Sandown Raceway

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‘BIG BAD SANDOWN’ – VHRR Historic Meeting (Nov. 9-11, 2012)

A WISH COMES TRUE AT SANDOWN

For a group of special young people, next weekend’s Historic motor race meeting at Sandown is going to be something truly memorable. Next Friday, November 9 the Victorian Historic Racing Register will host the youngsters from “Make a Wish” Foundation at its 21st annual Historic event at Sandown International Raceway.

A highlight will be the opportunity to slip on a helmet, strap into a race car and do a lap of the circuit with one of the competing drivers.
Accompanying the group to Sandown will be their parents and friends, plus one of the volunteers from “Make a Wish” Foundation who will be on hand to photograph the occasion. More...

HISTORIC RACERS CELEBRATE 50 YEARS OF SANDOWN

Sandown International Raceway opened for action in 1962 with a spectacular international meeting featuring the top line Formula One drivers of the era including Brabham, Hill, Surtees, Stewart, Clark, Amon, and all the leading locals such as Davison, Geoghegan, Matich, Stillwell, Patterson and others. What an amazing meeting!

Fifty years later, on November 9-11, the Victorian Historic Racing Register presents 400 racing, sports and touring cars from yesteryear in an action packed three-day carnival of motor sport.

It’s also celebration time for the VHRR as it comes of age after promoting Historic racing for the past 21 years. And this leading club has some special surprises in store. Feature race on the program is a 15-lap event for the very popular Groups C and A touring cars (generally referred to as ‘the Bathurst cars’.) A bumper field has been assembled, and the race will also involve a compulsory pit stop to add extra spice to the event. It’s a new, exciting innovation.

Also making the ground shake will be the thundering Formula 5000s. These are the 5-litre open wheelers that ran as Australia’s top national formula during the 1970s and featured in those epic battles known as the Tasman Series.

Almost 40 races and regularity runs will be conducted over the weekend of November 9-11, catering for a wide cross-section of Historic racing, sports and touring cars from the 1920s to the ‘nineties.

Adding to the spectacle will be displays of one-make club cars involving more than 300 desirable vehicles. Their proud owners will have them on show at the concourse alongside the main grandstand and at Red Hill on the Dandenong Road end of the circuit for the public to enjoy.

Trade stands, food outlets and off-track displays are added bonuses, and unlike modern day motor sport, mixing with the cars and drivers makes Historic racing a truly memorable experience.

Gates open at 8am, and admission is free on Friday, 9 November. Costs are $30-00 for adults on Saturday 10, and $40-00 on Sunday 11. A weekend pass costs just $60-00, and a $5-00 concession will apply for pensioners. Children under 15 and accompanied by an adult will be admitted free.

Great value for three days of high octane action at “Big Bad Sandown”.

For more information contact Brian Reed (0427 395 296)

‘BIG BAD SANDOWN’- VHRR Historic Meeting” (Nov. 9-11, 2012)

FORD LEGEND TO BE PATRON OF ‘BIG BAD SANDOWN’

Queensland racing legend John French is patron for the 2012 “Big Bad Sandown” Historic meeting to be held on November 9-11, 2012.

Now a spritely 80-year old, French co-drove with fellow Queenslander Dick Johnson to win the 1981 James Hardie ‘1000’ at Mt. Panorama, Bathurst in the Tru Blu Ford Falcon XD, having driven 15 times previously in the endurance classic.

Earlier, in the 1950s, French raced a Holden FX and went on to win the 1962 Australian GT Championship in a Centaur Waggott. He also raced Mini Coopers and Alfa Romeos during a long and illustrious career, but is best remembered for his achievements as a Ford factory driver. He was one of the most successful and best-liked drivers of the 1960s, 70’s and 80’s and teamed with Alan Moffat to win the 1969 Sandown 3-Hour Race in a GT HO Falcon.

In 1971 he qualified his XY GT HO Falcon alongside Moffat at the Hardie-Ferodo ‘500’ and was on track to finish second, but a late pit stop to fix a blocked fuel filter dropped him to 5^th. Like Moffat and others, he drove solo in the race with small sandwiches and chunks of banana on the console for sustenance during the gruelling 500 miles.

The ever-popular Queenslander was previously patron at last year’s Phillip Island Classic Festival of Motor Sport as part of the 40^th anniversary celebrations of the famous Phase 3 GT HO and its 1971 victory, and he’s sure to be a great hit at “Big Bad Sandown” on November 9-11.

For more information contact Brian Reed (0427 395 296)