Twin Trophies Race Day – 3rd November 2013
Oil Oil Oil!
This was our last round for the season and a good field of Formula Classic cars plus a a couple of HSC competitors took our grid to 19.
Unfortunately I retired after qualifying with broken valve springs and so sat back to watch the unfolding events of race 1 when the fastest Radical of Richard Bloomfield broke an engine and dumped a considerable quantity of oil on the track causing a massive exodus of cars in all directions as drivers struggled for grip. Unfortunately the wall at turn 4 took it’s toll on a couple of cars and Ray Robertson’s launch into the infield saw the Befa take a lot of damage to it’s nose area. After a delayed finish to race 1 we only had 13 starters for race 2, 10 starting race 3 and only 7 finishing the day still running, not a good day for attrition!
We now have all summer to rebuild for next year where we hope to get two runs at Collie plus 5-6 at Barbagallo. 36 different competitors in the competition this year plus a couple of new cars coming out after rebuilds is all positive for the 2014 season, hopefully we can get most of us to the track for all the events.
A special congratulations goes to the only driver who competed in all 7 rounds this year – Glenn Swarbrick, although having a few issues with flywheels at this last event.
Results Round 7
Spices Catering Cup – 12th October 2013
A damp start to the day for qualifying openned out to a beutiful dry day for racing which saw a good field take to the track with close racing for positions 2,3 & 4 and another close group in the midfield. A race incident saw some body work and front suspension damage to Harvey Ley’s car. Andrew Gifford appears to have overcome his fuel issues, Shane showed us how to have a sleep in and still make the first race. Murray Charnley had some good chasing to do it the HSR handicap races finishing 3rd for the day in that group.
Results Round 6
VSCC Collie Coalfields 500 – Saturday 28th/Sunday 29th September 2013
What a great weekend with good support from the Formula Classic group with 14 entrants, the regularity field having an additional 8 open wheelers competing in a field of 11. It was good to see Martin Bullock and Neil McCrudden back in race suits after their Europe adventure.
Some astute competitors arrived Friday and managed some familiarity laps in of the circuit. Saturday arrived slightly overcast but dry for the day which enable us to get in some good times, Michael Henderson putting down a 47.3 second lap to set the pace for the weekend. The short straights evened out any power advantages and led to some quite close racing. If was good to see the GWG out racing again and Rod Quinn showed how competitive it was in his hands, managing to get into the lead from the start – passing even Michael! George Webber had engine issues, placing quite a bit of oil on turn 4 and being unable to take part in the rest of the weekend.
Saturday evening was very laid back and enjoyed by all with a band providing music plus the odd cameo by Craig Bradke to liven up the evening.
Sunday started and finished with drizzling rain with one of the three races held in the dry, this kept a couple of competitors, who only had slicks, off the track but we were joined by Dick Ward in the Fiat Abarth to liven things up and make Michael work a bit harder. Unfortunately Rod Quinn’s great starts came to an end with the gearbox failing in race 4 ending his weekend.
Thanks go to the VSCC and the volunteer officials for putting on a great, easy going weekend.
Results Round 5
Congratulations to handicap winners on the day: Equal 1st Brian Searles & Craig Bradke, 3rd Kevin Taylor.
See NATSOFT for full results
So far this year we have had 35 competitors in the Formula Classic Championship – that must be a new record.
August Race Meeting – Sunday 25th August 2013
We were presented with a very wet start to the day with qualifying on a damp track and races 1 and 3 in the rain. The racing was quite close again in the midfield and in race 1 Leon made Michael work quite hard for the win with just 0.4 seconds between them at the finish.
Results Round 4 – Sunday August 25 2013
All Historics Race Meeting Saturday July 6 & Sunday July 7 2013
What a great weekends racing, 180 competitors across all categories made this one of WASCC’s largest meetings for the year. Weather was great cool mornings topping out at about 18 deg with clear skies. We had 21 starters on the sheet, a pre-meeting vote opted for rolling starts with CAMs not allowing overtaking prior to crossing the start line.
Our grid was depleted from the start when Dick Ward had car issues and Bruce Edgar did not show as he had melted a piston in his Elfin Formula Junior. During practise on a very cold and slippery track Dennis Coomber put the Halliday into the sand – first red flag. Then, unfortunately, Joe Demarte put his Formula Holden into the wall on the main straight, spinning from turn 7, punching the front left wheel into the wall, tearing it off and putting the lower A-arm through the carbon fibre tub, grazing his left calf – very lucky!! Second red flag and end of session, if you were lucky you had two laps to qualify in. Ray Robertson qualified with us in the Befa F2 but changed to the historic racing and sports car group for racing, joining Murray Charnley and Ken Lyons.
1st race (Saturday) saw 16 starters with a rolling start. Michael Henderson pulled the group up to a crawl, which was great, a pity some competitors must have thought we were already racing with great clouds of tyre smoke from panic breaking into turn 7 prior to the start. This resulted in a very ramshackled bunch approaching the starter but he still let us go. Glenn Swabrick and GlenCaple had car issues and pulled out. Simon Barrett tried to pass Matt Lyford’s lovely new Brabham by going under it – luckily not too much damage but both out that left Michael Henderson to take the win although he had his hands full for a lap or two with Leon Magistro in his Ralt.
Sunday, very cold, and we were first event up. The clerk of course agreed to a request for two warm up laps to try and get some temperatures up, 17 starters, Colin McKee out with a cracked front disc, and we all finished! We made a much better job of the rolling start, the track was quite slippery with the cold. There were good clusters of competitors close together racing for position which was quite different from our normal runs. Michael Henderson finished out front from Leon Magistro and Glen Caple 3rd.
Race 3 saw 15 starters, and 11 finishers with four pulling out with car issues. Michael Henderson from Leon Majistro & Glen Caple again.
Race 4, 16 starters and all finished, Michael Henderson, Leon Majistro & Glen Caple again.
Last race of the event. 15 starters with a big crash on lap 4 through Cobbs when Dennis squeezed in on an unseen John Hurney cracking the fibreglass down the right side of the Dennis’s Haliday and breaking lower rear control arm on John’s FF causing him to spin amongst 5 other cars. Luckily every one escaped injury but two cars out. 10 finished the race with Michael Henderson, Leon Majistro and Andrew Goldie picking up the places.
Ken Lyons and Ray Robertson did well on our handicap results even though they were in the other group with Murray Charnley in the Lotus 23 having some car issues.
It was great to see some new cars and new faces out with us and the return of some drivers who have been away from the group for a while.
NOTE: These are interim handicap results only and are not final
Results Round 3
Winter Race Meeting – June 16th 2013
A poor attendance for this second meeting of the year saw us start on a clear but very cold morning with only 9 starters in race 1, unfortunately we had some late withdrawals following issues during practice on the Friday. Darren Smith brought our his lovely Lola T70 but water issues plagued his day and it was good to see Lance Barrett in his Lola T596 Sports 2000. Glenn Swarbrick was never out of the Macon FF as he contested both the Formula Classic and Formula Ford events.
Michael Henderson in his Ralt lead the way in all races with Shane Gifford pushing hard to give chase in second. Colin McKee had tussles with Paul McMahon for 3rd with a following group of 3, consisting of Glenn Swarbrick, Kevin Taylor and Harvey Leys, providing some close competition for the spectators. The day saw the retirement of more cars with the final race being disappointingly contested by only 6 cars. We are looking forward to a very full grid for the upcoming All Historic race meeting in July.
NOTE: These are interim handicap results only and are not final
Results Round 2
6-7 July WASCC WA All Historic Race Meeting Barbagallo
25 August WASCC Barbagallo
29 September VSCC Coalfields 500 Collie
13 October WASCC Barbagallo
3 November WASCC Barbagallo
Thus 7 events for the Formula Classic Handicap Series, with drivers able to drop their worst result but must compete in at least 50% of the events to be eligible.
It is proposed that these events will also be used for the newly introduced CAMS Western Australian Historic Motor Sport Championships.
