BUMPER CROWD PACKS LAKESIDE FOR TOURING CAR FESTIVAL

The fourth and final of Lakeside's 50th anniversary celebration race meetings, the Lakeside Classic Festival of Touring Cars saw more than 160 historic touring cars line up in seven categories for two days of amazing on-track action at the Sunshine Coast circuit.

The weekend was designed as a tribute to Lakeside's rich history of touring car racing, which includes highlights such as Dick Johnson's titanic battle with Peter Brock to secure his maiden Australian Touring Car Championship in 1981. Johnson's famous Tru-Blu XD Falcon was on show across the weekend, along with his 1978 and 1979 XC Falcon Coupes.

In the weekend's main event, the Group A/C category, the mighty Godzilla R32 Nissan Skyline triumphed yet again. The car that carried Jim Richards to victory in the 1991 Australian Touring Car Championship, now owned and driven by Terry Ashwood, took the chequered flag in three of the four Group A/C races over the weekend. Glenn Seton was a close second in the 1985 Pinepac Mustang, with Carey McMahon in the Nissan Skyline HR31 wrapping up third.

All categories provided spectacular racing on the fast, unforgiving Lakeside circuit, with the two fields of Group N historic touring cars, boasting BMW 2002s, Ford Escorts, Mazda RX2s and more being a particular highlight. HQ Holdens, Trans Am cars and Geminis joined the party, too.

As well as the cars, a number of former touring car drivers were on hand for the occasion, too, with event Grand Marshal Jim Richards, John French, Kevin Bartlett, John English, Barry Seton & Glenn Seton all competing or driving demo laps throughout the weekend. Vehicle owners competing in the show & shine, including the HSV Owners Club of Qld, also hit the circuit, driving cruise laps of Lakeside in front of a packed house.