Ruf runner
It wasn’t the most glamorous or even the most powerful car on the run, but when it came to the on-track stuff at Mallala and Tailem Bend, nothing could touch this XW Falcon. As the number plate RUF-070 implies, there’s nothing special about this ’70 model XW, which current owner Jeff McKerlie bought in 1989 for just $1200. At that time it had the base model 3.6-litre six; now it’s powered by a slightly warmed over 351 V8 fed by a Quick Fuel 750cfm carby and TFC manifold. The suspension has been upgraded with a Phase II rear sway bar, lowered HO springs and adjustable Koni shocks. But apart from the biggest mods, the larger Willwood brakes and the Tremec gearbox, it’s a car with ‘old-school’ performance enhancements, Jeff says, and reflective of what a track-day (had track days been a thing in the ‘70s) XW V8 Falcon might have looked like back in the day. “We haven’t spent a huge amount spent on it and it’s not a flash car, but without the brakes and the Tremec, you could have built this car in the ‘70s.” borders – mainly due to Covid-related logistics.
Still, SA is probably the ideal state to host a road tour such as this. It might be known as the City of Churches, but with the Tailem Bend, Mallala and Adelaide International Raceway circuits and the Collingrove and Willunga hillclimb venues all within an hour or so of the CBD, and with the Adelaide 500 Supercars event about to make an unexpected return, Adelaide might be better described as the Metropolis of Motorsport
The added bonus to this is that there is no shortage of excellent scenic country drives and destinations not far out of the city, and without some of the traffic problems of the ‘bigger’ eastern states. It helps, too, that the SA local government and law enforcement authorities
seem to take somewhat of a less ‘bureaucratic’ approach to these types of on-road events than some of their eastern-state counterparts…
It’s a charity event, and for its return the Aussie Muscle Car Run teamed up with Variety the Children’s charity. Variety’s mission is to raise funds to support children who are sick, disadvantaged or who have special needs. So it’s all about raising money for good cause, while at the same time enjoying a week-long road trip and the camaraderie that comes with a group of like-minded muscle car owner and enthusiasts.
The run is open to muscle cars that reflect golden era of Bathurst, built between 1963 and 1977, although American cars and replicas are also welcome. Allowances are also made for cars which are considered ‘special interest’ vehicles that broadly fit the bill – such as the Holden Commodore VK SS shared on the run by Colin and Jaxson Baker. The VK Commodore qualifies as a ‘special interest’ muscle car in the same way that, for example, a Holden Camira of similar vintage would not…
In the past the Aussie Muscle Car Run has been an October event, but organisers sought to bring it forward to be held as soon as possible after the two-year hiatus. This was also driven by the entrants – the core group of participants who look forward to this event every year didn’t want to wait that long!
It’s not hard to see why the event is so popular. In return for an entry fee and the fundraising component – entrants seek ‘sponsors’ for their cars – and an addition (but optional) cost for the various motorsport events, the run includes daily breakfasts and dinners, accommodation every night and overnight security for the cars. There is even a back-up mechanical support/facility.
The return event attracted a contingent of ‘first timers’ (below pic), including the president of the Classic Ford Club of the Northern Territory, Gordon Jabour (and co-driver Mick Thickbroom), in Gordon’s neatly restored Falcon XA GT fourdoor. Gordon was persuaded to do the run by his next-door neighbour, Alan Stalker, a regular on the event – who also happens to be the president of the NT Classic Holden Car Club!
The theme for 2022 was ‘City to Coast,’ with
the run kicking off in Adelaide on the Friday and heading straight to Mallala for some optional hot laps of the circuit. Dinner that night was at Clare (of the Clare Valley vineyard region) before the 200km journey north-west the next morning to Port Augusta.
Whyalla drags followed the next day, with an overnight stay at the Eyre Peninsula town before setting off on the 500km road trip to Nuriootpa in the heart of the Barossa Valley – and also where the Australian Grand Prix was held on public roads in 1950.
The AGP was also held (in 1937) at Victor Harbor, the next destination for the run, some 500km to the south of the Barossa. From there it was off to the Willunga Hillclimb for another optional motorsport stage, and then back to Victor Harbor for dinner and a charity auction of motoring memorabilia. The auction typi ed what this event was about: not only did it raise thousands but it was such a fun night that even could have been raised by charging admission!
The next day the cars were off to nearby Goolwa for a show-’n’-shine stopover before heading off to the Tailem Bend circuit. Entrants got to enjoy the unique experience of dining and staying overnight in the Rydges Pit Lane
Top: The Tailem Bend track day laps included a special ‘Ladies Day’ girls-only session; Goolwa show-’n’shine stopover (above right); Charger does its thing at Whyalla drags (left); the charity auction at the overnight Victor Harbor stopover was as entertaining as it was successful in raising funds for the Variety the childrens’ charity.
Hotel which, as the name implies, is a 100-room hotel atop the racetrack’s pit complex. The Bend itself is a facility of such magni cent opulence that it needs to be experienced in person to be believed – it surely must be by far the most lavish motorsport facility in the southern hemisphere.
While entrants stayed overnight in their rooms (and for those on the racetrack side, with pit lane and the main straight right outside their windows), their cars were secured three oors beneath in the circuit’s pit garages.
A day on track followed, which included hot laps for some of the kids receiving help from Variety. The next day it was back to Adelaide for the Glenelg nish: a total of just over 1300km across the eight days (not including
the on-track activity).
More than half a million dollars was raised for Variety the
Children’s Charity over the course of the week-long event.
With the first postCovid Aussie Muscle
Car Run having been completed, organisers are looking forward to expanding the event to take in the eastern states once more – and returning the run to its ‘traditional’ October timeframe.