COMING EVENTS

July  24^th –25^th                                Queensland Raceway          QSCC

August 1^st                                     *Morwell Hillclimb                 VHRR

August 24^th                                     Annual General Meeting        

September 11^th-12^th                         Eastern Creek                    HSRCA

October 2^nd-3^rd                               Vintage Collingrove Hillclimb SCC of SA
                                                                 (08) 8373-4899 or sccsa@iprimus.com.au

October 16^th –17^th                           Midweek Wakefield Park       HSRCA??

October 26^th                                   General Meeting

November 5^th –7^th                          *Sandown                           VHRR 

November 27^th –28^th                        Wakefield Park                     HSRCA 

December 4^th                                  Christmas Dinner and Prizegiving at the Manningham
                                                                   Llyod Shaw 0415-351-164 

 *CCE…..denotes Club Championship Event                   ** See Text

VHRR Clubrooms are situated at 30-32 Lexton Rd. Box Hill

     LUNCH MEETINGS WEDNESDAYS (NOT CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS)

     CLUB LIBRARY OPENING TIMES:

     Wednesday Lunch Days 11.30-2.30

     Club Meeting Nights 6.30-7.30

     RED PLATES SCHEME    Our club Volunteer doing this task  

     is Lloyd Shaw. Contact him on ………0415.351.164

ALL THE ABOVE CLUB ACTIVITIES INCLUDING THE WEDNESDAY LUNCH ARE DESIGNATED RED PLATE ACTIVITIES.

Visit our website: www.vhrr.com

Interested Formula Ford Owners
Please note the next meeting will be held at the VHRR clubrooms on the 7^th July at 7.30 PM.
Contact: Mike Devine  mdevine@kangan.edu.au

Lost Whiteford Trophy
Any member knowing the whereabouts of a large ex Doug Whiteford perpetual trophy presented at Sandown ?? a couple of years ago please contact Pat Ryan 9335-4666 BH or ryansbus@ozonline.com.au

FUN FUND RAISER ………Sunday 22 August@ 11.00 AM
Where: George Hetrel’s property 79 Basin Olinda Rd The Basin
BYO Food,Grog, Chairs & Tables BBQ on Site. If it rains we eat in the garage. The garage tour will view cars from an 1896 Benz onwards with Train rides, Rain Forrest walk, Rare Trees and Plants etc. If sufficient numbers a STEAM TRAIN will replace the Diesel.

Cheques: $5-00 per person payable to VHRR for Donations to Charity
Send To: Ron Townley 59 Mount Martha Rd Mount Martha 3934        Info: Hugh Jarse 5988-4846

JOHN BLANDON MEMORIAL
The Sporting Car Club of S.A. has announced annual road event will be renamed the John Blandon Climb To The Eagle in perpetual remembrance of John’s contribution to motor racing and its history.

MORWELL HILLCLIMB 1/8/04
Members are invited to take part in our annual Morwell hillclimb.
Inserted with this newsletter are the Supplementary Regulations and entry forms. John d’Asques promises a great day and with the possibility to cross enter cars and drivers why not test drive a mates.

VHRR MEMBERS INVITED TO GOODWOOD U.K.
President Ian Tate is pleased to announce that Lord March has invited three VHRR members to participate in the Goodwood Hillclimb in that June and the famous Goodwood Revival meeting in September. The members are Robert Harborow with Maybach 1.  Nereo Dizane with the Brabham Indianapolis car and Nigel Tait with the Formula One Brabham BT19. The cars were packed into a container and shipped from Melbourne early in June. Ian provided Robert Harborow with a plaque complete with the VHRR logo, to be presented to Lord March in appreciation of the invitation. He explained that it was a long awaited honour for our drivers and their cars to represent Australia at such prestigious events and thanked Keith Chapman, a guest from the U.K. at this year Phillip Island for his assistance. We all wish the three good luck and mechanical happiness.                                                                            Roger James

THE ERA PRE-SELECTOR GEARBOX
The ERAS which competed at Phillip Island and Winton this year caused a great deal of interest and represent a unique collection of 1930’s motor engineering.  The supercharged six cylinder motor drives through a Wilson pre-selector gear box and these are somewhat unusual devices.

The gears are all ( four forward and reverse ) in constant mesh and each has a break drum with brake bands. Activation of the band in the drum selects the individual gear and disengages the other.

The engine is started with the pre-selector lever in neutral and then used to select first gear ( or reverse ). Motion is achieved by depressing the gear change pedal ( similar to a clutch pedal ) and then matching its release travel with the revs.

Underway, the next gear to be used is preselected with the lever and engaged by using the pedal when required. The designer at the time considered this special box allowed faster changes than with the normal clutch – gear box combination and avoids missed gear changes which cause fast revving  race engines to over-rev and thus destroy themselves. As well, having the gear change out of the way lap times improve as drivers then concentrate on braking and correcting techniques. All very well, but reliability is an issue as maintenance requires the service of an experienced mechanic. As a number of observers noted at the two meetings “the ERA’S needed total rebuilds between events”.

Never the less, the marque made its mark in the history of European motor racing and we are most privileged to experience their grace and pace.

The pre-selector gearbox was also used in the Lago-Talbot racing cars and the Armstrong Siddeley and MG K3’s and also the Magnette road cars. Thanks goes to Bill Prowse for this terminology assistance and provision of the rare 1930 MG Technical Manual.                              ROGER JAMES

THE VHRR TOUR DE YARRA VALLEY SUNDAY JUNE 20^th
Yes not only did it rain but it poured and the curves through the hills were very tight and covered with slipery wet bark from the over hanging trees.But the views through the ranges and the tall tree-ferns were magnificent for the navigators to observe and searching for the answers to the testing 22 questions was worthwhile and enjoyable.

The field of 27 starters was a mixedbag with two vintage trucks, a Wallvan ( K11 drove his work van complete with ladder and was so named ) and the usual M.G’s and Porches. The course commenced from Yarra Glen and covered 150K to Long Gully Vineyard at Healesville where with good fortune the rain held off until the outdoor lunch and presentation finished. Prizes were awarded with the courtesy of the vineyard Split Rock and Macquire. The “ hard luck “ award went to Joyce  and Jim Russell who had clutch trouble in their E –type Jaguar on the way to the start and then with determination finished after a return home for the family car.

Ron and Margaret Simmonds created an excellent event and their efforts were appreciated by all.                                                      Roger James

Results    1^st Geoff Norwell   Riley
             2^nd Patrick Ryan    Daimler Dart
             3^rd David Fogg      Mercedes Benz Coup

TOUR D’ YARRA VALLEY

Some of the more interesting answers to the competition questionaire.

Q. When is the St Andrews bakery closed?
A. It is never open, they kept burning the bottom of the buns.

Q. Where do the Anglicans worship?
A. St Peters. They are high on the hill so God comes to them.

Q. Where do you buy eggs?
A. We got the full story on this:they told us the chicken came first and not to worry about the egg.

Q. What route is this?
A. This is one of our highly maintained and well built Vic Roads road that we allow our children to travel by school bus.

Q. What do they breed at No. 613?
A. I can remember mum cooking a beautiful roast of our hand raised cow ……

Q. What  Australian F1 driver formerly owned the Glenburn Pub?
A. I cannot remember his name but his dad’s name was Stan Jones. Next time I will watch F1 on TV
    and get it.

Q.  S.U. is an English manufacturer of carburrettes and fuel pumps.What does S.U. stand for?
A. Suck Up.

VHRR SMALL ADS
Tyres: SLICK used racing tyres Ex F3 & F2Yokohama 240/45 VR13 8 OF,180/50 VR13 8 OF,Dunlop 230/570 R13 12 OF,190/535 R13 12 OF. TYRES USED A MAX. OF 4 MEETINGS .YOKOHAMA $50 EACH 20% of New. DUNLOP $25 EACH 10% of New.

ROD ANDERSON 0419311914 or 0398826485 AH.

                                                                                                                                     “Monoskate” Historic Racing Car
Famous George Reed car raced successfully at Bathurst, AGP Narrogin 1951, etc. Side valve Ford V8, Offenhauser heads, twin Stromberg 97, Scintilla magneto, Needham c/r gearbox, aluminium hand formed body with all the patina of decades of racing.

This car is probably the fastest most original pre-war “Ka” car in Australia .CAMS logbook, COD ready to race and win.$60,000 with all the spares. Barry Batagol 03 9670 8299 (BH), 03 9663 7131(AH), 0418 396 281 barry@intercorp.com.au

Disclaimer; The views and opinions expressed within this newsletter are not necessarily those of the VHRR Inc. or its Committee and/or its newsletter Editor.  Whilst all care has been taken, neither the club or its officiers accept responsibility for the accuracy of information printed and the quality of any items or services advertised or mentioned in this publication.  Incorporated association Number A 0007117C. The Editor reserves the right to edit contributions submitted for publication.

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