Archives for September 2016

Four-time Bathurst winner Allan Moffat heads an ever-growing list of legends of Australian motorsport who have confirmed their attendance at the 2016 Muscle Car Masters at Sydney Motorsport Park on October 29-30. The Ford icon will make a return to the 12th annual event among a list of at least 10 Bathurst-winning legends.

Joining Moffat at the ever-popular event will be 1974 race winners John Goss and Kevin Bartlett, 1969 winner Colin Bond and 1967 winner Fred Gibson.

Seven-time Bathurst winner Jim Richards will also be on-hand racing one of his former JPS 635 Group C cars in the Heritage Touring Cars category, while two-time winner John Bowe will also be competing at the event.

50 years on from their victory in the 1966 Gallaher 500, Bob Holden and Finn Rauno Aaltonen will celebrate the half-century anniversary. Holden, 83, will also be in competition at the Masters behind the wheel of one of his original Group A Toyota Corollas in the HTC category.

1965 Bathurst winner Bo Seton, his son Glenn and grandson Aaron will be in attendance for the event held on the last weekend of October.

The full list of confirmed greats for Sunday October 30 is long and distinguished: Rauno Altonen, Trevor Ashby, Kevin Bartlett, Colin Bond, John Bowe, Gary Cooke, Murray Carter, John French, Fred Gibson, John Goss, Allan Grice, Bob Holden, John Leffler, Spencer Martin, Allan Moffat, James Moffat, John McCormack, Scott McLaughlin, Charlie O’Brien, Steve Reed, Jim Richards, Garry Rogers, Barry Seton, Glenn Seton, John Smith, Bob Watson. More greats to be confirmed.

The field for the inaugural Sports Racing Car Invitational is coming together nicely and the latest stunner confirmed for these high-speed demonstration sessions is Bruce Gowan’s newly restored Repco V8-powered Toyota Celica Sports Sedan. The car’s creator, John McCormack, will be on hand at Sydney Motorsport Park to chat about the unique beast; and the Jaguar XJS Sports Sedan of Mark Trenoweth, which will also hit the track.

The Sports Racing Car Invitational is a new on-track activity for 2016. It consists of a trio of 15-minute sessions – one Saturday and two Sunday – for glamour racing sportscars and historically significant Sports Sedans. The field will comprise muscular GT, Can-Am, Le Mans-style and Big Banger ‘sporties’.

We are hopeful frontrunners from the Kerrick Sports Sedan Series will also take part.

Heritage Hots Laps is being rested for 2016.

Here’s the SRCA line-up confirmed so far:

• Wall Racing’s HDT-built F5000-powered Torana Sports Sedan
• Wall Racing’s Supra Sports Sedan (formerly Bob Jane Monza)
• Bruce Gowan’s McCormack-built Toyota Celica Sports Sedan
• Mark Trenoweth’s ex-McCormack Jaguar XJS Sports Sedan
• Steve Webb’s Elfin 360 Repco V8-powered sportscar
• Andrew Kluver’s Budweiser Can-Am Lola (ex-Newman Racing)
• Andrew Kluver’s ex-Bruce Leer Milano GT2 sportscar
• Nigel Tait’s Matich SR4 Big Banger sportscar (1969 ASSC winner)

More sexy beasts (that’s cars, not drivers) to be confirmed. Organisers are still taking expressions of interest from owners of suitable vehicles with competition history – contact amceditorial@chevron.com.au

America’s Trans-Am TA2 formula is launching in Australia and the 2016 Muscle Car Masters will see the first TA2 cars hit the track. Three examples – a Ford Mustang, Dodge Challenger and Chev Camaro – will turn demonstration laps at the Masters for the class’s Sydney debut. Meantime, we have all fingers crossed that the eagerly anticipated first public appearance of the prototype FT5000 will occur at SMP on October 30. As AMC closed for press the 560bhp V8 open-wheeler was due to be fired up for the first time, ahead of initial testing. All going well, the prototype will hit the track to wow punters at the Masters!