Wrapping Up the 2025 HSRCA Summer Festival

Doug Barbour, Chris Jackson, Joe Calleja, James Calvert-Jones and David Cunneen at the start of the Group S enduro race

We sent the year off in style over the weekend of November 29 & 30, with just over 200 drivers joining us to put on a spectacular 2025 Summer Festival. Let’s catch up on all the action on and off the track.

Preparing for the final Group S race of the weekend

First of all, we’d like to thank all of the volunteers who devote their time, energy and expertise to making these race meetings possible. A huge amount of work goes in to making these weekends possible, and we wouldn’t be able to do it without your support. Thank you!

Drivers and teammates waiting for the pit stop during the enduro race on Sunday morning

Thanks as well to all of our competitors, their family, friends and teams, and all of the club members and spectators who joined us at Sydney Motorsport Park. As always, the atmosphere in the pits and paddock was warm, friendly and relaxed, and it was great to wander around seeing everyone enjoying themselves and each other’s company.

Tony Alford and team working on their 1981 Ford Cortina TF Sports Sedan

It’s not just us working on the meeting behind the scenes, competitors and their teams put in a huge amount of work to prepare and run the cars. As always, the cars were presented beautifully and driving standards were excellent, which allowed for a safe and smoothly run race meeting with plenty of laps and only minor down time, and some great racing for all to enjoy.

Speaking of enjoying that great racing, Blind Line TV once again came out to live stream and record it in its entirety. The archive of which is available on Blendline’s website, which you can find at this link.

Competitors worked hard to anchor shelter down around the circuit, particularly on the sunny skid pan

Following on from near perfect conditions at the Sydney Classic back in June, and a very wintery Spring Festival, the Summer Festival certainly lived up to its name. It was hot and sunny, although hardly the worst we’ve faced. It was, however, extremely windy particularly on Saturday, which produced some unique challenges – especially for the Vees and other lighter cars.

Daniel Torresan leading Glynn Briggs in the final complex before the main strait

It was the Vees that opened the meeting on Saturday morning, Matthew Pearce qualifying fastest ahead of David Cutts and Tony Paynter. Cutts would miss the first two races to head to a family birthday, Paynter getting the better of Pearce and Kevan Peters claiming third in race one, Pearce earning the win back in race two ahead of Stephen Normoyle and Dean Briggs.

On Sunday morning Cutts staged a massive comeback, starting from the back of the grid and fighting his way to second behind Paynter, Matthew Pearce in third, the order repeating for the final race of the weekend.

David Kent, Kieran McLaughlin and Wayne Colville from New Zealand heading downhill before turning onto the back strait

In L, M, O, P & Formula Ford, William Lowing and Travis Clark quickly set up for an exciting duel that would run through most of the weekend. After qualifying second, Clark would claim the lead in race one, Lowing pushing him all the way and Harrison Cooper claiming third. That order would persist through the Dawson Damer race on Sunday morning, Lowing getting a well deserved win in race four, with Cooper in second and Kieran McLaughlin in third.

Craig Allan’s 1992 Holden Commodore on the inside of Chris Thomas’ Torana

We were thrilled to once again be joined by Historic Sports Sedans as a feature category, their super sprint bringing some stunning machines out for the weekend. Simon Pfitzner’s monster 6-litre 1978 Mercedes 450 SL quickly established the pace, the 1978 Holden Torana of Max Carter and Craig Allan’s Commodore settling in to a familiar rhythm through most of the weekend. Chris Thomas would earn a podium in run three, and Carter would get the run on Pfitzner in the final run of the weekend.

Simon & Damien Meyer doing their driver change during the Group S enduro race

Group S brought out a field for the ages – very nearly hitting track density at 48 cars. Terry Lawlor in the 1966 Shelby, Wayne Seabrook in a new 911 and Chris Jackson in a 1972 De Tomaso Pantera set the pace in a very competitive field. Jackson was able to claim race one ahead of Seabrook and Lawlor, before Seabrook took his first win in the new car on Saturday afternoon.

Then it was time for one of the highlights of the weekend – the enduro race, complete with pit stop and driver change. Seabrook would take the win driving alongside Mikki Purlaid, the pair orchestrating one of the fastest pit stops your author has seen, which they timed at 22 seconds. It was great to see so many teams run attempt the driver change, with fantastic energy in the pits as well as on the track during the race.

Terry Lawlor secured second with Doug Barbour in third. Chris Jackson was back at the lead on Sunday afternoon, Lawlor earning another second with Doug Barbour finishing the weekend on the podium.

Mark Johnson, Matt Sullivan and Greg Luca during the handicap race on Sunday morning

Group N organised another brilliant field for the weekend, which Brad Tilley quickly jumped into the lead of, Ian Mewett and Greg Toepfer completing a trilogy of Mustangs on the front row, John Burke sitting beside them on the front row. Race one saw the order remain similar, Grahame Wrobel from Queensland working his way onto the podium and staying there for race two.

We ran a handicap race on Sunday morning, which lead to some exciting racing as the quicker cars fought their way back to the front. David Wheatley steered his 1964 Mini Cooper to victory, WA’s Greg Barr second in a Cortina holding off David Roberts in a photo finish. The final race of the weekend would see the Mustangs back at the top, Mewett claiming his first win of the weekend with Wrobel in second, Greg Luca finishing his weekend on the podium.

Chris Farrell and Wayne Wilson chatting about the Maurer after the trophy presentation on Sunday

Back to the wings ‘n slicks cars, and we enjoyed some good races with Q & R Sports & Racing. Chris Farrell in the 1983 Maurer MM83 and Ben Turner in the 1995 Dallara F3 had the measure of the field for much of the weekend, qualifying on the front row and winning races one, two and three, with Steve Webb, Kevin Miller and James Hagan earning the final spot on the podium. James Hagan finished the weekend strong with a win in the final race, Malcolm Boyd in second and Kevin Miller in third.

Warren Brown’s Superformance GT40

Our two timed categories in Supersprint and Regularity have been very strong in recent years, and have brought a lot to our historic meetings, allowing a lot of cars to run that may not otherwise be able to, as well as providing an excellent learning environment and a place to run for drivers who may not want to race. 

That said – it was Brad Tilley toping the timesheets in qualifying and run one after having done similar in the Group N races, this time pedalling a 2002 Ford Falcon AU, Paul Finch following. Warren Brown went third fastest in qualifying in the above Superformance GT40, Zoran Tomevski doing so in the first run in a Mini Sports Sedan.

Paul Finch went quickest in run two, followed by Brown and Philip Lewis third in the Ferrari 206SP replica. That order would repeat in run three before Brown went quickest in run four, Artemis Kazangas second and Lewis third.

Warren Hotz, Stephen Brankstone and Garth Selig chatting in front of Selig’s GSM Dart

Edward Gavin, Damian Ross, Garth Selig and Peter Ireland set the two front rows in qualifying for Regularity before the category settled in to its consistency-based competition. Damian Ross was superb in run one, accumulating just 37 points, Edward Gavin similarly good on 41, ex-president Richard Cardew not far off in third and Eli Solomon in fourth – an HSRCA regular despite living in Singapore.

David Ellis lead run two, Tony Pallas and Craig Duthie following, the order changing once again in run three with Laurence Paterson leading Peter Ireland, Duthie holding on to third. The final run of the weekend would see John Rose at the top, Damien Ross back in second and David Kippist in third.

Thank you for your support of the 2025 HSRCA Summer Festival! We wish you all the best for a happy holiday break, and healthy and successful New Year.

Our 2026 calendar is as follows:

• 2026 HSRCA Sydney Classic, Sydney Motorsport Park June 5 – 7
• 2026 HSRCA Spring Festival, One Raceway September 25 – 27
• 2026 HSRCA Summer Festival, November 27 – 29

All going well, we’ll have an excuse to go racing with you before June, but 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.

It’s all about bringing family and friends together and enjoying good company

2025 HSRCA Summer Festival: Campbell Armstrong Rider

2025 HSRCA Summer Festival: Riccardo Benvenuti

2025 HSRCA Summer Festival: Allen Harrison

2025 HSRCA Summer Festival: Wayne Jones

2025 HSRCA Summer Festival: Steve Koen

2025 HSRCA Summer Festival: Seth Reinhardt

2025 HSRCA Summer Festival: Mark Richards

2025 HSRCA Summer Festival: Peter Schell

2025 HSRCA Summer Festival: Sam Snape

2025 HSRCA Summer Festival: Mark Walsh

Thank you to Campbell Armstrong Rider, Riccardo Benvenuti, Allen Harrison, Wayne Jones, Steve Koen, Seth Reinhardt, Mark Richards, Peter Schell, Sam Snape and Mark Walsh. 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, Allen, Mark, Peter or Steve.

Seth also just released the book ‘Living the Past Fast’ with author Richard Cardew, featuring his photos from the past 15 years of HSRCA race meetings. If you’ve run at an HSRCA meeting between 2010 and 2024, you’re probably featured in the book. Learn more at www.livingthepastfast.com.