Children 15 & under
free.
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 60th
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