Event: 2013 Australian Muscle Car Masters

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks Ellis, these are great! Out of interest, the Humpy Holden #179 in post #19, it looks like it has bolt-on flares? Is this an old Sports Sedan?

[Ellis]

Thanks Ellis, these are great! Out of interest, the Humpy Holden #179 in post #19, it looks like it has bolt-on flares? Is this an old Sports Sedan?

Dont know the signifigance of the car Steve but it would be.
It did some demo laps ? I think . I seen a pic with it out on the track

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks Ellis. The flares look like they could be a more recent addition, but either way, its great to see another of these cars with history being brought out and shared.

[Steve Holmes]

OK folks, Brent has emailed me the first batch of pics from the Muscle Car Masters. These are stunning, and I'm sure you'll enjoy them. They're not in any particular order, so just appreciate each on its own merit. For those on here who are Facebook members, make sure you visits Brent's page and 'Like' it, so more people get to see his work. His page can be found Here

[Steve Holmes]

[Steve Holmes]

[Steve Holmes]

[Steve Holmes]

[Steve Holmes]

[Steve Holmes]

[Steve Holmes]

[prn31]

Attachment 21015

Its on this weekend folks. The 2013 Australian Muscle Car Masters, one of the most significant historic racing events on the Aussie racing calendar.

Ellis French has already posted up the programme and entry list here

Natsoft are posting the qualifying and race results as they happen throughout the weekend here

Thanks to Brent Murray from At Speed Images, we'll be posting up photos from the event from early next week.

This is the Starlight Blue XW Falcon GT Auto raced by Charlie Smith and Bill Ford at the 1969 Bathurst 500 where it finished 9th outright.

The car is now owned by Leo di Natale and I wrote a story on this Bathurst survivor for Australian Muscle Car magazine (#66) earlier this year.

85 year old Charlie Smith was down to drive the GT in the demonstration laps.

Unfortunately I was unable to catch up with Leo and Charlie on the day as I was chasing up another 1969 Bathurst car for a future article!

Paul

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks Paul, yes I remember that article. You did a great job!

[Steve Holmes]

[Steve Holmes]

[Oldfart]

Is it just me, or does seeing cars in their period livery make it so much better? I know that sponsors want their payback, but there must be a way to satisfy both. After all there is damned all exposure by the media.

[Terry S]

Re the F5000's at this meeting, I personally believe the low number of competitors at this high profile meeting was pretty poor.
I think there were about 9 cars that participated, of which 5 were Aussie and 4 were from NZ.
For their main feature Trophy race there were only 7 starters.
This is an opportunity to be seen by a large audience that wouldn't go to Historic meetings, and let young people see what they were all about. I believe they did not come up to expectations..
The thing about F5000's was the thunder from a big field, particularly at places such as Oran Park. There as they came over the dogleg and into the dipper the noise was unbelievable and made the whole amphitheatre shake.
I've seen them in their prime at Warwick Farm, Amaroo (completely unsuited) and Oran Park. I can still readily recall that Australian Grand Prix there with Lella Lombardi in a Matich.
I believe this lot have got to raise their game, or risk being omitted from such high profile meetings. Plenty of other classes would like to take their place.

[richiev8]

Hi,
The number 85 Camaro in post #27 is a ex kiwi car I built up, never ran sold to Au. Gets plenty of use now in TCM

[Steve Holmes]

Thats right Richie, thats a bloody good car you built. I realise they've developed it further, but the original package you'd constructed has done a great job.

[Steve Holmes]

Re the F5000's at this meeting, I personally believe the low number of competitors at this high profile meeting was pretty poor.
I think there were about 9 cars that participated, of which 5 were Aussie and 4 were from NZ.
For their main feature Trophy race there were only 7 starters.
This is an opportunity to be seen by a large audience that wouldn't go to Historic meetings, and let young people see what they were all about. I believe they did not come up to expectations..
The thing about F5000's was the thunder from a big field, particularly at places such as Oran Park. There as they came over the dogleg and into the dipper the noise was unbelievable and made the whole amphitheatre shake.
I've seen them in their prime at Warwick Farm, Amaroo (completely unsuited) and Oran Park. I can still readily recall that Australian Grand Prix there with Lella Lombardi in a Matich.
I believe this lot have got to raise their game, or risk being omitted from such high profile meetings. Plenty of other classes would like to take their place.

Yes it is disappointing Terry. Full credit to those who made the effort to run their F5000s at this event. Just a shame there weren't more of them. I know these cars aren't cheap to run, and neither is it shipping them around Australia or from New Zealand. This is obviously an event outside their existing championship, and maybe the MCM organisers need to somehow find a way to make this part of their series.

I remember asking Mark Oastler about this following the very first Muscle Car Masters, back in 2005 (?) as the intention back then was to have F5000s there. I think initially from memory they'd advertised that F5000s would be at that first event, but in the end it came to nothing. He told me many of those running the F5000s, especially those from NZ, weren't very interested in racing at the MCM. They felt it wasn't the right fit for their class. Thats what he said back then. I actually suggested the NZ racing class Central Muscle Cars could be a good fit with MCM (because I was involved with CMC back then), an idea he really liked, and the idea sort of grew from there to have CMC at the event. Thats back when CMC cars were a bit closer to historic type cars than they are now.