A number of historic formula vees from the HFVAA supported the Formula Vee Association of Victoria at Phillip Island after an invitation to compete and assist with competitor numbers.
Eight Historic Formula Vee members attended with Sixteen 1600cc cars and one only modern spec 1200cc car. This made 26 cars in all and with the full support of the Victorian Mini Club who organised the meeting.
This meeting was round 5 of the Vic State Series which is promoted by a different club each time and held at 3 separate venues.
Friday practice was made available for those who wished to practice, plus 1 qualification session on Saturday morning to be followed by three 8 lap races, 1 on Saturday afternoon and the other 2 on the Sunday.
The weather was fine but a bit Windy and cool on Saturday and the odd shower on Sunday made for interesting racing.
Our Senior member Geoff Stone came down from Tweed Heads and was on fire setting the pace throughout the weekend. Grant Kelly followed suit with Don Greiveson from S.A watching the
Ability of the pace setters. Matt Scott, Dean Mc laughlan, Dean Briggs, Ross Mc Laughlan and Phillip Gardner followed on to enjoy the activity. All of the Historic cars were faster than Ian Mac Donald in the later spec
1200cc car. Ian Mac Donald was to express his interest in an Historic Vee later in the weekend as he had observed we were all having a great time and showed ourselves to be a very close knit group.
The first race showed how good Geoff Stone is at the age of 70 something and not counting anymore. Grant, Don, Matt and Dean followed on to attempt to keep up with the Senior Citizen Geoff finished in 14th place overall.
A truly great result. The cars were checked for Historic Rules compliance on the weekend by Victorian Sealer Max Bonney who advised owners of any issues with their cars, and gave out advice to help.
Sundays races proved a bit tricky with light showers to liven things up.
The front running 1600cc cars went off into the distance and the Historic Vees went about our own racing behind them, having started a couple of rows spacing at the rear of the others.
Geoff again showed us how it was to be done. My car has a mind of its own in the wet [ a quote from Geoff Stone ] well it did not look like that to those following, and Geoff went on to claim the win.
I had a couple of spins, the first due to getting too close to Geoff in turn 2, then another at turn 4 after travelling some 400 meters with wet tyres and a brain in neutral. Grant Kelly kept it all together to run second after deciding that the black stuff and pointing in the right direction was the way to go, passing me recovering at turn 4.
We also encountered Benjamin Rhodes who was making heavy weather of his 1600cc car in the wet and he managed to split Grant and myself at the finish. Geoff having blasted past him some time before.
Matt Scott, Dean Briggs, Ross Mclaughlan and Philip Gardner kept it on the black stuff to finish not far adrift.
Former Formula Vee notable competitor Ian Edgar was a spectator and commented the Vee Race was fantastic to watch all the way through the field.
The final race of the day was used by Geoff and I to help our newer members experience what slip streaming was all about and to make another great race for the Historics. A shower of rain livened things up again with everybody staying on the black stuff.
At the finish it was me from Geoff, Matt, Benjamin in the 1600cc car and Grant Kelly followed by a pack of 1600cc cars lapping to the finish line to split both Dean and Ross in a really close encounter.
The weekend was considered a great success for all as the Phillip Island circuit is a truly great place to race a Vee.
The Formula Vee Association of Victoria were extremely grateful for our support so they did not have to run in a combined field of other classes of cars, and considered it a success all round.
Hopefully we can do it again with more Historic Vees supporting the weekend.
Cheers Don.