2007
Phillip Island Classic, 9-11 March Race meeting report - Page 2 of
3
1960’s
Racing cars & Formula Ford
The oversubscribed field of historic
Formula Fords was combined with the 1960’s racing cars for the
second year. From the beginning it became a nightmare for the commentators
and spectators alike, the commentators trying immensely hard to ensure
enthusiasts received an excellent call of both races within the race.
For Race Control the first race
on Saturday afternoon almost became a nightmare when the Formula Ford
where still on their warm-up lap when the M & O cars received
the Australian flag for the start. The worried Formula Ford drivers
were hurried into lining up on the grid when Americas Phil Harris
entered the main straight and slowed down thinking there had been
some sort of start line incident – thus losing his 3 second
lead over the rest of the field he gained after an amazing start.
Harris won the first race narrowly
from Richard Carter in his Elfin 600. Bob Harborow, the man responsible
for bring the Formula 5000 race to the Island had a number of cars
from his collection at the meeting including his Cooper BRM F2. The
Cooper was driven by the youngest competitor at the meeting, Michael
Lyons from the UK, aged 16. He improved steadily throughout the weekends
three races finishing 18th in the first to move to 8th in the final
race – a very commendable effort, which scored Michael the inaugural
Janet Hider-Smith Memorial Trophy for encouragement.
The Formula Fords commenced with
Ray Stubber (Royale) opening up a strong early lead from Gary Watson
(Mawer) and the rest of the 27 strong Formula Ford field. Watson won
from Stubber, with Jonathon Miles some distance back in third.
Production
Sports Cars
A vast array of production sports
cars from the late 1950’s to the mid-1970’s took part
in the weekends Groups Sa, Sb & Sc races. At the pointy end of
the field we saw the battle commence between the Chevrolet Corvettes
of Paul Sabine (427ci big block) and Don Thallons Stingray. Hot on
their tails and ready to pounce when the brakes started to fade was
race sponsor Tony Jones in his Porsche 911 Carrera. 
The variety of cars included the
under-powered, but quick cornering Lotus Super Seven S4 of Mike Byrne
who outclassed the Stingray of Thallon and the Morgan Plus 7 of Stuart
Littlemore.
The capacity 50 strong field of
cars impressed spectators all weekend with close racing throughout.
Sabine made a race losing mistake in Sunday morning’s race when
he spun the big 7 litre Corvette after making a brave overtaking move
for the lead heading into southern loop. Don Thallon took his well
sorted drum brake Corvette Stingray to a well deserved race win from
long time Porsche campaigner Geoff Morgan, who narrowly held out Tony
Jones for second place.
The ever occurring close racing
for production sports cars continued closely behind with a near photo
finish between Byrne, Mike Jones (Datsun 240Z) and Terry Lawler (competing
in his newly built Porsche 911).
The first three order in the classes’
final race for the weekend changed only slightly with Tony Jones taking
second from Morgan with Thallon becoming back-to-back race winner
in a faultless drive.
1960’s
to 1980’s Sports Racing cars
A most exhilarating heart-pumping
race of Le Mans cars and other sports racers kept enthusiasts on the
edge of their seats in this rare display of cars.
From the USA Bert Skidmore brought out his
Lola T286 Le Mans car for the second time in three years to compete
against the stable of Sherrard Le Mans cars, a Porsche 935 K3, Elfin
MS7 and Lola T610.
The start line put goose bumps all over with
the Skidmore Lola narrowly clipping Rob Sherrard in the 1987 Porsche
962C. An all Porsche second row with Le Mans 24 hour winner Vern Schuppan
on third in Sherrard’ s newly acquired 1984 Porsche 956C, with
Rusty French alongside in his 1978 Porsche 935 K3. On the point of
the Sherrard stable of Le Mans cars, also racing was the Lola T70
Mk3B and Ford GT40.
An extremely interesting car to make the trip
from the USA was Tony Pdell’s chrome painted Webster Special,
with its straight pipe exhausts pointing from the V8 motor.
Skidmore was under stoppable with wins in all
three races; however, it wasn’t without heaps of excitement
along the way. Saturday afternoon’s race saw a great battle
between the Lola and all three Le Mans Porsche’s – all
racing on the limit till Sherrard retired during the race in the 962.
Sunday
morning’s race was a pure adrenalin rush – not only for
the drivers! It could’ve ended in absolute tragedy, but fortunately
not. Vern Schuppan got off to a great start and moved the Porsche
956 into first and pulled out a small gap on Skidmore and French.
A few close misses and minor touches between the two ended up in a
190mph knock underneath the Melbourne Bridge over the main straight
that sent French and his Porsche 935 K3 airborne landing on the motorcycle
pit lane (which extends to turn one, but is not used by cars) continuing
further a field missing the tyre barrier by less then the width of
the car before somehow French wrestled the fast moving Porsche back
on to the track, and continued on racing. The red midst came down
over his face and he went all out to fight back for the position continuing
to pursue Skidmore, but on the way to the finish couldn’t get
by Schuppan in the later model Porsche 956 who came a close second
to Skidmore. Part of the French front spoiler were embedded into the
Lola, but fortunately French happened to have his spare Porsche 935
K3 on display in the paddock area and changed the spoilers over!
Pre-war
and immediate Post-war racing & sports racing
The stand out star for the weekend
was Englishman Rod Jolley who stunned us with his one-off monoposto
Lister Jaguar in 2006 and returned this year in his ex Jack Brabham
2.7 lire 1961 Cooper Climax T51 F1. Jolley was in a class of his own
all weekend finishing the first two races more then the length of
Phillip Island's main straight in front of Penrite works driver Keith
Simpson (Lola Mk1). However, race three would prove quite interesting
with the Jolley Cooper stalling on the warm-up lap, and once re started
commenced the race from rear of grid.
A quite bizarre circumstance, but the pure
speed and handling of the Cooper carved its way through the field
in the first four laps to take the lead in a stunning passing maneuver
on Wayne Gardner Straight to then hold this place and streak the field
once again to make it three wins out of three. Jolley took home the
meetings Spencer Flack Memorial Trophy for first overseas driver home
in Group Lb. The award is in memory of Flack who lost his life while
racing his BRM P25 at Phillip Island in 2002.
The meeting included the first appearance of
three rare Talbot Lago Grand Prix cars at a race meeting in Australia.
This race featured T26 of Peter Giddings. The other two T26’s
were driven in the regularity events by Ron Townley (who has recently
bought the Reg Hunt Talbot Lago) and Dean Butler’s car, which
was driven by Ken Williams. Another Butler car – the Bocar failed
to finish the first race, but had two excellent drives in the Sunday
races where it was driven by Englishman Mac Hulbert (who usually drives
his ERA R4D). Mac had some great dices with South Australian John
Virgo (Riley Special).
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