HTCAV – 2022 Island Magic report
Words: Darren Knight
Photos: Phil Wisewould
What’s in a name? There’s always something magic about the last meeting of the year and a huge field of over 40 JUST CARS Historic Tourers made this season’s edition of PIARC’s Island Magic something special.
For the 32nd edition of Island Magic, drivers came from every state in Australia, ensuring fierce battles right through the order. Six Camaros, six Mustangs, three Falcons and a lone Monaro bellowed a V8 tune, with roaring sixes, howling rotaries and screaming fours making all the action at the 26-27 November event as good to listen to as it was to watch.
Qualifying – a non-record record
The two West Australian `69 Chev Camaros of Paul Stubber and Aldo De Paoli locked out the front row, with Stubber recording the fastest Group N lap time ever of 1.45.17 – but qualy times don’t count for the record book.
Trevor Talbot (`68 Camaro) and the incredibly quick Mazda RX-2 of Darren Hossack were on Row 2, followed by Darcy Russell’s Fastback Mustang and Nathan Gordon’s HQ Monaro. Behind them, Chris Stern’s ’68 Trans Am Mustang, Tasmanian Mick Cross’s Torana, Glenn Miles’s Charger and Andrew Beard’s Camaro rounded out the top ten.
Geoff Munday (Camaro) qualified just outside this group, as did Quentin Bland (Capri), Peter Meuleman (Mustang) and the always pacey David Brown (Datsun 1600), while Joe Calleja took his Mustang back from John Bowe for this event and qualified in 22nd.
A 40-car field meant there were some unfamiliar faces and these included the aforementioned Andrew Beard in the ex-Graham Jarrett `69 Camaro and Adrian Moyle in a ’68 Camaro formerly campaigned by WA’s Greg Freeman. There was also the Mini-mounted WA pair of Cono Onofaro and Dan Forster. There were some familiar faces in unfamiliar machinery, too, like former Torana man Stephen Pillekers in a Mazda RX-2.
Beyond the WA pair of Onofaro and Forster, other Mini pilots to make the trek to Phillip Island included the quick Jason Armstrong and even quicker Justin Elvin from SA, Graeme Hill in brother Richard’s Cooper S and NSW’s Adam Bressington.
The Cortina contingent was equally strong, with seven entered, led by Peter George (Lotus Cortina), the best qualifier of this group, and including Jerry Lenstra, Les Walmsley, Mick Stupka and the unrelated Michael and Peter George.
Race One – big drama, little result
Out went the lights. And up went De Paoli’s arm out of the window as he stalled on the line. There were some close calls, but everyone avoided the stationary Chev before it finally fired up and joined the race - right at the back of the pack.
Usually, such a situation could have (and likely would have) resulted in some form of contact, but the recent acquisition of one-way radios by the HTCAV to enable race control to warn drivers of such incidents certainly paid off in no uncertain terms in this instance.
Onofaro found himself the subject of the next radio transmission after his Mini exited the final corner onto Phillip Island's main straight slightly wide, spinning rapidly and spearing into the inside concrete barrier before bouncing back into the middle of the track. Cars went everywhere in avoidance, with Michael George slewing sideways and just being clipped by the unsighted Lenstra.
The red flags came out shortly after, which due to earlier delays meant there was no restart. Only two laps had been completed of the nine scheduled, so the race was declared a non-event. A frustrating Saturday for all.
Race Two – back in business big time
With a line put through Saturday’s Race 1, the second outing for the JUST CARS Historic Tourers on Sunday morning would now determine the winner of the Alan McKelvie Trophy; an award instigated at last year’s Island Magic in honour of the former Torana and Mustang racer.
De Paoli had no starting problems this time, blasting away in secure fashion, but it would be Stubber that took the early lead.
Moyle’s stunning black and silver Camaro retired with a blown clutch, but he did score the Best Presented Award as some consolation.
More drama for the Bow Tie Brigade came in the form of Stubber retiring with smoke trailing from his Camaro thanks to a blown rear brake cylinder.
Tassie Torana tyro Cross became immersed in a huge battle with Stern’s Mustang and Miles’s Charger, while reigning HTCAV champ Meuleman battled Elvin in a resumption of their spirited Mustang v Mini contest from the Supercar round at The Bend earlier in the year.
A lot was already happening in the 6-lap race when drizzle began to dampen some parts of the circuit, which combined with concerted pressure from Hossack, saw Gordon slide his HQ Monaro into the gravel trap at Southern Loop, bringing out the Safety Car.
At the resumption, De Paoli scooted away to lead from Talbot as Hossack finally rounded up the ever-improving Boss Mustang of Russell; the purple Mazda hiking its front wheels in spectacular fashion.
Stern and Beard got the better of Cross late in the race, while Miles’s impressive run came to naught when he looped the Charger at Miller Corner (the old Honda hairpin) on the final lap.
On a track made thoroughly greasy by the rain, De Paoli took the win and the McKelvie Trophy, followed by Talbot, Hossack, Russell, Stern and newcomer Beard.
The Mini cabal mentioned earlier had been in cahoots to make Island Magic a sort of unofficial champs for the little bricks. Elvin and Armstrong were the short-priced favourites for this race within a race, ahead of Bressington and Hill, while Onofaro’s early exit left Forster to fly the flag alone for WA. In the end, ninth outright and a 1.55 lap time in Race 2 settled the argument in Elvin’s favour.
Race Three – the Victorian Historic Touring Car Trophy
With a much drier track greeting competitors for the finale, De Paoli wasted little time in building a lead, while rear-of-grid starter Stubber had plenty of time in this race’s 13 scheduled laps to mow down the 37 cars in front of him and challenge for the win towards the end.
By the end of lap two, Stubber was already into fifth place, running three wide (and sometimes sideways) on occasion as other drivers were engrossed in hard fought battles of their own.
Munday was on the move, too, pitching his Camaro into a big fight with Miles and Meuleman inside the top ten but had a ten-second penalty hanging over his head for a starting infringement.
Further back, the Cortinas of Walmsley and a battle scarred Lenstra fought tooth and nail, as did South Aussies, Elvin and Kirk Davis (Mazda).
When the last lap board appeared one lap early, Stubber was all over the rear of De Paoli and looking for a way through. With the chequer at the ready and only a couple of corners to go, Stubber’s bellowing number 31 nipped inside to snatch the lead and just held on to win in an excitingly close finish.
It was hard to judge what was Stubber’s more impressive performance – the last lap lunge on De Paoli or the 36 other cars he’d passed to get there.
Talbot finished third in front of Hossack, followed by Russell, Stern and Miles. Although Munday greeted the chequer in eighth, he was bumped back to thirteenth after the time penalty was applied, elevating Meuleman, who also emerged the Group Nb (pre `65) winner.
The level of attrition across the weekend meant that only 26 finishers were classified for Race 3, with some of the casualties including Gordon, Calleja, Beard (who’d also received a time penalty before retiring), Pillekers, Stupka and Michael George.
Elvin claimed the trophy for Best Performed Mini, with the Makulu Vehicle Storage Driver of the Meeting award going to Hossack.
A Fitting Finale
As ever, Island Magic lived up to its name in 2022, rounding out a full year of competition in grand style. The JUST CARS Historic Touring Cars return to the fray at Sandown in February before they’re back at the Island Classic in March with two huge grids of old-time racing.
