HTCAV – 2024 The Bend Classic report
Words and Photos: John Lemm
Broadening the appeal beyond circuit racing, the 2024 edition of The Bend Classic presented drag racing, a rodeo, BBQ festival and a ute muster. There was also live music (both kinds – Country AND Western), with Lee Kernaghan, Kasey Chambers and Beccy Cole taking to the stage on the Saturday evening of the 25-27 October event.
On track, Sprints and Regularity used The Bend’s 3.4km West circuit, with the 4.9 km International circuit employed for Formula 5000, Groups F, M & O and the meeting’s largest category - with 26 entries - the THR Developments Historic Touring Cars.
A Top 10 shootout for the historic tourers saw WA’s Paul Stubber (Camaro) take pole with a 2:08.1 lap, while Jason Humble (in a Chevy Nova, not a Mazda) found engine problems - but was back again for Sunday.
Race 1
Third in the Top 10 shootout, Aldo de Paoli’s Camaro had clutch failure on the grid of the opening 7-lapper, causing a scrape between the Camaro of Adrian Moyle and Escort RS1600 of SA’s Josh Axford. Meanwhile, Jamie Tilley’s Boss 302 Mustang outbraked Stubber into T1 for the lead, closely followed by the Mustang of Jamie’s dad Brad and Andrew Beard’s Camaro.
On lap 2, Stubber opened up his Camaro down The Bend's long start-finish straight to take front spot.
Behind the frontrunners, a great battle for fifth was going on between SA’s Adam Smith (Falcon GT), Axford and Victorians Darren Collins (Mustang), Pete Meuleman (Mustang), Michael Hibbert (Charger) and Nathan Gordon (HQ Monaro).
While Stubber and the Tilleys pulled away, David Wheatley’s Cooper S blew a head gasket and Keith Kassulke (Camaro) had a major oil leak.
But wait! Stubber’s Camaro jammed in third gear, so he finished third behind Jamie and Brad, followed by Beard, Collins and Smith.
Race 2
The Tilleys were out front for the opening corners, but Stubber had grabbed the lead back from Brad and Jamie by T6 as de Paoli’s Camaro, starting from the rear of the grid, moved up to fifth behind Smith.
Jamie had displaced Brad for second by lap 3, with de Paoli then challenging Brad for third. He would pass both Tilleys by the end of the lap.
Stubber had brake failure at T1 on the final lap, going off track and scattering the field a little as Jamie went on to win by 5 seconds from de Paoli and 9 seconds from Brad. Off the podium, Smith led Beard over the line, with Stubber limping home in sixth.
Race 3
A failing diff in Jamie Tilley’s Mustang saw dad Brad sacrifice his to keep junior’s car running for the rest of the meeting.
The start saw de Paoli grab the lead from Tilley, followed by Smith, Beard, Stubber, Humble, Hibbert, Axford and Meuleman.
By lap 2, Tilley was right on de Paoli’s tail as they pulled away from the field, with Stubber moving up to third. On the same lap, the bonnet on Stuart Barnes’s Cortina flew up, smashing the windscreen, leading to yellow flags as the SA local retreated behind the barricade.
With 3 laps to go, Tilley pulled out a fastest lap and held a 3-second lead over de Paoli and Stubber, now with tyre trouble. The leading trio held their places to the chequer, well ahead of Smith, Humble, Beard and Hibbert.
Race 4
The final 7-lap race for the historic tourers saw de Paoli, Tilley and Stubber clear out from Smith, Beard, Humble and Hibbert. The Nova and Charger had retired by the end of the next lap, though, leaving Meuleman, Axford and Rodney Hotchkin (Falcon GT-HO) fighting for sixth.
On lap 4, Tilley’s race was over, dropping down the field and into the pits - power steering failure to blame, not the replacement diff.
With 2 laps to go, Smith’s Falcon lost fuel pressure, but he elected to limp on, finishing in tenth.
Meanwhile, de Paoli won by 8 seconds from Stubber, with Beard completing the podium, then Meuleman and Axford, who’d kept the big cars honest all weekend.
A great weekend of racing saw WA’s Blake Watson (Cooper S) win the under 1600cc trophy from NSW’s Francis Meier and David Roberts. In the 1600-3500cc class, Josh Axford‘s 1615cc BDA Escort was victorious over the Torana XU-1s of SA’s Rob Smith and Evan Gobell. Despite not winning a race, Paul Stubber won the Over 3500cc class from Beard and Smith, who showed wisdom in pushing on to finish the final race.
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