HTCAV – 2023 HISTORIC SANDOWN REPORT - JUST CARS

HTCAV – 2023 Historic Sandown report

Words: Darren Knight and Chris Ralph

Photos: Phil Wisewould

The famous circuit in the heart of Melbourne’s suburbs (that turns 60 in 2024) saw the Under and Over 2 Litre classes separated, with good representation from both. Of the larger-engined machinery, an especially impressive line-up featured no fewer than nine Mustangs, seven Camaros… and five Queenslanders!

Group One – Under 2 Litre and Invited Cars

The sizzling hot Friday practice taxed man and machine alike, with a line of cars on trailers returning home for major surgery. David Forbes hauled his rapid XK Falcon to Nagambie for an engine transplant, while Philip Barrow needed a new gearbox (yet again) for his fast and furious FJ. Both would return, which proved to be a smart move...

Race 1, Saturday afternoon

The last few seasons have seen Richard Hill become one of the quickest Mini pilots in the country, so it was no great surprise to see him snare pole and then bolt away in the opening race. Long-time racer and recent historic tourer Kim Shearn showed much improved speed in his Lotus Cortina, battling the similar machine of Peter van Summeren for the podium. Behind them, the Forbes Falcon and Barrow FJ were absolutely glued to each other in the first of three ridiculously good battles for the weekend.

Comeback Kid Steve Russell-Clark (Austin A40) picked up where he left off many moons ago, terrorising Cortinas, with Mick Stupka (Mk I) and Gordon Cox (MkII) the targets in Race 1. NSW’s John Harrison pushed the ex-Darren Pearce ‘Violet Crumble’ Cortina past the Mini of Graeme Hill who almost tipped the brick after clouting a few kerbs, allowing Don Knight (Cortina) through.

Richard Hill took an easy win, with second place handed to Shearn after van Summeren retired with a broken axle. Forbes just held out Barrow for third.

First timer Peter Olver posted a debut race finish in his very neat EH, a welcome addition to the thinning pre `65 Holden ranks.

Race 2 – Sunday morning

Shearn made a great start in R2 to lead until Richard Hill gathered him up into Dandenong Road Corner. Barrow headed Forbes briefly, with Les Walmsley (Cortina), Harrison and ‘Best Presented Winner’ Mike George (Lotus Cortina) all dicing very hard as van Summeren (new diff and quick dyno session overnight) clawed up the order from the rear of grid.

Stupka turned the tables on Cox as Hill won, while van Summeren and Shearn completed the podium, leading eight other Cortinas in the model’s 60th year of racing. Harrison took pushrod Cortina honours from Walmsley and Knight. In the famous Falcon/FJ fight, Forbes squeaked home 0.4 secs ahead of Barrow over the eight laps.

Race 3 – Sunday afternoon.

Richard Hill again put the hammer down in the final and built a handy lead early until Russell-Clark broke a hub in the A40, three-wheeling to a stop and bringing out the Safety Car. After the restart, it was a single lap sprint to the line, Forbes dropped back after a power-sapping exhaust leak slowed the Early Bird. Barrow took full advantage, climbing on to the podium behind winner Hill and runner up van Summeren. Harrison was fourth, with George just beating home Walmsley and Knight.

The Makulu Vehicle Services Group 1 Driver of the Meeting Award went to Richard Hill for his flawless weekend.

Group Two – Over 2 Litres

Qualifying set the weekend up for Queenslander Craig Allan, his 1m20.28s pole time in the ex-Darryl Hansen `69 Fastback Mustang being 1.6 secs quicker than the Camaro of Trevor Talbot, who defended Victorian honour from Ian Mewett and Graeme Wakefield in their Sunshine State Mustangs. Vic’s Adrian Moyle was next in the Camaro, ahead of SA’s Adam Smith (hi to the economists out there) in his XW Falcon; the Sandown debutant later winning applause for his rocket starts. With the first 16 places occupied by V8s, six-cylinder grid honours went to the Chargers of Ben Dahlstrom and Craig Miles, ahead of Torana pilots Stephen Pillekers and Qld’s David Streat.

Race 1 – Saturday afternoon

The opener came to an early and very messy end with the red flag unfurled after two laps when the HQ Monaro of former six-cylinder HQ front runner John Alessi suffered a major blow up and deposited virtually all its engine oil across the track.

Race 2 – Sunday morning

Allan replicated his rapid getaway from the previous day to grab the holeshot, while Smith had the big XW in second before Talbot pushed up the inside. Former XY Falcon racer Wayne Purdon was back after many years away, this time in a brand-new `68 Camaro (awarded Best Presented in Group 2) that he’ll share with son Beau.

A massive plume of smoke signalled the end of Michael Miceli’s meeting with his Boss 302 Mustang suffering an engine failure and again bringing out the Safety Car. At the resumption, Moyle was showing huge speed as reigning Club Champ Pete Meuleman (Mustang) just held out the returning Daniel Myers in his gleaming 308 Holden powered Kingswood. Stephen Scales (Camaro) tagged the fence after contact with Tony Hubbard (Camaro) and Miles copped a big hit in the side of his Charger from the Chev Nova of Willie Van Wersch at T1.

As Mewett got past Smith for third towards the end of the 8 lapper, Streat bested Pillekers in the battle of the Toranas.

Allan took an untroubled win, with Talbot a strong second in the Chev that has taken a couple of seasons to endear itself to its current custodian, having originally appeared with Angelo Taranto behind the wheel.

Race 3 - Sunday afternoon

Smith made it three from three perfect starts to grab an early second place behind Allan before Talbot and Mewett both snuck past. In an eventful first lap, Moyle came under pressure from the Mustangs of Wakefield and the soon-to-retire Graeme Woolhouse, while Myers stopped after a diff destroyed itself at T5. Meanwhile, Miles crunched into the rear of fellow Mopar man Dahlstrom as the brakes disappeared and he promptly retired.

Meuleman nipped the Nb Mustang under Geoff Munday’s Camaro, with the stunning new Mustang of WA’s Ray Hepburn (finished in Bud Moore Trans Am colours) lining up to do the same when affairs ended early. Smith had stopped with a fuelling issue in the Falcon at T5, which stopped the race. No yellow flags, just red as lap five of eight was the last tour.