All prices offer a $5.00 concession to Seniors/Pensioners/Students.

November 11, 2007

CROWDS FLOCK TO HISTORIC SANDOWN

A large crowd has turned out to Sandown International Raceway to enjoy glorious weather and highly competitive racing across numerous racing classes at the annual Historic Sandown race meeting.

Meeting organiser and Victorian Historic Racing Register vice-president Noel Robson declared the weekend one of the most successful Historic Sandown meetings ever held.

“The weather was obviously on our side all weekend but we were also blessed with plenty of close racing which kept a big crowd on their toes,” Mr Robson said.

“We’ve also had some very good feedback about the magnificent off-track displays including a strong showing of Mustangs and Ferraris, plus some highly significant racing cars of yesteryear.

“There is definitely some strong interest in historic racing and now we’re looking forward to our next event at Phillip Island in March.”

Spectators thrilled to the sight and sounds of awesome machinery from eras past including Don Thallon’s thunderous 1951 Cooper Climax, Perry Spiridis’ 1972 DeTomaso Pantera and historic tourers including the ex-Glenn Seton 1992 Ford Sierra of Robert Tweedie and the ex-Mark Skaife 1988 Nissan Skyline of Rod Markland.

Meeting patron Jim Richards, a seven-time Bathurst 1000 winner, was so impressed by what he saw over the weekend that he now wants to join in. “This is the first historic meeting such as this I’ve been to and frankly, I’m blown away,” he told the crowd. “I’m going to start looking for a car that I can race.”

One of the meeting’s feature events and a perennial crowd favourite, the Formula 5000, Q & R category, provided plenty of drama with a gaggle of ground-shaking Formula 5000s taking on John Briggs’ hi-tech 1984 Veskanda and the awesome 1978 Porsche 935 of Rusty French.

It was over before it began for the leading F5000 contender, Andrew Robson. He qualified on the front row, but a start-line incident with French in the first race ended his weekend. Briggs cruised to victory in the first two races, but a safety car period in the final race resulted in a one-lap dash for the flag and D’arcy Russell improbably got his 1972 Lola T330 in front of the Veskanda for a popular win.

Asked what happened, a rueful Briggs said afterwards: “It was a case of DCN – driver caught napping.”

The highly modified Sports Sedans turned into a showdown between the 1998 Holden Calibra of Daniel Tamasi and the 2001 Saab Aero of Dean Randle, Tamasi taking the first stanza before Randle saluted in the subsequent races.

The meeting’s theme this year was the “Mighty Mustangs” and a strong contingent of the legendary American muscle cars turned out to contest the “Group N Over 3000cc” category. However, they lowered their colours to Tony Hubbard’s 1967 Chevrolet Camaro, which clean-swept the three race program. 

Highly competitive as always were the Formula Fords with wheel-to-wheel racing and plenty of lead changes a feature. Nick Lubransky narrowly took the first two races in his 1983 Reynard but Jonathan Miles in a 1982 Reynard turned the tables on him to sneak ahead for victory in Race 3.

The VHRR enlisted the assistance of Greenfleet to calculate the carbon emissions of all competitor and support vehicles taking part across the three-day event, and a proportion of the gate takings has been donated to fund the planting of hundreds of trees.

“In the scheme of things it’s a small gesture, but offsetting the meeting’s carbon footprint was the least we could do,” Mr Robson said.

Media inquiries: Steve Colquhoun - 0438 570185; kahuna@ncable.net.au

                           Noel Robson - 0402 224 133; robsonracing@baygarage.com.au

November 6, 2007

TAKE THE TRAIN TO HISTORIC SANDOWN

The Victorian Historic Racing Register is encouraging racing fans who will flock to the Historic Sandown meeting this weekend to catch the train or car pool, to help offset the meeting’s “carbon footprint”.

The annual Historic Sandown meeting, at Sandown International Raceway, will feature the “Mighty Mustangs” with more than 100 of the classic American muscle cars present for racing and display activities, as well as a magnificent array of significant and desirable older F1 cars, classic, vintage, sports, open-wheeler and late-model touring cars.

The VHRR has enlisted the assistance of Greenfleet to calculate the carbon emissions of all competitor and support vehicles taking part across the three-day event, and a proportion of the gate takings will be donated to fund the planting of hundreds of trees.

Register vice-president Noel Robson said the bid to offset the meeting’s carbon emissions was a chance for the historic racing community to give something back to the environment.

“We’re not just a bunch of dinosaurs who race around in circles, belching out exhaust fumes without a thought for the consequences,” he said. “It’s something we’ve thought carefully about and we think it’s the least we can do.

“We encourage all historic racing fans to give some thought to how they get to the event. By leaving the car at home, they can help us to achieve something really significant and lasting.”

One of Australia’s most prolific and versatile motor racer, Jim Richards, is the meeting’s patron and headlines a stellar cast of the heroes of yesteryear who have been invited to attend, including Norm Beechey, Leo Geoghegan, Bob Jane and Bryan Thomson.

There will also be a display of exotic European cars, and rarities such as Paul Sabine’s 7-litre Chevrolet Corvette, Don Thallon’s ex-Le Mans 1959 Jaguar, Max Warwick’s McLaren M1A, Ian Ross’s Shelby GT350 and even a T35 Bugatti are confirmed to attend.

On-track action will be headlined by the ferocious open wheelers of Formula 5000 and Formula Ford, plus the Group N tin-tops, a wide array of classic and historic marques and, of course, a squadron of Mustangs.

Tickets are $20 for Saturday, $30 for Sunday or $40 for a weekend pass, while children enter for free. Entry is also free to Friday’s practice session. Entry includes free pit entry, a  show ‘n shine, free grandstand access and many exhibits.

With good weather forecast across the weekend, spectators are also encouraged to take their picnic blankets to Red Hill, on the Dandenong Road corner, to enjoy the best view of the entire track.

Trains to Sandown run on the Pakenham/Cranbourne line. Get off at Sandown Park station for an easy 500-metre walk to the track’s main gate.

Media inquiries: Steve Colquhoun - 0438 570185; kahuna@ncable.net.au

Noel Robson - 0402 224 133; robsonracing@baygarage.com.au

October 5, 2007

JIM RICHARDS ANNOUNCED AS PATRON FOR HISTORIC SANDOWN

Australia’s most prolific and versatile motor racer, Jim Richards, has fittingly lent his support to the annual Historic Sandown race meeting, to be run at Sandown Raceway from November 9-11.

Fresh from victories in recent weeks in the Targa West and Rallye Burnie tarmac events, seven-time Bathurst 1000 winner Richards returns to his circuit racing roots to promote the popular event.

Richards will be one among a plethora of touring car stars of yesteryear to attend Historic Sandown, with the likes of Norm Beechey, Leo Geoghegan, Bob Jane and Bryan Thomson also expected to attend.

The feature event at Historic Sandown is the “Mighty Mustangs” with up to 200 of the American muscle cars either racing or on display.

The Mustangs will be backed by a wide array of classes encompassing all eras from faster pre-1931 old-timers, through ferocious open wheelers such as Formula 5000 and Formula Ford, to the brawny Group A and C touring cars spanning the 1970s, 80s and 90s.

Rarities such as Paul Sabine’s 7-litre Chevrolet Corvette, Don Talon’s ex-Le Mans 1959 Jaguar, Max Warwick’s McLaren M1A and even a T38 Bugatti are confirmed to attend.

Jim Richards, who recently celebrated his 60^th birthday, said he was excited to be involved in Historic Sandown. He guest-drove a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro to victory in the recent Sandown leg of the Biante Touring Car Masters series and will do so again at Bathurst. He is also building a racer of his own, a 1964 Ford Falcon Sprint, to compete in the series next year.

“I’ve always liked historic cars, and I particularly like the look of the Falcon which has the same mechanicals as a 1964 Mustang but a different body shape,” said Richards. “I’m involved for the fun of it, and to compete with the guys.”
 

Richards has this year declined offers to drive in the enduro legs of the V8 Supercar series, and stepped out of the Carrera Cup where he holds the record for the most race victories and pole positions. “The time was right to stop doing them for various reasons,” he said. “It’s not that I’m retired, I’m just not doing a few things that I’ve done in the past.”

Victorian Historic Racing Register vice-president Noel Robson said the meeting was also a chance for race fans to relive memories of days gone by, by taking their cars and folding chairs to “Red Hill” at the Dandenong Road corner for arguably the best view of the track.

 “There’s going to be plenty going on and at Sandown, you can see almost every part of the track from any of the spectator areas. There will be plenty of action on the track, and plenty to look at off the track as well,” he said. 

In what is believe to be a first for a domestic race meeting, Greenfleet will calculate the carbon emissions of race and support vehicles involved in the Historic Sandown meeting, with organisers set to make a substantial donation to support the planting of trees that will help offset the meeting’s “carbon footprint”. 

Media inquiries: Steve Colquhoun - 0438 570185; stevekahuna@bigpond.com

Noel Robson - 0402 224 133; robsonracing@baygarage.com.au