Ian Hansen

 

The sonorous sound of a full grid of five-litre V8 F5000s will fill and thrill fans at Sydney Motorsport Park this Queen’s Birthday long weekend.

Set to be one of the largest gatherings of Australian-owned F5000 vehicles since their heyday in the late 1960s and 1970s, these amazing aero monsters, which were akin to the Formula 1 cars of the day in speed and sound and capable of speeds up to and 300km/h, will line up once more at the new Sydney Classic Speed Festival event on June 11 – 12.

Makes such as Lola, Chevron, Elfin, March, Matich and McLaren will line up on the grid, and with seventeen cars already registered, it will be the largest single Australian F5000 field in many years.

These are original masterpieces – not replicas – and each vehicle has its own place in motorsport history, competing around the world at various events throughout the last half-century.
The large field will be racing for line honours over the weekend’s racing, and for the top spot in the feature race named after Alfredo ‘Alfie’ Costanzo, a famous F5000 driver who won four CAMS Gold Stars as Australia’s National racing champion. Costanzo himself, who is still racing for his original mentor and Melbourne car owner Alan Hamilton in a McLaren M10B, will be competing in the Sydney Classic Speed Festival, and aiming to win his own namesake race!

A static display of four iconic vehicles will also be on hand over the weekend for all to enjoy, and their owners on hand to answer questions and talk about their car’s history.
The brand new event promises to showcase the best of classic racing cars with a fun, 60’s/70’s themed festival atmosphere, with eight race categories featured through the weekend’s racing; Heritage Touring Cars, Group S Production Sports Cars, Group N Historic Touring Cars, Historic Sports Racing Cars, Holden HQ Racing Cars, Modern Regularity (-1992) and Formula Ford celebrating its 50th Anniversary.

There will be new and exciting race formats including scratch, handicap and also split-grid starts; and Car Club displays, and Sydney’s newest Concourse event, which should attract hundreds of the best display vehicles Sydney has ever seen!

For more information or to buy tickets in advance and save, head to speedfestival.com.au or call the ARDC on (02) 9672 1000.

EVENT RELEASE: Everything old is new again this June long weekend at Sydney Motorsport Park with the new Sydney Classic Speed Festival. The Golden Era of ‘60s and ‘70s racing, its fantastic cars and fabulous drivers, and the fierce competition they procured are back in a brand new racing weekend for motorsport fans young and young-at-heart will enjoy.

To be held at Sydney Motorsport Park, Eastern Creek on Saturday June 10 – Sunday June 11 2017, The Sydney Classic Speed Festival will showcase the best of classic racing cars with a fun, 60’s/70’s themed festival atmosphere.

No less than eight race categories will feature through the weekend’s racing, with new and exciting race formats including scratch, handicap and also split-grid starts: fiercer competition on the track, and more exhilarating heart-in-your-mouth photo finishes.

Headlining the event are the phenomenal Formula 5000s – over 20 are expected to fill this grid. These thundering open-wheelers were faster than the F1 Cars in their day; many being able to go top 300kmh! Also featuring will be the Heritage Touring Cars which wowed the crowds at Bathurst from the 70’s through to the early 90’s. Fans can expect to see the legendary cars of this era including Commodores, Falcons, Skylines, Sierras and BMWs, plus the highly competitive Formula Fords who will also be celebrating their 50th Anniversary.

The ever-popular Sports and Touring Cars such as Porsches, Mustangs, Camaros, Toranas and Minis will be a favourite as well as a new category for later model cars (up to 1997) being modern regularity.

There will also be themed entertainment, Retro and Car Club displays, and Sydney’s newest Concourse event, which should attract hundreds of the best display vehicles Sydney has ever seen!

For more information, tickets, or to enter as a competitor, head to www.speedfestival.com.au