2009
Vintage Collingrove
Monday 5 October
Following
the Lobethal Grand Carnival the Collingrove Hillclimb played host
to the 2009 Vintage Collingrove, which gave the opportunity for many
interstate competitors and enthusiasts to take part.
For
me this was my first visit to Collingrove, Australia's second oldest
continuous operating motor sport venues (behind Bathurst). A beautiful
drive through the magnificent countryside of the Adelaide Hills, about
an hour or so from our weekend base of Hahndorf saw us arrive in time
for scruitineering.
My
ift from Melbourne to Lobethal (Warwick Anderson) had committments
on Monday in Melbourne so I made a "car change" and travelled
with Andrew Cannon.
Cannon
has the now restored Ballamy Bugatti (which is discussed in the 2009
Historic Winton article), which was first off at the hillclimb.
A
field of 40-odd pre-war and early post-war racing and sports racing
cars took part in the various CAMS sanctioned classes. The T37A Bugatti
ran in Group J, one of three entrants in this class. The others were
an Alvis and aero-engined Talbot. The best time for Andrew was 43.69
seconds against the 44.60 seconds of Geoff Hood in the Alvis - we
heard later on that afternoon on the journey home that Canoon had
won his class (not bad, considering he had not being at Collingrove
for 20 years!).
Other
times of note were in the late 37 seconds for John Payne in his MG
J2 supercharged Spl & 41 seconds for Victoria's Grant Cowie in
the Austin 7 "Duck" Brooklands racer.
It
was good to catch up with some locals whom I hadn't seen for some
time, including Wes Soughgate and travelling Victorian Damian O-Doherty
(Delage Limosine).
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