Although James Moffat had swept the opening round of the 2024 Trans-Am championship, Jordan Boys and James Golding would claw points back with two wins apiece at Symmons Plains. As they arrived at Phillip Island for round 3, Moffat lead the standings by only 5 points ahead of Jordan Boys and 17 points ahead of teammate James Golding. 2021 Trans-Am champion Nathan Herne had returned at Symmons Plains in his championship winning Dodge in his new self-run team, after competing over in the U.S last year. Mark Bailey also joined the Trans-Am field at Symmons Plains for Asher Seward Motorsport in the beautiful Jax Tyre & Auto Camaro. It would be a wet first outing on the newly repaved Phillip Island circuit for the drivers, with James Moffat setting the fastest time (1:42.027) followed closely by James Golding (1:42.121) and Edan Thornburrow, (1:42.606) half a second behind in third. Times would tumble with a dried-out track in the second practice session, and James Golding (1:32.348) separated himself from James Moffat (1:33.130) by seven tenths. Jordan Boys (1:33.534) would slot into third, a second off from Golding as Tim Slade had a trip to the gravel at Lukey Heights. Golding would continue his strong form during the afternoon qualifying, breaking the Trans Am lap record around Phillip Island with a 1:31.380, as James Moffat (1:31.765) and Jordan Boys (1:31.850) would find themselves in second and third once again. Ben Grice suffered oil pump issues during both practice sessions, making him unable to participate in qualifying. The All American Drive Line & Auto Parts Mustang would be sent to Melbourne overnight where they would complete an engine change, but they would also miss out on the first race. Grice wasn’t the only one suffering from issues all weekend. The new asphalt wasn’t taking the Hoosier rubber, and as these cars slid around corners, the heat would build up in the tyres, causing blistering. Nathan Herne suffered the worst of the tyre wear, although he jumped up to third place by the end of lap one after starting eighth, he fell down the pack due to tyre blistering in the first race. Further up front, James Moffat snatched the lead away from Golding at the start as the GRM pair pulled away. However, Golding set a new race lap record for Trans Am at the Island on his way to second place, as Elliot Cleary finished third. In Race 2, Nash Morris would come from fifth on the grid to lead by the end of lap one as polesitter James Moffat dropped to third. Tom Davies would be turned around as he, Ben Grice and Mark Bailey went three wide with Bailey receiving a ten second penalty for the contact. Elliot Cleary locked up during an attempted overtake for the lead in Turn 4, leading to him and Moffat trading places for second. Unfortunately, Cleary would go off the road at Turn 9 ending his race when he had to come to pitlane. No one had anything for Nash Morris who took victory, followed by the usual suspects of James Moffat and James Golding. At the start of the final race, the top three went three abreast into Turn 1, with James Golding shooting to the lead and Moffat finding a way back past Morris in the same lap. Tim Slade would make contact with Jordan Boys on lap two at Turn 4, sending him backwards, as Nathan Herne spun at the same corner a lap later. Todd Hazelwood climbed through the field, muscling past Nash Morris for third. Third would become second as James Moffat suffered a power steering failure late in the race as Nash Morris defended from Elliot Barbour and Jordan Boys to keep third place. After setting the pace all weekend, James Golding would finally see the top step of the podium, whilst also taking the lead in the championship standings, ahead of teammate James Moffat by 22 points. Next up, the Trans Am series will head to The Bend in South Australia for the first time as they reach the halfway point in the 2024 season. Bonus Gallery
0 Comments
Arguably Australia’s best historic motorsport event is held every year by the Victorian Historic Racing Register at one of the most beautiful tracks in the country. Just like last year, my aim was to focus on a handful of cars and tell the stories of their owners and racing history. During the months before, a handful of special race cars would be announced to be making the trek to Phillip Island, and I knew I would have to feature a few of these. Additionally, I knew there were a few entrants that I saw last year I wanted to interview as well, but of course, you never know what you’re going to find tucked away at an event like this. After looking around the paddock, I narrowed down nine cars I wanted to spotlight during the two days I had at this year’s Phillip Island Classic. 10 F5000s would make the journey over trek New Zealand, 4 of those being McLarens. I’m always drawn to a green racecar and STP sponsorship, so Frank Karl’s McLaren M10B-400 18S is the first cab off the rank. First raced by Mike Walker in 1970 competing in the Guards European F5000 Championship, it was raced by multiple drivers the following season, then was sent to South Africa in 1972 where it was raced by Mike Domingo. The series in South Africa came to an end in 1975, leading to the car being stripped for parts. All that was left was the tub, when a man called Duncan Fox brought what was left of the car to New Zealand. Frank Karl bought the project in 2004, and after many years of working on the car, he began racing it in 2015. Engine and gearbox you just have to hunt around [for]… we’ve put a new block into it, shortly after the last time I was here it developed a water leak, the water jacket was leaking into the combustion chamber. The gearbox we found in Australia and the rest of it in actual fact was Duncan, he manufactured all of it. He’s a very clever man.” - Frank Karl Describing what this car is like to drive, Frank chuckles at the thought: It’s exhilarating. It’s not a particularly difficult car to drive but it is hard work, especially for us old guys. But no, it’s quite stable, you know your own limits. Still enjoying it!” - Frank Karl The whole New Zealand McLaren group had one goal for the Phillip Island festival weekend: “To finish. [To] come away from the end [of the weekend] without any breakages because… all the McLarens are going to Albert Park for fast demonstration laps.” - Frank Karl One of the most eye-catching cars of this year’s Phillip Island Classic was the big winged McLaren M10A-300 owned by Tony Roberts and originally based of the F1 McLaren M7A. The 5-litre Chevrolet engine puts out 540 horsepower, and oil is fed via a dry sump connected to a Weaver pump that holds 8 litres of oil. This is chassis number 9, built by Trojan it was sent to the U.S in July of 1969 to be first owned by Bob Esseks. Its first outing was at Road America with Sam Posey at the wheel. Unfortunately, this M10A was crashed in 1970, meaning it has one of the shorter careers. The car was totally restored, and Tony Roberts bought the car from the USA in 2014. We’ve done quite a lot to it since then. We changed motors… typical American it had a six litre aluminium motor in it.. which was completely outside the regulations.” - Tony Roberts The previous owners had also added a lot of extras to the car that added weight, so Tony has gotten rid of all that. The car now weighs 700kg, but the high rear wing alone weighs 13kg. Another McLaren I was itching to see on track was the Can-Am M8B-1, but unfortunately it roared to life during the two days I wasn’t there. That M8B that’s there, that’s really special. There’s only two of them in the world. That one was Denny Hulme’s car… and that is the most successful car that McLaren has ever built.” - Tony Roberts Other than the beautiful fleet of F5000 cars, and the two angry McLaren Can-Am’s, four 1990’s Supertourers were brought over from New Zealand with this 1995 Ford Mondeo being the odd one out among the BMW’s. German Super Touring team ‘Wolf’ were one of three teams to run the Ford Mondeo during the 1995 championship. The team didn’t do so well in DTM Class 2 even with experienced driver Claudia Hurtgen (who still races today) at the wheel. Their best result was 14th, with the unreliable car, but what the Rouse and Wolf teams did with the drivetrain is what’s most notable. The car was built as a 4WD car, it's still got a diff carrier in the rear. So, Rouse (Touring Car Team) tried to build 4WD Mondeos and couldn’t make them work, Rouse tried front drive, rear drive, four drive, and went to front, and I think Wolf did the same thing... I think because of the extra weight of the drivetrain, and weight is the enemy in racing.” - Scott O’Donnell Scott isn’t sure what happened to this Wolf Mondeo after the 1995 season, but he found the car in a shed in Italy and has had the car since 2017 (mind you, Scott has four Supertouring Mondeos so I’m sure he was out looking for it). The car was very complete and ran, and the body condition you see it in is how he found it. Scott did have to give it some “love and attention” however, including refreshing the drivetrain. I think what happened to a lot of these cars, they all went and became hill climb cars in Europe. And when we got it, it sat very high.” - Scott O’Donnell Years before the Wolf Mondeo was even a thought in German Touring car racing, there were the Mercedes Benz 190Es, including this DTM racer prepared by Helmet Marko’s team - RSM Marko - that competed in the 1986 Bathurst 1000 when Bob Jane purchased the car. The Bob Jane T-Marts team entered two 190Es, this one was driven by Denny Hulme and Franz Klammer who finished 9th overall. The other 190E was slightly more modified and was to be driven by Andrew Miedecke and Jorg Van Ommen, but it crashed on the first lap of the race. The pair of 190E’s would be later purchased by racing driver Phil Ward, who notably brought the 190E in question to a class victory at the 1990 Bathurst 1000 with John Goss as co-driver. The pair of 190E’s were later sold and sent over to the U.S but were barely used. Meon Nehrybecki (owner of the 1989 Group A Toyota Supra) found the cars at a Mercedes dealer in 2012. Andrew Miedecke has restored the car cosmetically back to 1986 Bathurst colours, as James Ward (son of Phil Ward) has completed all the mechanical work. Since the cars journey to the U.S, this year’s Phillip Island Classic would be its first race meeting. It was pretty scary in the first session, it was all over the place. The springs were totally wrong, so we’ve got what we think is a setup that will change the handling characteristics. It’s not that fast, only 270hp and 1100kg… but it’s a ball to drive.” - Andrew Miedecke Both Scott O’Donnell’s Wolf Mondeo and Andrew Miedecke’s 190E would be put into the Group A category during the Phillip Island Classic and wouldn’t be the only Group A car I’d dive into. Colin Bond’s 1988 Ford RS500 Sierra is a popular sight wherever it goes. In the Historic Group A category, you have to nominate a race meeting that your car will appear as, meaning this Ford RS500 Sierra is in its 1988 Bathurst 1000 specifications. Colin Bond raced a Ford Sierra in 1987, yet this was the first RS500 Sierra that he built, with the second car now being owned by Jonathon Webb and his family. 2016 Bathurst Winner Jonathon Webb was also here at Phillip Island in the full red Caltex coloured RS500 Sierra. The car competed from 1988 to 1992 in ATCC Group A, before Colin Bond sold the car to one of his sponsors, where the car competed in Sports Sedans. During its time in Sports Sedans, the Cosworth engine was removed, and a Buick engine was mid-mounted in the car. A collector bought the car with aspirations to restore it he found the Sierra in a shed, but that never materialised. So, after an extra 15 years collecting dust, current owner Chris Stillwell bought the car. What we started with was a bit tragic, [now] the car is a really genuine representation of what it was like at Bathurst in ‘88.” - Chris Stillwell Chris’ aim was to restore and retain the authenticity from multiple seasons of Group A competition. After four years of work with assistance, the result is a 500ph historic Bathurst 1000 competitor. You might be wondering how one goes about restoring a car to exact race specifications, well Chris has to thank Colin Bond and others for that. We were very lucky that we had the last of the DJR Sierras we were racing while we were restoring this. Colin came down to the shop one day… and went through and said, ‘Yeah my car was exactly the same as Dick’s so copy that’ or, roll bars for example he said, ‘no we didn’t do that, we did it this way’. Colin was really generous with his time.” - Chris Stillwell Colour photographs taken inside and out from a motoring magazine who completed a road test with this Colin Bond Sierra, also helped in the restorations. As others found out about the restoration of the car, parts that had been owned by collectors were also bought back. I’m a Ford guy, I’ve raced Mk1 Cortinas, Mk1 Ford Escorts, and it’s interesting when you get in the [RS500 Sierra], you immediately know that it’s a Ford product because of the [engine] vibrations its got… The immediate reaction when I first drove this car was ‘Yeah it’s a small Ford’, it’s amazing.” - Chris Stillwell The Group A field is always strong at the Phillip Island Classic, but this year, a special collection of V8 Supercars would also hit the track. I’m a sucker for anything in Castrol colours, so from the bunch of modern nostalgia, this beautiful Ford Falcon AU, raced by Tony Longhurst was always going to be my favourite. Two-time Bathurst champion Tony Longhurst competed in chassis LR0199 in 19 rounds of the V8 Supercars championship between 1999 and 2001. The car was used in all 13 championship rounds of the 1999 season, with Adam Macrow joining in as co-driver for Bathurst and the Queensland 500. The car was then sold to Alan Heath, who drove the car in 4 rounds of the 2000 season and at Adelaide and Bathurst in 2001, whilst also using the car to compete in the 2001 Konica Series (now known as Super2). After its racing career, it would be owned by multiple private owners, who restored the car from the ground up, keeping all the original parts. This is where current owner Paul Smith enters the picture, purchasing the AU Falcon when it came up for auction in 2021. One car that has caught my eye before, both at last year’s Phillip Island Classic and at the Rob Roy Revival was Joe Calleja’s 1965 Chevrolet Corvette with a mighty 7-litre V8 making all the right noises. As most Corvettes do, it began its racing career competing in the U.S.A however it was then shipped across the Atlantic. The big red Corvette raced across Europe including Portugal and Belgium and was owned by Jason Robinson (the English Rugby Union Captain at the time) who contracted Australia’s own Peter Brock to drive the car at Goodwood in 2005. Joe Calleja bought the car in 2010 in race ready condition and has also raced the car at Goodwood and additionally at Laguna Seca. During the Covid pandemic, Joe used the time to completely rebuild the car, which is now when I should mention that the 7-litre monster under the bonnet isn’t the original motor, rather bolted in by Joe and his team. It has got disc [brakes] at the front. They came out with discs in ‘65 so that’s a plus, but you know, there a difficult sixty-year-old car to drive. Great car to drive, a lot of fun.” - Joe Calleja Last year, my favourite car was an Indycar, and this year is no different. This Lola T8600 is the car that Al Unser Jr drove for Domino’s Pizza Team Shierson during the 1986 season, powered by the dominant V8 Cosworth powerplant. Al Unser drove in that year's thrilling Indianapolis 500, leading six laps to finish 5th. During that year, 'Little Al' scored three podiums (Long Beach - 2nd, Quebec - 2nd & Portland - 3rd) as well as a win at the final round at Miami on his way to 4th in the championship standings. It’s amazing, it’s got so much power, it’s sensational.” - Jason Clements At seasons end, team owner Doug Shierson would put the Lola in his private collection. Doug would pass away in 2004, and the car would be owned twice and used for the occasional club series event, before Graham Mein from NSW purchased the car in 2009. Jason Clements has been the man behind the wheel ever since, but unfortunately only managed two laps at this year’s Phillip Island Classic. Unfortunately, we’ve had a turbo fail on us this weekend, that’s why it’s in the trailer, but we’ll get it fixed and go again.” - Jason Clements 2024 would mark the 50th anniversary of the L34 Torana, and there were plenty of road going versions parked up around the Phillip Island circuit during the race weekend. Rodney Hatfield and his L34 Torana are common sights at VHRR events, so I knew I had to feature his car for the anniversary. This is the second Dustings Holden Dealership car after the first was written off at Bathurst. It was raced in 1976 before being sold to Ian Mitchell who raced it for approximately 12 months. The car was then sold as a road car, changing hands a couple of times before heading to Tasmania where Ian Johnson would set up the car for the Targa Rally before unveiling its history. It was all yellow then, [Ian Johnson] rubbed the paintwork and found out it was three different colours. One of the blokes over there sussed it out and found out it was Dustings.” - Rodney Hatfield Rodney bought the car back in 2002 and has simply maintained the car, refreshing the motor every 250 hours, although parts are becoming tricky to find. Another special L34 Torana would be in attendance, just not on track; the 1976 Bathurst winner driven by Bob Morris and John Fitzpatrick on display during all four days of the Phillip Island Classic. It was a nail-biting finish to the1976 edition of 'The Great Race', with John Fitzpatrick nursing the smoking Rod Hodgson backed Torana SLR/5000 to the finish as Colin Bond in another L34 closed in, but to no avail. To end Friday, a group of colourful Aussie touring cars and others would drive from the track to Cowes for the yearly car show, with the L34 Torana being the main theme. I'm not sure there's anything cooler than purpose-built racecars driving through the streets among normal traffic. There were still plenty of cars I wish I could have gone in depth about; the Gold Star winning Matich A 50, the Benson & Hedges sponsored E30 M3, a Group A Toyota Supra MK2 and quite a few Datsuns. I could have planned it all out, but there was always going to be something else that caught my eye. That’s why I’ll keep coming back. Bonus GalleryAcross the south midwest of Victoria, there are four speedways that dot the landscape. The double layout Darlington Speedway, the home of the Sprintcar Classic; Premier Speedway outside of Warrnambool and the egg-shaped Simpson Speedway. The fourth is in between both Sprintcar powerhouses of Premier and Simpson; Laang Speedway. For more than 60 years, Laang Speedway has held race meetings and my first trip to the track would be for the annual Wingless Gold Cup. F500’s, 1200 Juniours, Standard Saloons and Outlaw Karts would join the 26 car Wingless field for a night of racing. In recent years, Laang speedway has switched from a clay surface, to sand, then back to clay, with drivers favouring the latter. However, after the first Wingless heats, it was clear that the track was in terrible condition. It was more like a rally stage, with constant dust making it difficult to photograph the cars. As Luke Johnson won the first heat, Luke Weel would take victory in the second as there were many spins and subsequent yellow flags. Jake Warren would have a great start on the outside of Jordan Nicholas in Heat 3 during both attempts to start, as Ray Wallis spun twice before being brought into the infield. Jarrod Payne wrote that the track went to “breadcrumbs”, as Jake Warren said it was the worst track he’d ever raced on. Luckily, Laang Speedway has a great bunch of people running the show, meaning that a grader was brought in, to re-prep the track. Even after the almost two-hour delay, all categories got all their races in, and the track evolved to allow for some great racing. During the time when track was being finalised, the Outlaw Karts would head to the infield for their first heat races. The shorter infield track the Outlaw Karts raced on was quite impressive. Other infield tracks I’ve been to (albeit only a few) have all been quite small, with little space for racing leading to plenty of incidents and yellow flags. The size of Laang’s infield track allowed for plenty of racing room. The Wingless drivers were the first back on track, with everyone getting some hot laps under their belts as the sun set. Racing would begin once again with Craig McDonald grabbing the lead in Heat 4 on lap 2 from Jarrod Payne. Luke Johnson would climb up the field from fifth to battle Luke Weel for the lead as Jarrod Payne spun out of contention in Turn 1. Luke Johnson would snag his second Heat win of the night as everyone scrapped for position behind. Wingless Heat 5 would see another battle for first place, this time between Jack Regan and Leigh Estwick. Unfortunately, Regan would come to a stop with driveshaft issues, leaving Brandon McKay to drive around the outside of Estwick for the victory after starting sixth. Ricky Bailey would take the win in the final heat race for the Wingless Gold Cup, followed by Shaun Farmsworth and Will Scott. The top four from the B-Main would advance into the A-Main to contest for the Gold Cup. Zach Rodgerson, Jarrod Payne, Jayden Lock and James Schneider would all advance as Nathan Williams and Logan Davis had a moment in Turn 2. With all the support categories completing all their scheduled races, it was finally time for this year’s Victorian Wingless Gold Cup. Jarrod Payne would be the first to spin as Ricky Bailey suffered damage on the front left of his Wingless. Out front no one could catch Luke Weel, especially on the restarts as James Schneider and I got a bit too close for comfort. Luke Weel’s control of the race would come to an abrupt end as he slowed on track with mechanical issues. Now it would be a dash for the top positions in the closing laps. The track grip was widening, and drivers were sending it around the outside to move up. Luke Johnson would grab the chequered flag, becoming your 2024 Gold Cup champion. Branden McKay would nab second as Jake Warren would snatch third at the line from the wounded Ricky Bailey. That night was a great example of how a track can evolve from being like one grit sandpaper to providing great racing. The crew at Laang Speedway did a fantastic job at fixing the track surface and getting all the racing complete. Andrew Dorman was also one excited commentator, brilliantly calling all the action. Bonus GalleryAfter a stellar season in 2023, that included two TCR World Series rounds, new winners and a championship duel that came down to the final race, the 2024 TCR Season was set to be even bigger. Sandown Raceway would be where the action would begin. Reigning champion Josh Buchan would be joined by Tom Oliphant at Hyundai as he departed Ash Seward Motorsport. GT racer Dylan O’Keefe would return to replace Oliphant in the Lynk & Co car as Clay Richards would join Carl Cox Motorsport for his first full season of TCR. The new Honda Civic Type R would begin its first full season with both 2022 champ Tony D’Alberto and Brad Harris piloting the new car, after it debuted in Sydney last year. Toyota 86 champion Ryan Casha would jump into a GRM Peugeot 308 and would be joined on the grid by fellow rookies Glenn Nirwan from Indonesia and 99Motorsport team owner Marcus LaDelle, both driving Audi RS3’s. Track action would begin with Practice 1, where two red flags would be brought out, one for William Harris and the other for Glenn Nirwan, both getting stuck in the Turn 9 gravel trap. Aaron Cameron would set the pace setting a lap time of 1:14.929, followed by Ben Bargwanna (1:15.237) and Tony D’Alberto (1:15.305) in the beautiful purple Civic. In fact, the top three would be the same in Practice 2, with D’Alberto and Bargwanna trading places. On Saturday, news would break from the Honda Wall Racing Garage. William Harris would withdraw from the rest of the weekend due to a pre-existing injury. His driver coach, former TCR race winner John Martin would be Harris’ replacement. Josh Buchan would nab pole position with a 1:14.768 lap and would have Zac Soutar (1:14.842) line up beside him for Race 1. Ben Bargwanna would qualify third (1:14.856) as fellow Peugeot driver Jordan Cox wouldn’t make it out due to mechanical issues. Ben Bargwanna would fight past Josh Buchan at the final corner of lap one to take the lead. Iain McDougall would have to retire with steering damage after contact with Glenn Nirwan as Jordan Cox climbed into the top 10. Tom Oliphant and John Martin would have a fierce battle for tenth place, as it would be pole position for Race 2. Up the front however, Ben Bargwanna would take the victory followed by Josh Buchan and Tony D’Alberto. Before the start of Race 2, spectators would be able to come onto the grid and get up close to their favourite cars and drivers. Jordan Cox was recently married, so I believe the fancy dress and inflatables were to celebrate his honeymoon, although I think Garry Rogers wanted to come along as well. Honeymoon ready Jordan Cox came from sixth place to grab the lead early, as Clay Richards slotted in behind and the front row of John Martin and Dylan O’Keefe fell through the field. The two Audi’s of Glenn Nirwan and Marcus LaDelle would come together and get stranded on track after Nirwan bounced off the Turn 4 kerb, collecting LaDelle. After the safety car, it was a moment of deja vu, Jordan Cox versus the Cupra, a throwback to Phillip Island last year and Michael Clemente’s first win. This time Jordan Cox wouldn’t succumb to the pressure and grab the win ahead of Richards as Ryan Casha would nab his first podium in third. For the final race, Josh Buchan would be on pole, with Ben Bargwanna alongside, who would get the jump at the start. The front pair would break away from the pack and Bargwanna would take the chequered flag and another emotional win ahead of Josh Buchan and Jordan Cox. TCR Australia will now head to Symmons Plains in Tasmania with the rest of the Speed Series spectacle. There we will see if Ben Bargwanna can continue with his winning form and who will rise for an early championship fight. Bonus GalleryThe Home of Horsepower would hold the opening round of the loud and proud Trans-Am series. These low downforce V8 monsters are some of the most entertaining circuit racers in the country, and they would prove that again during Speed Series at Sandown. Reigning champion James Moffat would be looking to defend his title, but will certainly be put under pressure by many including Nash Morris and many new faces on the grid. Jordan Boys and V8 Supercar driver James Golding would both come from S5000 to compete in Trans-Am, as big names such as Tim Slade and Todd Hazelwood joined too. 21-year-old Tom Davies would make the switch from the Toyota 86 series to race with double the cylinders in another GRM backed Trans-Am. Elliot Barbour would top the first practice session with 1:11.932 lap time as debutant Jordan Boys finished second, trailing by 5 hundredths of a second 1:11.982). Tom Hayman would be a further two tenths behind in third (1:12.21.30) Chris Pappas, who had a spin in Practice 1, would suffer mechanical issues in Practice 2, stopping on track and bringing out the red flag. When the track was clear, Nash Morris would go fastest with a 1:12.154 lap, pipping James Golding by two tenths (1:12.358) as Jordan Boys showed consistency placing third (1:12.487). In an extremely close qualifying, that included pitstops midway through the session for adjustments, rookie James Golding (1:11.370) would snatch the pole from James Moffat by twelve hundredths (1:11.497). Jordan Boys would grid up in third place with a time of 1:11.512. After the Trans-Am Grid walk that was open to all ticket holders, the race would begin with a rolling start and Moffat edging out Golding for the lead. Four time Trans-Am race winner Tom Hayman would slide to a stop on the backstretch and be brought to the pits on the back of a truck, as the first yellow flag flew. The family backed team discovered that one of the pistons had gone through the engine block, forcing them to pack up early and unfortunately head home. Eon Thornburrow in the beautiful Valvoline Mustang would lock up and run into the back of Jackson Rice, as Tom Davies would have nowhere to go, making contact with both cars. Eon Thornburrow would be given a 15-second time penalty as Davies would be left with front left suspension damage as Jackson Rice pitted to remove his flailing rear bumper. James Moffat would take the victory as James Golding finished second in his first Trans-Am race, as Nash Morris clinched third. Moffat would lead the field to green at the start of Race 2 and stay there. Elliot Barbour would fly through the grass at Turn 3, grazing the wall and would retire with 3 laps to go. Morris would fight his way past James Golding, who would return to the pits with a puncture, but Nash Morris would later have problems of his own as he limped to the chequered flag. Jordan Boys would pick up second behind winner James Moffat, as we had a photo finish for third, with Todd Hazelwood edging out Tim Slade. At the start of Race 3, I was positioned at the second marshal point on the front straight. I knew something big had happened when the cars went through Turn 4 as shock and awe was heard from the crowd and the safety car boards and flags were swiftly brought out. All I knew was that something big had happened as only a few cars came back around, with others coming back with damage. Nine cars got together and had blocked the track at the exit of Turn 4. James Golding made a late lunge into Todd Hazelwood, which in turn tagged the rear of Jordan Boys. Boys would spin and the rest would pile up with Nash Morris and Elliot Barbour becoming the worst off. John Holinger would suffer a late puncture calling for a quick tyre change from his team. There would be one last twist in the race, as Todd Hazelwood suffered from a stuck throttle and beached himself in the Turn 9 kitty litter. When the safety car came in, it would be a one lap dash to the finish. No one could touch James Moffat however. Not in Race 3, or all weekend as Elliot Cleary claimed second and Jackson Rice survived to finish on the final step of the podium. As the series head to Tasmania for round 2, it looks like it will be hard to beat James Moffat. Sandown showed there are plenty of fast drivers, but keeping your nose clean in this category is easier said than done. Bonus GalleryWhen you head north out of the Victorian town of Horsham, you are greeted by a single straight road. You’ll drive past silo’s, brown grass in large empty paddocks and red dirt as a wind farm is spotted in the distance. After not long however, you’ll pass a faded sign welcoming you to Blue Ribbon Raceway. This sandstone and clay 410 metre speedway has only been around since 1996, the local motorsport club has existed a lot longer. From 1959 to 1969, the Wimmera Light Car Club held race meetings for road going cars on an oil bonded track, close to where the Wimmera Go-Kart track in Dooen is currently, approximately 19km away from the aforementioned Blue Ribbon Raceway. In 1967, Horsham Motorsports Club would bring focus to purpose-built speedway cars, as members competed at the speedways in Portland, Warrnambool, Hamilton and the Inter-Capital Speedway in Nhill which is no longer. During the 1980’s however, the growing club assisted in repairing and upgrading Nhill’s speedway. Throughout the 1970’s, Horsham would advocate for their own racetrack to be built, but it wouldn’t be until the early 1990s where enough local support and fundraising allowed Blue Ribbon Raceway to be built. The 31 large Wingless Super Series grid would be supported by the AMCA Nationals, F500, Production Sedans and the local 1200 Sedans and V8 Trucks. With so many categories, racing would start at an early 4:30 in the hot afternoon, and the action on track would finish past midnight. One of the main reasons I wanted to head to Blue Ribbon Raceway in the first place was to photograph the unique V8 Trucks. These colourful trucks call Blue Ribbon Raceway their spiritual home, whilst racing across Western Victoria. Built from classic light truck platforms, they are limited to 345 ci petrol engines, whilst having dual wheels at the rear with no weight in the back, meaning they literally tear up the track. Despite so much action on track, I was mainly here to cover the Victorian Wingless Sprints once again. Hot laps before the first Wingless heat race would show that the track was not in good condition. For reference, just look at Tom Norvill turn all the way left, just to get around the corner. The marshals decided to bring out the next lot of cars to run more laps. The track was now suitable for the Wingless Sprints and Heat 1 would get underway. But it was off to a bad start for Ryley Hammerstein, who had his front left wheel depart way from his car as he was leading the race. I’ve never witnessed a wheel fall off a speedway car before, but this wouldn’t be the last time tonight. William Caruso would come from the back of the grid to take victory in Heat 1. Blake Walsh - who was successful during the Wingless Summerslam in early January – would pull away to win Heat 2. The drivers for Heat 3 would finally get their chance to race, with James Rodda taking the victory during a race that had battles everywhere. Even with more and more laps being complete on the sandstone and clay, the track was still extremely tricky in the evening sun, with many going into the wall or spinning during their hot laps before the heats. William Caruso would put on another clinic, going two from two, winning from pole position in Heat 4. Leigh Estlick would lead the majority of Heat 5, holding back the quick Braydon McKay, but Robert Whiteside would snatch the victory in a photo finish. Kahn Aston would hold off Blake Walsh to finish first in the final heat race of the night. As the sun disappeared, the track came alive and became very racey, showing the hard work done by the crew at Blue Ribbon Raceway. Craig McDonald took the B-Main lead as the green flag waved and would stay there until with 7 laps to go, he lost his speed and fell all the way to the back of the field. Jack Regan would also suffer woes, with a flat left tyre ending his race. Both times I’ve photographed Wingless now, Jack has suffered a flat tyre during a main race. Sorry Jack, I must be a bad omen. Cameron O’Brien would take the B-Main victory followed by Nick Ryan and Luke Johnson as the top six all transferred to the A-Main. William Caruso and Blake Walsh would lead the A-Main Wingless finalists to green with Blake Walsh taking the lead, quickly asserted dominance sending it more sideways than anyone else. A chain reaction in Turn 4 with 22 laps to go would lead to Leigh Estlick upside down and Ryley Hammerstein also out of the race. Three laps later, Luke Johnson would slide up the track into the wall bringing out the second yellow flag, but luckily, he was able to continue. With fourteen laps to go, the third and final yellow flag would be brought out as Robert Whiteside had a hard hit into the Turn 2 wall. Blake Walsh was unstoppable, taking the feature race victory ahead of William Caruso and Blaine Densley. It was no doubt an action-packed night at Blue Ribbon Raceway, and everyone was extremely welcoming and accommodating. It's a great little racetrack that I highly recommend visiting if you're in the area. Bonus GalleryThe President’s Cup is the first of three big races during Classic week. Unfortunately, this year Melbourne and surrounding areas were swamped with rain on what was meant to be race day, meaning teams headed straight to Murray Bridge Speedway for the King's Challenge, then to Premier Speedway for the Classic. Avalon’s President Cup wouldn’t be cancelled though, as on the Wednesday after the Classic and before the Australian Sprintcar Title would be held, the Cup would get a second chance. With the new date, only 29 teams would nominate themselves. However, with no previous winners attending, it was a definite that a new President’s Cup champion would be crowned. Marcus Dumesny would set the overall Quickrime with a 12.017 second lap, as Ryan Newton set the fastest lap in the second qualifying group. The lone American Riley Goodno smacked the wall whilst running second in Heat 1 putting him on the back foot in the B-Main. Marcus Dumesny would go on to win Heat 1 followed by Kerry Madsen and Jake Smith. Brock Hallett would take the victory in Heat 2 ahead of Brett Milburn and Sam Walsh. Ryan Newton would continue his strong form in Heat 3 beating Jamie Veal to the chequered as Jordyn Charge claimed third. Chris Johns and Kim Loong would both spin out in Turn 1, with Johns sustaining front end damage. Grant Anderson pulled away from the field in the final heat as the grip began to widen and Kaidon Manders finished second ahead of James Ingles. To set the first twelve positions in the A-Main, the 2nd and 3rd place finishers in the heats would compete in the short Mid Pack Dash, with the top two of that dash going to the A-Dash which would be made up of the winners of each heat. Jamie Veal and Kerry Madsen would be the two to advance into the A-Dash. Ryan Newton would sprint away from Brock Hallet in that A-Dash, allowing him to start in pole position for the feature. Tim Hutchins would fly away from the field in the first B-Main as David Donnegan, Ross Jarred and Andrew Priolo also made the transfer to the back of the A-Main. In the second B-Main Michael Tancredi would smack the wall, spinning on the cushion and out of the President’s Cup. Tate Frost, Jock Goodyer, Chad Gardner and Jackson Delamont would finish in the top 4 and also make it into the B-Main. At the drop of the green flag, twenty gladiators would battle for thirty laps for a chance at earning a $10,000 prize pool. Hallet would take the lead with 24 to go and not long after, the first yellow flag would fly for a spin on the front stretch. Newton would unfortunately retire during this caution when his muffler fell off, ending what was a fantastic run from the youngster. Brett Milburn and Tim Hutchins would get together bringing out the second caution, and bunching up the field with only five laps to go. Brock Hallett wouldn’t succumb to any pressure sent his way from those behind, adding a President’s Cup victory to his resume. Grant Anderson would finish runner up as Jamie Veal finished third. These teams would next head back to Warrnambool for another massive race, the Australian Sprintcar Title. Who would be crowned Australia’s no. 1? My money was on Brock Hallett. Bonus GalleryOne week before the Australian Sprintcar Title, our country's biggest Speedway race is held; the Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic. Premier Speedway in Warrnambool would host the best teams and drivers in the country, whilst also welcoming a large sum of talent from the USA. Over 100 teams and drivers would be nominated including previous Classic champions Kerry Madsen, James McFadden, Lachlan McHugh, Corey McCullagh, Jamie Veal and reigning champ Brock Hallett. Fellow Aussie Jock Goodyer was in dominant form and the pair of Luke Oldfield and Callum Williamson were also ones to watch after putting on some amazing racing against some of America’s best during Speedweek. Speaking of America’s best, the likes of Carson Macedo, Rico Abreu, Aaron Reutzal, Chase Randall, Justin Peck, Corey Eliason, Brock Zearfoss and Kalib Henry would all be vowing for success. Outlaw Sheldon Haudenschild would be looking for redemption after a last corner pass by Brock Hallett took the victory away from him in last year's Classic. Teams would be split across two days to attempt to qualify for the racing on Sunday. Friday and Saturday would work like your standard Sprintcar event. Hot laps and qualifying to start, followed by 8 heat races (each driver competing in two), then followed by a C-Main, B-Main and the A-Main feature. Points would be awarded in qualifying and to each position in each race, with the top 96 drivers in points being able to return on Sunday. To prepare for a busy the January, the team at Premier Speedway made some major track changes to improve overtaking and the quality of the racing. The banking had been reduced as well as removing 4 metres of infield to make the track wider. The Speedweek round at Premier back on New Year’s Day proved these track changes had worked and qualifying for the first night of the Classic showed that the track had continued to be fast, with Jack Lee going Quicktime with a 10.818 second lap. With the high stakes, parts would break on track and limits would be pushed too far, resulting in accidents including a big one for Ben Morris which took Andrew Priolo out of Heat 8. As the night wore on, tyre wear became a factor, as we saw some cracking side by side racing and overtaking in the final four heats. Kerry Madsen and Brendon Quinn collected the most points before the A-Main, giving them a front row start for the Night 1 Feature. 'Mad Man' Kerry Madsen led the majority of the 30-lap A-Main before his engine let go, as other contenders such as Jamie Veal, Cory McCullagh and Tate Frost fell to the wayside. The podium for Night 1 would be an all-American affair as Aaron Reutzal finally grabbed a feature win after a lot of promise, followed by Texan Chase Randall and Rico Abreu who had fought his way from 14th. For Qualifying Night 2, I would be shooting for the family team of Hosey Motorsport as they attempted to qualify for the Classic. During the team’s first heat race, Troy Hose would make contact with the Kye Jensen, which would force Troy to retire the car a few laps later. Thanks to the inverted qualifying positions in the second round of heat races, Troy was bound to start first, but with damage to the front of the V57, the team would not make the race. They would be able to race in the C-Main, with the chance of advancing to the B-Main if Troy finished in the top 2. At the drop of the green flag, it looked like Parker Scott reacted late, meaning the cars behind almost ran into each. Troy would have to take avoiding action onto the infield to avoid more front-end damage. Unfortunately, this would drop him to the back of the field, and he would finish last. It was certainly a night of bad luck for Hosey Motorsport, but there were teams who had gotten a stronger dose of misfortune. Tim Hutchins was one of those, crashing out of Heat 3 and out of the Classic all together. Elsewhere, Jordyn Charge fought off Jock Goodyer - who had been fastest in qualifying - during Heat 3, as James McFadden took victory in both his heats. Luke Dillon would start at the front of the A-Main, but Sheldon Haudenschild would come from fifth to take victory on Night 2. Jock Goodyer would have a big crash when he hit the cushion (buildup of dirt near the outside wall) out of Turn 3. James McFadden would finish second as Californian Carson Macedo rounded out the podium. 96 cars had been locked in, and now it was time for the Final. Just like the previous two nights, fans had packed themselves into Premier Speedway like sardines and although I’d arrived two hours before any track action, I still had to park in the furthest paddock away from the track. There would be no qualifying and no heats. With each race, the top two finishers would advance to the next, up until the two B-Mains of the night. Proceedings would begin with the American and Australian national anthems, as their flags were driven around the track. Defending champion Brock Hallett would have one last ride with the trophy, and before you knew it, it was time to race. Glen Sutherland would show what he was made of by winning the F-Main and by climbing up to third in the E-Main, just missing out on advancing to the D-Main. To set the grid for the A-Main Feature, 3 short races would determine the first 18 positions, whilst the final six would be filled by the top three from each B-Main. Sheldon Haudenschild would grab the first-place qualifying spot, with James McFadden lining up alongside, as Night 1 winner Aaron Reutzal would be joined by another American in Chase Randall on the second row. Lachlan McHugh’s engine would die before he could run in the Silver Scramble, meaning his team with the help of others would scramble to swap out the engine. Big names like Jamie Veal, Jack Lee and Grant Anderson would punch their ticket to the A-Main by finishing in the top three of the first B-Main, as Jock Goodyer, Marcus Dumesny and Chad Ely would do the same in the second last race of the night. All the preparations and all the racing so far had been for a chance at Australian Speedway’s biggest paying race, and a spot in the history books. The 51st Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic had begun and pretty much straight away there was carnage. Chad Ely and Peter Doukas wrecked on the second lap in Turn 1, but the major talking point was when Sheldon Haudenschild hit the cushion and spun out of the lead, collecting major contender James McFadden in the process. Aaron Reutzal took the lead and didn’t look back. Chase Randall would smack the Turn 2 wall out of second place and disappointingly out of the race. Brock Hallett gave Aaron Reutzal a run for his money near the end but to no avail. Reutzal and Saller Motorsport had become Classic champions! Brock Hallett would back up his win a year ago with a second-place finish, as 2022 Classic champion Lockie McHugh came from 14th to finish third. Bonus GalleryOne of the most underrated forms of motorsport is Motorcycle Speedway, and Australia is actually quite good at it. Six Aussies have won a total of nine Individual Speedway World Championships since 1936, with plenty of other riders having successful racing careers in Australia and abroad. Australia’s 2024 national Speedway Solo Championship would begin in North Brisbane, then head to Kurri-Kurri Speedway in NSW. Round 3 would be held at Albury/Wodonga Motorcycle Club at Diamond Park Speedway, where I would join in on the tour. Here's how it would all work. 15 of Australia's best riders would battle it out for the title, with 1 wildcard at each round, plus a couple of reserve riders. Four riders would compete in each heat race, with 3 points awarded to first place, 2 points for second, 1 point for third and none for fourth and there would be enough heat races for everyone to race each other once. The eight riders who scored the most points would be split into two semi-finals, with the top 2 from each semi advancing to the final. The machines that would need to be tamed would be these four-stroke single-cylinder 500cc speedway motorcycles. Coming into Round 3, Rohan Tungate was leading the championship after a win at Kurri-Kurri in NSW, and a third-place finish during Round 1 at North Brisbane, with Max Fricke trailing in second after winning the first round. Before the heat races began however, the 16 riders and two reserves would be introduced with the main contenders being interviewed. My plan for each round was simple, try and get an action shot of each rider during practice, then shoot Turn 1 during the first few heat races and also grab some backlight photos with some nice light during golden hour. Luckily at Wodonga, the sun would set behind the start line giving me some golden Turn 1 photos. I just had to make sure to duck as the bikes passed by me, so I didn't get pelted with dirt (it hurts). Turn 1 would also be the pit exit which isn't always the case at speedways, meaning I could photograph the riders up close, and the race start in the matter of moments. Albury/Wodonga's Diamond Park was definitely my favourite track to photograph during the final three rounds of the championship. When the sun set, I would head inside the track to pan in the low light. At the end of the night, Max Fricke would take his second win of the championship, followed by Ryan Douglas in second and Ben Cook in third The speedway circus would pack up once again and head six hours west to compete at Mildura Motorycle Club’s Olympic Park Speedway just two days later. Right along the Murray River, Mildura’s Motorcycle Club is secluded by many trees and a single dirt road in and out of the complex. On track, the speedway’s corners are tighter, which would prove to be a bit tricky as for the first time, I would see riders falling off their bikes, and slide into the air fence designed to catch the riders softly. Annoyingly (for me) after the first 4 heats, the racing would be stopped to wait for the sun to drop behind the trees and shadows to cover the track, which threw my plan of getting some crispy backlight shots out the window, so I had to improvise a little when racing began again. Additionally, I went into the middle a little earlier than I'd hoped. Luckily Midura's Olympic Park is extremely well lit once it gets dark, with pretty much no dark spots. In the final, Jack Holder would slide off his bike in Turn 1, leading to a DNF for him, and a refuel for the final three. Brady Kurtz would grab the win ahead of championship leaders Max Fricke who now had a five-point lead over Rohan Tungate. To decide the 2024 Australian Solo Speedway champion, the final round would be run at Gillman Speedway in Adelaide. Apart from the slight banking in Turn 1, the track at Gillman is quite flat at it became apparent that dust not dirt would be what would cover myself and my cameras. All eyes would be on Max Fricke and Rohan Tungate, especially since they were racing each other in their first heats. Every point they could grab would be crucial to snatch the championship, and on lap 2, Max Fricke would check up, lose control and slide off the bike, putting him on the back foot at the start of the night. As each heat race went by, and I searched for some golden light, riders fought for each position as they slid through the dirt inches apart. Rohan Tungate looked good under pressure, winning multiple heat races and locking himself into the semi-finals as so too did Max Fricke. Rohan Tungate and Max Fricke would meet again in a semi-final, and if Rohan Tungate could finish in the top 2, and Max Fricke miss the final, Tungate would win the championship. That was exactly what happened. Rohan Tungate would win his semi-final race as Max Fricke would finish third and not make the transfer to the final, making Rohan Tungate your 2024 Australian Solo Speedway Champion. Brady Kurtz would win again, followed by Rohan Tungate and Jaimon Lindsey in the final. One final duel between Jack Holder and Jaimon Lindsey would decide third place in this year's championship, with Holder taking victory in the two-bike race to claim bronze behind Max Fricke who claimed second behind Rohan Tungate, your 2024 Australian Solo Speedway Champion. It was very cool to follow the final three rounds of this championship, not only witnessing and capturing how the stories played out, but additionally travelling long distances to each track, in the same way the teams and officials would have done. Bonus GalleryOne of the best weeks of the year for Australian motorsport is always the week between Boxing Day and New Years as the best Sprintcar teams in the country compete in the south. From two nights at Murray Bridge Speedway to Mount Gambier battling in Borderline Speedway to now Avalon Raceway to start the Victorian leg of Speedweek. Here's how the week had shaped up as the competition rolled into Avalon. Chase Randall started from the front in the feature on Boxing Day and lead until he ran into the back of lapped traffic, cutting a tyre which flipped him into the wall and out of the race with 21 to go. This left Jock Goodyer to cruise to victory on Night 1 at Murray Bridge. On the second night at Murray Bridge Speedway, Jock Goodyer would be lightning fast on the restarts and would win again with a healthy lead. Even the fast Aaron Reutzel from the USA and South Australia’s Matt Egel had nothing for the Aussie champion. James McFadden would join the show when they arrived at Borderline Speedway. Reigning Classic champion Brock Hallett would threaten Jock Goodyer’s lead in the middle part of the feature, but to no avail as the Australian no.1 would put on another clinic. And that was what was expected of Goodyer to do again here at Avalon. The Juniour F500's would join the Sprintcars yet again as the support category at Avalon Raceway providing some great racing throughout the night. The Sprintcar superstars would head straight out for their hot laps and subsequent qualifying fast laps.The Heat races would be predetermined, meaning that qualifying would be split into 5 groups, one for each Heat. Marcus Dumesny in his throwback livery, inspired by one of his father Max's paint schemes would go fastest in Group 1, with Brock Hallett and American racers Aaron Reutzal and Carson Macedo also going Quicktime in their respected groups. James McFadden however would be the fastest of all. Riley Goodno would start at the front in Heat 1, but would be shuffled back by the end of the 10 laps around Avalon. Kaidon Brown would take the Heat 1 victory followed by Grant Anderson and Marcus Dumesny. During Heat 2, Luke Dillon would spin, stamp on the brakes and hold and impressive wheel stand. The second yellow would come out when Matt Egel would roll after coming together with Dane Court. Up front, the two Americans of Justin Peck and Carson Macedo would battle it out, with Macedo taking the lead on the final lap to win Heat 2, with Jamie Veal finishing third. As rubber was put down on the track, making it extra grippy, Jock Goodyer ran away from the field, winning Heat 3 followed by Texan Chase Randall and Andrew Hughes. Chad Gardner would be one of those who would try the high line during Heat 4 and it would bite, flipping him out of contention. Later, Dennis Jones, Josh Buckingham and Glen Sutherland would get together bringing out the second yellow, but they would all continue on to the finish. Adam King would win followed by Daniel Pestka and Lachlan McHugh. In the final heat race, David Aldersley would hold off the fast Brendon Quinn to grab victory as Jack Lee would finish third. After some more Juniour F500 action and a few driver signings with the fans, everything would be set for the two B-Mains of the night. The top three finishers of each B-Main would fill the final six spots of the A-Main Sprintcar Feature. Chase Randall would battle third place finisher Peter Doukas and take the lead from Daniel Pestka as they went through lapped traffic to take the B-Main victory and a ticket to the A-Main. Brendon Quinn would win the second of the two B-Mains followed by Jack Lee and American Justin Peck who fought his way to third after starting on the fourth row. Charlie Bowen charged to victory in the Juniour F500's A-Main, as the question on everyone's mind was, could anyone break Jock Goodyer's feature win streak? Carson Macedo would lead the field to the green, but Marcus Dumesny would grab the lead after ten laps of running. Dumesny would struggle to get past a few lapped cars as battles for position happened behind, and unfortunately, contact with Bobby Daly would see Marcus Dumesny wildly flip over, out of the lead and out of the race. On lap 14, Aaron Reutzal would make contact when overtaking James McFadden for second, spinning McFadden down the back straight and out of the race. Brock Hallet would make some bold moves to move up to second throughout the race, as Jock Goodyer would hound the back of Aaron Reutzal for third, but the American would hold off the Aussie champ. Carson Macedo wouldn't look back, leading the majority of the Feature and taking victory at Avalon Raceway. Next, the Sprintcar crowd would head to Premier Speedway in Warrnambool on New Years Day for the final race of this Speedway season's Sprintcar Speedweek. Bonus Gallery |