The Australian Historic Motor Festival was a huge
success. With this year being the first year of a true festival atmosphere the
event drew a record crowd over the previous four years it has been held. Police
Displays including a helicopter that landed on the Saturday of the event, The
SES, The Rural Ambulance Victoria as well as the Benalla Family History group,
supported the event.

Chainsaw carvers worked away as well
as exotic sports car displays Local Food & Wine tasting and a number of
other public interest displays. All of this while one of Australian Classic
Historic Race Events was being conducted on the Winton Circuit.

On
Track saw around 150 competitors from Australian Wide compete in over 30 events
for the weekend. One of the highlights was seeing for the first time a complete
family of Brabhams including an F1, F2, F3 and Indycar at a racetrack together.
The race meeting was host to race ledged Murray Carter who was at the circuit to
see his original Carter Corvette take honours in the Lb Sports races.

The
Group S race for Historic Sports Cars as won by Ian Ross in an original Shelby
the only racing Shelby in Australia. The Historic Sports Cars also featured
Porsche Damaso Pantera, an Iso Griffo and Healy’s And MG’s. Local Benalla
racer Hamish MacLennan fared well in his MG.

The biggest
field was in the Post War regularity with a mixture of triumphs, Jaguars, MG’s
and a Milthorpe Special which raced in the 1956 Australian Grand Prix. Local
Benalla Man Peter Dunn was among the competitors.

Group R
saw some sensational racing with Andrew Makin in a cheetah and Sysney’s
Richard Carter in his Ralt RT4 who put on some amazing racing as the battled it
out over the weekend with Makin eventually winning out. Geoff Calvert in the ex
Jacques Laffite Ralt which landed in Australian for the 1980 Australian Grand
Prix had to do some overnight repairs and a dash to Melbourne for engine parts
came back well to keep Carter and Makin honest in the Final race of the day.

In
the Sports Car Max Warrick was the victor for the weekend in his 1965 McLaren a
car which was the former Land Speed record holder in South Africa in the 60’s.
Benalla’s Michael Gibson was first in Group Q ahead of Violet Town’s Luke
Doidge.

One of the famous cars to take to the Track was
the SR4 Matich, which was being driven by Bathurst and Motorsport Ledged Brian
Sampson. The Matich SR4 was the Fastest Sports Car built in Australia. It won
all but one race that it competed in late 60’s where it dominated Sports Car
Racing.

To complement the racing a Historic Tractor pull
was held as part of the activities. The Tractor pull was organised by the
Benalla Vintage Tractor Club. As well the tractor pull there was a Historic
Tractor display and Machinery display which had around 80 Tractors on display.

A
large contingent of Historic speedway cars where also in attendance as part of
the festivities as a Vintage Speedway Event was held in conjunction with the
track racing at the Wangaratta Speedway.

The Motoring
displays where a highlight of the weekend. With around 50 Clubs on display it
was fantastic to see the car parks filled with beautiful machinery. The Winner
of Bets Club Machine Display was the Katamatite Vintage Tractor and Engine Club.
Best Tractor Casey family with the 1940 Ford Ferguson 9M. People Choice Tractor
was the Lanz Bulldog 50DR owned by Mr Pimm. Most Interesting Machine was Elly
& Wal from the Warby Engine Club displayinga Blue Stratton Poor Man Gurder
Engine.

For the Motorcycle display best Motorcycle went to
Peter Gaggioni with a 1938 Road Special while best club went to Vintage
Motorcycle Club of Victoria.

Best Truck was Brendan
Handcock in an International 9900 Eagle. People Choice of Car was a 1934 Triumph
Saloon from Baranduda owned John & Rosely Dowe. Most Interesting car was the
1974 Lamborghini Esparda owned by John Allott. Best Car Club Display was awarded
to South Peninsula Historic Car Club. Best Car on display was a 1970 XY GT
Falcon owned by John Panlook from Wodonga. The car was original unrestored with
a 351 engine and Sunroof. The only modification to the car was a modern race
clutch fitted.