Formula Vees gather for a parade on Saturday afternoon
We welcomed a fresh new historic motor racing season this past weekend, February 1 – 2, alongside a similarly fresh circuit with the 2025 Return to Goulburn at the recently transformed circuit now called One Raceway. Let’s catch up on all the action on and off the track.
We’d like to start with a huge ‘Thank you!’ to Steve Shelley and the One Raceway team for the incredible work, vision and investment that has gone into the circuit over the last few years. We are extremely grateful to have the circuit back online, and appreciative of the impressive upgrades it has seen. It was also a pleasure to work with the team throughout our preparations for the meeting, and of course in the months (and years) leading up to it, and we look forward to returning in August.
Spectators watching from the new banked final complex
Competitor feedback regarding the new layout and surface, and the upgrades around the circuit has been uniformly excellent as well, and mirrored by those on the organising team who ran over the weekend.
Thanks to all of the competitors as well for your enthusiastic support of the meeting! After two big meetings in 2024, this countryside meeting, which has traditionally been a little quieter than those in the city, eclipsed the recent Summer Festival, with entries topping out at about 200 and very few withdrawals in the days leading up to practice. This was in part due to a wonderful entry of Formula Vees, out celebrating their 60th in great style and putting on entertaining and closely competed races across three separate grids.
There are many sides to a race meeting – competitors work on the cars as family and friends socialise
It wasn’t just the track that was buzzing, with a lovely turnout from family, friends and spectators socialising in the pits and paddock, lining the spectator vantage points around the banked final turns of the circuit, and setting up picnics under the trees on the hill. Thank you to all of our competitors, family, friends and supporters for taking part in the meeting and doing so with such respectful conduct and beautifully prepared and maintained machinery.
Chatting around the Owners Club Australia display on Saturday
Our thanks as well to the Mustang Owners Club Australia and the MG Car Club Canberra for coming out to support our event and contribute with sparkling displays and display laps.
We were blessed with about the best weather we could ask for, given our February time slot and Goulburn’s notorious atmospheric cantankerousness, with cool overcast starts clearing up to hot but not overbearing afternoons.
Matthew Pearce leads Max Bonney and David Cutts on Sunday morning
Formula Vee Historics & Invited kicked off the event proper with qualifying heading out at exactly 9:00am on Saturday morning. Matthew Pearce would qualify fastest in his 1979 Rennmax Mk 2, Tony Paynter and Grant Cassell about a second behind. Paynter held on through race one, with Davit Cutts moving up into second and Pearce falling to third.
Cutts made his way into the lead of the closely competed group by the end of race two, Matthew Pearce back on song for a photo finish just a couple hundredths behind and Max Bonney making his first appearance on the podium in a ’76 Elfin NG. Cutts would reign supreme through the rest of the weekend, winning the third and fourth races, with Pearce and Paynter trading places on the podium.
Despite its name, Regularity would see a lot of mix up in the order across its four runs, which is not surprising for our first run on the new layout and surface. Ross Hodgson took home the fewest points in run one, followed by the Valient AP-6 of Graham Hodkinson and Bernie Tresidder’s 1989 Mazda RX7. Run two saw an entirely new set of names leading competition, Stephen Brankstone ahead of Craig Duthie and Bruce Melville.
In run three Tony Pallas’ Jaguar led the scoresheets, followed by Kevin Allen, Stephen Brankstone making his second appearance in the top three. The final run of the weekend saw Blake Hotz pipping Ross Hodgson’s run one by a single point for the most consistent of the weekend, leading Damian Ross and Tony Pallas.
In Q & R Sports & Racing Aaron McClintock and the 1987 Richards 201B seemed set for a dominant weekend, setting the qualifying pace and comfortably winning race one, with Malcolm Boyd and Robert Foster holding second and third, before sadly having centres collapse on two left-hand rear wheels from separate sets, literally driving the wheels off the car but forcing an early exit from the weekend. Boyd and Foster moved up to first and second for the next two races, followed by Ian Ross and then Kevin Lewis, before race four turned into the closest of the weekend, Foster leading Lewis and Boyd across the line by just a few tenths.
The Morris Mini Cooper S of David Gray ahead of John Harrison and John Shuttle in Ford Cortinas, John Battersby just entering the corner
Group N was another strong field, with 24 setting out for qualifying. Brad Tilley and David Noaks Jnr resumed their David and Goliath battle between the Mustang and Escort and setting up a rivalry that would persist without the weekend, race one, three and four all finishing in that order. Andrew Girvan and Mark Lenstra were similarly quick, trading podium finishes through the weekend, with Girvan also claiming second when Noakes fell to fourth in race two.
David Reid sitting in the Faux Pas chatting with Travis Clarke
Laurie Bennett was quickest to find the pace in L, M, O & P Sports & Racing, qualifying first in the 1968 Elfin 600B ahead of David Kent and Travis Clark. Once Clark found his feet, however, he was off, comfortably winning all four races, with Kent similarly fast and ending the weekend with four second place finishes to his name. Bennett would bring home three third place finishes, with Peter Strauss also consistent and making his podium debut in the final race of the weekend.
In Formula Vee Regularity, Loris Mariotto put on a spectacular first run, earning just 17 points to lead brother John and Anthony Charlton. The field increased for run two, Chris Reeks topping the scoresheets ahead of Ray Collyer and Chris Mckie. The third run after a break on Sunday morning saw Graham Engel leading Reeks and Lorus Mariotto, Engel, Reeks and McKie completing the order in the final run of the weekend.
Corey Ogden leads Craig Sparke and Matthew Harriott onto the back strait
In the modern Formula Vees, Daniel Reynolds proved to be the one to beat, qualifying first in the aptly named Checkmate JP02 and going on to win all but the final race of the weekend, which was won by Matthew Pearce making his second appearance of the weekend and proving just as competitive as his run in the historic Rennmax.
Simon Pace enjoyed a consistent weekend, with second place finishes in races one and two and a third in three, Angus McDonald earning a podium in race 1 before he was unseated by Pearce and Corey Ogden in race two. The final race of the weekend saw Ogden move up to second, Craig Sparke having his best run of the weekend for third.
Ashton Roskill, one of three S1 Lotus Elise competing in Supersprint
Supersprint is growing in popularity at our meetings, and consistently brings out interesting and varied fields. The category’s qualifying run saw Adam Tresidder in a 1989 RX7 running fastest, just a few tenths ahead of Paul Finch’s PRB Clubman and Brad Robinson’s 1972 Torana. Finch and Robinson improved in run one to lead the timesheets, Sergio Lavermicocca doing so as well for third fastest and Ashton Roskill also up there – the top four spread out over less than half a second
Tresidder was back on form in run two, with Finch, Michael Cluderay in another Torana, Robinson and Roskill all now into the 1:10s. Finch had a blinder in the third run to set the quickest sprint time of the weekend, Syd Reinhardt steadily improving to join the closely matched pack of Tresidder, Cluderay, Robinson and Roskill. Michael Cluderay would set the quickest time in the hot and depleted final run of the weekend.
Chris Jackson coming down the hill in the 1972 De Tomaso Pantera
Mirroring their fellow tin-top competition in Group N, Group S brought a strong field of 25 out for the weekend that saw some brilliant races. Qualifying saw somewhat of an upset, young Chris Jackson in the 1972 De Tomaso Pantera running a tenth quicker than perennial favourite Wayne Seabrook to start the weekend from pole. He would win race one as well, a safety car reeling Seabrook in after a cracking start and Doug Barber finishing in third.
Race two saw Seabrook back in his element, demoting Jackson to second with MG Midget pilot Simon Meyer doing the same to Barbour for third. The order in the lead pack remained similar for race three, although Barbour was able to grab second back from Meyer, Terry Lawlor finding his feet in the background. The final race of the weekend saw Seabrook taking an early mark, Jackson claiming his second victory of the weekend and Terry Lawlor moving the mighty Shelby into second ahead of Barbour and Meyer.
In Formula Ford Garry Watson set the pace in qualifying and ran a comfortable race one as well, Andrew Taite and Cameron Walters following. Harrison Cooper ran a great race one after not setting a time in qualifying to finish fourth, then making his way to the lead of race two ahead of Watson and Taite. The order would remain the same for race three, a DNF from Cooper knocking him out of contention, Watson moving back into first, with Taite and Walters completing the podium.
Assembling on the new dummy grid
Driving and conduct standards were excellent across the weekend, so thank you to our competitors for not only your support, but your help in ensuring a smoothly run and safe weekend.
Thanks to the many officials who make this possible!
Of course, we couldn’t do this without the many officials who support us in various roles throughout the circuit, often spending long hot days on the looking out for us, and many other volunteers who support the club throughout the year in making these meetings possible. THANK YOU for everything that you do, and for allowing us the opportunity to get out and race, and maintain this living history of our sport.
Thank you for your tremendous support of the 2025 Return to Goulburn! After two meetings in close succession we have a little rest before the 2025 Sydney Classic, which will be held June 6 – 8, so look forward to entries opening in the coming months!
Until then, click through the following links and enjoy a wonderful selection of images with thanks to the many talented photographers who help us document our meetings.
2025 HSRCA Return to Goulburn: Riccardo Benvenuti
2025 HSRCA Return to Goulburn: Emily Chebaia
2025 HSRCA Return to Goulburn: Jeremy Dale
2025 HSRCA Return to Goulburn: David Jenkins
2025 HSRCA Return to Goulburn: Wayne Jones
2025 HSRCA Return to Goulburn: Bruce Moxon
2025 HSRCA Return to Goulburn: Seth Reinhardt
2025 HSRCA Return to Goulburn: Mark Richards
2025 HSRCA Return to Goulburn: Stuart Row
With thanks to Riccardo Benvenuti, Emily Chebaia, Jeremy Dale, David Jenkins, Wayne Jones, Mark Richards, Stuart Row, Bruce Moxon and Seth Reinhardt. Click their names to head to their websites or socials for more, or email Seth at web@hsrca.com if you’re looking for something from him, Bruce or Jeremy.
Lyall Moyes in a 1968 MG Midget thanking a flag marshall after a race
where’s the ‘Like’ button when you need it?
top shots from Riccardo, Stuart and Seth.
cheers