Baskerville Historics

Images from the Baskerville Historics meeting – a highlight on the historic racing calendar.

Among the many highlights at the threeday Baskerville Historics meeting (September 21-23) was the track reappearance of the John McCormack Valiant Charger Repco-Holden Sports Sedan which has been lovingly restored by Mark Trenoweth and his team (and featured in AMC #92). In a tting touch, Tasmanian-born former El n factory driver Mark McLaughlin drove the Charger (McCormack had been the factory El n driver when he raced the Charger in the mid-’70s), while Trenoweth took the wheel of his ex-McCormack Unipart Jaguar XJS. On track, a healthy eld of Heritage Touring Cars turned it on, although the weekend’s highpoint was the duel between the ‘86 Benetton Formula 1 machine driven by Josh Kean and the Can-Am McLaren M8F of Jason White – ‘80s 1.5-litre turbo power vs ‘70s 8.4-litre Big Block Chev grunt! Their battle in their nal race was one for the ages as they frequently traded places before the McLaren edged ahead. Kean ended up obliterating the outright lap record – but White was only a mere six-tenths slower.

Thumbs up all round for this heavyweight battle: ‘80s F1 Benetton vs ‘70s Can-Am McLaren 8.4-litre Chev.

The Heritage Touring Cars turned it on. Note the crowd - this meeting is fast becoming an annual historics highlight.

Jason White’s wheel-lifting VK Commodore fires onto the short Baskerville main straight.

George Nittis’ ex-Murray Carter John Sands Cards Falcon XE in Heritage Touring.