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 May/June 2016
SLADE DOMINATES WINTON SUPERSPRINT
In this issue: WINTON ENJOYS SUPERCARS SUCCESS BAC AGM REPORTS 40TH ANNIVERSARY HISTORIC EVENT AT WAKEFIELD PARK AUTHORISED PRINT POST NUMBER PP100001045
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May/June 2016
Contents | BAC President AGM Report......................................... 4 | BAC Secretary AGM Report......................................... 5 | BAC Treasurer AGM Report......................................... 6 | BAC Group CEO Report................................................ 7 | Winton SuperSprint Report........................................ 8 | Winton SuperSprint Photos........................................ 10 | AASA NSW State Championship Report............... 12 | Shannons Nationals Report....................................... 14 | Shannons Nationals Photos....................................... 16 | Updated Winton Lap Records.................................... 17 | Wakefield Park Announces Historic Event.......... 18 | Wakefield Park Report.................................................. 20 | Members at Play............................................................. 21 | Festival of Speed Preview........................................... 26 | What’s On at Winton and Wakefield Park............ 27
PITSTOP The Official publication of the Benalla Auto Club Inc. May/June 2016 Edition #606 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) 57607100 race@wintonraceway.com.au www.wintonraceway.com.au Wakefield Park Motorsport 4770 Braidwood Road Goulburn NSW 2580 Phone (02) 48222811 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, Shannons Nationals Media, Touring Car Masters Media, Porsche Carrera Cup Media
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2015 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING REPORTS BARRY STILO President, Benalla Auto Club Inc.
Tonight I stand here as Acting President of the Benalla Auto Club - an honour I did not expect to take on during this last yar. But due to circumstances beyond his control, our elected President, Peter Lawrence was unable to fulfil his role as President and I, as Vice President stepped in to take on the role. As those of you who know me will agree - this stuff in the limelight does not sit well with me, but I have challenged myself because I know our club needed me to step up. I wish to personally thank Peter Lawrence for all he did for this club in his short time as President - he steered the club through some of our most turbulent times and he did it with honesty, transparency adn fairness and ultimately to his own personal detriment. The BAC owes Peter a great debt of gratitude. We also lost out elected Treasurer during the year, but I am pleased to say that Chris Lewis-Williams moved into the CEO position of the Benalla Auto Club and we have already seen his positive influences on our club and businesses in the six months since he started in the role - thank you Chris. BAC Secretary, Rex Monahan, has worked thanklessly in the hardest committee position of all - I thank him for his time, effort and assistance throughout this last year. Our Treasurer, Geoff Calvert, will shortly share with you our financial results for the 2015 financial year. As you have seen from the information sent to you - a terrific result and a huge turnaround from previous years. My personal thanks to Matt Baragwanath, Wayne Williams, Russell Kelly, Yvette Campbell and Chris Lewis-Williams and all our staff for their dedication and passion to our club and our businesses. Cheers, Barry Stilo
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REX MONAHAN Secretary, Benalla Auto Club Inc. I would like to thank you all for coming out tonight on what has been a miserable day weather wise. Your committee has met 12 times since the last Annual General Meeting. Two committee members have resigned, Peter Lawrence for personal reasons and Chris Lewis-Williams who in November 2015 became our new CEO. In November 2015 three members were coopted to the committee they were John Morriss, Geoff Calvert and Daryl McHugh. Prior to the notification of the Annual General Meeting we had 473 members. At the committee meeting in March the committee agreed that there would be no rise in membership fees so they remain at $120.00, for the year 2017. At the Special General Meeting in March our new “Rules” (constitution) were passed, they were a long time in coming. The club has evolved and grown since our last Annual General Meeting, where necessary, outsourcing is being done, internally we are expanding and updating. We have better communications with members with PitStop magazine, fortnightly newsletters by email and new web sites, also has been established the email address Secretary@ BenallaAutoClub.com.au so that members can directly contact the club. New club rooms have been established in the newly renovated “old control tower” and all members are encouraged to use them. I have had many discussions with Consumer Affairs Victoria in an effort to sort through problems that were inherited. The passing tonight of the Financial Accounts for 2013 will bring to an end the last of the outstanding deficiencies with Consumer Affairs Victoria. Our new CEO Chris Lewis-Williams in the view of the committee has embraced his new position and is fulfilling the requirements of the role. Wayne Williams, Yvette Campbell and Matt Baragwanath have not had an easy task with Winton and Wakefield and their efforts are showing a huge improvement at both venues. AASA is going through a rebirth under the direction of Bruce Robertson and is very much a work in progress with hopeful bright prospects. I would like to thank the committee for their efforts over the last 12 months and would like to wish the new incoming committee very success for their term of office. I would like you all to remember that we are a club that runs a number of businesses, not a business that runs a club. Once again thank you all for coming.
pitstop GEOFF CALVERT Treasurer, Benalla Auto Club Inc.
My goals as new treasurer • Gain an understanding of our Individual Businesses • Gain an understanding of our financial history • Build a relationship with other Committee Members • Build a relationship with our Management Team • Establish our needs for internal and external financial capabilities. • Review our suppliers of external accounting services • Support the Management Team develop new and updated financial procedures • Work to modernise accounting processes • Ensure the integrity of our financial accounts and information • Ensure our ongoing compliance as an Incorporated Association • Ensure the Management Team can adequately support financial needs of the committee • An unqualified audit opinion has been granted on the 2015 accounts • The committee has unanimously accepted the accounts as presented 2015 Revenue $7,173,375 Expenses $6,896,375 Tax $155,077 Profit (Loss) $121,923 Assets $17,994,054 Liabilities $6,486,448
2014 $6,331,283 $6,342,714 $6,955 ($4,476) $16,709,896 $5,821,964
Highlights • Revenue growth of 13% exceeding expense growth of 8.7% • Return to profit
Key financial undertakings completed in 2015 • Separated trading entities into individual business units • Correctly resourced entities to deliver expected results • Addressed issues in the BDO report Revenues Winton Wakefield BAC BAC WMR AASA
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% Change 12.58% 4.08% 26.21% 0.00% 72.23%
2015 $3,279,353 $2,754,734 $748,826 $420,000 $390,278
2014 $2,912,840 $2,646,825 $593,316 $420,000 $226,602
May/June 2016
Profits/Losses % Change Winton 40.09% Wakefield 2414% BAC -1052.84% BAC WMR 141.78% AASA 596%
2015 ($25,567) $408,049 ($174,264) $87,850 $62,123
2014 $43,326 $16,228 ($15,116) $36,335 ($12,507)
2016 key goals for financial governance • Stronger Budgeting Process and reporting on individual business unit performance • Strengthen Strategic Planning Process • Improved Capital Management • Review of external Auditors • Major event sustainability • Effective utilisation of corporate services model • Better procedures around debtor management and collection • Improved rigour on Cost Allocation across each business unit • Updated standardised accounting systems
CHRIS LEWIS-WILLIAMS CEO, Benalla Auto Club Group BAC Members, Well – we survived Motorsport May, which extended into Motorsport June! Supercars round, Winton Historics and Shannon’s Nationals – a huge amount of work for everyone involved with the club and Winton. My thanks go to Wayne Williams and his team at Winton, our volunteers and officials – without whom getting through these big events would be impossible. Our V8 round was our most successful in many years with positive feedback from officials, personalities, competitors and patrons. Since the last Pitstop magazine we have also had the Annual General Meeting for the club, held on the 4th of June. You will read the results of the AGM and our financial performance over the last 12 months elsewhere in Pitstop. I look forward to working with the new executive and committee, developing the plans that will guide the club and our businesses to continue to grow and prosper long into the future. I have also been able to spend some time at Wakefield Park Raceway and attended the NSW State Round in early July. Matt Baragwanath and the dedicated team at Wakefield have been working hard to improve the facilities and there is a noticeable change to how our track and facilities are looking. Our businesses need customers and it’s nice to get feedback, positive or negative. I was happy to receive many positive comments from competitors and officials on how they are noticing the changes. There is, of course, lots more to do but it is always gratifying to hear that the changes are being noticed and are for the better. As members you will see more changes in coming months and I am always available to receive your comments, feedback and ideas. See you at the track!
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WINTON CELEBRATES SUCCESSFUL WO
Beautful weather, big crowds and lap records made this The 2016 Virgin Australia Supercars Woodstock Winton Supersprint has been declared the most successful round of the Supercars Championship held at the nation’s action track in the modern era, with a massive crowd giving an overwhelmingly positive reaction to the recent circuit, management and promotional improvements. A three-day crowd figure of just under 90,000 was recorded for the event, the highest achieved in a number of years. Benalla Auto Club (BAC) Group Chief Executive Officer Chris Lewis-Williams was very pleased with the outcome of the event. “The 2016 Winton SuperSprint was a very successful conclusion to the third year of our contract to host the Supercars,” Mr Lewis-Williams said. “Although the BAC is only a small organisation, we are the only completely independent promoter of a
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Supercars event anywhere in Australia, and the entire team of staff at Winton Motor Raceway can be very proud of what they achieved over the weekend. “The new BAC executive, which includes the committee and circuit management, is very passionate about strengthening relationships with Local, State and Federal Government and we took some important steps towards those relationships over the course of the weekend. “This year, we conducted a lot of analysis around understanding and quantifying the economic benefits of the event to the north-eastern Victorian region, which will help our ongoing discussions with all levels of government. “In the lead-up to the event, we received significant levels of support from the Benalla and Wangaratta Councils in assisting us with event promotion, which contributed to our excellent crowd figures.”
May/June 2016
OODSTOCK SUPERCARS SUPERSPRINT
s year’s Winton event one to remember. Mr Lewis-Williams said discussions have already commenced to secure the future of Supercars at Winton.
Arena area where we had an extensive selection of team merchandise, gourmet food options and live band performances,” Mr Lewis-Williams said.
“We believe it’s very important to have Australia’s most prominent circuit racing category here each year from a regional development perspective, and we’re already working on a long-term agreement to secure the return of the Supercars Championship moving forward,” Mr Lewis-Williams said.
“It was all part of our plan to expand the spectator experience off the track as well as on it, and we have some more exciting ideas for future events.”
Following feedback from spectators at previous events, this year’s Winton SuperSprint featured a number of improvements including an upgraded online ticketing and campsite booking facility, an enhanced program of trackside entertainment and an expanded lineup of support categories. Mr LewisWilliams said all the improvements were very well received. “Over the weekend, there was a lot of positive feedback, especially in regards to the Auto One
The event also delivered excellent on-track action; the new surface produced lap records in every category and local team Brad Jones Racing dominated the Supercars, with Tim Slade taking victory on both Saturday and Sunday. Cameron Hill claimed a piece of history by winning the first-ever round of the Toyota 86 Series, while BAC member Taz Douglas won the Kumho V8 Touring Car round. The other category winners were Kim Jane (V8 Utes) and John Bowe (Touring Car Masters).
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SUPERCARS SUPERSPRINT
BAC Group CEO Chris Lewis-Williams gets interviewed during Sunday morning’s True Colour Track Walk.
Fabian Coulthard set a new lap record in his DJR Team Penske Falcon.
Holden Racing Team drivers Garth Tander and James Courtney endured a tough weekend on home soil.
Local band SMAC kept the crowd entertained with live performances in the Woodstock Garden Bar.
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May/June 2016
WEEKEND PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS
Cameron Hill clean-swept the inaugural Toyota 86 Series round.
Gerard McLeod emerged in first place after a chaotic reverse-grid Ute race.
Sunday podium celebrations
John Bowe won the round in Touring Car Masters.
Mark Winterbottom left the weekend as the Supercars points leader.
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AASA NSW State Championships Round 1Report
SRZ RACING WINS SUPER TRUCK OPENER The SRZ Racing Kenworth of Steven Zammit has prevailed in the opening round of the Australian Super Truck Championship at Wakefield Park on 7-8 May, Zammit taking the overall round win with victories in five of the six races. The only driver to defeat Zammit over the course of the weekend was Shannon Smith, also in a Kenworth, who won Race 3. Third place overall went to Marcus Prillwitz (Mack Superliner), who was unlucky to miss out on a win in Race 5, held in wet weather conditions, leading for most of the race before he was overtaken by Zammit in a drag race to the finish line. The trucks were supported by an assortment of support categories, which put on an entertaining show especially in Sunday’s wet weather conditions. In Formula Vee, Dylan Thomas looked set to dominate the weekend after qualifying on pole position and winning both Saturday races in the dry. However, Sunday’s wet weather worked to the advantage of Daniel Stein, who claimed victory in Races 3 and 4. The stage was set for a showdown between Thomas and Stein in Race 5 and Thomas led initially, but an electrical problem ended his day at the half-way point, clearing the way for Stein to take the overall round win ahead of the consistent Craig Sparke and Darren Williams.
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May/June 2016
Chad Cotton was the overall round winner of the Miniature Race Cars with four race wins; the other victory went to Jase Collins (second overall) while Scott Molloy completed the podium. In the Legend Cars, Kyle Angel dominated most of the weekend but scored a DNF in Race 2 when his bonnet came loose, handing the win to Greg Davis. The battle for the minor places was enthralling, with Mick Hebditch, Rick Christy, Glenn Mitchell and Clinton McKenzie involved in close dices across all five races. Chris Barry won the first PRB Clubman race and worked his way to the front in the second, reverse-grid race but spun on the last lap and was collected by Malcolm Lee, gifting John Moyes the win. Barry redeemed himself in Race 3, winning after an amazing recovery from a spin in Turn 10, before Stuart Shirvington produced one of the drives of the weekend to take out Race 4. Shirvington lost around 30 seconds with an off-track excursion early in the race, but fought his way back to the front with blistering lap times in the tricky conditions. The event also featured the Combined TT category, with a mix of MX5 Cup and Super TT cars. The MX5 wins were shared between Rob Hay, Verne Johnson and Cameron McArthur, with Johnson taking overall honours, while Jac Cousin (Jaguar E Type) took the overall win in the Super TT class ahead of Bill Kinnane in his new BMW 135i.
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Shannons Nationals Report
CHRIS ANTHONY BREAKS OUTRIG The long-standing outright lap record at Winton Motor Raceway has been broken at the Shannons Nationals on 11-12 June, a determined Chris Anthony becoming the fastest-ever driver around the nation’s action track during the final Formula 3 race, which was held as part of the weekend’s Shannons Australian Motor Racing Nationals. Driving his Gilmour Racing Dallara F311, Anthony recorded a 1:14.3401 on lap 14 of Sunday afternoon’s 18-lap F3 final, 0.2s underneath the previous record which had been held by Christian Murchison (Formula Holden) since July, 2000. Anthony achieved the lap record during a spirited, but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to chase down runaway race leader Tim Macrow. The two-time national F3 Champion won all three races over the
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weekend to extend his points lead. Anthony’s Gilmour Racing team-mate Cameron Shields finished third overall, improving throughout the weekend. Driving a V8-powered MARC Mazda 3, Jake Camilleri claimed overall honours in the Australian GT Trophy Series round, benefiting from some misfortune for his rivals. Camilleri finished the first of two 50-minute races in third place behind Greg Taylor (Audi R8) and Nick Rowe (MARC Mazda 3). Taylor again looked to be in control in Race 2, but scored a drive-through penalty for a pit stop infringement, while Rowe retired with a gearbox problem, enabling Camilleri to take the race and round victories. Taylor still finished second
May/June 2016
GHT WINTON LAP RECORD overall while Jack Smith (MARC Ford Focus) was third. Holden Racing Team Supercar endurance driver Jack Perkins entered the weekend with 12 consecutive race wins in the Kerrick Sports Sedan Series, aboard the John Gourlay-owned Audi A4, and Perkins extended the streak to 13 wins in Race 1. However, mechanical problems ruled Perkins out of Races 2 and 3, allowing nine-time champ Tony Ricciardello (Alfa GTV) to win the round from Michael Robinson (Holden Monaro) and Stuart Inwood (Chevrolet Corvette Trans-Am). Hamish Hardeman seized the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge lead with a clean-sweep of victories, including Saturday afternoon’s 35 lap Jim Richards Endurance Trophy race. Hardeman’s main opponent,
Jaxon Evans, was second in Race 1 but was eliminated from Race 2 in a second corner collision which also involved Ross McGregor, Brian Finn, Sam Shahin and Anthony Gilbertson. Porsche Junior driver Jake Klarich capitalised to take the runner-up spot ahead of Jim Campbell. Roger I’Anson won all three Sports Racer races in his West WR1000 with Aaron Steer finishing second overall in his brand-new West LMP4. Peter Johnson (Radical SR3) finished third overall, just edging out Benalla Auto Club committee member John Morriss (Radical SR3 RSX) for the final spot on the podium.
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SHANNONS NATIONALS PHOTOS
Hamish Hardeman scored his maiden victory in Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge.
Roger I’Anson clean-swept the Sports Racer round.
Jake Camilleri drove his MARC Mazda 3 V8 to the round victory in GT Trophy.
Tony Ricciardello added another Sports Sedan round win to his extensive collection, aboard the famous Alfa GTV.
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May/June 2016
UPDATED LAP RECORDS Category
Date
Driver
Car
Time
Outright
June, 2016
Christopher Anthony
Dallara F311 Mercedes
1:14.3401
Formula 3
June, 2016
Christopher Anthony
Dallara F311 Mercedes
1:14.3401
Formula Holden
July, 2000
Christian Murchison
Reynard
1:14.5697
Australian Sports Racer Series
June, 2016
Roger I'Anson
West WR 1000
1:19.0364
Supercars
May, 2016
Fabian Coulthard
Ford FG/X Falcon
1:19.7092
Over 2 Litre Sports Sedans
June, 2016
Jack Perkins
Audi A4
1:19.8777
Australian GT Championship
June, 2016
Greg Taylor
Audi R8 LMS Ultra GT3
1:21.6114
Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge
June, 2016
Hamish Hardeman
Porsche 911 GT3
1:21.8259
Radical Australia Cup
June, 2011
Jon Miles
Radical SR3
1:23.3342
V8 Touring Cars
May, 2016
Taz Douglas
Holden VE Commodore
1:23.3446
Porsche Carrera Cup
May, 2007
David Reynolds
Porsche 911 GT3
1:24.3765
V8 Supercars Development Series
April, 2004
Andrew Jones
Ford AU Falcon
1:24.5606
Super Touring
August, 1998
Jim Richards
Volvo S40
1:25.3181
Formula Ford
August, 2002
Jamie Whincup
Van Diemen RF01
1:26.2188
Marque Sports
May, 2005
David Stevens
Porsche
1:26.6358
Touring Car Masters
May, 2016
John Bowe
Holden Torana SL/R 5000
1:28.0049
Under 2 Litre Sports Sedans
May, 2015
Peter Beninca
Alfa Romeo GTV
1:28.1283
Production Sports
June, 2010
Justin Levis
Lotus Sport Elise
1:28.6473
Super TT
October, 2010
Hayden Pullen
Ford AU Falcon
1:29.5390
PRB Clubman
June, 2012
Stefan Versluis
PRB Composite
1:30.0595
Improved Production
March, 2012
Mark Ruta
Mazda 808
1:30.8301
Stock Cars
October, 2014
Michael Coulter
Chevrolet Oz Truck
1:30.9888
Winton 300
November, 2011
Hayden Pullen
Mazda RX7
1:31.1457
Group C
October, 2005
Phil Kirkham
Ford XE Falcon
1:31.3669
Future Touring
October, 2001
Ray Sidebottom
Holden VX Commodore
1:31.4544
Aussie Racing Cars
August, 2008
Ben McCashney
Ford AU Falcon
1:32.3118
Miniature Race Cars
September, 2015
Chad Cotton
Future Busa
1:32.3352
IROC Challenge
June, 2015
Rohan Little
Porsche 911 IROC
1:32.5169
GT Performance
September, 2003
Bob Pearson
Mazda RX7 Series 8
1:32.6533
Vic V8s
March, 2016
Mark Kakouri
Holden VH Commodore
1:32.7130
Commodore Cup
June, 2011
Drew Russell
Holden VS Commodore
1:34.9513
Formula Vee
July, 2015
Kieren Glover
Checkmate SP-02
1:35.0901 1:35.4726
Porsche 944 Challenge
March, 2016
Cameron Beller
Porsche 944
V8 Utes
May, 2016
David Sieders
Holden VE Commodore SS 1:35.8564
Mazda MX5 Cup
November, 2012
Nick Cancian
Mazda MX5
1:35.9149
Saloon Cars
June, 2011
Shawn Jamieson
Holden VT Commodore
1:37.2162
Appendix J
July, 1998
Ian G. Jones
Holden Torana XU-1
1:37.8448
Toyota 86 Series
May, 2016
Tim Brook
Toyota 86
1:38.0261
BMW Drivers Cup
July, 2014
Sean Bell
BMW E30 325i
1:38.1767
Pulsar Challenge
June, 2015
Matthew Femino
Nissan Pulsar
1:42.7131
HQ Holdens
May, 1998
Neville Haley
Holden HQ Kingswood
1:43.8275
Swift Series
June, 2013
Callan Sayers
Suzuki Swift
1:44.5525
Super Trucks
October, 2001
Inky Tulloch
Freightliner
1:45.0925
Excel Series
March, 2016
Jarrod Tonks
Hyundai Excel
1:45.5727
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Wakefield Park to Celebrate 40 Years of Historic Racing in September Wakefield Park will celebrate 40 years of historic racing in Australia when it hosts the 40th anniversary of the Vintage Sports Car Club of Australia (VSCCA)’s first race meeting on 17-18 September. The special event will commemorate Australia’s very first allhistoric race meeting, which was held at the now-defunct Amaroo Park circuit in 1976. The race meeting will include events for pre-1961 cars and motorcycles, and will be one of the few times an event has been held at Wakefield Park for both two and four-wheeled vehicles. The weekend will be themed as a re-enactment of that first 1976 historic meeting, with competitors and spectators encouraged to dress up in clothing from the era. There are also plans to include vintage car displays and trade stands to create a historic festival atmosphere. Wakefield Park operations manager, Matt Baragwanath said the Historic Car and Bike Festival will be an event for all age groups to enjoy. “It’s very exciting news for Wakefield Park, and the Goulburn region that we have been able to secure this event,” Mr Baragwanath said. “When Wakefield Park was built in 1994, one of its main purposes was to host historic racing events, and I was very passionate about ensuring we hosted a high-profile historic meeting at the venue. “Historic meetings appeal to very wide audiences, because the older generations enjoy reminiscing about the cars they grew up with, and the younger generations have an opportunity to see how motorsport was conducted in the ‘olden days’ – having an assortment of vintage cars and bikes for all ages to admire will make for a very special weekend.” The cars and bikes will be divided into groups based on age; cars expected to attend include Group J, K and L Sports and Racing Cars from manufacturers such as Lola and Elfin, while motorcycle brands will include Triumph, Indian and Harley Davidson. Further details, including admission prices and other promotional activities, will be released closer to the event.
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May/June 2016
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
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pitstop MATT BARAGWANATH Operations Manager, Wakefield Park Motorsport
Hello Members,
to gather those from the day all in one place at one time.
As the first half of the calendar year draws to a close we already have had several clients As a promotional tool, we have organised contacting us wanting to book their dates for for approx. 10 cars to be conducting 2017 – is it that time already??! a street parade in the main street of Goulburn on the Thursday before the Recently we have had our track inspections event, with assistance from our local involving our core key stakeholders, police ( as the cars are unregistered) we being MNSW/MA, NSW Police, AASA & will conduct a slow lap of town to let CAMS. Overall WP has fared well from the the town know the event is in town and inspections, with strong acknowledgment (hopefully) create interest for spectators. of considerable works completed over the last six months but with a commitment It is with pleasure that we welcome two of a works plan moving forward to all new staff members to WP. Kellie McGaw stakeholders to lift our track safety moving has commenced in finance and Julia forward. Hoban as our Café Manager. As we go to print for this report I am pleased to advise we have already initiated the works programme to remove dangerous track edges and improvements to gravel traps.
Both ladies bring a wealth of experience to their respective roles and have shown to be great team members so far so we wish them well with their future at WP.
In September this year WP will host the 40th Anniversary of the first ‘All Historic’ race meeting that was held at (the now defunct) Amaroo Raceway in Jan 1976 (I believe there would be plenty of BAC members that would recall this meeting!).
That’s it for now and remember, BAC members are welcome at Wakefield Park Anytime, either as a competitor, spectator, official or volunteer!
The meeting will focus on two, three and four wheeled historic race cars and bikes that were pre-1961 of the ‘era’ whom ran divisional races based on speed and capacity.
Matt
The Vintage Sports Car Club (VSCCA) in the day promoted the event successfully so again in 2016 the VSCCA are providing input in putting the event together with the knowledge and rich history the event needs
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Regards,
May/June 2016
Members at Play by Lachlan Mansell
Benalla Auto Club members have been competing far and wide over the last couple of months, visiting Western Australia and the Northern Territory, but plenty have been racing closer to home as well... and doing us proud with some great results. Porsche Rennsport Festival - Sydney Motorsport Park, 30 April-1 May Steven Richards and Dean Fiore both competed in the pair of one-hour Carrera Cup endurance races at the iconic Porsche Rennsport Festival. Richards teamed up with Dean Grant, while Fiore was partnered by Jake Camilleri. Richards/Grant finished 12th in both races; they were unlucky when a Safety Car was deployed late in the second race while they were inside the top five, and Grant was left to
battle against some fired-up Pro Class drivers in the final few laps. Fiore/Camilleri also had a tough weekend, finishing 14th and 13th in the two races. BAC committee member John Morriss competed in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge races at the Rennsport Festival, finishing sixth in the opening race but not starting the second or third races. Victorian State Racing Championships Phillip Island, 30 April-1 May The Rennsport Festival was not the only racetrack with Porsche racing on the first weekend of May, with the 944 Challenge in action at Phillip Island. BAC Group CEO Chris Lewis-Williams qualified fourth and improved to second in Steven Richards, Porsche Rennsport Festival.
nsport Festival.
Dean Fiore, Porsche Ren
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Taz Douglas, Dunlop Series, Barbagallo.
Race 1, setting the fastest lap of the race as he pursued Cameron Beller. CLW finished third in Race 2, ceding position to a charging Ryan Woods, before slipping back to seventh in Race 3 for an overall result of fourth. Bruce Henley was on double duty, racing his ex-Grand Am Mazda RX8 in Sports Sedans, and his ex-David Waldon RX8 in Improved Production. Henley’s weekend started on a positive note in Sports Sedans, with third place in Race 1. However he notched up a DNF in Race 2 before recoving to ninth in Race 3. In Improved Production, driving a car he admitted he was still learning, he finished 12th, 22nd and 23rd in the three races. Greg “Reggie” Wood was in action in the HQ Holdens and finished seventh, fifth and 13th in the three races. V8 Supecars Perth SuperSprint Barbagallo, 6-8 May Taz Douglas and Matt Chahda made the trek across to Perth to compete in Round 3 of the
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Dunlop Series. Douglas qualified his Eggleston Motorsport VE Commodore 11th, while Chahda was 19th on the grid in his FG Falcon. The opening race finished under red flag due to a sudden shower of rain; Douglas finished 11th and Chahda slipped back to 23rd. Both drivers improved in Race 2, held in dry conditions, Douglas moving up to 9th and Chahda demonstrating vastly improved race pace on his way to 13th. Some brilliant race-craft from Douglas in Race 3 allowed him to take second place behind Jack Le Brocq, Chahda was an unfortunate DNF due to mechanical problems. After the first three rounds of the series, Douglas is seventh in points, just eight behind team-mate Paul Dumbrell, while Chahda is 17th in the standings. Steven Richards was also in action in Perth, racing his BMW M6 in the Australian GT Championship. In a weekend where the focus was very much on development, he finished 19th in Race 1 and 18th in Race 2.
May/June 2016 Nathan Pretty, V8 Utes, Winton.
Matt Chahda, Ku mh
o Series, Winton.
Supercars Woodstock Winton SuperSprint - Winton Raceway, 2122 May The Winton Supercars round was a busy one for BAC members who were represented in three of the support categories. Not content with their Dunlop Series exploits, Taz Douglas and Matt Chahda competed in the second round of the Kumho Series. Douglas dominated the weekend to continue his unbeaten record for 2016. Chahda’s weekend was tougher, but after a gearbox failure in Race 1 which also ruled him out of Race 2, he charged through to fourth in Race 3. New BAC member Kane Baxter-Smith competed in the inaugural round of the Toyota 86 Series, and in a highly-competitive field he finished 13th, 18th and 27th in the three races. Nathan Pretty finished second in the opening V8 Ute race, but was turned around in the second, chaos-filled reverse grid race and dropped to last before recovering to ninth.
ota 86 Series, Winton. Kane Baxter-Smith, Toy
Pretty finished second again in Race 3 to take third for the round and trim David Sieders’ points lead to just 16. Victorian State Circuit Racing Championship - Sandown, 21-22 May While most of the focus was on the Winton Supercars round, a few BAC members were at Sandown competing in state-level racing on the same weekend. Benalla girl Ellexandra Best raced in the Excel Series; after qualifying 19th, she finished 12th, 16th and 14th in the three races. Bruce Henley again subjected himself to a hectic weekend by racing in both Improved Production and Sports Sedans. For the IPRA races, he parked the RX8 and reverted to his trusty RX7 instead, finishing 13th, 17th and 18th in the three races. He was closer to the front of the field in Sports Sedans, finishing fifth, fifth and third in the three races.
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pitstop Shannons Nationals - Phillip Island, 28-29 May Endurance racing was the focus for the Phillip Island Shannons Nationals event at the end of May. John Morriss competed in the pair of 50-minute Radical Australia Cup races, finishing second behind Peter Paddon in Race 1, but losing out in Race 2 due to the pitstop handicap time system and falling to seventh. Ellexandra Best competed in the Australian Production Car Series Great Southern Four Hour, driving the Lauren Gray Motorsport Toyota Echo alongside Liam Thompson. After surviving a mixture of weather conditions, they finished first in Class E and 13th outright, almost a lap ahead of the next best Class E car.
progrss was delayed by three separate tyre punctures. “We tried something a bit different today with starting Max in the car and doing a double stint, but once he got the puncture at the end of the first stint it became very difficult.,” Richards said. “The car has got some pace, which is great. That’s the good thing we’ll take away from the weekend.” Historic Winton - Winton Raceway, 28-29 May BAC Treasurer Geoff Calvert drove his Ralt RT4 in the 40th anniversary of the Austin 7 Club-run historic event on Winton’s club circuit. Calvert finished 10th in Race 1 and scored a DNF in Race 2, but charged to third in Race 3.
The opening round of the CAMS Australian Endurance Championship was also held at Phillip Island, with Steven Richards being joined in his BMW M6 by Max Twigg.
Several other BAC members also participated in the event, including Ian Tate (Group Lb) and Tony Hubbard, who chalked up a trio of top five finishes in Group N.
The pair finished 18th outright after their
Shannons Nationals - Winton Raceway, 11-
Steven Richards, Australian Endurance
Championship, Phillip Island.
24 Ellexandra Best, Australian Production Car Series, Phillip Island.
May/June 2016
Zak Best, Aussie Racing Cars, Hidden Valley.
12 June John Morriss entered his Radical SR3 RS-X in the Sports Racer category at the Winton Shannons Nationals round. In Races 1 and 2, Morriss was embroiled in a fierce contest with fellow Radical driver Peter Johnston. In Race 3, he finally got the better of Johnston and finished fourth outright, also taking fourth overall for the weekend. Bruce Henley was back in his Mazda RX8 for the Kerrick Sports Sedan round and finished 10th in the first two races, but did not finish the final. Supercars Crownbet Darwin Triple Crown Hidden Valley, 18-19 June Greg Wood made the trip up to Hidden Valley to compete in the HQ Holdens, which were combined with the Improved Production and Commodore Cup cars in one giant category. It proved to be a successful trip for Wood, who won the HQ class in all three races. Following his Phillip Island success, Zak Best
returned to the Aussie Racing Cars for Round 3 of the 2016 series. The 14-year-old finished 18th in Race 1 and 19th in Race 2. In the reverse-grid Race 3, he crossed the finish line inside the top 10 only to be relegated to 26th due to a post-race penalty. Best redeemed himself with a strong drive to 13th in the fourth and final race, and held onto 14th in the series standings. Steven Richards and Dean Fiore were back in action for Round 4 of the Porsche Carrera Cup. Richards finished the three races fifth, fourth and third, while Fiore was 11th, seventh and fourth. At the half-way point of the season, Richards and Fiore are fifth and ninth in the points standings.
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pitstop
Festival of Speed Returns to Winton, 6-7 August
The annual historic Festival of Speed, run by the Victorian Historic Racing Register (VHRR) will return to Winton Raceway on 6-7 August. This year’s event will feature a blockbuster program with a variety of popular historic racing categories. Highlights include: • • • • • • • • • •
Just Cars Touring Car Cup - 50km feature race for Group N historic touring cars Rose City Sports Car Trophy - 15 lap feature race for Group S historic production sports Round 3 of the HQ Holden FUSO Interstate Challenge MG Racing Groups P, Q and R Groups J, K and L Groups M and O Historic Formula Ford Historic Formula Vee Groups C and A 1970s and 80s touring cars.
The event will again be held on the full national circuit and will be the first time many of these historic cars have raced on the new surface. As usual there will be plenty of off-track entertainment including trade stands and historic car displays so be sure to get yourself trackside that weekend!
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May/June 2016
WHAT’S ON
at Wakefield Park and Winton PARK RACEWAY
Winton Events 1 July 2-3 July 8 July 9 July 10 July 11 July 15 July 16-17 July 22 July 23 July 25 July 29 July 30 July 31 July 2 August 4 August 5-7 August 11 August 12 August 13 August 14 August 19 August 20 August 21 August 26 August 27 August 28 August
Wakefield Park Events Test & Tune - Cars/Openwheelers VMRC Round 2 Test & Tune - Cars/Openwheelers Speedway Day MSCA Club Day Test & Tune - Motorcycles Test & Tune - Cars/Openwheelers BMW Car Club Test & Tune - Cars/Openwheelers Jaguar Car Club Test & Tune - Cars/Openwheelers Test & Tune - Cars/Openwheelers Fun Day Honda Nationals Performance Test Day - Sedans Test & Tune - Cars/Openwheelers Festival of Speed Test & Tune - Motorcycles Test & Tune - Cars/Openwheelers Circuit Club Porsche Club Victoria Test & Tune - Cars/Openwheelers Benalla Cruise & Shine Nulon Sprint Series Test & Tune - Cars/Openwheelers BP/Pedders Winton Sprints Rd4 Champion of Winton Rd2
1 July 2-3 July 7 July 8 July 9 July 10 July 14 July 15 July 16-17 July 20 July 23 July 24 July 25 July 28 July 29 July 30-31 July 5 August 6-7 August 10 August 11 August 13 August 14 August 17 August 19 August 20-21 August 24 August 25 August
Test & Tune - Race Cars CAMS NSW State Champs Rd4 Test & Tune - Race Cars Wakefield Park Ride Day Circuit Club Track Day Club Speed off the Streets - Street Cars Test & Tune - Race Cars AASA NSW State Champs Trackschool Speed off the Streets - Street Cars Wakefield Park Ride Day Test & Tune - Race Cars Speed off the Streets - Street Cars Trackschool V8 Race Wakefield Park Ride Day St George Motorcycle Club GEAR Speed off the Streets - Street Cars Test & Tune - Race Cars MRA Round 4 Trackschool Test & Tune - Race Cars CAMS NSW State Champs Rd 5 Test & Tune - Race Cars Speed off the Streets - Street Cars
The NSW Excel Racing Series will host a one-hour endurance race at Wakefield Park at the AASA state round in July.
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