HTCAV - 2024 Island Classic report

Words: Darren Knight

Photos: Phil Wisewould (unless indicated)

Ahead of this year’s edition of the Phillip Island Classic Festival of Motorsport, the recent resurfacing of the 4.445km Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit meant new lap records were possible, but a brutal (and very rare) hot northerly wind would have something to say about that. Another factor for the JUST CARS racers to consider was the inclusion of rolling starts for the first time...

With the 2024 Island Classic drawing entrants from all over Australia (as it does every year), the Over 2 Litres and Under 2 Litres Historic Touring fields were separated and would run their own races, with four starts for the big cars and five for the little ones. Of the former, their longest race would be ten laps, while the latter would test their mettle over a maximum of six laps. Some short and sharp four-lap events were on the programme for both.  

Over 2 Litres

Race 1, Friday afternoon, 4 laps

WA’s Paul Stubber (Chev Camaro) secured pole in the Over 2 Litre class that numbered 33 entrants, then blasted away in the opening race. Camaro compadre and fellow Sandgroper Aldo De Paoli was stuck to Stubber’s tail, with Ian Mewett (Mustang) matching them until the gearbox cried enough on the second lap.

Due to a flag infringement in qualifying, Mewett’s teammate and 2023 Island Magic winner, Craig Allan (Mustang), started the opening race from the back of the grid, but was soon charging up the order – making up more than ten places on the first lap alone.

A spin and stall for the Torana of Reece Moyle brought out the Safety Car, while dad Adrian Moyle (Camaro) came under attack from the Toranas of Andrew Williams and Daniel Van Stokrom when racing went green with one lap to go.

Stubber won the opener, just holding out De Paoli and NSW’s son-and-father pair, Jamie Tilley (Mustang) and Brad Tilley (Mustang). The elder Moyle was next, just fending off the Torana of Williams, while Allan finished an impressive seventh from the back of the grid.

Race 2, Saturday morning, 5 laps

There was drama at the start with Ray Hepburn’s Mustang fracturing a brake line heading into Turn 1, spearing him across the track an side-on into the Armco. Following cars were lucky not to collect the big fastback as it limped back to the pits. Peter Baguley (Torana) and Rob van Stokrom (Mustang) also failed to complete the first lap.

Jason Humble (Mazda) harassed the daylights out of Williams in a great battle for sixth as Allan dropped places with clutch issues. Further back, Graeme Woolhouse led the Nb brigade in his Mustang, as the similar machines of Peter Meuleman and Michael Rose ran in close company.

On the last tour of the five lapper, De Paoli and Jamie Tilley pounced on Stubber at Southern Loop after the race leader seemed to ease off the gas momentarily. Stubber couldn’t regain the advantage and finished behind the pair. Despite some confusion regarding the subsequent timing, Brad Tilley was next across the line, then Adrian Moyle and Williams. Further back, Rob Burns in his still-for-sale Charger just beat home HTCAV Pres Ben Dahlstrom in his Charger.

Race 3, Saturday afternoon, 6 laps

The third hit-out for the big boys saw Stubber grab the holeshot, but a determined De Paoli soon wrestled the lead from his compatriot. Adrian Moyle nipped under Mewett, but suffered a fuel pump problem soon after and limped along before retiring on the final lap.

Humble slid his Mazda RX-2 into the top ten after getting through on Andrew Beard (Camaro) during an entertaining dice, as rear of grid starters Dom Leo (Camaro) and Rob van Stokrom carved their way up to 12th and 15th respectively.

Meuleman spun at the bottom of MG on lap 4 but re-joined, with Stubber losing the lead to De Paoli a lap later. In what was a fantastic battle at the front, Stubber tried everything to find a way past De Paoli, but had to settle for second. Jamie Tilley finished third, followed by Allan and Brad Tilley.

Race 4, Sunday afternoon, 10 laps

Tanks were brimmed in preparation for the 10-lap final - the longest race across all categories for the weekend - but it meant nothing for De Paoli. His Camaro suffered a radiator leak on the dummy grid and he was out.

From the (rolling) start, Stubber put the hammer down to build a small buffer over Jamie Tilley (dad Brad would sit this one out), as the incredibly rapid Alex Bland knocked on the door of the Top 10 in dad Quentin’s Capri.

Adrian Moyle retired after his Camaro got too hot, as did Doug Westwood; his recently acquired Falcon Sprint still needing sorting after spending several years in storage.

Island Classic newcomer Scott Pierce (Mustang) had Rob van Stokrom right on his tail, while further ahead, Humble and Williams traded places regularly.

Stubber built an unassailable lead and went on to take out the Norm Beechey Trophy for this race. Runner-up Jamie Tilley never stopped trying, just four seconds adrift at the flag, with Allan third after a rather torrid meeting for the Queenslander. Williams’s brave Torana finished fourth in front of Mewett, with Humble in sixth. Geoff Munday (Camaro), Baguley, Leo and Graeme Wakefield (Mustang) completed the Top Ten. Meuleman was the best of the Nb cars in 14th.

Allan’s fightback from back row starts to claim two podium finishes in the big green Mustang earned him the Makulu Vehicle Services’ Driver of the Meeting Award for the Over 2 Litres class.

Under 2 Litres and Invited

Race 1, Friday afternoon, 4 laps

From 27 qualifiers in the class (almost half of which were Cortinas), it was an all-BDA Escort front row, with South Aussie Josh Axford on pole and 2023 NSW Champ David Noakes alongside. After an extra warm up lap, this pair led the field away. Former TCM racer Adam Bressington’s weekend ended early after blowing a head gasket in his Mini, as the Cortina of Stuart Barnes endured a bad miss, ending this race after one lap and persisting all meeting.

Axford won from Noakes and Richard Hill (Mini), as Anthony Colton pushed his Lotus Cortina past the similar machine of Peter van Summeren to claim fourth. NSW’s Francis Meier (Mini), Queenslander Jim Schilling (Volvo) and Phil Barrow (FJ Holden) followed in hot pursuit, then Stephen Page in the ex-Bill Cutler BMW 2002 and Dean McLaughlan (Datsun 1600), making it a real “mixed grill” of marques behind the Fords and Minis in the Top Ten.

Race 2, Saturday morning, 5 laps

Axford seemed determined to shake off any challengers early, so built a sizeable lead as Hill nipped under a fast-starting Schilling to nab third at the T4 hairpin. The Volvo then became immersed in a huge battle involving van Summeren, Meier, Barrow and Page.

After failing to make Race 1, the Austin A40 of Steve Russell-Clarke (recently profiled here, along with his All Lever Shock Absorbers business) was an early retirement in Race 2, as were the Cortinas of Stuart Barnes and Julian Bingley.

Well behind the fight for the lead, Mick Stupka (Citroen) held sway ahead of his old Cortina, now in the hands of HTC rookie Peter Olver, and the MkII Cortina GT of Gordon Cox. Between his own races at this big meeting, Cox was kept busy in the Racer Industries trackside truck, selling much-needed supplies to fellow competitors.

At the checker, it was Axford, Noakes and Hill, replicating the race one podium. Colton was fourth again, with Schilling fifth, just ahead of van Summeren. Ian Pringle (Mini) advanced into the Top Ten at the expense of Page, who dropped back to twelfth after a solid start.

Race 3, Saturday afternoon, 6 laps

First lap action at T1 saw Hill punted off track into the Armco, resulting in one of Australia’s fastest Minis being out for the remainder of the meeting with hefty damage. Schilling was also out early, as was van Summeren with a bad misfire.

As Page moved into fourth with McLaughlan hot on his heels, Barrow and NSW’s David Wheatley (Mini) were having a great scrap further back.

At the front, Noakes hounded leader Axford relentlessly in what was a cracker of a race, but fell just short of victory. Colton crossed the line third behind the Escorts, but was relegated to ninth after a 30-second penalty. That moved Page and McLaughlan up to third and fourth; the pair only a second apart.

Race 4, Sunday morning, 5 laps

Attrition had thinned the field down to 20 starters for the first race of the final day of the 2024 Island Classic, with a hot northerly already blowing strongly when the Under 2 Litre cars gridded up for a 9:15AM start. Axford got into it early ahead of Noakes, while Colton started from pit lane as penalty for an incident in the previous race.

Wheatley battled McLaughlin early until he was taken off the track by another competitor, joining Page on the sidelines after a carb issue halted the BMW.

In the mid-pack, Don Knight was the best of the pushrod Cortinas again, managing to hold out the Lotus version of Michael George as Axford took an easy win, setting a blistering 1:52.9362 time on the last lap. Noakes was second, while McLaughlan logged his first podium in third. Colton finished close behind, leading home Pringle and Barrow.

Russell-Clarke completed this race, coming home last behind Cox and Olver.

Race 5, Sunday afternoon, 6 laps

Fan-forced oven temperatures helped trim the field right back for the final, with several of the (minimum) 50-year-old cars suffering heat exhaustion or humanely retired by their carers. The heat didn’t stop the two Escorts running away at the front, though.

Axford's win made it a clean sweep for the meeting, while McLaughlan’s second successive podium behind Noakes was a great result for this recent car and driver combination. The Datsun 1600 narrowly bested Stephen Page’s BMW after tight battles all meeting.

For his heroic steering of the Holden FJ as he battled with much newer (and supposedly faster) cars, along with setting a personal best and class record of 2.02.1, the Makulu Vehicle Storage Driver of the Meeting award for the Under 2 Litres class went to Phil Barrow

What’s next?

Several JUST CARS Victorian Historic tourers have entered the increasingly popular All Historic Mallala meeting in late April, so stay tuned for more on that.

Historic Winton this 25-26 May is back on the HTCAV Championship calendar, with a special Cortina Challenge race this year adding to three action-packed short circuit races. And yes, you can watch every inch of racing at this iconic, all-historic meeting. Don’t miss it!