Phillip Island to host international historic race cars
This year’s Phillip Island Classic – Festival of Motorsport will be an outstanding event with some of the finest historic cars from around the world competing on the world-renowned Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit from 10 to 12 March.
Six classic Formula 1 cars from Europe, including the 1972 Surtees TS16/02, Shadow DN8, Tyrrell 012, Ensign N179, Lotus 81, and Hesketh 308-1, will race some of the finest historic cars in Australia.
The meeting will also host four sports cars from Europe, including Leon Ebeling’s 1962 Shelby Cobra 289, Steve Brooks’ Lola T70 Mk 3b (pictured, above), Ludovic Caron’s Chevron B31 (pictured, below), and Andrew Newall’s 1966 Chevron B6 – a multiple world championship car in which Newall won the 2015 FIA Masters Historic Sports Car Championship.
A Chevron B24 driven by Tom Tweedie has the distinction of being the first Formula 5000 car to beat Formula 1 machines in a combined event, at Brands Hatch in 1973, after then-driver Peter Gethin had also won the Formula 5000 race. With the entry of Tim Berryman in a Lola T332, two of Australia’s fastest Formula 5000s will compete against the international Formula 1s.
There will also be a very rare 1962 Ferrari 196 SP Dino which was raced in the 1962 Sebring 12 Hours by the North American Racing Team. The first of the mid/rear-engine Ferraris, it is one of only five built and the surviving example. The car raced with success in major events in Europe and the USA before passing into the hands of some of the prominent collectors.
From the USA, the well-known and highly competitive 1959 Old Yeller Mk11 raced by Ernie Nagamatsu will again appear at Phillip Island.
On the Sunday, the Formula Ford category will race for the Perkins Cup in honour of legendary Australian driver Larry Perkins. The event will feature more than 40 cars with entrants from New Zealand, Ireland, USA and the UK competing against Australian drivers.
The 1946 Maybach Mk1, which Stan Jones drove to victory in the 1954 New Zealand Grand Prix, will compete in Regularity. The machine was the first car developed and built in Australia to win a grand prix.
A number of world-famous feature cars will be on static display, including Alan Jones’ 1979 World Championship Williams; the March 701 driven by 1978 World Champion, Mario Andretti; an Indy Car driven by four-time Indianapolis 500 winner, Rick Mears’, and a 1985 Ferrari 156/85.
Bathurst 1000 winners, Steven Richards and Greg Murphy, will race in Group C & A driving Nissan HR31 Skylines, competing against several Ford Sierras, one driven by Chris Stillwell.
To assist competitors at a time of high inflation, Mark Tierney, CEO of Race Fuels, announced that his company will hold the cost of fuel at last year’s level.
The Phillip Island Classic – Festival of Motorsport has strong support from major motor and industry sponsors such as Penrite, Shannons, CoolDrive and Apex Steel, Dutton Garage, Bendix Brakes and Trico with support also coming from Bass Coast Shire Council and Events Gippsland.
Tickets will be available at the gate.
