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Muscle Car Masters confirms race categories for new-look event

The Australian Muscle Car Masters has confirmed its line-up of racing categories and demonstration sessions for 2016.

The 12th running of the nation’s most successful retro motorsport event, to be held on the new date of October 29-30, will see the return of five popular race categories plus a class making its Masters debut, the Kumho V8 Touring Car Series.

The returning categories are Heritage Touring Cars (Group C/A), Touring Car Masters, Australian Trans-Am, Historic Touring Cars (Group N) and Group S (production sports cars).

The Kumho V8 Touring Car Series is the unofficial third-tier of V8 Supercar racing, providing a chance for the Commodores and Falcons of previous seasons to continue their racing lives. Many teams run their cars in period liveries.

In addition, there are dedicated demonstration sessions for ‘Supercars’ from the Australian 5.0-litre Touring Car Association.

The 2016 Masters will also feature a new ‘Sports Racing Car Invitational’ demonstration session for historically-significant vehicles. Invited cars will come from the ranks of Sports Sedans, GT cars, plus Can-Am, Le Mans-style and Big Banger sportscars.

Heritage Hot Laps will be rested for 2016.

A special all-Mini race, for cars from the Group Nb ranks, will be held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Morris Cooper S’s win in the 1966 Bathurst 500.

The ultra-popular Pit Straight Car Club Corral and Featured Muscle Marques display and parade will have twin focuses in 2016. Ford’s contribution to Australia’s performance heritage will be celebrated in the month the company winds up manufacturing in this country. Meanwhile, Brock Commodore owners will be encouraged to attend to mark the 10th anniversary of Peter Brock’s passing and 30 years since the launch of the VL Group A.

The Masters will also host the 2016 A9X Torana Club Nationals and a unique pitlane walk for spectators.

The Masters has been run at Sydney Motorsport Park (Eastern Creek) since 2005. The joint-venture partners, the Australian Racing Drivers’ Club Ltd and nextmedia Pty Ltd (publishers of Australian Muscle Car magazine), announced late last year that the 2016 event will move from its Father’s Day slot to the last weekend of October by popular demand.

The date change separates the Australian Muscle Car Masters from the venue’s round of the 2016 V8 Supercars championship as both meetings have been run in close proximity for the last three years, including twice on consecutive weekends. The move to late October was welcomed by competitors, officials and motorsport enthusiasts. The date change was especially popular with those previously unable to attend the retro racing event due to Father’s Day family commitments.

Main race day in 2016 will held on the exact same date of the first event, October 30, 2005.

Tickets are now on sale at musclecarmasters.com.au.

Tekno Autosports take Bathurst 12 Hour victory

Last weekend’s Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour finished in typically thrilling and nailbiting style, with the Tekno Autosports McLaren of Shane van Gisbergen, Jonathan Webb and Portugese driver Alvaro Parente emerging victorious after a record 1845km of racing.

Tekno Autosports, who are proud partners of Sydney Motorsport Park and the ARDC as our official Safety Car supplier, has danced around a Bathurst race victory for several years; the infamous circuit forcing more bad luck than good on the team during their V8 Supercars racing in years past.

This year, the luck was on their side for the debut of the team’s new McLaren 650S GT3; despite 13 pit lane stops, a drive-through penalty during the final stint, and a scary mechanical hiccup that forced Parente to stop and re-set the car on the main straight before resuming the race.

The team beat home the 2015 defending champions Katsumasa Chiyo, Rick Kelly and Florian Strauss in their Nissan GT-R, with Bentley Team M-Sport’s Matt Bell, Steven Kane and Guy Smith came home third.

Only 20 contenders from 37 finished the mammoth race, which saw a record 297 laps completed after the flag fall at 12 hours, with 29 lead changes – another record.

Van Gisbergen also recorded a new outright lap record of the Bathurst circuit with a 2m01.567s, and the team also took pole position and claimed the fastest race lap.

The ARDC congratulates the drivers and team of Tekno Autosports – well done to all!

Australasian Superbike/FX Superbike Rd 7 Finale 2015

Finishing the year at Sydney Motorsport Park is a huge highlight for the whole Australian SuperBike racing fraternity. With most of the category championships still up for grabs, and some very finely balanced with as little as one point separating riders, this final round is closely watched by team statisticians.

It is an especially nervous time for family, too. In fact, I stood beside Brayden Elliots’ aunt while Brayden rode for his tilt at the Swann ASBK Supersport championship on Saturday in which he was tied after six laps with arch rival Callum Spriggs, and my ears are still ringing from the enthusiastic yelling and screaming.

In a move away from the usual Saturday/Sunday race meetings, ASBK organisers elected to make it a Friday/Saturday schedule with racing starting later on each day in order to run the timetabling through into a “twilight” meet in an attempt to offer “after work” racing for spectators on Friday night. It’s a creative attempt by organisers to bring more spectators to the event and cater for our ever changing social habits.

Friday saw the completion of the FX Extreme 2015 racing calendar. Whilst most were racing to end the season strongly Sugar Plum Racings’ Richard Draper was just pleased to be back in leathers following an absence since May due to shoulder surgery. Also in Pro Twin Craig Masters had spent the morning sorting out serious brake issues only to have to push the bike all the way back from turn 18 due to an oversight when someone forgot to fill the fuel tank. As he said”…with a thousand other things going on someone forgot to fill me up”.

Race one of Pro Twin/Naked Bikes early on Friday was a terrible way for championship frontrunner Kris Keen to start his campaign to win his championship. Both his bike and Chris Perini’s both failed to start off the grid and had to be pushed aside. Ben O’Connor jumped the start earning him a 5 second penalty. Craig McMartin was having a stellar race until Beau Beaton, who’d been shadowing him closely, jumped him on the second last lap taking the lead. Not happy McMartin waited his chance and slipstreamed Beaton all the way from turn 18 crossing the line two thousandths/second ahead of Beaton. Visually there was no appreciable difference between the bikes at the finish line. They actually looked like they crossed the line in a dead heat. Race Two saw neither Beau Beaton or Craig McMartin start. This left the field wide open for series leaders Kris Keen and Adrian Pierpont to further stamp their ownership on the title race. Unfortunately Darren Jones had other ideas with an 8 second runaway win from Pierpont as he and Keen crossed like Siamese twins side by side with only five thousands/second separating them. It’s incredible that the timing equipment can record such miniscule time differences.

Formula Oz, sometimes known as the “race what you brung” event, saw double duty for McMartin, Perini and Beaton. Beaton was pushed off the start grid with engine trouble and Perini failed to finish. McMartin however was mixing it up the front with category champion Paul Byrne, leading for most of the race until a last lap charge from Byrne took the lollies away from McMartin . Third place Ben Henry stayed comparatively close to the leaders and had left the main pack well behind. Race two was also a close affair as Beau Beaton got his troubled bike going again and put on a spectacular race with Paul Byrne that had the crowd running back and forth across the pit rooftop not wanting to miss any of the action. Once again Ben Henry had a nine second lead on the main pack but was unable to find the extra second he needed to get past Byrne to challenge Beaton. Side by side across the line and Beaton just edged out Byrne for the win.

Fridays Superbikes set up a tension filled expectation that something awesome was about to unfold. The last race on the FX Xtreme calendar did not disappoint. As the lead group of Troy Herfoss, Wayne Maxwell , Glenn Allerton and Cru Halliday ripped up the track it was very obvious that the championship was going to be earned the hard way today. And so it came to pass that Herfoss finally got his championship when pushing so hard Maxwell took a tumble at turn nine leaving Herfoss the 2015 FX Xtreme champ. Unhurt but disappointed Maxwell could only look forward to Saturdays three-race ASBK program to avenge his loss.

Saturday the Swann Australian Superbike program was unleashed and the day started with the eFXC electric bikes. Making a medium-high pitched whirring sound rather than a throaty roar it was quite strange to see these bikes hurtling down the main straight at 239 kph semi-quietly. The Voltron Evo piloted by Danny Pottage is clearly the faster bike and competently ridden giving him the 5 race wins during the weekend.

The Ninja FX-300 battle deluxe was really about who was going to take the second and third place trophies. Paul Young has a significant point lead and his two race wins today solidified his championship position. Only 21 points separated the next four riders which included Tony Jones and Jack Dawes who split the best results for the minor placings with Jones recording a 1-4-4 race record and Dawes a 3-2-2 all podium day.

Supersports was earmarked on the program as a definite “do not miss”! In particular all year there has been a fierce competitive chemistry between Callum Spriggs and Brayden Elliot. Coming into todays racing only nine points separated the pair. Add to the mix Michael Blair who wasn’t out of contention either only 24 points back of Elliot. So when Blair took race one with Elliot in second, Spriggs lead was dwindling. They were coming after him. Race two and Elliot reversed the win-second relationship with Blair and Spriggs was relegated to fourth. The tension on the pit lane balcony was palpable. As I mentioned previously Elliots’ aunt was a nervous wreck. So race three, the absolute final race of the year and Spriggs and Elliot are separated by only one point. A real cliffhanger. Eight laps from glory. They line up, the starter sends them on their way and Elliot gets the better start. Spriggs hasn’t started particularly well all day and ends up hitting the first turn in sixth. Troy Guenther decides to throw it all down and squeezes Elliot wide in turn two to take the lead. Elliot seems to settle in to a “stay close to Guenther” mindset all the while keeping a watch in his rears hoping like crazy that Spriggs gets caught in traffic. Calculating on the fly it appears that all Elliot needs is for there to be one rider between him and Spriggs come the chequered flag.

By lap five Spriggs has jumped up two places sitting in fourth. Elliot turns on the power and is now trying everything he can to edge past Guenther. He does on two occasions through turn two only to be thwarted by Guenther holding him at bay both times. Its mid lap seven and Spriggs eventually gets past Blair into third spot and is hammering towards turn nine looking to try and put a final move on Elliot. Spriggs brakes super late into nine and finds himself so wide on the exit that he’s in the dirt. Lost opportunity and Elliot squirts away. Elliot now knows that he must get past Guenther if he is a chance to win the championship. Elliot jumps on the juice even before he’s out of turn eighteen trying to slipstream Guenther down the straight. He’s so so close… even riding the fastest lap of the race at 1:30.06 with a top speed of 256kph. He’s within two one thousands /second of Guenther across the line. First-Guenther…Second -Elliot…Third – Spriggs. BUT…its not over yet. The drama continues. Now both Elliot and Spriggs finish equal on 373 points. TIE!!! The rules say that a countback on quantity of podium finishes are the mechanism by which a stalemate is to be broken. With eleven podiums Spriggs is awarded the victory in this most enthralling series.

The Superbikes came to battle with an already tied series. Wayne Maxwell (Yamaha) and Troy Herfoss (Honda) are locked at 316 points. Allerton (Yamaha) is not out of it either only 34 points adrift. Three races away from deciding the “king of the mountain” Australian SuperBike Championship. And race one was exhausting to watch. It was by far one of the best races of the series. Herfoss held pole. Crappy start and all of a sudden in the blink of an eye he’s in fifth place by turn two. Jamie Stauffer (Honda) grabs lead but with superior straight line speed Mike Jones (Kawasaki) takes it away from Stauffer. Stauffer puts on an underarm move on Jones at turn two but runs his line wide and Jones takes it back with a “thank you very much” move. Stauffer using his craftiness takes and holds the lead while Herfoss took no prisoners moving back up to third and attacking Jones. Running wide on the last lap Herfoss’ chances went out the window and Stauffer held on for a magnificent win. Maxwell finished fourth. Advantage Herfoss! Race two and Mike Jones just went nuts. Herfoss hung on and Maxwell too. They both knew that there could be no other rider between them if they were going to keep the points differential to a minimum. Maybe there is something in the saying…” keep your friends close but your enemies closer”. Race two finished Jones to Herfoss to Maxwell. Just out of the podiums Glenn Allerton was only five onethousands/second away. Race three and for the first time all day Herfoss saw what the back of Maxwells bike looked like. Jones once again took off like a scalded cat and Stauffer, who didn’t feature in race two, suddenly unleashed the beast he had brought to race one. He and Jones ended up only one- onethousandths/second apart at the line and Maxwell so close they could have all been triplets. Herfoss was within two seconds of the lead group but one suspects that he already knew what the outcome of this race meant for him. If the fact that he came in the back gate standing on his pegs with arms outstretched to the heavens and one finger on each hand pointing skyward said anything then we all knew that we were looking at the new 2015 ASBK Superbike Champion.

Words and pics by Rob Annesley

www.shotbyrob.com.au

 

New era begins for Muscle Car Masters

The Australian Muscle Car Masters has a new slot on the motor racing calendar for 2016: the last weekend in October.

The nation’s most successful retro motorsport event had been run at Sydney Motorsport Park (Eastern Creek) on the Father’s Day weekend in September for the past 10 years. In an announcement today from the joint-venture partners, the Australian Racing Drivers’ Club Ltd and nextmedia Pty Ltd (publishers of Australian Muscle Car magazine), the 2016 event will be run on the weekend of October 29-30.

By popular demand, this date change will successfully separate the Australian Muscle Car Masters from the venue’s round of the 2016 V8 Supercars championship. Both meetings have been run in close proximity for the last three years, including twice on consecutive weekends.

The move to late October will be welcomed by competitors, officials and motorsport enthusiasts and is expected to boost crowd attendance at both events.

The date change will be especially popular with those previously unable to attend ‘the Masters’ due to Father’s Day family commitments.

The full line-up of race categories and new on-and-off-track activities will be announced early in 2016.

The ultra-popular Pit Straight Car Club Corral and Featured Muscle Marques display and parade will have twin focuses in 2016. Ford’s contribution to Australia’s performance heritage will be celebrated in the month the company winds up manufacturing in this country. Meanwhile, Brock Commodore owners will be encouraged to attend to mark the 10th anniversary of Peter Brock’s passing and 30 years since the launch of the VL Group A.

 

Event Wrap – NSW Motor Race Championships Round 6

 

With spring in the air, an excited field of over 180 cars came out for Round 6 of the CAMS NSW Motor Race Championships. Despite NSW being in the grip of one of the longest wet spells in a while, the track dried out nicely in time for both Saturday and Sunday racing. For this event it was the Formula Ford’s turn to have a break from racing, whilst the Production Sports category took its turn to have their annual one-hour enduro.

Formula Vee’s started their program with a good field of 34 cars and the action was push and shove right from the start. Early in race one Craig Sparke expired billowing plumes of smoke from his exhaust at turn two, while Dylan Thomas spluttered to a crawl allowing Simon Pace to continue his determined climb through the field from 10th on the grid to a second place podium finish. Heath Collinson’s front wheel tried to climb aboard Ash Quiddingtons’ rear causing them both to spin losing places to the field. Race three was equally feisty with three safety car stints. Darren Willliams was enjoying his up the front of grid status due to his races one and two third-place podiums, but a spin early in race three put him smack dab in the path of Allan Harrison who t-boned him as Allan had nowhere to go but straight ahead. More disaster was to come Ash Quiddingtons’ way with a lost wheel at turn 1 whilst William Pym expired gracefully at turn two. Ash’s brother Mitch Quiddington suffered a “hands in the air” ignominious end to race three as Dan Stein clobbered him from behind pushing him through the dirt and right out on track again at turn two. This was the final straw and with these two cars requiring “all up lifts” the race petered out as the laps ran down.

Ryan Reynolds carried the day with two wins and a third, with Simon Pace having his best day all year with two seconds. Dylan Thomas bounced back from his earlier car troubles to salvage a spot of satisfaction with second place in race three. Our 2015 debutante Aaron Pace ( Jacer #86) had some valuable experience in the wet conditions on Friday. Trying to avoid Michael Kinsella, who spun and ended up facing the wrong direction at turn five, Aaron dodged when he should have weaved and lost his own backend smacking the stationery Kinsella and causing himself gear box damage and consequently gear change issues all weekend.

Out the front of Sports Sedans Grant Doulman was doing his usual quick flawless driving keeping a handy 4-5 seconds gap on the field. This regularity gave him all three race wins. Nice to see Birol Cetin back after missing last round. Cetin had an uncharacteristic moment at turn two spearing a direct course towards the ARDC sign through the field thankfully missing everyone.

In race three Cetin was the unfortunate recipient of a direction change from David Atkin (BMW3) as he was executing a passing manoeuvre at turn 3. After contact Birol lost his road grip in the big Camaro and veered sideways across the track eventually contacting the wall on drivers right halfway down the hill towards turn 4. With fiberglass bits strewn everywhere, a bonnet that resembled a wobble board and major structural carnage to the front end suspension, we hope that the car can be rebuilt in time for the years final racing championships at SMSP in late October. Prior to this mishap, Cetin had racked up two second places for the day. Steve Lacey drove his regular race and brought home three podiums including a second in race three.

Chris Jackson will be busy over the next couple weeks as huge smoke plumes from a lunched motor rose in the air at turn one as his burning Calibra looked more like a bonfire for a weeny roast.

While the HQ’s may not be everyone’s cup of tea and they may not go as fast or elegantly as some of the later model high tech race cars, they more than make up for this in their wobbling and rockin’and rollin’ racing demeanour. The speeds that they do with the uncouth manners that these cars display (not the drivers) is a real credit to the pilots who navigate these classic machines around the track.

Talented tacticians, it was a real privilege to watch the dog fight between John Baxter and Brett Osborn, as they worked hard not only to “outpsyche” each other playing a wonderful cat and mouse game, but the driving skill as they drove nose to tail and side by side using every ounce of skillful nouse they possessed, working the slip stream and blind spots to gain the upper hand. Races two and three were both the “Osborn and Baxter Show” (up front). They swapped the lead numerous times throughout the course of each race as they came through both turn 15 and turn 2, manhandling these cantankerous beasts and tryng to hold them strongly to a racing line.

As the brakes heated and lost efficacy this allowed both drivers to take momentary advantages in lapses of concentration or moments of vehicle mechanical uncertainty, allowing one or other to steal a small piece of real estate, reluctantly given up as each battle raged in the 21 minutes of war each race provided. Osborn won race two by three one-hundredths of a second. That’s 30 Milliseconds!!! That’s not even the time distance from the front bumper bar to the front wheel.

Not only that…. Baxter was leading coming halfway down main straight before Osborn wacked out a passing manoeuvre Ayton Senna would have been proud of!! Cojones the size of Mango’s. Race three wasn’t much different. Same two guys : same ferocious battle. Similar antics and lead changes. This time the separation at the chequered flag was 90 milliseconds. Nine one-hundredths of a second. Distance from bumper to back door. Thanks John and Brett for a fabulous stoush which was worth the price of admission right there.

Words and pics by Rob Annesley
www.shotbyrob.com.au

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Event Wrap – 2015 Muscle Car Masters

The Annual “Muscle Car Master” carnival rolled into town at Sydney Motorsport Park on Fathers Day weekend September 4 – 6. It was a wonderful weekend of celebration of all that is exceptional about Australian motorsport combining the best of both Australian and US motoring muscle. Evergreen celebrity drivers such as Bob Holden, Jim Richards, John Bowe, Glenn Seton, ( Happy Birthday, Glenn – who turned 50 this week), Charlie O’Brien, Andrew Mediecke, Leo Tobin and Rusty French got behind the wheels of  various brands of muscle cars and over the weekend reminded us all why we love these heritage marques.

Our past racing legends were oh so generous with their time and spent countless hours over the course of the weekend signing autographs, posing for photographs and chatting extensively, between racing commitments, with hundreds of fans many of whom recounted and relived exploits of these giants of Australian racing with blow-by-blow accounts of their favourite racing moments.

As well stellar examples of original and restored classic metal including 50 of the best examples of heritage vehicles (30 of which are original cars) that graced our race tracks in decades gone by. Each and every one of the shiny concourse prepared cars played a significant part in the fabric of our rich Australian racing history.  These cars carried our hopes and dreams as we watched our race suited gladiatorial heroes do battle in their brightly coloured liveries. Commonplace throughout our magnificent history these steeds had colloquial names which easily rolled off our tongues…names such as “XU-1, A9X, ‘Cuda, Charger, GTHO, ‘Stang as well as a myriad of letters meaningful to the motoring initiated such as VL, VS, VH and VK.

The headline feature category over the weekend is always the Touring Car Masters race series. This field is littered with racing masters, and 26 sensationally prepared hotted up V8 muscle cars. It was a surprise to see John Bowe in a Torana this weekend, especially as his most notable (and usual) ride was also running around in the field: Mustang Sally. This weekend she was in the capable hands on Neil Crompton. Although, one has to wonder how Bowe and Mustang Sally felt when Crompton got caught up in a mid field “nose to tail debacle which in fairness was not of his own doing. As it turned out Seton nudged Mediecke who spun 360 degrees right in the middle of the exit from turn two, and in the ensuing melee and bottleneck Compton had his front and rear crumpled. The carnage was not limited to him alone as some five cars all came back around the track sporting various assorted crumpled fenders and grills. The immediate resulting carnage at turn two looked like an untidy second hand car lot with cars pointing in all directions and those drivers trying to avoid the mess were mounting the ripple strips dodging and weaving through the infield to get some clear space to literally escape the blockage. In racing, John Bowe was sensational with three clear race wins in his personally race prepared Wilson Security Torana. This weekend brought John Bowe a double milestone. Firstly he celebrated his 200th career race win on Saturday and on Sunday competed in his 1000th career race event.  Congratulations John.

Almost equal favourite racing category over the weekend was the mighty Trans AM Sports Sedans category. Featuring more legends of Australian motorsport driving 5 Litre+ American muscle cars made popular in the 60’s and 70’s. With teeth rattling power plants, the field of Mustangs, Firebirds, Camaro’s, GTO’s and even a Plymouth Barracuda growled and fiercely fought for supremacy around the Eastern Creek GP circuit. Seventeen cars from Qld and four from New Zealand rounded out the field for this tribute series second appearance at MCM. Charlie O’Brien (Firebird) drove gangbusters all weekend and took all three race wins. Crowd pleaser Glenn Allingham got the crowd roaring with his wheel spinning “drifting” style of driving. Plenty of smoke and noise: What more could you want at MCM 2015?

The crowd was spoilt for merchandise choice as the semitrailers with TCM, Holden and other memorabilia were a part of the whole fantastic vibe. It was great to see the grandstand almost full and the rooftop above the pits was crammed with spectators cheering their heroes and enjoying all the racing that was on offer. This year there were three separate Heritage Hot Laps which meant their was ample time to see all your favourite cars of yesteryear. As well, a parade lap for the many car clubs that attended with their exquisitely prepared privateer vehicles was a marvelous sight with over a hundred cars. Featuring AC Cobras, classic Mustangs, Chargers, Corvettes, HSV Holdens, it was great to perve on some beautiful metal and chrome.

Words and pics by Rob Annesley
www.shotbyrob.com.au