THREE weeks to go and Winton Motor Raceway will again reverberate to the sounds of more than 400 racing cars and bikes from days gone by as the North East Victoria circuit hosts its 38th Historic Winton.
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Conducted by the Austin 7 Club and the Historic Motorcycle Racing Association of Victoria, this annual event will be held on May 23, 24 and 25.
It is Australia’s largest and most popular all-historic motor race meeting that continues to grow each year.
The meeting, which features non-stop racing for historic racing cars and motorbikes from the 1920s to the 1980s, also honours vehicles, bikes and particular events celebrating a milestone, with 2014 honouring 21 anniversaries.
This year Historic Winton honours 110 years of Hispano Suiza, Rolls-Royce, Rover and Crossley and a century of Dodge, Willys-Knight, Aston Martin and Maserati, with magnificent examples of most, if not all, attending the meeting.
Ninety-year milestones include the Bugatti Type 35, Frazer Nash and Bentley’s first visit to Le Mans.
The French Simca brand, Citroen Traction Avant, Chrysler Airflow, Lagonda Rapier and Austin 7 Ruby chalk up 80 years, Borgward Isabella, Ford Thunderbird, Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint 60 years, while celebrating their ‘half ton’ is the Ford Mustang and the Sunbeam Tiger.
Again, examples of these marques will be seen either on track or on display.
Sixteen regional drivers are listed among this year’s entrants.
While there will be plenty of on-track action, there will be displays on both days featuring cars, bikes and historic commercial vehicles.
The Shannons Classic Car Park will again feature car and bike club displays, there will be spectator access to the competition paddock where fabulous old racing machines will be on display to inspect and talk to their owners, plus there will be a display of Bubble cars, Indian motorbikes and Penrite AGP Aussie specials.
Organisers are inviting anyone with a classic or special-interest car or bike to join the spectator car park.
On Sunday, there will be a classic car show of veteran, vintage, sports, classics, hot rods, customes, street machines and motorbikes, historic commercial vehicles and historic motor bikes featuring sidecar outfits.
On Friday the Benalla and District Classic Car and Motorbike Tour will assemble at 9am at the art gallery prior to a drive around the region.
The tour concludes with a shine and show at the Benalla Aviation Museum from 3pm-5pm, with vehicles on display on the grassed area between the museum and the Benalla Performing Arts Centre.
Phone Graeme McDonald on 0417 306 332, or email historicwinton@hotmail.com for further information.
Historic Winton organisers have again kept prices family-friendly, with raceway entry on Saturday $25, Sunday $35 and both days $50. Competition paddock is $5, with children 16 and under free.
As in years past, we again have free passes to give away to On the Grid readers.
Organisers have given us 20 two-day passes.
If you would like to go to the event, call into The Border Mail’s Wodonga office at 1 McKoy Street and ask for one.
As usual there is strictly one ticket available to each person/family that applies.