Carey McMahon’s magnificently restored ex-Graeme Whincup 1985 Chevrolet Monza heads the lineup. Featured on the cover of Australian MUSCLE CAR issue 121, the 350 Chev V8-powered brutal looking red coupe was one of the most advanced Sports Sedans in the ’80s.
Chris Clearihan will drive recently restored K&A Alfetta-Chev which Tony Edmondson won 1981 Australian Sports Sedan Championship, while Gary Ford will run his familiar 302 Windsor V8-powered Ford Escort. Gary himself raced this car in the late ‘70s, revitalising it in 2007 and returning it to 1978 specs.
Some of the other cars aren’t stars of the past, but all have interesting stories. There is Dave Cameron’s 1973 LJ Torana – a Sports Sedan built in 1983 fitted with mid-mounted Hemi 265 six power. It raced until the late ‘90s and was restored in 2016.
The Dave Hunter Challenge Motors LC Torana, which first raced at Calder Park in August 1976 and competed several times through the late ‘70s, made its way to Mark Sully in 1987. Sully still owns and runs the car today, restored in 2014 to its 1977 livery and spec.
There is also Norm Curry in a 1968 HB Holden Torana ,and Glenn Gorick’s LJ Torana, which was first raced in Bathurst 1971 by Pat Peck before it was converted to Sports Sedan specifications in 1973. Originally Linamint Green, it’s now presented as a tribute to the 1970s Holden Dealer Team livery and powered by a John Wright Holden 202 motor with a Duggan cylinder and produces about 400 horsepower. It runs very rare fluted Holden rear drum brakes.
The Datsun Stanza of Myles Bond was built by Barry Bray in the late ‘70s and ran as a two-litre Sport Sedan between 1985 and 2008, after which time it was acquired by the current owner and restored to original specifications.
A series of interesting Ford Anglias are set to compete, starting with Graeme Hodges in his ex-Colin Boland Anglia 105E. The car was built and first log booked in 1970 and rebuilt around 2012. The ex-Mick Monterosso Ford Anglia is run by the young Charlie Carter, with Chris Carter also sharing driving duties. It was built by Gary Sloper but mainly raced by well-known Adelaide racer Mick Monterosso.
Last but not least of the Anglias is the Supercheap car of Bill Govett and Bevan Edmunds. It was originally built by Barry Smith in 1984 and runs a turbocharged 13B rotary. It is believed to be the first non-5-litre Touring or V8 Supercar with Supercheap sponsorship, after the company entered motor sport in the late ‘80s.
Looking to some of the Holden representation, Rod and Belinda Wood’s FJ Holden was raced by Kevin Farrisey in Appendix J between 1969 and 1971 before being converted to a Sports Sedan in 1972 by Peter Rule.
Originally bought by Ron Krause from Bathurst Holden in 1964, the Ernie Corry EH Holden was built up into a race car by Krause in 1968. It was raced successfully by both Ron Krause and his son David in the sport sedan classes in circuit racing and hill climbing.
Mark Abela will pilot the number 50 FX which Graeme Seckolt built and developed over an eight-year period as the last Sports Sedan of his 50-year career. It is based on his ‘80s F series Humpy Holden and has run consistently in hill climbs in recent years.
The Austin A30 of Ian Baird was somewhat of a barn find, thought to have been cut up and lost. It was restored back to its former glory with the help of Barry Bray, who built it back in the ‘80s, and is now presented as it was in period, with the original body, wheels, roll cage, seats, dash, grill, fuel tank and diff housing. It runs a 2.0-litre Datsun ‘U’ series motor with mechanical injection, five-speed close ratio gearbox from a Datsun Sports 2000 and a Ford Escort diff.
Finally, there is the Clem Smith Chrysler Charger. It’s owned these days by Simon Pfitzner, but will be driven at the Summer Festival Eastern Creek by Jason Maros. The car is based on a 1972 Charger and was built by Develco in 1980 around a mid-mounted 5.9-litre Chrysler V8.
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