The Southern Hemisphere’s largest historic racing occasion, the VHRR Phillip Island Basic, is shaping as much as be one other spectacular occasion in March 2024 attracting crowds of upwards of 25,000 over the lengthy weekend.
Scheduled for March 8-10, 2024, entries are flowing in from all elements of Australia and New Zealand and there are already some distinctive System 5000, Can-Am, and historic saloon vehicles confirmed for the occasion.
A robust contingent from New Zealand contains entries from the McLaren Group together with Tony Roberts McLaren M10A 300-09 – a automobile constructed for the introduction of the System 5000 within the UK in 1969. The prototype M10A received the European Championship and dominated the second yr of worldwide F5000. Tony’s automobile, a 300-9 was initially equipped to Bob Esseks within the USA and first raced at Highway America in July 1969. Tony has been racing varied McLaren vehicles for greater than 25 years and was the stunt driver for the current film, ‘McLaren’.
Grant Clearwater’s McLaren M10A 300-08 was initially constructed for Sir Nick Williamson in 1969 and raced on the worldwide hill climbs at St Ursanne-Les Rangiers and Ollon-Villars earlier than making its debut at Preston in September profitable all three UK outings in late 1969. Rebuilt on the manufacturing facility to M10B specification it went on to win 4 championship rounds and took the British Hill Climb Championship.
The McLaren M10A 300-03 owned by Rob Ward may also be racing. This can be a automobile that was entered within the 1969 US collection however later crashed throughout apply for the race at Mont Tremblant. It was bought and restored and competed in of SCCA Nationwide Park and 5 Professional races.
Frank Karl’s McLaren M10B 400-185 was initially raced in South Africa by Alan McKechnie and later by a number of homeowners within the UK and raced by Len Booysen in 1975 for Crew Domingo.
A automobile that obtained plenty of private enter from Bruce McLaren is the M10B 400-7 owned in New Zealand by Toby Annabel. This automobile was very profitable in smaller hill climbs and was used within the British Hill Climb Championship in 1974 and 1975.
Of explicit curiosity would be the McLaren Can-AM Sportscar M8B-1 owned by Alistair Hey as this automobile was developed for the 1969 Can-AM season the place it was completely dominant, profitable 11 out of 11 rounds.
5 New Zealand primarily based tremendous touring and Group A vehicles may also be on the assembly together with Andy Greeslade’s Benson & Hedges RS500 Sierra. This automobile was the final of 5 Benson & Hedges Sierra’s and the one one inbuilt Australia with the intention of profitable the 1990 Bathurst 1000. It first raced in spherical 3 of the 1990 Australian Touring Automotive Championship and 7 weeks later was at Bathurst the place it competed with Tony Longhurst and ex-F1 champion Alan Jones setting a lap file for Mount Panorama nevertheless it didn’t end the precise race that yr.
Peter Sturgeon’s 1996 Honda Accord Supertourer was initially raced by David Leslie within the 1996 British Touring Automotive Championship, Neil Crompton within the 1997 North American Touring Championship and Graham Dodd within the 1998 Australian Tremendous Touring Championship.
Two extremely aggressive BMW Tremendous tourers owned by Steven Kelly and Dennis Chapman might be racing plus Scott O’Donnell’s 1995 Ford Mondeo Supertourer.
With such a robust group of New Zealand vehicles and drivers there isn’t any doubt that trans-Tasman rivalry might be to the fore with competitors coming from a few of Australia’s greatest drivers and vehicles together with upwards of 15 Australian System 5000’s.
There might be eleven racing classes over the three day occasion offering spectacular curiosity on the observe for spectators together with as much as 1000 automobiles on show across the circuit
Extra info may be discovered on the VHRR website HERE.
