A selection of historic Formula 1 machinery will be amongst 250 historic machines in action as part of the inaugural Retro Speedfest at Sydney Motorsport Park this weekend.
Up to a dozen F1 cars from the 1960’s, 1970’s and 1980’s will be hustled around the circuit across the two-day meeting.
Of the grand prix brigade will be the Williams FW07 which Alan Jones took to victory in the 1980 F1 world championship, giving the eponymous team owner his first title.
Paul Faulkner, the Victorian owner of the Cosworth Ford-powered machine will drive the car in its New South Wales debut.
The Beatrice Lola Hart which was one of the last grand prix cars Jones campaigned in 1985, is among the entries for owner Ian Ross.
Other notable F1 machines are a Repco-Brabham BT24 (Jack Brabham, 1967), Surtees TS9B (Tim Schenken, 1972), Benetton B186 (Gerhard Berger, 1986), while other marques including Arrows, Ferrari, March, Spirit-Honda and Tyrrell will also be seen.
The meeting will also be highlighted by the second round of the Heritage Touring Cars national series for Group A and C machinery.
Terry Lawlor, the points leader following the opening round at Phillip Island last month, heads the 27 car entry in his GIO Nissan GT-R.
The turbo-charged, four-wheel-drive ‘Godzilla’ won the 1991 Sandown 500 in the hands of Mark Gibbs and Rohan Onslow and returns to Sydney Motorsport Park 22 years after racing there in Gibbs’ hands in the 1992 Shell Australian Touring Car Championship.
The GT-R will be joined by Bill Pye’s ex-Dick Johnson Greens-Tuf Ford Mustang, Craig Markland’s ex-Colin Bond 1992 Bathurst Caltex Sierra RS500 and a range of other cars proven to be front-runners in the ever-growing category.
Carey McMahon has entered his ex-Mark Skaife GTS-R, the only other Nissan Skyline on the program.
Norm Mogg’s ex-Win Percy 1989 Bathurst Holden Racing Team Commodore will make its 2014 HTC Championship debut, as will the Army Reserve Falcon XD Group C of Frank Binding.
Ed Singleton’s, ex-Allan Grice/STP Group C Commodore has been repaired since engine problems sidelined it from the opening round at Phillip Island, while noted open-wheeler driver Barton Mawer will join the field in a Group C Ford Escort.
The 81-year-old Aussie racing veteran and 1966 Bathurst winner Bob Holden will also again be on track in his Group A Toyota Corolla.
Strong fields have also entered for the Group N, Group S, Group M & O, Group Q & R and combined Formula Ford/Formula Vee races.