The 2023 HSRCA Summer Festival is is bringing a field of more than 170 classic, historic and vintage race cars to Sydney Motorsport Park November 25 & 26 for a weekend of motorsport on Sydney’s iconic grand prix circuit. The race meeting will feature events for all historic categories, with Group S and Group M & O highlighted with feature events over the weekend.
Spectator passes are available online now, and will be available at the gate each day. Entry is around the back of the circuit off Ferrers Road at Gate A, with plenty of parking available on the hill once you enter the circuit. The gates will be open early, and racing will kick off from 9:00am each day and continue into the late afternoon.
The ’50s, ’60s and ’70s production sports cars of Group S will put on a spectacular endurance race on Sunday morning, with 37 entries across the field and an always-exciting driver change in pit lane. They will be joined by the iconic 1960s race and sports cars of Group M & O, which will contest the historic Dawson-Damer trophy over the weekend. These cars all feature period race histories, and are highly evocative of their era and wonderful to see at full tilt on the track.
Formula Vee is also set for a good run, the nineteen car grid featuring four former Formula Vee 1200 NSW state champions in Bernie Haehnle (six times including in 60s, 70s and 80s), Paul McDonald (1979) returning now to race after many years absence, Formula Vee stalwart David Cutts (1988), and Norm Johnstone (1991). Bernie, David and Norm are driving their cars from title years, and the memories and camaraderie amongst the Formula Vee community are long lived with numerous other competitors involved in the category for many years.
Moving away from the race cars, Regularity will field 19 cars. Steve Byrnes will be running a very rare car with wonderful Australian pedigree – an Alfa Romeo GTA that got its start with Frank Gardner in the Tasman Series, with Kevin Bartlett then taking over and Brian Foley and John French also competing in it. In Gardner’s hands the car won at Warwick Farm and Longford Tasmania, with Bartlett steering it to victory at Bathurst and Surfers Paradise.
We are also pleased to welcome Eli Solomon back from Singapore, who joined us a few months ago for the Sydney Classic and will run once again in Geoff Piggott’s lovely 1958 MG ARA Special.
Alongside the action and wonderful cars are the truly special characters – historic motorsport’s best quality is its friendly, relaxed and open community. Spectators are free to explore the pits and paddock, meet the drivers and teams, and get up close to the cars. Come along and immerse yourself in the golden age of motorsport for a few hours, and perhaps make a few new friends along the way.