O ff ici a l Pu blication of t h e B e n a l l a A u t o C l u b I n c .
pitstop July/August 2016
HEY CHARGER!
LES WALMSLEY WINS FESTIVAL OF SPEED TOURING CAR CUP
WINTON SUPERCARS UPDATES FEMALE STARS ENJOY WAKEFIELD SUCCESS BAC MEMBERS ENJOY PI 6 HOUR CHALLENGE AUTHORISED PRINT POST NUMBER PP100001045
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July/August 2016
Contents | BAC President Report.................................................... 4 | BAC Group CEO Report................................................ 4 | AASA Report..................................................................... 5 | News.................................................................................... 6 | Festival of Speed Report............................................. 10 | Festival of Speed Photos............................................. 12 | AASA & CAMS NSW State Champ Reports.......... 14 | Members at Play............................................................. 18 | Winton Report.................................................................. 22 | Wakefield Park Report.................................................. 23 | Sprint Series Points....................................................... 24 | What’s On at Wakefield Park and Winton............ 27
PITSTOP The Official publication of the Benalla Auto Club Inc. July/August 2016 Edition #607 BENALLA AUTO CLUB INC. 41 Fox Street Winton, 3673 Phone (03) 5760 7100 www.benallaautoclub.com.au Email: secretary@benallaautoclub.com.au Encompassing: Winton Motor Raceway 41 Fox Street Winton VIC 3673 Phone (03) 5760 7100 race@wintonraceway.com.au www.wintonraceway.com.au Wakefield Park Motorsport 4770 Braidwood Road Goulburn NSW 2580 Phone (02) 4822 2811 info@wakefieldpark.com.au www.wakefieldpark.com.au Australian Auto-Sport Alliance 79 Rowan Street Wangaratta VIC 3677 Phone (03) 5721 7800 info@aasa.com.au www.aasa.com.au COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT President: Barry Stilo Vice-President: Daryl McHugh Secretary: Gary Gourlay Treasurer: Geoff Calvert Neville Kettels, Rex Monahan, John McBride, Willie Van Wersch, Murray Edgar, Rob Hoskins, John Morriss PITSTOP EDITOR Lachlan Mansell PHOTOGRAPHS Judi McDonald, Rene Martens, Phil Wisewould, Riccardo Benvenuti, Mark Richards, Shannons Nationals Media, Touring Car Masters Media, Porsche Carrera Cup Media
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pitstop BARRY STILO President, Benalla Auto Club Inc. The busy times around our club continue with the amount of events and track activity never ceasing to amaze me. You would have noticed at the entrance to Winton the removal of the old BAC club rooms which will pave the way to a new entry way into Winton Raceway! We have also completed the member room in the short track control tower which gives members a place to mingle on the weekends during events. I must thank Rob Hoskins and Murray Edgar for their efforts in offering their time to open up the clubrooms for members. Our new committee has met several times and we continue to evolve the way we communicate with members and share the workload around our busy club. You will have seen that our negotiations with Supercars Australia for an ongoing round of the Supercars Championship for Winton from
2017 and beyond has made the news. The BAC’s commercial sub-committee is working with Supercars and the Victorian Government to secure an event for us. As I write this negotiations are on-going and I remain confident that a deal can be made which will benefit everyone. I continue to enjoy my time with the recovery crew – filling my weekends recovering cars from all parts of the very wet Winton infield. Our new surface continues to bed itself in, with positive reports coming from the recent Victorian State Round where many lap records were broken over the weekend’s racing. Don’t be shy if you see me at the track – please come up and say Hi!
CHRIS LEWIS-WILLIAMS CEO, Benalla Auto Club Group Can you believe it is September – wow! I continue to divide my time between the AASA, Wakefield, Winton and the BAC – there is so much going on! The tracks have solid bookings all the way through until Christmas, with a huge range of events from race meetings to military driver training! The committee, managers and I continue to update and modernize our systems and practices to ensure our business are well set up for the future. You will have seen evidence of these changes with the new online entry form for test and tune days at Winton – which now tested, will be rolled out to Wakefield and many of the other event types we run. We continue to receive positive feedback from our customers regarding the events we run and the facilities we provide – it is gratifying to hear that all the hard work from the teams at our businesses is getting noticed.
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There is a lot going on with calendar planning for 2017 with just about all the weekends already accounted for! Negotiations for our high profile events are progressing with both new and existing events wanting to join the calendars at Winton and Wakefield in 2017. The weekend of the 3rd – 4th of September saw the return to Winton, after a 13 year absence, of the Victorian State Circuit Racing Championships. For many years this “Victorian” series raced 4 rounds at Sandown and Phillip Island – an invitation was extended in late 2015 for the series to return to Winton in 2016. This is the series I have raced in for over 10 years and it was great to see its successful return to Winton. We hope to see the return of this truly “Victorian” series now, for many years to come.
BRUCE ROBERTSON Chairman, Australian Auto Sport Alliance The AASA is rolling along well, and is sanctioning the expected number of events, but with an uplift across certain categories of what we support with our services. The AASA is noticing a tone of insecurity amongst promoters in organising events, with many factors at play there. The weather has been a factor in the southern states, the state of the economy is not assisting anyone, and increased fees and charges associated with hiring venues and support services is also impacting. The AASA is assessing the best ways of facilitating more activity across all disciplines, and we remain positive that the AASA continues to drive a competitive agenda. One of the key aspects we are looking at, is not only how we assist organisers to keep costs down, but to look at any systemic impediments to attracting customers/competitors in sanctioned events. The original aim of the AASA was to keep costs down right through the supply chain, and that remains a core function. Clearly, the costs structures of 2016 are higher than during 2003, but the core aim remains. Over the past months, all of our documentation and processes are being reviewed and refined, to ensure the AASA remains a user friendly provider, but also to remain contemporary and relevant, and in many ways, lead the way for the development of the sport, and its accessibility to consumers. All aspects of this are measured against a risk profile, and our sanctioning fees and processes now truly reflect that need. It is a demand driven by the insurance aspect of sanctioning, and we do not back away from that, even if an outcome of that process may be unpopular. I would like to thank the core contributors to this process, which has ensured the AASA maintains a robust set of rules and processes, which can stand up to the scrutiny of Government (in various ways) and doesn’t tie itself in knots, in where we are trying to head. Many highly experienced motor sport identities, from both within and outside the Benalla Auto Club group of subject experts have made this possible, and has occupied their winter nights. I can announce that Peter Lawrence, ex CAMS Technical Manager and highly experienced motor sport participant and teacher, has joined us, part time, to head up a newly formed Technical Department. Peter of course will be known to members as a past President of the Club, who effectively oversaw the transition of the Club
following the passing of Mick Ronke. Peter will now be embedded within the AASA system, and can be contacted, should competitors have any specific issues, via the AASA office. Peter will be reviewing, developing and honing many processes and systems, to do with the back end of the sport, such as eligibility, scrutiny, vehicle development, and oversight of technical advances, and how these may be applied, if relevant, to the sport. I heartily welcome the experience and knowledge that Peter brings to the AASA, on a regular basis. The AASA expects that within a few days from now, we can announce the successful placement of all of the insurance coverage with our Lloyds syndicates, and we can report that all of the improved processes adopted in the past 12 months have led to that outcome. There is still much confusion in the market place as to what represents robust motor sport insurance, and I can inform our customers that it cannot be placed within Australia, with your local broker. The AASA has a key aim of providing choice within the market, and it is a continuing endeavour to grow the coverage of that choice and to break down certain long standing (and ill informed) prejudices to our product, which in many ways is far superior in reach and cover to our competition out there. The AASA makes a very timely statement in that context, given the current undercurrents and doubt about coverage of alternate products. AASA permits, when issued to organisers, promoters, and Car Clubs, affords coverage to every backend official, contractor, and contributor, at that activity, and that is a core value of the AASA insurance that we will continue to provide. It is a very simple proposition, not to be messed with. The AASA office in Wangaratta is open 9-5 weekdays, and I invite you to contact our staff, Russell as the Co-ordinator and his assistant Debi (and others at various times) to assist you with your AASA needs. info@aasa.com.au and 03 57217800. I think it is fair to say the AASA has endured a year of necessary consolidation and reflection, (and some growth) and I look forward to the next 12 months, to provide an even greater level of service and accessibility to our customers, who are Car Clubs, Promoters, and of course Competitors at hundreds of AASA events. Bruce Robertson
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WINTON CONFIDENT OF RETAINING SUPERCARS Benalla Auto Club Group Chief Executive Officer Chris Lewis-Williams is confident Winton Raceway will be able to reach agreements with the Victorian Government and Supercars to retain a round of the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship for 2017 and beyond. While a deal is yet to be formalised, Mr Lewis-Williams is encouraged by discussions with key stakeholders. “We’re still in the process of negotiating a mutually beneficial arrangement between the Victorian Government, Supercars and the Benalla Auto Club, but I’m confident we can reach an agreement which will allow all parties to meet their objectives,” Mr LewisWilliams said. “The Winton Supercars event is very
important for regional Victoria and our analysis of the economic benefits to the Hume region - conducted by Urban Enterprise - has demonstrated the event brings $8.8 million into the economy. “For many years the BAC has borne the financial and logistical responsibilities of hosting the event, with the benefits enjoyed by a wide range of businesses and individuals throughout the region. “We have asked for support from Visit Victoria, as we believe we should be able to share in some of the commercial benefits from hosting this sort of event as well. “We will continue working hard over the coming days and look forward to finding a satisfactory arrangement for future years,” Mr Lewis-Williams concluded.
BLACK TIE BALL CONFIRMED FOR 2016 Following the success of last year’s inaugural Benalla Auto Club Black Tie Ball, the end-ofyear gala event will again be held in 2016, on 17 December. The BAC Black Tie Ball is a celebration of the achievements of BAC members, drivers and officials throughout the season, and is a fun way to finish a big season of motorsport. So now is the time to save the date, line up your date and prepare for a fun-filled evening in the corporate centre at Winton Raceway!
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WINTON RECEIVES BBN AWARD Winton Motor Raceway has been recognised for the widespread benefits it generates for the Benalla district, receiving the Benalla Business Network Excellence Award for Tourism, Sport and Leisure. Winton was also nominated for the Large Business Excellence Award, while it sponsored the Medium Business Award and the Benalla Auto Club sponsored the Agribusiness and Manufacturing Award.
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2016 VALVOLINE WINTON 300 ENTRIES OPEN Entries are now open for the 2016 edition of the popular Valvoline Winton 300 endurance race, which will be held on 12-13 November... and more than 30 teams are already locked into the event. The Winton 300 (along with its sister event, the Wakefield 300) is a unique event on the Australian motorsport calendar, as it is open to a diverse array of cars including Production Cars, Improved Production Cars, Production Sports Cars, BMW E30s, Hyundai Excels, Nissan Pulsars and more. The main attraction of the Winton 300 is it allows club-level competitors to enjoy the main aspects of endurance racing - strategy and the opportunity for two or three drivers
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to share the same car - without the expense associated with other endurance racing events. The mandatory minimum refuelling time also negates the need for expensive dry-break refuelling equipment. Of the early entries, notable names include the defending winning combination of Steve/Jake Shelley in their Lotus, along with Wakefield 300 winners Craig/Adam Burgess in their Ginetta. Former Winton 300 winner Nathan Jess has recruited Formula Vee star Ryan Reynolds as his co-driver, while the 2013-winning combination of Nick Cancian and Rob Hay are reunited in a turbochardged Mazda MX5.
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BATHURST COMES TO BENALLA IN 2016! Last year, the Benalla Auto Club hosted the inaugural BAC Bathurst Day and a number of members turned out to watch Steven Richards (a BAC member) take his fourth Bathurst 1000 victory. Thanks to your positive feedback on last year’s event, the BAC is again hosting a “Bathurst 1000” Celebration day, on the 9 October 2016. This event at our corporate facility is designed to bring our members together in a fantastic day of Australian motor racing. Benalla Auto Club is providing the food free of charge to members. Guests are more than welcome, and encouraged to join us in what is planned to be a celebration of traditional Aussie rivalry. Guests will incur a nominal charge of $10 per head to contribute to costs of catering. Drinks will be at Benalla Auto Club bar prices for everyone (same as last year). A selection of beer, wines and soft drinks will be available. No BYO.
conclude shortly after the race finish and podium presentation. There will be minor prizes & giveaways during the course of the day to help generate additional excitement & banter. A jumping castle for the young and young at heart is also being organized. We hope you will join us & get to know your fellow members and friends. We do have plenty of chairs and tables in the facility, however if you have a preference to bring your own comfortable deck chair, that’s fine. To register your interest in this event, please RSVP to Rob Hoskins by 3 October: reefhills@optusnet.com.au 0412 508 258 Quote your member number and number of people you wish to bring. Looking forward to another celebration of Australia’s Great Race!
Doors will open at 8:00 am and the event will
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Festival of Speed Report
LES WALMSLEY TAKES THE CUP Les Walmsley has taken out the Just Cars Touring Car Cup 50km feature race for Group N historic touring cars at the Winton Festival of Speed today, driving his six-cylinder 1972 Valiant Charger to victory after a fierce battle with his V8-powered rivals. For the opening five laps of the race, Walmsley was engaged in a thrilling scrap with Mustang driver Darryl Hansen, until Hansen made a mistake and speared off the circuit at turn 10, causing a Safety Car intervention. At the restart, Walmsley was pressured by Camaro drivers Dean Neville and Angelo Taranto, with Neville closing right onto the tail of Walmsley when he was delayed by lapped traffic. Ultimately though, it was Neville who made a mistake, spinning out of second position on the final lap and elevating Taranto into the runner-up spot. “It was great to battle against some of those more powerful cars and come out on top,” an elated Walmsley said after the race. “The driving standards were fantastic, we raced hard
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but very fair and I think all of us had a lot of fun. “These longer races are a real test of both the car and the driver, so it was a very satisfying win.” The other feature race was the Rose City Tourist Trophy 15-lapper for Group S production sports cars. Geoff Morgan led initially in his Porsche 911 but a mechanical problem forced him into the pits after nine laps, handing fellow Porsche racer Wayne Seabrook the lead and ultimately the win. Tony Floreani finished second with Doug Barbour making it a Porsche 1-2-3. Ray Narkiewicz (1965 Corvette) was the best of the Class Sb cars while Andrew Gibson (Triumph) won class Sa. Driving his ex-Mark Gibbs/Rohan Onslow Nissan Skyline R32 GTR, Tony Alford won all four Group C and A Heritage Touring Car races, narrowly holding out Carey McMahon, who was driving the 1988 Bathurst-winning Tony Longhurst/Tomas Mezera Ford Sierra.
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David Towe (BMW M3) ran strongly in the first two races but suffered a mechanical problem early on Sunday, gifting the final podium position to Mark Eddy (Nissan Skyline R31). Nissan Motorsport Supercar driver Dale Wood made a guest appearance in the MG and invited British sports car races and duly won all three heats in his MGB GT V8, also breaking the lap record for the category. Wood’s team-mate Phil Chester suffered a DNF in Race 1 but charged his way through the field to finish second in Races 2 and 3, with Jim Robertson (MG Midget) scoring third in Race 3 after a battle with Jason Holmes (MG ZR Turbo). Andrew Nethercote won the first two historic Formula Ford races but lost places with a poor start in Race 3, allowing David Hardman to take the win ahead of Andrew McInnes. Richard Davison, father of Supercar drivers Will and Alex, finished third in Race 1 and second in Race 2, but slipped back to fifth after a contretemps with Nethercote on the last lap of the final.
and ‘80s racing cars) races in his March ex-Formula 1 car, winning all three races ahead of Andrew Makin. For spectators, the most spectacular incident was a high-speed off-track excursion for Lucio Cesario at the sweeper in Race 1. Fortunately Cesario was unharmed but the damage to his car eliminated him from the remainder of the weekend’s proceedings. Bruce Heinrich won the opening HQ Holden race but was defeated by Andrew McLeod in Race 2 and elected not to contest the final, which McLeod also won ahead of Warren Trewin and David Tessari. After running just inside the top 20 for much of the weekend, Phil Brock stormed to 10th in Race 3. Dick O’Keefe won the first J, K and L (historic sports cars) race in his 1959 Photon, but Samantha Dymond prevailed in Races 2 and 3 after O’Keefe retired with a clutch problem. Other category winners over the weekend were Laurie Bennet (Group M and O 1960s racing cars) and Tony Paynter (Formula Vee).
John Bowe clean-swept the Group P, Q and R (1970s
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FESTIVAL OF SPEED
Phil “Split-Pin� Brock returned to the HQ Holdens and improved over the weekend, scoring a top-10 finish in Race 3.
The Festival of Speed always throws up some unique cars, including this VW Beetle which competed in the Group N races.
Darryl Hansen led the Group N feature race early but retired with problems.
The 1974 March Formula 1 car, raced by John Bowe, was a crowd favourite all weekend.
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WEEKEND PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS
Wayne Seabrook won the Group S Tourist Trophy in his beautiful Porsche 911.
Richard Davison, son of Lex, father of Alex and Will, competed in the historic Formula Ford races.
The Group A and C cars put on a show, Tony Alford (Nissan GTR) and Carey McMahon (Ford Sierra) staging intense battles in all three races.
Dale Wood made a cameo appearance in the MG Series, smashing the lap record in his MGB V8.
Samantha Dymond won two of the three Group J, K and Lb races.
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AASA and CAMS NSW State Championships Report
FAST FEMMES FLATTEN THE OPPOSITION Wakefield Park was a happy hunting ground for female racing stars at the AASA and CAMS NSW State Championship race meetings in July and August. In the AASA event on 16-17 July, Emily Duggan took out a hotly-contested one-hour Series X3 NSW endurance race for Hyundai Excel race cars, the headline act for the race meeting, coming out on top in a tight contest with Adam Bryant which lasted the entire race. Duggan held second for the opening stages of the race, and pounced on her rival when he was briefly delayed by a lapped car. For spectators, the most spectacular incident of the race involved Kerry Janssen, who rolled his Excel at Turn 1 after tangling with another competitor.
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Fortunately Janssen was unharmed, but the incident necessitated a lengthy Safety Car for the damaged car to be recovered. The race restarted with just three laps remaining and Duggan resisted pressure from Bryant to take the win by just 0.4s, with the entry of Tom Muller/ Nick Filipetto finishing in third. “When I crossed the finish line, I couldn’t believe what had just happened, it was an amazing feeling,” Duggan said. “The emotions kicked in straight away, I wanted this race win so badly and it was just a massive wave of happiness to have achieved it.” The Excel endurance race was supported by a number of other categories, of which the Stock Cars were a clear favourite amongst the fans.
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For the first time, the category included the brand-new TA2 cars which kept the crowd entertained with their American-inspired bodyshells and throaty V8 engines. Queenslander Peter Robinson (Camaro TA2 car) prevailed after a tight battle with Michael Coulter (Oz Truck) for most of the weekend; a mechanical problem for Coulter in the trophy race enabled Robinson to drive to an unchallenged race victory ahead of Hugh McAlister (Oz Truck) and Cameron Sendall (Mustang TA2 car). “The TA2 car handled the Wakefield Park track magnificently, and I’m very happy to be taking the trophy home to Queensland,” Robinson said. Following their recent relocation to Goulburn, the Legend Cars also put on a great show with Kyle Angel bouncing back from adversity to win the trophy race. Angel’s primary car blew an engine in the first race, but he swapped into a spare car and drove through the field in the remaining races to take the win ahead of Mick Hebditch and Greg Davis. In the Miniature Race Car Series for Future Racers and Aussie Racing Cars, Chad Cotton won the
trophy race from Jake Klein and Matt Thewlis. In the Australian Pulsar Racing Association Series, Jaie Robson and Dimitri Agathos looked set to resume their battles from the last couple of rounds after qualifying first and second. However, a blown coolant hose for Robson triggered a disastrous chain of events on the first lap of the opening race – coolant leaked onto his back tyres, causing him to spin at turn 3 where he was collected by Phil Alexander, causing significant damage to the rear end of his car and ruining his weekend. Agathos capitalised to win Race 1, but an impressive Matt Boylan broke through for his maiden race win in Race 2, and backed up with two more victories in Race 3 and the trophy race, which he won ahead of Josh Heath and James Keene. Mini specialist John Walker looked set to dominate the East Coast Mini Challenge races after winning Races 1 and 2, but Charlie Borg gained the ascendancy in Race 3 and also claimed the trophy race from Walker and Linda Devlin, who had recovered from brake problems earlier in the weekend.
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A month later, it was Leanne Tander’s turn to shine. The wife of Supercar star Garth was victorious in Round 4 of the Australian Formula Ford Series, held as part of the CAMS meeting on 20-21 August. It was Tander’s second round win of the season and extended her points lead to 32 with two rounds remaining. Race 1 winner Jayden Ojeda finished second overall while Race 2 victor Will Brown was third for the weekend. The Formula Ford competition doubled as the final round of the NSW Championship as well, with Jett Bennett winning the Duratec Class after a heartbreaking mechanical problem for Lachlan Gibbons in the very last race, while Aaron Grech prevailed in the Kent Class to defeat his seasonlong rival Simon Hodges. The weekend also featured the City of Goulburn Cup feature race for Formula Race Cars, which Nathan Gotch won after a tight tussle with Tim Berryman.
Coath spun at Turn 8, enabling Gotch to close the gap to Berryman. At the restart, the pair exchanged fastest lap times before Gotch pounced with a brilliant, aroundthe-outside passing move at the final corner to take the lead with seven laps remaining. He pulled away, but an encounter with lapped traffic on the final lap brought Berryman back into contention and almost allowed him to re-take the lead in the very last corner of the race. “We were battling clutch dramas for a lot of the weekend, and we were fortunate with the Safety Car, but the car was fantastic – the AGI Sport team did a great job,” Gotch said. “Tim drove well and it was a challenge to get around him, but overall it was really fun racing throughout the weekend.” Third place went to Andrew Wlodek after Shane Wilson spun out of proceedings on the final lap.
Starting second on the grid, Gotch fell back to fourth due to a clutch problem at the start. By the end of the third lap, he had worked his way back up to second but faced a deficit of almost 12 seconds to Berryman. However, a Safety Car was triggered when Ron
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MEMBERS AT PLAY A look at the racing activities of BAC members It has been another busy couple of months for Benalla Auto Club members competing in events right across the country, but by far the highlight was the BAC team which competed in the Phillip Island 6 Hour Regularity Relay on 30-31 July. The Phillip Island 6 Hour is one of a number of regularity events held across Australia (there is a similar event at Sydney Motorsport Park, and also the AROCA 10 Hour at Winton) The events are not about being fast; rather, they are about consistency and strategy. Each team consists of a number of drivers, all of who nominate a lap time prior to the event. The drivers must then stick as close to that time as possible. Bonus points are awarded for drivers who achieve laps close to their nominated time, while penalties are imposed upon teams who are too fast or too slow. Maintaining consistent times is especially difficult in traffic, or in changing weather conditions. The Benalla Auto Club team, dubbed “Always Rushin” consisted of drivers Simon Bowen, Brett Stevenson, Rob Hoskins and Ross Wood, while Shane Durdin was team manager. Also assisting as pit crew were members Peter Lawrence and Amin Chahda, along with Dave Shache and Craig Baron. Rob Hoskins explained how the event panned out: “Practice was held on the Saturday, where target lap times were established. The day was cool, breezy but fine, and everything went reasonably well, apart from an oil leak on car 5C that required some remedial attention. “Sunday arrived and the weather was
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magnificent., sunny and still. The team got off to a great start and early in the second hour was running just inside the top five. “With a few bonus points in the bag, things were looking good. The middle part of the event didn’t go so well, with mechanical/fuel gremlins showing up on the Hoskins entry, and penalty points flowing in at an alarming rate for breaking out of our nominated times. “The team spiralled from a top five runner to 44th out of 50. The last third of the regularity was still a battle of the mechanicals, with fuel problems haunting Brett’s VL and Ross’s Nissan. By the end of the day the team had recovered to 32nd. “We still had a ball though, and packed up with no major failures or damage from the weekend. There were lots of smiles all round and a shared intention to be back next year. Congratulations go to the winners, and the event organizers for putting together an amazing event.” There are plenty of other drivers who have been flying the BAC flag over the last two months as well: Benalla girl Ellexandra Best continues to accumulate valuable experience in the Victorian Excel Racing Series, and also the Australian Production Car Series where she is racing a Toyota Echo prepared by Lauren Gray Motorsport. Best competed in the APCS rounds at Sydney Motorsport Park and Queensland Raceway. Along with co-driver Liam Thompson, she won Class E at the SMP round, and finished second at QR. She also continued her learning progression in the most recent Excel round at Sandown, finishing 17th overall.
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Ross Wood on the grid at the Phillip Island 6 Hour.
Ellexandra Best at the SMP Australian Production Car Series round.
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Steve Murray in his Commodore, racing in Super TT at the VMRC.
Cooper Cappelari, Super TT, VMRC.
Kane Baxter-Smith was back behind the wheel of his Toyota 86 at Sydney Motorsport Park for Round 2 of the 86 Series.
Taz Douglas has remained undefeated in the Kumho Series after the first three rounds.
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Bruce Henley continues to stake a claim for the BAC member completing the most racing laps in a calendar year. Henley raced his Mazda RX8 Grand-Am car in the Sports Sedans round at Wakefield Park on 2-3 July before making the trek to Sandown where he competed in Improved Production in his exDavid Waldon Mazda RX8. Henley was on double duty at Sydney Motorsport Park in late July, running in both Sports Sedans and IPRA, before returning to Wakefield Park on 20-21 August for IPRA Over 2 Litre. We asked Bruce Henley if he was going to return to the Bathurst 12 Hour next year. His response: “Don’t you think I do enough racing already?” The state-level scene is always home to a large contingent of BAC members, especially in Victoria. Super TT is a particularly popular category, and in the VMRC round at Winton we counted no less than five members: Steve Murray, Phil Deane, Cooper Cappellari, Wayne Williams and David Dixon. Murray ended up as the best of them, finishing second overall. Also at the VMRC round were Matt Thewlis (Miniature Racing Cars) and Stan Armstrong (BMW Drivers Cup enduro). After some time in the US recently, Hayley Swanson returned to the track in her familiar WRX to contest the Super TT round at August’s Champion of Winton meeting and was back on the pace straight away, finishing the round third overall. Benalla Auto Club Group CEO Chris LewisWilliams can always be relied upon to run at the front of the Porsche 944 Challenge, and the boss delivered at the Sandown VSCRC event in July, winning the weekend’s third race and finishing second overall for the round.
and Henley, there were also Greg Wood (HQ Holdens), Glen Postlethwaite (Saloon Cars) and Harley Phelan (Excels). The BAC representation has continued at the higher-profile meetings as well. Taz Douglas continued his undefeated run in the Kumho Series with three more race wins at Queensland Raceway. Douglas also competed in the Dunlop Series at Townsville, finishing sixth overall to maintain his sixth position in the points standings. Matt Chahda was also in action at the Townsville Dunlop Series round, finishing 13th overall and moving up to 14th in the standings. Steven Richards is certainly keeping race fit ahead of his return to the co-driver’s seat alongside Craig Lowndes in the three Pirtek Enduro Cup races. He had two weekends of double-duty, racing his Porsche in Carrera Cup and his BMW in the Australian GT and Australian Endurance Championship rounds at both Townsville and Sydney Motorsport Park. Nathan Pretty contested the V8 Utes Series round at Townsville; after a tough weekend, he finished 14th for the round. Other drivers to be competing in Supercars support cateegories have been Zak Best (Aussie Racing Cars at Queensland), Dean Fiore (Carrera Cup at Townsville and Sydney Motorsport Park) and Kane Baxter-Smith (Toyota 86 Series at Sydney Motorsport Park). Finally, the Winton Festival of Speed saw several members in action, with Stephen Whyte orchestrating the fine two-car Team Brock tribute liveries in the HQ Holdens, while Bernie Mylon and Ian Tate competed in the Group J, K and L races with Mylon running inside the top five for most of the weekend. That’s a wrap on the BAC members for July and August, looking forward to more busy months ahead!
That meeting was also a busy one for the BAC, because as well as Lewis-Williams, Best
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pitstop WAYNE WILLIAMS Operations Manager, Winton Motor Raceway Hi BAC Members, Well it has been very busy times here at Winton Motor Raceway with every weekend hosting an event of some kind, the highlight of the last 3 months would without a doubt have to be the Festival of Speed in early August. FOS attracted not only record entrants with well over 300 it also attracted record crowds, with beautiful weather handed to us it was a great success, officials competitors and spectators alike all commenting on what was a fantastic weekend which included the test and tune on the Friday attracting over 180 competitors alone, can’t wait for a bigger and better FOS next year. Winton also held many club events throughout July and August including the inaugural Speedway day, this was a day when we invited any speedway car to come for a sprints/fun day, and fun is exactly what they had, the smiles on the faces of every driver was priceless, these guys and gals were fantastic to deal with, with the huge success it was we will be sure to run it next year.
As we look to the next couple of months here at Winton we find ourselves with some great events during this time, the return of the Victorian State Racing Series to Winton after a 5 year absence will be a great weekend, 2 weeks preceding this event we will host the 11th running of Performance Car Mania, this year’s event is focussed on prestige and performance which is sure to improve its reputation. The weekend following PCM is round 3 of the Victorian Motor Racing Championships (VMRC), always a popular weekend with competitors coming from everywhere to compete, and the at the end of September Winton will host the 6th and final round of the Australian Superbike Championships, this will be a great event and one we are looking forward to after a 6 year absence from Winton, it is sure to pull a great crowd also.
On another positive note for the staff and volunteers at WMR, we have recently been awarded a prestigious award for Excellence in Tourism, Sport and Leisure at the Benalla Business Network’s recent awards night, a fantastic achievement and one everyone should be proud of, so thank Another event that was held was the Biennial you to you all!! Benalla Cruise N Shine & Swap Meet, with unfavourable weather conditions presented Thanks everyone, to us on the day we were still very happy with its success, everyone enjoyed the day See you at the track and the display from all the BAC members was fantastic, thanks to everyone that Wayne brought their cars out to display and also a big thankyou to the BAC members that helped with the organising of the event, the event raised $1000 in donations for Hemochromatosis Australia.
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July/August 2016
MATT BARAGWANATH Operations Manager, Wakefield Park Motorsport
Hello Members,
which I must say will be nothing less than entertaining to watch I’m sure!
As we go to print we are in the final stages of organisation for the 40th Anniversary All Historic Race Meeting, re-living the first Historic Race meeting at Amaroo Raceway in 1976.
I am pleased to report that we are well underway with some of our track safety improvement projects and to that end our committed track edge safety upgrade is now completed, including new pit lane timing loops having been installed. We are The event will see in excess of 200 entries from bikes, cars and sidecar, we already have now well advanced with new tyre walls significant media interest with lovely some and associated bundles around the track old cars and bikes that have come out of the which again will provide the end user with a safer environment whilst using the woodwork just for this occasion. It is sure venue. to be a great meeting and I look forward to reporting on its success in the next issue of It is with pleasure that we welcome Pitstop. Leesa Murdoch into the finance role at Wakefield Park, Kellie has moved on Recently we conducted Round 6 of the CAMS NSW Circuit Racing championships and we wish her well with her future which saw the Formula Ford National series endeavours. return to the venue which always provides That’s it for now and remember, BAC close and exciting on track action. Female members are welcome at Wakefield Park racer Leanne Tander took the honours for any time, either as a competitor, spectator, the weekend and along with Excel racer official or volunteer! Emily Duggan (who won the enduro at the recent AASA state round) it was fantastic to Regards, see female racers achieving such on-track success. Matt Excitingly, we have the return of the 24 Hours of Lemons event hitting the track at the end of October which is already well subscribed and sure to be a lot of fun along the way. Our very own Lachy Mansell has launched his racing career by entering a vehicle in the event (Excel) and is putting together a team of media commentators to
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BP MIDLAND/ Pedders No Bull Winton Sprints Points after Round 4 Class A - Up to 2 Litre Pos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Driver Bryson Lloyd Stephen Brooks Nicholas Manks John Cutting Terry Maher Daniel Spain Lewis Bates Greg Paynter Dallas Rundle Russell Stewart
Vehicle Toyota Celica Suzuki Swift Suzuki Swift Nissan Pulsar Honda Civic Datsun 120Y Toyota 86 Ford Escort Datsun 1600 Ford Escort
Points 101 70 65 63 62 59 54 52 48 46
Vehicle Ford Falcon Ford ED Misubishi Starion Ford Falcon Ford Falcon Ford Falcon Ford Falcon BMW 323i Audi RS3 Porsche 944
Points 119 60 49 43 38 34 31 30 30 25
Class B - 2 Litre to 4 Litre Pos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Driver Phil Deane Sylvain Cattier Carl Gibbs Russell Deller Cameron Schausinger Steven Schausinger Brad Lawrence James Caddy Scott Stekelenburg Robert Holding
Class C - Clubmans and Open-wheelers Pos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
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Driver John Buxton Jim Follan Clive Baker Ian Tavare Graeme Feldtmann Scott Feldtmann Ken Surtees Anthony Duvoisin Charles Haynes Peter Stone
Vehicle Echidna Clubman PRB S2 Clubman Clubman Shadow Chev Legend Pirana SRF2 Tiger Era Nota Formula Vee Clubman JMW 76
Points 93 80 79 75 44 42 38 36 35 31
July/August 2016
Class D - Over 4 Litre Pos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Driver Joe Strickland Colin Adam Max McKay Tony Shepherd Peter Gaspero Simon Hill Jason Snoodyk Damien Gambold Peter Ryder Robert Knight
Vehicle Holen VB Holden Commodore Holden VK Ford AU Holden Commodore Holden VN Ford EF Ford XD Nissan Silvia Falcon AU
Points 115 84 32 32 31 31 30 23 20 20
Vehicle Hyundai/Mitsubishi Holden Commodore Mirage / Pulsar Holden SS / Ford EA Ford EA Datsun Bluebird Datsun Stanza Holden Commodore Holden Commodore Nissan Pulsar
Points 125 81 80 73 43 35 31 30 23 21
Class J - Juniors Pos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Driver Ellexandra Best Cooper Cappellari Joshua Gay Jack Phillips Corey Thorburn Josh Dowell Zakkary Best Dylan Simonis Sean Lawless Brock Menere
Class M - Modified (turbo, AWD, slicks) Pos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Driver Geoff Rudolph Harry Chongbin Zhao Craig Lindsell Andrew Russell Les Sears Kerran Pridmore Kevin Mackrell Vic Draper Robert Godden Jim Hepworth
Vehicle Ford Anglia Lotus Mini Cooper S Subaru WRX STI BMW M3 Subaru WRX Datsun 260Z Mitsubishi EVO 10 Nissan R31 Toyota Corolla
Points 69 62 58 42 36 34 34 33 32 28
Vehicle Ford Falcon Ford EA Toyota Corolla Ford Falcon Holden VX
Points 68 56 41 13 13
Class L - Ladies Pos 1 2 3 4 5
Driver Jacinta Deller Katilyn Hawkins Jaymee Frampton Belinda Deller Skye Griffiths
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MEMBER NOTICEBOARD Got news to announce? Something to share with other members of the club? Send an email to lachlan@ benallaautoclub.com.au with information and we will publish it here!
Dear Club Members, I am currently a member of the Delatite Drivers Car Club in Mansfield. I own a 2004 Holden VY Adventra LX8 that my father and I restored. I also have tuned the vehicle using GM Parameters to get maximum performance and fuel economy. This year I have tuned six member’s cars in the Car Club ready to go in the 2016 Targa Rally in the Mansfield High Country. I have also tuned other cars outside the Car Club. The owners of the cars that I have tuned are very happy with their vehicle as they say it “absolutely hammers” while being much more economical when cruising. I always keep the safety features on the powertrain when calibrating using the GM format. I would like to extend my services to your club if anyone is interested in me tuning their GM Vehicles. Andrew G White Powertrain Management Tuning - 0419 281 478
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July/August 2016
WHAT’S ON
at Wakefield Park and Winton PARK RACEWAY
Winton Events 7 September 9 September 10-11 Sept 12 September 16-18 Sept 23 September 24-25 Sept 28 September 29 September 30 Sept - 1 Oct 7 October 8 October 9 October 14 October 15-16 October 20 October 21 October 22-23 October 28 October 30 October 4 November 5 November 6 November 7 November 11 November 12-13 Nov 16 November
Wakefield Park Events Performance Test Day Test & Tune - Cars/Openwheelers EXE Crew Test & Tune - Bikes Performance Car Mania Test & Tune - Cars/Openwheelers VMRC Round 3 Performance Test Day Test & Tune - Cars/Openwheelers Australian Superbike Champ Rd6 Test & Tune - Cars/Openwheelers Swinburne University Car Club BMW Car Club Test & Tune - Cars/Openwheelers AROCA 6 Hour Test & Tune - Bikes Test & Tune - Cars/Openwheelers Sports Car Masters Test & Tune - Cars/Openwheelers Champions Ride Day Test & Tune - Cars/Openwheelers Circuit Club MSCA Test & Tune - Bikes Test & Tune - Cars only Valvoline Winton 300 Performance Test Day
7 September 8 September 9 September 10 September 11 September 12 September 14 September 15 September 16 September 17-18 Sept 21 September 23 September 24-25 Sept 28 September 29 September 30 Sept-2 Oct 3 October 4 October 5 October 7 October 8 October 10 October 12 October 13 October 15 October 16 October 21 October
Trackschool Speed off the Streets - street cars Test & Tune - race cars Wakefield Park ride day Mini Club Supersprint MX5 Club Day Trackschool Canberra Motorcycle Club Test & Tune - race cars 40th Anniversary Historic Meet Speed off the Streets - street cars Test & Tune - race cars HSRCA Wakefield Park Ride Day Speed off the Streets - street cars Cobra Nationals Circuit Club Test & Tune - race cars GEAR Speed off the Streets - street cars Wakefield Park Ride Day Anglo Motorsport Trackschool Speed off the Streets - street cars Nissan Sporting Car Club Track Day Club Test & Tune - race cars
Performance Car Mania returns to Winton on 16-18 September.
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THE
4O
th A N N I V E R S A R Y
of
All-Historic Racing Racing on
2, 3 & 4 Wheels
PARK RACEWAY
Wakefield GOULBURN
Park
17-18 SEPTEMBER, 2016
further information - www.vscca.org.au, vscca40@gmail.com or GPO Box 2365, Sydney, NSW, 2001 Contact Cars: John Medley For - Email|: jabjbm@aol.com - 0401 739 594 Contact Solos & Outfits: Rob Rowe - Email: roweauto@ozemail.com.au - 02 4948 1771