Australia’s first and last Sports Car Champion machines join new category for 2016 event …
THE first and last cars to win the CAMS Australian Sports Car Championship are the latest additions to the new Sports Racing Car Invitational category at this year’s Australian Muscle Car Masters on October 29/30 at Sydney Motorsport Park.
Alan Nolan and his Nola-Chevrolet became the last-ever CAMS Australian Sports Car Champions in 1988, claiming the four-round title by eight points before the championship was discontinued at the end of that season.
First held in 1969 the Australian Sports Car Championship honour roll includes the likes of Ian ‘Pete’ Geoghegan, John Harvey, Allan Moffat and John Bowe.
Now, 28 years on, Nolan and his Nola will be joined by the car that won the inaugural Australian Sports Car Championship in 1969 in the hands of the late Frank Matich; the mighty Matich SR4 now owned by Nigel Tait.
They will be part of a trio of 15-minute demonstrations featuring big banger Sportscars, historically significant Sports Sedans and muscle-packed GT and Can-Am cars.
Also confirmed among the Historic Sports Sedans line-up are two of legend John McCormack’s old cars – and the three-time Australian Drivers Champion will be getting behind the wheel of one of them.
Mark Trenoweth is bringing to Sydney the ex-McCormack Jaguar XJ-S that the Tasmanian racing legend will drive, while fellow Tasmanian Bruce Gowans has recently finished restoration of the wild ex-McCormack Toyota Celica Sports Sedan.
Wall Racing will return to the Muscle Car Masters with both its Formula 5000-powered Holden Dealer Team Torana formerly raced by Colin Bond as well as its Toyota Supra; a car that began its life as a Chevrolet Monza in the hands of Bob Jane, Peter Brock and Allan Grice.
Australian-built Sportscars will also be well-represented by Steve Webb’s Repco-powered Elfin 360, Nigel Tait’s gorgeous 1969 Australian Sports Car Championship-winning Matich SR4 and Keith and Tim Berryman’s Matich SR3.
The glorious Can-Am cars of the 1970s will also be represented by Andrew Kluver’s marvellous ex-Keke Rosberg Newman-Haas Lola Can-Am car.
Muscle Car Masters is a celebration of Australian motorsport history, heritage and passion jointly promoted by the Australian Racing Drivers Club and Chevron Publishing, a division of nextmedia.
First held in 2005 it has become a permanent part of Sydney Motorsport Park’s calendar and this year moves from the Father’s Day weekend to October 29-30.
The 2016 event will feature an all-star racing line-up of Historic Group A and C Touring Cars in the Heritage Touring Cars class, Australian Trans-Am, Group N Historic Touring Cars and Group S as well as the new Sports Racing Car Invitational demo category.
Making their first appearance at the event this year are the Kumho Tyre Australian V8 Touring Car Series as well as the Australian 5-Litre Touring Car Association, featuring a range of impressive Commodores and Falcons from the early V8 Supercar era.
Tickets are now available for Muscle Car Masters with online purchases offering a significant saving compared to on-the-day prices.
Further details are available at: www.musclecarmasters.com.au
Here’s Alan Nolan behind the wheel of the Nola Chevrolet at Sydney Motosport Park last year:
