2013 Phillip Island Classic Motor Races

[Steve Holmes]

The recent Phillip Island Classic, run by the Victorian Historic Racing Register, has become one of the most significant events on the international historic racing calendar. This years event, held on March 7-10, featured some impressive fields, and a big international entry, particularly that of the big-bore Sports Car field.

Grids included:

Historic Groups M & O for historic single seaters and sports cars
Historic Formula Ford & Formula Vee
Historic Groups Sa & Sb for production sports cars
Historic Group C & Group A Touring Cars
Historic Groups Q & R (Formula Atlantic etc) and Formula 5000
Group Nb & Nc Historic Touring Cars
Historic Groups J, Ka, Kb, Lb Historic early sports cars
Groups Sbd & Sc '60s & 70s production sports cars
Sports Prototype, GT and Can-Am cars

The last group for the Can-Am etc field looks especially exciting, with a big grid of cars. Several Can-Am cars from Aus, the UK, and the US are entered, including the Gary Wilson Sting GW1, complete with 9 litre big block Chevy! Also, Rusty French is entered in this field with his old John Sands Porsche 935 which he won the Australian GT championship with in 1983. I see Larry Perkins is also in this race in the old Kevin Bartlett De Tomaso Pantera.

Race results can be viewed through Natsoft: http://racing.natsoft.com.au/results/#2

[bry3500]

[bry3500]

[Steve Holmes]

Nice find Bry! Isn't the sound from the Matra just fantastic! The Sports Car field is pretty impressive, even if the two Porsche 956s look slightly out of place. Would have still been a thrill to see them.

[Habu]

"The last group for the Can-Am etc field looks especially exciting, with a big grid of cars. Several Can-Am cars from Aus, the UK, and the US are entered, including the Gary Wilson Sting GW1, complete with 9 litre big block Chevy! Also, Rusty French is entered in this field with his old John Sands Porsche 935 which he won the Australian GT championship with in 1983. I see Larry Perkins is also in this race in the old Kevin Bartlett De Tomaso Pantera."

Was lucky enough to go to Rusty French's house at his quarry about 8 years ago. A good friend of mine restored the two black 935's for him, and he also owned the Alan Jones car - maybe he still does? At the time, he owned the largest collection of 935's in the world - not even the Porsche factory had 3 x 935's! He and his wife were fantastic hosts, and he had quite a collection of interesting cars - not all that he owned were at his home, but impressive none the less.

[Steve Holmes]

Did you happen to take any photos? I believe its the ex-Alan Jones car that he races most in historic events now, and which was at Phillip Island on the weekend. Jones raced it in the 1982 Australian GT/Sports Sedan Championship, for Alan Hamilton, as part of a two-car team which included Colin Bond in a Porsche 944. There were 9 Rounds, seven of which contained two heats, and Jones won every single one of them! Rusty French was also racing a 935, but his car wasn't as quick as the Jones car. At the end of the season Hamilton disbanded his race team, and French bought the Jones 935, and won the 1983 GT/Sports Sedan Championship with it, repainted in the black of his John Sands sponsorship.

One of our members, Chad Raynal (OCTARD-USA) raced against Rusty at Laguna Seca a few years back. Chad was in his Chevy DeKon Monza.

[Habu]

Did you happen to take any photos? I believe its the ex-Alan Jones car that he races most in historic events now, and which was at Phillip Island on the weekend. Jones raced it in the 1982 Australian GT/Sports Sedan Championship, for Alan Hamilton, as part of a two-car team which included Colin Bond in a Porsche 944. There were 9 Rounds, seven of which contained two heats, and Jones won every single one of them! Rusty French was also racing a 935, but his car wasn't as quick as the Jones car. At the end of the season Hamilton disbanded his race team, and French bought the Jones 935, and won the 1983 GT/Sports Sedan Championship with it, repainted in the black of his John Sands sponsorship.

One of our members, Chad Raynal (OCTARD-USA) raced against Rusty at Laguna Seca a few years back. Chad was in his Chevy DeKon Monza.

Hi Steve,

No, didnt take any photos. The two black Skye Sands cars were both rebuilt at the same time, by my friend. The Alan Jones car was in the same shed still painted white etc, and in parts awaiting a rebuild. Rusty also had a Porsche 911 promotional car that toured around painted similarly to the cars he raced. He also had a De Tomaso Pantera waiting restoration, that I was told is one of the only Group 5 Tomaso's left in the world - was a cool looking car. All the Porsches and the Tomaso were kept together in the large garage / shed closest to his house.

He certainly had some cool stuff - loads more in his "big" shed too. His wife was lovely as well - from memory she represented Australia at the Olympics in equestrian? She talked horses with my wife, while I drooled over the cars.

I believe Rusty is quite reclusive, and we were very lucky to meet and chat with him, he was a really nice bloke, who was happy to talk about his cars. My personal favourite was his Group C XD Falcon, or maybe his Viper GT car, or his 3 x 935's, or his Ferrari Daytona, or maybe it was........you get the picture. Oh, and I only saw about half of what he owned apparently.

[bry3500]

This is pretty cool

[fullnoise68]

Steve, Bob Homewood went over to this meeting, maybe he`s got a few photos to put on here.

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks Steve, yeah I knew he'd been across for it, I should ask him. I've been waiting on some official photos from the event, but these can take a while to receive.

[John B]

WOW! I had no idea that this event attracted such a high calibre of car. The Phillip Island Classic has now been added to my 'bucket list' - along with Classic Le Mans and Goodwood.

The field in the Sportscar / CanAm race was spectacular - Shadow DN4; Porsche 935, 936 & 962; Matra 670; March CanAm; McLaren; Alfa; lots of Lolas; etc, etc, etc! Anyone know what a big, low, white coupe was?

[jnr356]

de tomaso,driven by larry perkins

[bob homewood]

Yes sorry I have been busy but I can post up some photos if you want me to,but I will probably have to send them to you Steve

[GD66]

Here's a report with pics from Vince Johnson...

http://www.sportscardigest.com/phill...rt-and-photos/

[Steve Holmes]

OK, the wait is over, here are the first of the photos from the 2013 Phillip Island Classic. At this stage I've got photos from Steve Dansie and Brent Murray, and there is some really stunning imagery here. First up are shots from Steve Dansie. If you'd like to purchase any large format copies of Steve's photos, his email address is: dansiesme@bigpond.com

[Steve Holmes]

Kicking things off, are a couple of pics of the amazing De Tomaso Pantera, which was competing in the Sports Car races against the Can-Am cars etc. It was driven at PI by Larry Perkins! This was was first raced back in the 1985 Australian GT/Sports Sedan championship by Kevin Bartlett.

[Steve Holmes]

This is Harry Reads McLaren M8C. Anyone got any history on this car? Obviously its a 1970 customer car, but thats all I know.

[Steve Holmes]

This McLaren M8E is owned by the Bowden family in Queensland. It was raced in the Can-Am in 1971 by Vic Elford.

[Steve Holmes]

PI was treated to the site of not one, but two Matra 670Bs, which put up a great showing against the big block cars.

[Steve Holmes]

The famous Dan Gurney raced McLaren M6B 'McLeagle', in its high-wing 1969 guise.