ABN 97 521 303 894 Incorporated in Victoria Association Number A 0007117 C CLUB PATRON: Sir Jack Brabham OBE AO PO Box 3485 MELBOURNE VIC 3001 Website: www.vhrr.com Reg. No. 57/001 VHRR CLUB ROOMS 30-32 LEXTON RD BOX HILL NEWSLETTER - October 2013 We meet Bi-Monthly - on the Fourth Tuesday of the Month 8pm at the VHRR Club rooms 30-32 Lexton Rd Box Hill. COMING EVENTS October 12th-19th Camp Quality EsCarpade - Emily Werner...03 9329 8660 October 19th-20th Mt Tarrengower...03 5447 0189 October 22nd MGM Clubrooms...03 9877 2317 November 5th Ballarat Festival of Motoring Motor Show...0408 570 217 November 8th-10th Historic Sandown (CCE)...0402 224 133 November 16-17th Wings & Wheels Moorabbin - Bill Prowse...0412 926 002 November 24th Rob Roy Historic & Classic Hillclimb...0418 311 040 Nov/Dec 30th - 1st Geelong Revival Motoring Festival...03 5273 4777 December 7th Shannon Xmas with the Clubs...0417 490 949 December 13th Christmas Function - Mike Barker...0407 825 545 March 6th-9th Phillip Island Classic (CCE)...03 9877 2317 Wednesday Members Lunch - every Wednesday except Christmas Holidays. CLUB LIBRARY HOURS Wednesdays 11.30-2.00 Club Nights 6.30-7.30 Club Permit Scheme Gordon Hellsten...03 9878 5272 (Red Plate) 5 Handel Crt Blackburn Vic. 3130 *CCE = Club Championship Event Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed within this newsletter are not necessarily those of the VHRR Inc. or its Committee and/or its Newsletter Editor. Whilst all care has been taken, neither the club or its officers accept responsibility for the accuracy of information printed and the quality of any items or services advertised or mentioned in this publication. Incorporated association Number A 0007117C. The Editor reserves the right to edit contributions submitted for publication. Share the Passion The VHRR gratefully acknowledges the support of our major sponsors
Important notices Please add to your diary - the Christmas & Awards night this year is on Friday 13th of December at the Manningham Reception Centre. Have you given thought to forming a table of 10 with some of your mates/fellow competitors? We look forward to seeing you all on Friday 13th December. For bookings please contact Mike Barker on: Phone 03 9840 6155 Mobile 0407825545 email mbar6415@bigpond.net.au Vale Beryl Porter The VHRR Committee wish to expess their sincere sympathies to Col on the passing of Beryl. Question : How was your Stress Test for your licence? Answer: I ve ordered my new tyres for Sandown... Historic Sandown Entries as at: 26th September Category Friday Sat/Sun Formula Ford 13 20 M&O&P Sports & Racing 7 17 Mg/British 6 23 Q&R Racing & F5000 18 30 Historic Touring 19 35 Q & R Sports (Plus 7 Expressions of Interest) 4 5 Group S 17 47 Group A&C Touring 14 16 Regularity 1 & 2 22 43 5 Litre Touring 4 5 J, K, Lb &Sa Under 1L 11 18 Sports Sedans (Promised But Not Recvd) 9 18 Total 144 277 The General Committee has appointed George Spanos as Librarian and Lloyd Shaw as Property Officer (thanks Lloyd for reconsidering.) Many thanks, George and Lloyd, for all the work you do for our club. It is appreciated. Leanne Newson, Secretary. The Shannons Classic Motorshow at Geelong Revival Motoring Festival Nov 30 - Dec 1 2013 is now open for entry. Phone: 03 5273 4777 ext 405 Get well soon Brian Sampson who suffered a car accident in South Rd Moorabbin recently. All the best from VHRR Members Real horsepower on Melbourne Cup Day Tuesday November 5. We invite you and your car club to celebrate the launch of this year s Ballarat Festival of Motoring Motor Show. Featuring an Exhibition that includes a unique collection of historically significant Cars, Motorcycles & Models Ballarat s historic motor sport significance in Victoria includes recognition as the venue where motor racing re-commenced after World War II; and the only airfield based motor racing circuit in Australia to host an International motor racing meeting Last year, the Ballarat Festival of Motoring set another milestone in the history of motor sport, when the event attracted the participation of the cars driven by Australia s two F1 World Champions Sir Jack Brabham s 1966 Repco Brabham BT19 and Alan Jones 1980 Williams FW07. Until then, this unique situation had never occurred before. Now in its third year, The Ballarat Festival of Motoring will again feature a Motor Show based at the iconic and historic Ballarat Mining Exchange in Lydiard Street in the heart of the city of Ballarat. The Show will feature a unique collection of historically significant cars and motorcycles. Following on from the success of last year s Model Expo, there will also be another collection of some 1000 items that will include examples of rare die-cast scale models; antique tether model racing cars; and vintage model aero engines from the 1930 s. Many of the models that will be on display will be for sale. This year s activities will start at 10am on Melbourne Cup Day this November 5 with a Show and Shine at Buninyong (within 5k s of Ballarat city). Entry for any current road registered or Vicroads club permit
pre-1990 car; motorcycle or commercial vehicle will be free. Some 15 categories will be offered and class winners will receive a Ballarat Festival of Motoring Commemorative Medallion. At Midday the contingent of pre-1990 vehicles will then tour to the Mining Exchange where the Launch of the Motor Show will take place. Ballarat has a huge amount to offer and makes an ideal Cup Day getaway being only a one and a half hour drive from Melbourne, so get some of your club members and family together for an inexpensive day and escape the Melbourne Cup Day traffic to see some real horsepower on Cup Day. For more information go to: http://www.ballaratfestivalofmotoring.com.au/ Or contact John Emery: 0408 570 217 johnkemery@bigpond.com Friday night of the 27th September saw the return of the Goodwood Revival night to the VHRR club rooms. Over 40 members and wives attended the Goodwood themed night with most dressing to impress, with the ladies in period dresses, furs and hats, with the guys wearing tweed jackets,flat hats and some in white overalls. Paul and Beth Schilling decided it was a good excuse to cross dress, with Pauline (Paul) wearing a nice floral number and Barry (Beth) looking very dapper with a neatly trimmed mow and trilby hat. The raffle was a great success with everyone a winner, thanks to Penrite oils for their many items, VHRR, Wurths, David Fogg for his Foggy Memories book s, Cope- Williams for their wine s, Ian Tate for the DVDs, Brock 78, 30 years,brock Revisited, and Ron and Marg Simmonds for the very collectable Goodwood labelled wine. With the period jazz playing in the back ground, and also the 2007 Goodwood DVD playing on the new flat screen TV, the night was declared a great success. Thanks go to Marg Simmonds and Lloyd Shaw, for helping to set up, Dorothy Tate and Eileen Sheppard for the delicious extra supper items, and the ladies for helping to clear up, thanks everyone. Cheers Simmo ROB ROY HILLCLIMB CLUB CHALLENGE ROUND 1 Round one of the 3 round Rob Roy Club Challenge for 2013 has been run and won. Our club (winners of the Rob Roy Club Challenge in 2011 & 2012) finished ahead on 57 points with the Renault Car Club of Victoria second with 39 points. THE DAY The morning started out as a very crisp winter s morning. According to Lloyd Shaw s temp monitor in his car the temperature varied between 00 C and -30 C. I drove the Elfin to Rob Roy and, with no windscreen, I can attest to the variation and low temperature! However these crisp mornings often turn into nice days and Sunday 23rd June was no exception. For the first run the track was quite slippery but by run 2 had improved and the conditions were good. CLASSES We had 7 members competing in 4 classes giving us a total of 57 points - as follows: Wins x 3 = 30: Seconds x 2 = 16: Thirds x 1 = 6: Fourths x 1 = 5 Patrick Ryan had also entered his MG TC Sports and Graham Hoinville his Elfin Clubman but both were unwell on the day and not able to make it to the event. Below is a summary of VHRR members results by class. CLASS A to C No VHRR representation CLASS D 2001 3000 CC Frank Hook, Austin Healey 2nd in class 30.52
CLASS E 3001 CC AND OVER David Bell, Subaru WRX 1st in class 22.77 CLASS F CLUBMAN SPORTS Mike Barker, Elfin Clubman 1st in class 23.57 CLASS G PRE 1960 RACING Bill Redpath, Redpath Oldsmobile Special 1st in class 26.31 Phillip Gray, Ford Special 2nd in class 26.41 Ray Sprague, Ford Roadster 3rd in class 27.11 Ken Innes-Irons, Austin 7 4th in class 35.37 OUTRIGHT Congratulations to David Bell who, with times between 22.77 and 23.3, was clearly fastest on the day. VHRR - ROB ROY HILLCLIMB CLUB CHALLENGE WINNERS for the 3rd year in a row For 2013 the Rob Roy Club Challenge consisted of 2 Rounds and the VHRR won both rounds convincingly, finishing the 2013 series with 116 points to the Renault Car Club Victoria s 65. The VHRR became only the second club to win 3 Club Challenges in a row, the previous triple winners were the host club the MGCC winning in 1999-2001. ROUND 2 OUTLINE: THE DAY Sunday the 1st September 2013 Fathers Day turned out to be a fabulous spring day, ideal conditions for Rob Roy. The track grip, including the start, was good. Numbers were down for this round - just under 50 competitors, this enabled 5 runs for the day. Unfortunately, on the 5th run, Steven Miller had an off exiting Tin Shed corner in his clubman, hitting the armco. Steven suffered cracked ribs and collar bone and is shaken and sore but otherwise OK. Here s wishing Steven a speedy recovery. POINTS VHRR had 8 members competing in 5 classes giving us a total of 59 points on the day - as follows: 1st places x 3 = 30 points 2nd places x 2 = 16 points 3rd places x 2 = 12 6th place x 1 = 1 point SPORTING MOTORISTS In sporting motorists style 4 of our members drove their cars to the event, competed in them and drove them home again - David Bell in the Subaru, Patrick and Conor Ryan (really doing it in true sporting motorist style style) in the classic supercharged MG TC and myself in the Elfin. SUMMARY BY CLASS Below is a summary of VHRR members results by class. CLASS A & B No VHRR representation CLASS C 1601 to 2000 CC Phillip Chapman, Datsun 120Y 2nd in class 25.21 CLASS D 2001 to 3000 CC Rob Sealey, Renault R5T 3rd in class 27.14 CLASS E 3001 CC AND OVER David Bell, Subaru WRX 1st in class & FTD 21.70 CLASS F CLUBMAN SPORTS Mike Barker, Type 3 Elfin Clubman 1st in class 23.12 Graham Hoinville, Type 2 Elfin Clubman 6th in class - 32.87 CLASS G PRE 1960 RACING Patrick Ryan, MG TC 1st in class 29.03 Conor Ryan, MG TC 2nd in class 32.21 Ken Innes-Irons, Austin 7 3rd in class 33.15 OUTRIGHT Congratulations to David Bell on taking out FTD. David was fastest all day finishing with a time of 21.70. TOP 5 CAR CLUBS The top 5 car clubs for the Rob Roy Club Challenge Series were as follows: Victorian Historic Racing Register - 116 points
Renault Car Club Victoria - 65 points Lotus Car Club Victoria - 48 points MG Car Club Victoria - 46 points Porsche Car Club - 33 Mike Barker Ian Tate thanks & congratulates VHRR members on their Championship win at Rob Roy. Ian has asked me to convey how proud he was of the VHRR members who achieved this marvellous feat. Dear Mr Simmonds, Thank you very much indeed for your very kind note and wonderful pictures of Tony s trophies. I am very sorry for not getting back to you sooner, but as I am sure you can imagine it has all been rather hectic with the build-up to the Revival. I am delighted that you were able to come to Goodwood in 2007. We had a fantastic send off for Tony just this last weekend, we flew his ashes in a Spitfire before a wonderful ceremony in the Brooklands Memorial Garden here at Goodwood. It was a stormy and great weekend, and we had Cathy and Claire Davison with us from Australia. I do hope we can welcome you back to Goodwood again in the future. Yours sincerely, Charles March National Historic Car Magazine I recently received in Spring my Winter edition of the NSW Oily Rag that we share with the Qld. HRCC members on a quarterly basis, and whilst I enjoy reading about all the various activities of the HSRCA, I believe the VHRR could do better than subsidise this publication that provides our members with two pages of Victorian activities in this 63 page document. It is my opinion that the VHRR should contact each Historic Racing Car Club in Australia with a view to establishing a National monthly publication that covers all Historic events in Australia, and promotes a truly National calendar of events for all Australians including non members who can purchase a copy at their local newsagency. Being a National publication, CAMS Historic Commission could utilise it to report on matters that they discuss and resolve, it could also be a method of communicating with similar organisations overseas on matters of common interest in our sport. It would be interesting to hear from anyone with a view on this matter via butch36@bigpond.com Regards Kelvin Prior - FJ Group Rep. Warning Club Permit Holders A reminder to all Club Permit vehicle owners. I draw your attention to rule 14: Responsibilities & Obligations Permit Holders. Clause 3: Maintain financial membership of the Club at all times whilst holding a Club Permit. I can not sign off CPS renewals if your membership is not current. Your CPS renewal will be held until clearance from the Membership Officer. If you continue to use your vehicle when your membership is not current you are in breach of the Club Permit Scheme. The Club is obliged to advise VicRoads of non-financial permit holders. Gordon Hellsten Rob Roy is very significant in Australian motor sport history. It is Australia s oldest purpose built hill climb dating back to the 1930 s and was the venue for the first Victorian & Australian Hillclimb Championship in 1938. At last year s November meeting we celebrated RR s 75th Anniversary. The annual event engenders a wonderful picnic atmosphere amongst all competitors and spectators who attend. For those of your members who may remember them, RR is now the home of the iconic PBR Brake Shoes that stood for many years at the start line of the old Templestowe hill climb. We offer the opportunity to your members to include the 24th November, 22nd Historic & Classic event as part of your celebrations either as competitors or as part of a Club display. You might consider a special touring assembly to the event? Being in close proximity to the metro area, no matter which way you approach Rob Roy, either from Eltham or Yarra Glen, it is on some very scenic roads. Traditionally the meeting has 100 competitors participating in a range of vehicles from classic to the more modern. If any of your members choose to compete, details can be found on the Club website at www mgcc.com.au If you wish to put on a Club display we would appreciate a bit of liaising to ensure sufficient space is allocated for you. How you promote your Club is entirely up to you.
The venue is in a very picturesque setting, with excellent toilet facilities available. Full catering on the day is provided by the local Panton Hill CFA who have been associated with RR for decades and will receive all proceeds from their efforts. For further information and to assure your Clubs place in the display area please contact Wayne Rushton 0412 339 934 waynerushton@optusnet.com.au Ken Price 0418 311 040 CompetitionDirector@mgcc.com.au Grant, here s a few interesting emails you may want if you need space fillers for the next newsletter. They are interesting because they point to a possible future for historic racing, where a Group pre-buys a race by paying for xx% of a grid. It is then up to the group registrar to lobby members to support the meeting. This has resulted in good grid numbers for those groups. It also gives the race promoting club a bit of certainty of income. Inevitably, the issue has been clouded by my irritable habit of getting on my hobby horse and using the issue as an argument for the preservation of Historic Racing as we knew it! Cheers, Bill Hemming... Hi everyone, Our Historic meeting is on weekend after next and we need a few more M and O cars if possible - so although entries are closed - you will be accepted as a late entry no problem. We actually have about 27 M and O cars - but the Race Committee have apparently sold a grid to the Formula Junior guys and therein lies a problem for the rest of us in M and O leaving only about 10 cars when the Juniors are removed. In brief discussions with one of the Race Committee members, it would appear that Formula Ford and Formula Vee are happy being combined, again leaving the M and O cars (excluding the Juniors) on their own. There is a small number of Q and R cars and it would appear that we will be combined with them for the meeting. Rest assured, that I will be requesting that the Race Committee to think along the lines of us being combined at different times over the weekend with, maybe Formula Ford for one race, Q and R for another, Formula Junior for another (this won t be possible I am told) and if we get 5 races then with Q and R for the other 2. This would add a bit of variety and if the grids worked on fastest time achieved on the weekend to that point, then gridding should be no problem. Maybe the segregating of Formula Junior from Groups L and M is not in the best interests of these 2 Groups in the long term and I would welcome any input in this regard for the next newsletter due out after Wakefield Park. Ed... Ed, I would point out again that if the AFJA had not bought the race then the likely entry of juniors in M&O would have only been 2 or 3 based on the last few WP s, not 19 as we have this meeting. DK. Ed, I agree with David s comments. For Formula Junior to survive and reach it s potential, full grids are needed and buying a race seems to have provided incentive for entries.but other categories should not stymie a success by complaining about the move. Every category is facing the same challenges and needs to find a way of attracting entries. We know there are enough eligible cars out there! Costs (of cars and maintainance) seems to be the most common excuse given for not entering... this issue will only increase with the acceptance of newer, cheaper, faster more modern cars entering Historics simply by being 25 years old. There HAS to be a moratorium on the status quo of existing historic categories until we find a way to consolidate our cars in worthwhile grids. Mixing with quicker and younger cars is NOT the way. The Formula Junior Association should be lauded for having a go. Long live Groups L, M, O, FFa, Sa and Na. Maybe good health to P, Q, FFb, Sb and Nb. But bugger off cars from the 80 s onwards and go and play in the not quite Historic sandpit. Cheers, Bill Hemming... Thanks Bill, I will refrain from commenting on the last lines in your email below, but you can all be assured that there are NO plans to add any additional new groups into historics. We all have to recognise however that the future of historics relies on attracting younger enthusiasts to the sport, and there is a lot of evidence to suggest that we all relate to the cars that were contemporary when we first started to spectate at race meetings. For the 40-somethings that means cars that were around in the late 70s and 80s and to ignore that would be dangerous for the long-
term future of the sport. Having said that it would seem that in order to get better grids it is necessary to theme meetings around particular eras and vehicle types, which inevitably means dropping some groups from some meetings. This approach is assisted by groups organising themselves and the AFJA should be congratulated for their efforts. If that means buying grids, an approach routinely followed in Qld. I guess time will tell but hopefully that should not be necessary. Thanks and regards, Bob C... Hi Bob, Thanks for your response.it s always interesting to put in your 2 bob s worth on these contentious issues as long as we make sure comments are not taken personally because no-one has a mortgage on being certain. But don t worry, my boredom threshold is pretty low and I ll soon tire of stirring. I agree that the future of historic racing depends on attracting new and younger participants who obviously will gravitate to the cars of their youth (as we did).but what if they didn t have the choice? Our pre 80 s cars are exciting and fast enough to be attractive, especially if there were no alternatives. And it is surely up to us, the participants, to make it so much fun that anyone would want to play with the current machinery. In the UK and the US, there is ample evidence that Historics are gaining new generations of participants because: 1. The events are sensational 2. The events are well promoted 3. The cars are magnificent 4. Historic racing and race cars are viewed as aspirational In Australia, we almost pour contempt on traditional historic cars by introducing newer categories which brings in a level of seriousness with some (fantastic) very fast drivers. This in turn, reduces the fun factor of people who simply love their non-winning cars. (Obviously I m using this argument to justify my very average lap times!) It s time to take a deep breath and concentrate on maximising what we ve got, and getting back some spirit of historic racing by sensible and enjoyable racing in our very dangerous but gorgeous machinery. Give more incentive to get cars out of sheds.that is or should be our simple mission. See you at Wakefield. Bill Classifieds REPCO BRABHAM ENGINE PARTS Two 6 series 85mm bore Cylinder blocks and steel stiffener plates (numbered E13A and E11B) 72mm stroke Laystall crank to suit above (crack tested OK) New fully machined 620 timing chest Re-conditioned oil pump Used oil pump (body only) Nine new ARGO conrods to suit 800 series short block Assorted un-machined castings Lucas camshsaft driven/electric fuel injection pump with clutch drive Bosch ZV8 twin point racing distributor with h/t leads One pair of steel camshaft blanks $16K o.n.o. the lot (will not separate) Contact John Sheppard on 61 3 9379 7898 or john.shp@bigpond.com 1963 Group Sb MGB Roadster. (NSW No 20) Bob Rowntree engine and development with all the best equipment. Front running car at every circuit. Open trailer and lots of parts, bargain at $20,000 firm. Call Bret 0421 858 157 Sunbeam Alpine, Hillman Hunter Overdrive Gearbox complete with new g/box mount, cross member, prop shaft and all wiring - bolt straight in. $2200 contact Michael Ban 0415336460 or alpineban@gmail.com For Sale 5 speed close ratio gearbox. Originally from an Austin Champ, it was fitted to the MacHealey by Roger Wells but was removed by Alex Reid in the interests of originality.it has a mixture of helical and straight cut gears with no reverse.. The Champ had reverse gear built into the Diff. It appears to be in good condition and is a substantial unit. Price is $600-00 negotiable. Jim Reddy. 9775 6728
DRILLPRO0 R Sandown Poster 2013.indd 1 19-Sep-13 7:41:34 AM