Classic motor racing takes centre stage at Teretonga Park in Invercargill this weekend with two full days of action as the Ascot Park Hotel Classic SpeedFest takes place at an appropriate venue, the country’s oldest motor racing circuit.
Five classes of historic racing cars – Pre 78 Saloons/Historic & Vintage Racing Association (HVRA), Formula Junior, Classic Saloons, Formula Ford/Libre and Vintage Racing Cars – plus the Noel McIntyre Drainage Club Saloons will add to a fantastic weekend of action and entertainment.
Spectators are welcome to wander through the pits, look at the cars and talk to the drivers about their machines. International drivers are starting to return to the event post-pandemic, with drivers from the UK, Australia and Denmark amongst the entries.
The Pre 78 Classic Saloons/HVRA have combined this year, with the Pre 78 Saloons providing interesting cars, including Rodger Cunninghame in his Mustang and John Munro in a Daimler XJ6, who are just two examples.
The HVRA competitors add some big banger cars. Brothers Leon and Kyle Hallett line up in their Falcon and Mustang, respectively, along with fellow Mosgiel driver Paul Coory in another Mustang, plus Gary Johnstone in his Jaguar.
The class will compete for the Brian Crosbie Memorial Trophy in their finale, a 6-lap handicap race.
Formula Junior was a stepping stone to Formula 1 in the period from 1958 to 1963 and was driven by many of the world’s best drivers. A sizeable contingent from the UK has travelled to New Zealand for the event with a brilliant lineup of cars from the period.
Dunedin’s Steve Ross pilots the iconic PDL Mustang 1 in the Classic Saloon races, while Porsche drivers Guy and Marcus Stewart and Mike Baker will be prominent.
There is real variety in the Formula Ford/Libre field, with Steve Heffernan one to watch, as is Gerald Duncan in the SID, while young Southland driver Jacob Begg joins the field fresh from competing in the South Island Formula Ford Championship.
Paul Coghill is always competitive in the Vintage Racing Car class, while one very interesting entry is Jac Nelleman of Denmark in a Mallock. Nelleman was the Danish Formula 3 Champion in both 1976 and 1977 and entered the 1976 Swedish Grand Prix in a Brabham run by the small RAM team in a field that contained names like Scheckter, Andretti, Amon, Lauda, Hunt, Fittipaldi and many more superstars of the sport.
Many of the South’s best come together in the Noel McIntyre Drainage Club Saloons, with Jordan Michels (MARC Mustang), Liam MacDonald (Falcon) and Dion Dawson (Saker) among the entries.
Saturday’s programme is expected to commence at 10 am, with qualifying for each class followed by racing from around 12 noon. Sunday’s programme will commence at 9.30 am with a full day of seventeen races.
