HTCAV – 2020 Island Magic Pearl report
Words: Chris Ralph
Photos: Phil Wisewould
With some competitors choosing not to trust 2020 any further but to keep their powder dry for 2021, numbers were down across all categories at Island Magic Pearl this past 28-29 November.
Perhaps there was something in that – a few grumpy HTC cars spat the dummy, while a massive power outage on Saturday night threatened to halt the meeting then and there. And the weather was definitely not the usual benign early summer fare.
Clempson’s early form
A dozen cars fronted for qualifying, with Andy Clempson’s Mustang taking an easy pole with a 1.51.7 lap. Next best with a 1.53.2 was the vastly experienced Wayne Rogerson, the ex-NSW driver with a competition record stretching back to the 1960s. Now based in Victoria, Rogerson slotted his black 2-door Mazda RX-2 on to the front row, showing that even in his mid-70s, he’s lost none of his speed.
Peter McNiven would put his red RX-2 onto the second row of the grid with a 1.53.3 that was just two tenths ahead of the faithful 289 Mustang of Harry Bargwanna. On row three, it was Alan McKelvie’s ’68 Mustang and Harry’s twin brother Alf in the Torana.
The usually front-running Michael Miceli had both ignition and fuel problems in his Mustang Fastback, sputtering into seventh, ahead of the Nb Mustangs of Bill Trengrove and new driver Peter Meuleman, who was making his Phillip Island debut. The lone Cortina of Simon Browning completed the grid.
Hard luck stories in practice and qualifying included a first lap retirement for Darren Jones with a broken clutch fork in his 289 Mustang, while the Mazda RX-2 of James McNiven was out with a damaged gearbox, but would return on Sunday. The Camaro of poor Brent Trengrove never turned a wheel on Saturday, but kind dad Bill would lend him the 289 Mustang for the Sunday races.
No such luck for Dom Leo, who had hoped to try out his newly purchased ’68 Mustang before a driveline issue also sidelined him in Friday’s practice session.
First race flier
Saturday’s 8-lap preliminary race saw Andy Clempson in the Allan Moffat Union Shipping-liveried Mustang streak from pole into a short-lived lead before the gearbox broke on lap one. Both Bargwanna twins were out one lap from the end; Harry with an impressive petrol fire after running strongly in a thrilling three-Mustang, two-Mazda scrap that carried on without him to the flag.
With Clempson out, McKelvie took a fine debut win, keeping the ex-Fraser Ross/Jim Richards/Drew Marget ’68 Mustang less than a second ahead of Peter McNiven and Rogerson in their furiously dicing Mazdas.
Just a few seconds in arrears was Bill Trengrove, ahead of fellow 289 Mustang punter Meuleman as he learnt the ropes, followed by a very lonely Simon Browning in the Cortina. Michael Miceli’s woes continued…
But the 2020 hex wasn’t finished yet…
Following the opening day’s competition, a regional power outage crashed the Island’s electrics, causing havoc, late night labour and a shortening of Sunday morning’s races. Thus, it was only three laps that faced our small band of HTC warriors for Sunday’s opener - but what a sprint to the flag it was.
Peter McNiven’s Mazda led the first lap off the front row, with McKelvie in hot pursuit and Miceli soon fighting for the lead from the back row, only to retire yet again with electrical issues.
By the end of lap two, McKelvie had taken the lead, Rogerson had surged from fourth to second ahead of Peter McNiven, the Torana of Alf Bargwanna and Brent Trengrove in dad’s Mustang.
That’s the way it remained to the chequered flag, with less than a second covering the first three and a mere tenth between the Mazdas. Phew! James McNiven, gearbox fixed, brought his Mazda home in sixth ahead of Meuleman’s Mustang.
McKelvie must have been very pleased: two wins and a Repco Best Presented award to top it off.
Persistence pays for Miceli
Finally fixing his gremlins, Miceli made very sure of his win in the 10-lap Old Car Radios Fixed Historic Touring Car Trophy on Sunday afternoon. Setting a fastest lap of 1.51.6, the big blue Fastback Mustang finished 15 seconds clear of a tight battle between the next four cars.
Second position changed hands four times between McKelvie, Rogerson, Peter McNiven and Brent Trengrove. In the end, Wily Wayne Rogerson took second on lap eight with Trengrove sneaking ahead of Peter McNiven into third.
McKelvie, James McNiven and Mueleman followed them home after Alf Bargwanna had an issue with the Torana.
Sully’s Special
It was a proud moment for JUST CARS HTCAV sponsor Mark Sully of Old Car Radios Fixed to see a cup engraved with his business name being presented by Phillip Island Auto Racing Club organiser Geoff Bull. He’d leapt at the chance to sponsor the HTC event but hadn’t counted on also being roped in to help fix the big power outage that threatened to draw the curtain on the whole show.
As the name says, Old Car Radios Fixed fixes car radios - everything from early valve radios to about 2000 vintage. Look for them on FaceBook.
Back to the Island
The JUST CARS Historic Touring Cars will be back at Phillip Island on 5-7 March for the VHRR’s Phillip Island Classic. If all goes well, that could be a spectator event with all the bells and whistles.
One mystery solved
Sharp-eyed readers will have noticed a couple of question marks next to the years 1985 and 1987 in the roll call of HTCAV Club champions featured in JUST CARS #301.
Now, confirmation comes from early member Peter Winter that he was indeed the first Club Champion in 1985, driving his EH Holden.
The Club Championship of the Appendix J Register of Victoria (former name of the HTCAV) was then known as the Eskay Valves Championship for Overall Results, and as with all trophies in the ’80s (along with many other things!), it was huge.
Based on class results, Peter outscored Mustang drivers Denis O’Brien and John Mann to take the crown in ‘85. All we need now is someone to come forward to claim 1987!
And while we’re on the subject…
Names and genealogy were mixed up when writing about Eddie Dobbs’ ex-Graeme Blanchard FE Holden in JUST CARS #299. Reference was made to current Supercar driver Tim Blanchard being related to Graeme, which is not the case. Tim is actually the son of John Blanchard, also a race driver of the day - but the two families are not related. According to Graeme’s son Ian, the erroneous Graeme/Tim connection is made all the time. We apologise for adding to the confusion!
