The Events

VHRR Phillip Island Classic

We have been invited to compete in the Triumph TR5 at Phillip Island, in the annual Classic Festival run by the Victorian Historic Racing Register, this must be the biggest Historic Racing festival in the Southern Hemisphere, attracting more than 500 competing cars (more than 100 in Group S classes, with whom we will be racing) and around 50,000 spectators each year. 


This year the event runs from 18th - 20th March. Phillip Island is one of those circuits revered by drivers around the world, personally I've never been there, and most of the times I've seen it on tv it's been the likes of Rossi and Stoner rushing round it. I'm very excited about following in such famous wheeltracks. I've not seen a timetable yet, but if I understand correctly there will be two practice/qualifying sessions on Friday, then two races each day on Saturday and Sunday; I'm used to racing over 20-30 mins, but these will be a little shorter.

Targa Tasmania

One of the last proper "Road Races" in the World. 2,000kms round the beautiful island of Tasmania, with the stages on closed public roads run 'as fast as you dare'. Well over 300 cars have entered for this the 20th anniversary running, more than half in the Classic Divisions. The competitive elements of the event run over 6 days, but including pre-event scrutineering, etc., and the post event party (+ sobering up) we'll be 'involved' for about 10 days.

This is a major event, it is estimated that 200,000 spectators watch the event live, and there is significant tv coverage, which gets picked up by channels round the world, accessible to many millions of viewers. The local tourist board puts the event's value to Tasmania around AUD12m. At the front of the modern classes you should expect to see a pair of Lamborghini Gallardos duking it out, with some other serious, if slightly less exotic, machinery - where else other than Oz would you see that?!

We've not done this type of event before; the whole idea of driving fast with someone telling me what's coming up round the next bend or over the next crest is all a bit daunting - will I be able to assimilate the information fast enough, will Jason lose his place after I've scared him into closing his eyes, or will he drop the pace book into the footwell ...? No doubt like many blokes I've trained myself to 'turn a deaf ear' to anyone telling me how to drive (oops, sorry Love, did you think I was concentrating..?!); now with intercom his voice will be shouting inside my helmet. How will we get on ...? Well the honest answer is that we aren't going with any pretentions to win anything, we've never seen the roads before, and some of them are really quite challenging, so we will drive the road that we can see in front of us - as quickly as possible, of course! I'm led to believe that if we have a trouble-free run, then we ought to be able to achieve a 'Targa Trophy' for a penalty-free run - so if we had an ambition that would be it.