Vintage
Rob Roy Hillclimb
Sunday
19 August 2012
Rob Roy Hillclimb
is Australia’s first purpose-built Hillclimb venue, and was
first used in 1937.
2012
marks the 75th anniversary of this truly historic venue in Australian
motor sport, and the Vintage Sports Car Club of Victoria dedicated
its 2012 Vintage Rob Roy event to the anniversary. The VSCC has partnered
with the MG Car Club of Victoria to run the Vintage Rob Roy event
as the first of two 75th anniversary events.
The Rob Roy Hillclimb saw some
of Australia’s great motor sport personalities in its early
days. Tony Gaze has a permanent place in its history with the “Gaze’s
Gully” named after him following a crash which saw him &
his Alta fall down the steep gully – there is now a guard rail
to prevent this from happening again, although a few years back Bill
Prowse tempted faith in the Alfa Ricciardi spyder when he ended up
on top of the guard rail! Jack Day, Peter Whitehead, Frank Klenig,
Arthur Wylie, Tony Gaze, Stan Jones, Lex Davison, Bruce Walton, and
Bill Patterson were all Outright Record Holders in the original era
of the venue, and Diana Gaze was the Outright Ladies Record Holder.
The
Vintage Rob Roy event for 2012 was no doubt the best yet, with 91
pre-war entries across many classes, and of course the club’s
annual Billy Cart races at lunchtime.
John Fitzpatrick stole the
show & took the presentation award with his 1920s Sunbeam acting
as the tow vehicle for the 1912 Bedelia Cycle car. Unfortunately though,
the cycle car failed to reach the causeway on each of its attempts.
Grant Cowie outclassed the
11 Austin 7s competing & finished 8th overall with a fastest time
of 30.37 seconds in the Brooklands “Rubber Duck” supercharged
racer. John Hickford drove his Lancia Lambda ‘Perkins’
special to second place in class, knocking off the European throughbred
Grand Prix Bugatti T35C of George Hetrel.
David Bell finished first in
his class in the ex. Lou Molina MG TB Supercharged special, outclassing
the John Gillett MG K3.
Paul
Schilling did double duties with his air-cooled Jinx 500cc car, and
a drive in Jim Russell’s Ford V8 Special – the latter
taking him to third fastest time of the day (28.72 seconds), against
Jim’s 27.97 seconds for second fastest time of the day. In fact,
Paul narrowly got third as Bill Redpath (Redpath Special) clocked
a 28.73 !
Darren Visser took out fastest
time of the day in his air-cooled racing car, the 1966 Cyclo with
a 26.22 second run.
Times were slow compared to
usual with low ambient temperature & heavy rains in the lead up.
The paddock area represented somewhat of a mud bath, particularly
by the end of the day.
The paddock area was like a
magnificent step back in time with rows and rows of pre-war vehicles.
Trevor Montgomery brought up ‘Little Alfa’, the ex Diana
Gaze entrant, a brace of Lancia Lambdas, Delages, an Overland, Fiats,
Lagonda, Bugatti & MG.
