Pheasant Wood Historic Racing
September 9, 10 and 11, 2022
Photos by Jeremy Morris and Stuart McCorkelle
Report by Jeremy Morris
Hearty congratulations must go to Club members John Lackey and Bentley Powell, former members Robert Rowe and John Medley, and Scott Hill of Pheasant Wood for putting on the Pheasant Wood All Historic Racing 9-12 September 2022. It almost never happened, which would have been a tragedy.
This was an event promoted as being “What racing used to be”. Given the enthusiasm of the entrants, let’s hope it is what “Racing will become”. Read the detailed report below the photo gallery.
How cool is the mustering point for the starting grid at the Pheasant Wood All Historics Race meeting? ~ Photo by Stuart McCorkelle
The event
The tone of the meeting was set at the drivers’ briefing when Matt Snape announced “If you are going to get desperate about trying to win a $5 tin cup, then this may not be the event for you”. The indefatigable Bill Sheehan was in the commentary box for the full two days, having travelled up from Victoria. He must be well over 90 and what he doesn’t know isn’t worth knowing.
What followed was in the best amateur motorsport tradition. The track is tight and winding which suited the small fields. The racing and the quality of the cars were fantastic.
There were three race/ regularity classes for cars up to 1960.
The Cars
The VSCCA was well represented in class C with Jeremy Morris Fazer Nash TT rep, Christo Morris Alvis 12/50, Graeme Louk GN (which misbehaved after its recent engine repairs), Dan Elbourne in his fathers ‘Triumph (which keeps getting quicker). Sadly, John Lackey did not have his Q type MG on the track and Andrew Benoit scratched his 1912 Panhard et Levassor.
But best of all was the Victorian enthusiasm in Class C. Neill Murdoch trailered up his ultra-rare and fabulously original Lombard with Cozette No 8 supercharger, but the rest all drove up. Mark Burns, Andrew Green and Steve Denner in their respective Alvis 12/50s drove over the high country on a pre-race tour. It was reported to be very unpleasant with teeming rain.
Daniel Zampatti and the ever-enthusiastic Stuart McCorkelle set out from work at lunchtime in Daniel’s Vauxhall OE 227- lastly owned by Peter Holbeach- and arrived at Goulburn at 11 pm, raced and left at three on Sunday afternoon- arriving home at 2 am, so they could both be back at work on Monday. Grant Cowie and Steve Barnett brought up Grant’s 1955 Cooper Mk IX- a fabulous car winning the best-presented car award and Robert Sales brought the Marsael special he built some years back.
Class B had Rees Mackay (Riley 9/14), John Lackey (Jnr) MG TC with Q Type body (looking fabulous), John Murn (Decca Major) and Robert Phillips driving the Tominson replica TA MG.
We did not have any club members running in Class A but the racing was fabulous, dominated by the Buckle Coupe of Lucas Crampton.
The Bikes and Sidecars
Then there were the bikes and sidecar classes- Ducati, Norton, Velocette, AJS, Chater Lea, Indian, Harley….fantastic fields and spirited racing.
the Spectators
Walking around the pits were old friends who came to spectate - Wayne and Olwyn Merton (spectating or crew for Andrew Merton). His Riley 9/14 special looked fabulous but burst an oil line and was then off the track), Les Craft, Syd Reinhardt (who popped by in his Big Bentley at the start of a month’s motoring, attending events and dropping by friends), John Hurst (Lancia Fulvia), Dermer Bennet (MG TD), Phil Guilfoyle, Will Matthews, Alan Baker and Jeff Bryant. Apologies to anyone we’ve missed!
The track
The track is tight, and a little daunting at first. But the organisers had the system well sorted out to minimise conflict. After practice the timers worked out the pace of the cars, and put the quickest at the front, grading them from there for a rolling start. So in a five-lap race, everyone had a pretty clear track, and there was none of the nastiness one can experience elsewhere where slower cars are mown down by those significantly faster.
The last race was the reverse- a great handicap race with the slowest departing first. In Class C the fastest cars gave away 90 seconds, and the two slowest cars were overtaken on the last lap. Pretty good work by the timers.
COME NEXT YEAR
This event will be on again next year. The entries may be limited, so get your car running and your entry in early.