the Patron of the Victorian Historic Racing Register who died in May last year, with many of the racing cars bearing his name taking to the circuit.
Current racing drivers taking part in the meeting include four times Australian Champion John Bowe, who will be competing in the events for the fastest open wheeler racing cars in his 1974 March 741 F1 car and Alex Davison, who will be racing his father Richard’s Lola T332 Formula 5000.
More than 50 other pristine Mustangs and Shelby models will be on display at the meeting, while this year’s meeting Patron is Bryan Thomson, who famously took the ex-Norm Beechey 1965 Australian Touring Car Championship-winning Mustang to the UK to race for a season in 1967.
Thomson and his wife Loel are driving their current 1965 road-going Classic Mustang to the meeting, where Bryan will be a key speaker at Saturday night’s annual Gala Dinner.
Practice and qualifying for the weekend’s 49 individual racing and regularity events and three special demonstrations are being conducted today (Friday March 6) with two races for most categories on both Saturday and Sunday (March 7 & 8), starting from 9.05am each day.
As in previous years, the meeting is being staged by the VHRR with continued support from Penrite, Shannons, CoolDrive and Repco.
Entry to this year’s Phillip Island Classic costs $30 Friday, $35 Saturday and $45 Sunday, with a Weekend pass $70. Children Under 14 are admitted free, while Pensioners receive a discount of $5 off all entry tickets purchased.
All patrons purchasing tickets at the gate receive a free programme, which otherwise costs $5.
Protect your Classic. Call Shannons Insurance on 13 46 46 to get a quote today.
