BOYS  WEEKEND AWAY AT THE WINTON HISTORIC RACE MEETING  30-31^ST MAY 2009

A few weeks back Peter Holmes suggested we go to the Winton Historic Race Meeting. Having not been to a good Historic Race meeting in 20 years, I decided to go along with the idea. We have Historic Meetings at Mallala,  they are good, but have small fields so are some what second rate compared to the Victorian and NSW events.

So Peter looked around for accommodation, we needed 3 nights as we were going on the Friday and returning on the Monday. Research showed we needed to allow about 10 hours driving time.

Peter found a motel in Wangaratta for about $90.00 per night with continental breakfast. Wangaratta is about 15k’s from the circuit.

Which car do we go in, my newly acquired Nissan Maxima or Peter’s BMW X3 just recently acquired. We went in the BMW. It is diesel and therefore more economical. 

The Friday arrived and we set off at 6.30am Peter had filled the car and I would pay for its next fill. $100 each was put into kitty and this paid for all our expenses. Late afternoon we arrived, found our Motel and then we walked down the street and found a pub for dinner. The food was good, but as it is interstate the prices are higher than SA.

Next morning up and out to the track. As soon as we arrived you could feel the atmosphere, we just knew this was going to be something special. As we walked in to the track we spotted the Sprite Drivers Club of Victoria putting up tent with a display of Sprites around it. They were also setting up tea urn and on the stove was a pot of soup. On the Sunday extra cars arrived. On display was the Innocenti Sprite. This was a Sprite assembled in Italy using an Italian body, but its mechanicals and underpinnings are pure Sprite. 

The Innocenti Sprite.

 We decided to walk around and find out the layout. We bought a two day ticket each for $50.00 each. We wanted to go into the pits, but that was a $4.00 entry, but the guy on the gate asked us if we had a 2 day ticket, which we produced and duly got in for nothing. Actually I don’t think anybody paid, the sign was just there to make you feel good because you did’nt have to pay.

A group Sa Bugeye   

                                          Our Club member Troy Ryan on right.

Straight away we spotted a Bugeye. The driver was Judith Dorrell from NSW. Her husband had prepared the Sprite for her to Sa regulations. These regulations are fairly restrictive, steel bonnet forward hinged, drum brakes which can be 8 inch, generator, lever arm shock absorbers and up to 998cc . Internals of the engine and gearbox can be modified. Roll bar is added and the windscreen removed. We walked around and saw many other BMC A series motors powering all manner of open wheelers and Sports cars.

The fastest Sprite of the meeting.

All together there were 47 events 18 on the Saturday. Practice was on the Saturday up till lunchtime. Mixed through the event were Historic Motorbike racers including the sidecars. Around the start area were displays from various car clubs, such as Morgan, Mini, Bentley and a car park devoted to Historic and Classic cars. Catering stalls with a really good a good choice, a specialist stall selling good coffee. Others were selling memorabella . Some parts were also being on offer, I bought a fuel gauge.

                                                    A group Sa Bugeye

There were Pre war racing cars many Aussie built specials including club member Gerard Miller and his brother as pit crew Pat Miller from our Club. Gerard had entered his 1939/88 Plymouth Special in the class known as group K over 1500cc. We walked further and found more Sprites and Midgets including Troy Ryan from our Club. Troy has mark 2 Sprite with a 1275 motor producing around 140hp, and exceedingly well prepared, having gone to extraordinary length to reduce weight in the car. An example being a fiberglass bonnet stay. He is in Group Sb which is a little less restrictive than group SA but is still quite restrictive. We then found another Sprite , a mark 3 owned by Don Bartley of NSW. He has 2 mechanics preparing the car, Harry Bargwanna ( Jason Bargwanna’s dad) an old mate of mine plus Bob Rowntree, who worked on my Sprite many years ago. Later that day I met a Ric Forster from NSW who is the magazine editor and webmaster for the Sprite Club of Australia based in NSW. He had a Midget Mk3 with a 1275 motor. Then we saw a BRG Midget  entered by a Brian Weston , who was a former leader of Squadron 75, so he was a former fighter pilot. Later we were to see his steel nerves and reflexes put to good use.The other MG midget was driven by Lynden Arnel and was a well performing 1098 car. There were 2 other Bugeyes of Max Pegram and Fred Brock both in group Sa. 

How is this for a big shed !

                                                    The start line.

We soon figured out that when the bike races we on we could leave our chairs and walk the pits . The crowds we were well behaved and all were there purely to see the racing. At the conclusion of racing the organizers put on a free sausage sizzle and drinks, and although we missed it a party was had during the presentation of prizes.

The Sprite Drivers Club of Victoria display.

                                                    Our Club member Gerard Miller awaiting his race.

Will we go again? Yes next year for sure, may be more of the membership might like to join us on this boys weekend. It’s not everyday you see an Austin Seven spin it’s wheels, a Sprite hold out a Corvette Stingray and two Shelby Mustangs and a V8 MGB, A Sprite pass 18 cars and to see Bugeyes racing , all this in one race. Also to see a Morris Cooper S hold  for most of the race a very powerful Chevy Camaro was a great site. That was 2 races the rest were also very entertaining. Much more so than the freight train races that make up the V8 Supercar series. Those races are quite boring when compared to this Historic Racing.  

David Low