Wakefield
Park Historics, February 23/24
The HSRCA was no doubt disappointed when the first NSW historic meeting
for 2013 attracted just 140 entries. The competitors, on the other
hand, must have been delighted by the extended track time and terrific
value. In fact, some categories had fielded so few cars, the organisers
were forced to amend their planned program, with just seven fields
sufficiently supported to be viable. All were offered seven races,
with Group N asking for and getting six slightly longer races instead.
Group
Sc/Sb/T
Geoff Morgan started 2013 as he had finished 2012, and won all five
races he contested. However, Saturday morning’s wet weather
played into Brian Weston’s hands, his nimble MG Midget coming
home second ahead of Michael Burn’s Lotus Seven. But Weston’s
success turned out to be a one race wonder, with the Midget succumbing
to a mechanical malaise in Race 2 from which it didn’t recover.
This left Burn – who frequently travels from Victoria to compete
at Wakefield – a chance to keep Morgan honest in the drying
conditions. When Morgan decided that five races was enough, Burn was
rewarded with a win in Race 6. Impressing all weekend was Clay Hunwick
from Queensland in his ’57 Group T Corvette, and his win in
the seventh race was well deserved. It’s interesting to note
the changing face of Group S. Not long ago, the grids were full of
MGBs – yet not one was entered for Wakefield. I don’t
recall this happening since Sb was introduced.
Group
JKL/Sa/Na
This mixed bag of classes is always surprisingly compatible, although
the size of a Healey 3000 must be daunting for the driver of a 500cc
Cooper. At the pointy end, Brian Duffy’s Healey proved unbeatable,
scoring six wins from six races. Paul Armstrong in the Jewitt Holden
grabbed second late in the group’s first race, relegating Colin
Goldsmith – who had started on the front row – to the
last podium position. Next came Fred Geeneklee in his 500cc Cooper
Mk 6, Brian Simpson in the Cooper JAP and Dick Willis in the Gladiator.
Geoff Morse won all Group Sa point-scoring events in the 1600-2000cc
class in his Sunbeam Alpine from Michael Rose’s Alpine, but
Rose finally turned the tables on Morse on Sunday afternoon. Meanwhile,
David Gleen, who had failed to finish his first race, started working
his way through the field, and by Sunday morning was giving Duffy
some hurry-up from second position in the Anderson Holden. By the
final race, several front-runners had loaded their trailers and left,
leaving Rod McMullin a chance to win in the Ford V8 Indycar Special
from Colin Goldsmith’s Healey. The sole handicap race of the
weekend was won by Michael Rose (Alpine) from Richard Rose (MGA) and
Bruce Richardson (Nota).
Group
M & O Sports and Racing
Wet weather qualifying set the pattern for the weekend – well,
almost. Phil Harris in the Brabham BT23c grabbed pole from Paul Hamilton
and Ross Hodgson’s Elfins, with Max Pearson’s Brabham
BT29 and John Macey’s BT18 following. Further back, John Evans
led the sports car brigade in his Lotus Seven. The first race saw
a form finish; but when Harris failed to appear for the very wet afternoon
race, Hodgson triumphed over Hamilton, and Pearson spun the Brabham
– not for the last time as it turned out. On Sunday morning,
Harris returned to the fray, leading Hamilton and Hodgson home, while
Pearson performed the neatest of pirouettes in the Gurgler. Race 20
on the program was undoubtedly the best battle for the class all weekend.
Hamilton won the start, but Harris soon squeezed past. Hamilton was
having none of it and forced his way through at the top of the hill,
but ultimately it was Harris’s race. Only ten starters turned
up for the next race, with Wayne Wilson, who had been getting progressively
closer to the front, scoring a win. Then came the “all podium
race”. The rain bucketed down deterring all but three drivers,
with john Macey recording a win in the BT18 from Wilson and Richard
Knox.
Formula
Ford/Formula Vee
Horrid conditions for Saturday morning’s practice saw Cameron
Walters qualify ahead of Mark Lowing. Once racing commenced, however,
things had dried out nicely, and Lowing finished first – as
he would in every race he contested. Elwyn Bickley was second with
son and father Cameron and Geoff Walters next, the trio doing their
best to confuse commentators with their yellow race cars. Late in
Saturday afternoon’s race, Bickley and Geoff Walters spun in
close company, with Bickley out for the rest of the weekend. Meanwhile,
David Cutts had asserted his authority in Formula Vee from Paynter
and Nagal. The best battles of the weekend were in middle of the Formula
Ford field, with Don Holland, Doug Matley, John Pymble and Kendal
Barry-Cotter trading places. Sunday afternoon’s all Formula
Ford race was run in the dry, with Lowing again leading the field
home. The Formula Vee drivers, however, weren’t so lucky, with
a downpour just before the start of the all Formula Vee race. Cutts
decided discretion was the better part of valour early in the proceedings,
leaving Tony Paynter to take a well-deserved win.
Group
N
The strongly supported Group N category provided more competitors
than any other class over the weekend – and three different
winners. Wet conditions in practice didn’t suit the big V8s,
and despite drying conditions, Michael Anderson who started seventh
in the XY Falcon GT couldn’t catch Bill Attard’s Mazda
RX2. Anderson looked like he had the next race in the bag, but Harry
Bargwanna hadn’t read the script and slipped by Anderson on
the last lap. Meanwhile, a terrific battle unfolded between the Minis
drivers, John and Paul Battersby, Santino Di Carlo and David Wheatley...
a scenario which was revisited throughout the weekend. By the third
race, Michael Anderson made sure he kept the big Falcon in front,
and Bargwanna couldn’t do a thing about it. For the remaining
races, Anderson led Bargwanna’s Mustang and Attard and Rogerson’s
RX2s, with John Wright (XU1) and Jerry Lenstra (Escort) never far
from the leaders. For all the action at the front, however, the sight
of Victorian Rodney Wood’s 48-215 humpy Holden probably drew
more comment that any other Group N entrant.
Regularity
Getting it “just right” is never easy in Regularity, but
when you nominate a dry time and it rains while you’re sitting
on the dummy grid, it’s pretty near impossible. So all credit
to Graham Henshaw for winning the first Regularity event in these
difficult circumstances in his Mini, and to Joshua Parsons who came
second his unusual SWB BMW. Henshaw proved a master of the art by
winning the next event, which was held on a dry track, and by scoring
two more victories as the weekend unfolded. Other winners included
Barry Bates in the Lister Jaguar replica, Danny Berry in a Mini and
Phillip Hoad in an XU1. Other regularity regulars recording strong
results included Graham Leese (MGB), Kevin Kirk (MGB) Michael Irwin
(Alfa) and Heidi Jackel who must have found the Valiant Pacer a handful
in the wet.
A
good weekend
The best way to finish a weekend’s racing is to drive your undamaged
car straight back onto the trailer and head home. In all but three
or four cases, the competitors at Wakefield Park could do this despite
the conditions – a tribute to them all. And here’s a number
to think about: for just 140 competitors, over 90 officials signed
on at the tower. Who’d want to run a race meeting?
John
Young, 27 Feb 2013
Historic
Racing Australia