2013 - Race - Winter Classic

Showing damage to the front of Jason Wilson's car

The meeting was held on Sunday, July 28th as part of the Winter Race Meeting, and a taste of Winter was had with rains throughout the week washing the track clean, creating very slippery conditions. Then a period of beautiful sunshine to warm everyone up for two races, followed by a few showers which returned the surface to its very slippery state.
We had 16 starters for the day with eight O2L, four U2L and four U1.6L

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QUALIFYING

Gavin Reynolds on his was to setting fastest qualifying time

Qualifying was held in very slippery conditions with drivers reporting it to have been like ice.

That didn't stop the Western Concrete Honda Civic, beautifully driven by Gavin Reynolds from dominating the session with an excellent time in the conditions of 69.9 seconds, showing the state of the track.
Dion Panizza, in the T&N Sheet Metal VE also put in a very good time of 72.06 seconds to qualify second from the Top Gear Electrical and Air Conditioning Starlet of Matt Cherry with a time of 72.16.

Jamie McKinnell qualified second for the Under 2 litre and Don Simpson qualifying first in the Under 1.6 Litres from Tim Riley.  Jason Wilson came to grief in this session and was unable to continue for the meeting.

Terry Mason, in his first outing in the T&N Sheet Metal Holden had the electrical gremlins short circuit his day with fuse issues on the first lap of qualifying which caused him to park up.

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Glyn Crimp, in his Subaru, in his second meeting for the year, leads newcomer Jai Philps in his Toyota Celica

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Don Simpson's Honda Civic leads Monica Jakovich in her Mirage on the way to fastest time in Under 1.6 Litre

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RACE 1

Matt Cherry on his way to a very good race win

The sun was out and the track conditions started to improve.  The race was dominated by the Cherry Starlet which was flying. It set the fastest time of 62.9 which was very quick in the conditions.
Reynolds also set a very good fastest lap of 63.2 and Dion Panizza the best time of the big cars with a fastest lap of 65 flat.

Tim Riley was fastest of the U1.6L cars beating Simpson across the line by 1 second, in two cars which are very evenly matched.

John Callegari, with a distinct lack of power could only watch as Frank Panizza took the chase to Dion with Callegari holding off the ever consistent Wayne Chrystal by 2.5 seconds for 3rd in O2l.
Glyn Crimp, in his second race for the season, was steady for a trouble free run, finishing just behind Chrystal.

Reynolds was a class above the U2L cars, finishing 31 seconds ahead of McKinnell, 12.5 seconds ahead of Geoff Duckworth.  Jakovich continued to chip away and finished 3rd in the U1.6L ahead of Wheeler in his Charade.

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A line of red, coming down the hill to Turn 7, led by the McKinnell Integra

RACE 2

Dion Panizza on his way to second spot

Tim Riley failing by a second to catch Don Simpson for the U1.6L honours

Race 2 was also held in the improving weather, with the results very similar to the previous race.
The Cherry Starlet was again too strong for the field and galloped away for an 11 second win over the U2L car of Reynolds, with Frank Panizza holding off Dion for third overall.

Cherry bettered his previous time by 0.2 sec for a fastest lap of 62.7.

A racing incident at Turn 1 saw Wheeler and Duckworth out of the race and Mason, who started at the rear of grid, was again dogged by the fuse issue and pulled out on the first lap.

McKinnell finished second to Reynolds in the U2L and Simpson took the honours from Riley by 1 second in the U1.6L.  Jakovich again held down 3rd position from Wheeler to fill the minor place in U1.6L.

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John Callegari, chased hard despite a distinct lack of power caused by a faulty air temperature sensor

Jamie McKinnell, very consistent in his class

Wayne Chrystal continued his steady and consistent form

Brad Wheeler in his Charade

RACE 3

Frank Panizza was held up by fuel problems

Race 3 saw ten cars on the grid.

The race was started with the track having deteriorated somewhat following a couple of showers and presented the drivers with tricky surface conditions.

With the Cherry Starlet opting to sit out the race, it was Reynolds in the Civic that led the rest on a merry dance.

Frank Panizza was having fuel issues again and suffered consequently, allowing Dion to chase Reynolds for the ten laps, eventually finishing 2nd overall.

Callegari had replaced the faulty sensor and regained power, but overcooked it at Turn 7 finding the sand and having to get pulled out under a safety car, losing laps on the rest.


Chrystal, ever consistent, stayed out of trouble and cruised home for a comfortable 2nd place in the O2L from Crimp.

McKinnell again finished runner up to Reynolds in the depleted U2L class, with Duckworth out with major steering damage from the previous race.
Simpson and Riley  were never more than seconds apart in the U1.6L class. The race between the two was entertaining with Simpson finally holding out Riley by .3 sec for 1-2.with Jakovich again on the podium for a third.

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Monica Jakovich

Jai Philps at his first race start