HTCAV – 2024 Winton Festival of Speed report
Words: Darren Knight with Chris Ralph
Photos: Phil Wisewould, unless indicated
Now one of Australia’s premier historic motorsport events, the Victorian Historic Racing Register’s Winton Festival of Speed brings mighty racing, and this year, brought glorious weather, too. Given the Festival is held in August, a dry track and fine conditions can’t be guaranteed, but sun shone on the regional Victorian circuit all weekend.
The JUST CARS Historic Touring Cars were part of a programme at the Festival of Speed that included tin tops from the 1980s and ’90s, HQ Holdens, Alfa Romeo and MG one-make races, Group S, Historic Sports Sedans, Formula Ford and others.
Saturday surprises
Qualifying
Thirty-five JUST CARS racers - the biggest entry in the event’s history - faced the sharp early morning light for qualifying on Winton's long circuit. Last year's 50km Cup winner, NSW’s Brad Tilley, looked a good bet to repeat the dose after plonking his Mustang on pole. Setting a time of 1.34.2, Tilley was 1.4 seconds clear of Victoria’s Adrian Moyle; the first of five Camaros in the top ten.
Running to Group Nc specifications, Tilley’s 289 notchback benefits from decades of Mustang race preparation by Australia’s foremost historic touring family.
The Tilley Racing-prepared Mustang of Adam Walton would grid up in third ahead of the only Mazda RX2 in the field, that of Victoria's Peter McNiven, who headed a trio of home-state Camaros: Tony Hubbard, Dom Leo and Brent Trengrove.
Queensland’s Graeme Wakefield qualified eighth in his ’68 Mustang, ahead of the amazing Mini of Adam Bressington - the NSW native back after his Historic Winton dominance in May. Tenth fastest was WA’s Aldo De Paoli, who’s been a regular at Phillip Island, but was making his first visit to Winton in the rapid red Camaro.
(Non) Race 1
Ahead of Race 1, the excitement and expectation knew no bounds, but it lasted less than a lap. While Tilley’s slightly better start got him ahead of Moyle, Wakefield spun at T1and sat facing the traffic. A hit was inevitable and it was poor Bill Trengrove in the ex-Clem Smith Mustang that had nowhere to go, smacking the Mustang in the snout. Out came the red flag and the opener was declared a non-race.
While Trengrove was able to recover for Sunday’s action, Wakefield was out for the weekend, as was Hubbard, who’d snapped an axle in his Camaro before the race start.
Sunday races - one short, one long.
Race 2 – the ‘warm up’
The early morning 5-lapper had extra pressure to deliver thrills for spectators after the R1 fiasco. Tilley hooked up well to lead into turn one, with Winton debutant Walton making it a Team Tilley Mustang one-two. McNiven squeezed in front of Moyle to grab third place before De Paoli’s Camaro muscled its way into the final podium spot.
Behind them, a huge battle erupted between the Camaros of Brent Trengrove and Leo, the latter often sideways but getting through before the former’s clutch failed, keeping him in third gear.
Fun further back
Richard Hill (Mini) ran over the kerb at the sweeper and collected the FJ Holden of Phil Barrow, putting him out. The ‘Invited’ Mini of Keith Collins had a torrid battle with Les Walmsley’s Cortina, only edging him by seven thousandths of a second at the end.
Racer Industries’ own Gordon Cox, ever faster in his MkII Cortina, was muttering “back off Don!” (or words to that effect), holding out Don Knight in the MkI version by just three tenths of a second.
As Barrow recovered from his hit with Hill, he found himself in a mighty tussle with Steve Russell-Clarke (“We’re in the entertainment business!”), who had the little orange Austin A40 cooking.
New record set
Unsurprisingly, Tilley won, lowering his own 2023 lap record to 1.34.4. De Paoli grabbed second off Walton on the last lap, while Moyle finished fourth after his own battle with McNiven. Leo and Bressington were next, the latter’s Mini finishing ahead of bigger pre-65 Group Nb machinery.
Andrew Beard (Camaro) had his hands full with Marc Tessari’s Monaro, but managed to finish ahead of the Holden in eighth. Brent Trengrove held on to tenth ahead of Geoff Munday’s Camaro, while Stephen Pillekers won the Torana vs Torana fight with Queenslander David Streat.
Race Three – the JUST CARS 50K Cup
In bright midday sunshine, Tilley again led the big field away for the first of 16 laps of the long circuit. Moyle made a much better start to leap into second place, though De Paoli was soon through.
Walton and McNiven began a real ding-dong struggle for a podium place, while further back, John Harrison (Cortina) kept sometime TCM racer Leo Tobin (Mustang) busy in his return to Group N. Francis Meier (Mini) hassled the Best Presented Cortina of Walmsley before eventually breaking clear.
Some Chevies stopped chasing
A few of the ‘bow tie brigade’ didn’t like the long race - Geoff Munday retired his Camaro in a cloud of smoke and De Paoli suffered power steering failure which ended a mighty charge. Beard left the track after 12 laps, not to return, and Moyle’s front left suspension arm would fail on the last lap, but he still managed to finish.
The rotary chase begins
With 10 of 16 laps completed, former 50k Cup winner McNiven started applying pressure to the V8s. He despatched Walton first, then Moyle three laps later, which put him in the rear view of race leader Tilley. The loudly buzzing rotary signalled the Victorian was not going to go home wondering. While the gap had closed slightly coming into the penultimate lap, Tilley seemed secure in the lead and it looked like McNiven would have to settle for second...
8/100ths of a second!
Suddenly, Tilley ran off at the end of the old back straight, re-joining in front but now with big brake issues and the Mazda right on his tail. McNiven swooped on the hobbled Pony and grabbed the lead within sight of the finish. Tilley was not giving up and made a final lunge at the line as the flagman hung out the chequered flag, but McNiven held on by a bee’s nose to take an incredibly exciting win.
Even more drama
With no brakes, Tilley careened off the front straight at T1, bouncing, spinning and jumping across a ditch laden grass infield. (Surely time for a grade, please Winton?). Walton was third after overtaking the limping Moyle on the last lap. Fifth-placed Leo led home Makulu Vehicle Storage Driver of the Meeting, Tessari, and Brent Trengrove, with Bressington again first of the Nb cars in a brilliant eighth outright.
Ninth for David Streat made the trip south seem worthwhile, while two-time HTCAV champ Pete Meuleman came back to tenth ahead of Pillekers and Hill after another fightback. Right through the field, racing had been fast and furious.
The VHRR should be rightly proud of their efforts at this year’s Winton Festival of Speed. They’ll now be diligently planning for Historic Sandown on 9-10 November, where another big field of JUST CARS Historic Tourers will be in action. Plan to be there!
