Facebook
Feed
Images kindly supplied by Pete Trapnell of Trapnell Creations // www.trapnellcreations.com
We’re back from the Historic Racing Car Club Queensland’s Autumn Classic Speedfest, which ran over the 10th & 11th of May, 2025, and it’s time to wrap up a magic weekend of touring car racing at Morgan Park.
The Heritage Touring Cars grid arrived in Queensland with just over 20 historic Group C & A Australian touring cars, the under 2-litre cars out in force to make the most of the challenging circuit, which features a lot of fast negative/positive camber corners, some hard braking and good straights.
We were very happy to see a large Victorian contingent at this meeting, which we believe to be the first in Queensland in which drivers from the state outnumbered those from New South Wales.
The Escort of Wickett and Alfa of Gordon matching stances on track after a much more sedate road trip north
Nathan Gordon, Adil Jemali and Derek Wickett made the road trip north together after Nathan suggested the idea at the Adelaide Motor Festival. Unfortunately he had an engine failure in the tow car on Thursday and had to drive back to Tamworth to find a replacement, making it to the track just in time to have an exploratory run in the last session on Friday. This was Adil’s first race meeting ever, and Derek’s first run at Morgan Park. Dean How, who had an extended trip coming from Phillip Island, also made his debut on the circuit, and Adrian Allisey towed the Commodore up from Victoria.
Conditions throughout the weekend could be described as mixed, with it being generally cool and occasionally very windy, patchy rain showers arriving to make things interesting. However, the atmosphere was great, a more intimate competitor-focused meeting making for an opportunity to enjoy good company in the pits and paddock in between fettling and racing.
The racing was close throughout the field across the weekend and featured lots of passing and no paint swapped. Everyone we’ve spoken to regardless of where they were in the field has enthused about the close battles and high quality racing.
After practice on Friday, the business end of the meeting opened bright and early on Saturday morning with qualifying. David Towe was quick to find his pace, steering the JPS M3 to a 1:23.46, more than a second clear of Adrian Allisey’s commodore. Glenn Gerstel and Mark Taylor were less than two tenths apart and set the second row of the grid.
Jason Delaney’s Escort on two wheels ahead of David Towe’s M3
The first races on Saturday were split between under and over 2-litres, which proved popular with the competitors and we hope with the crowd too. Darryl Leslight had the measure of the field in the first under 2-litre race, Peter Woods keeping him honest in Celica. Tony Alford completed the podium, with Jason Delaney just a few tenths behind in a second Escort.
A DNF in the over 2-litre race saw Towe bow out early despite holding on to the fastest lap, Adrian Allisey taking the win ahead of Mark Taylor, Steve Axisa and Glenn Gerstel. More than half the field were lapping within less than a second of each other, showing how closely competed the races were.
A sudden rain shower appeared as the field was preparing to start the handicap Lloyd Bax Trophy race late on Saturday afternoon. Scott Robinson and a few others made a very quick decision to attempt a last-minute swap to wet tyres, which paid dividends as Scott blitzed everyone in the JPS E30 325i, winning the race by 30 seconds! Peter Woods claimed second, with Nathan Gordon scoring his first podium.
During the race Dean How popped a radiator hose as the cooling system was over pressurising, which also split open the radiator side tank. This led to an unfortunate DNF, but with the help of Matt from Morgan Park Performance they were able to repair the radiator and get back on track for Sunday’s races.
David Towe in the JPS BMW M3, the last built by Frank Gardner’s team, ahead of Dean How in the 635CSi – the first built
Sunday morning opened with an impromptu photo shoot with the three JPS BMWs at the meeting – Dean’s 635CSi, Scott Robinson’s BMW 325i and David Towe’s M3. By our understanding these represented the full run of the cars, with Dean’s Group C car being the first JPS BMW built and David Towe’s Group A car the last, built late in 1987, Scott’s 325i slotting between the two.
With the crowds around the BMWs dispersed, it was time for our full field to be united for the Heritage Touring Cars feature race of the weekend, contesting the John French Trophy for Group C and Glenn Seaton Trophy for Group A. Adrian Allisey would take the honours, David Towe recovering to finish second and Glenn Gerstel claiming his first podium finish of the weekend. It was a fiercely fought race at the front, with Mark Taylor and Wayne Clift also in amongst it.
Just behind them Steve Axisa, Anthony Tenkate and Scott Robinson put on a good show, the 325i making the two VH Commodores work hard through the circuit’s high-speed, flowing corners. The duel between Nathan Gordon and Gavin Adamson was another highlight, the Alfa and Isuzu very tightly matched.
Stephen Axisa lifting two wheels in the ex-Scott Taylor VH Commodore
Our final race of the weekend was held just after lunch, with Allisey and Towe maintaining the order from the morning. Steve Axisa had a great run, wrestling third from Glenn Gerstel in a thrilling battle that also featured Mark Taylor, while Jason Delaney and Scott Robinson organised a photo finish for their dice just behind the trio.
Henderson Leslight started at the back of the field after he and dad Darryl made a formal driver change following the previous event. The 18 year old charged through the field to finish ninth having just stretched out a short lead ahead of the battle between Dean How and Peter Woods. Darryl and his team have put a lot of work into the Gemini’s twin cam, and this weekend were running ten seconds a lap quicker than they were two years ago on the circuit.
Darryl, Dean, Derek and many of the other drivers of 2-litre cars were quick to enthuse about the quality of racing in the mid-field and how much they enjoyed the driving. A sentiment we’re sure would be shared by Gavin Adamson and Adil Jemali, who had a great run at the rear of the field to finish a few tenths apart.
We’d like to thank the organisers at the HRCC and the many volunteers who came together to make the Autumn Classic Speedfest possible. The feedback we’ve received on the meeting has been uniformly excellent, with drivers quick to praise the incredibly helpful officials, friendly atmosphere and smooth running of the meeting.
There’s only a short break before the Legends of Bathurst are back on track. We’ll head to the HSRCA’s 2025 Sydney Classic at Sydney Motorsport Park over the King’s Birthday weekend, June 7 & 8. More information is available on the HSRCA’s site, and spectator tickets can be purchased online ahead of the event. If you’re unable to make it, Blendline TV will be covering the meeting and making it available online via a live stream. You’ll need a subscription for the month, but you can find more information on their site here.
Images kindly supplied by Pete Trapnell of Trapnell Creations // www.trapnellcreations.com
Adrian Allisey leads the field in the ex-Leeson/Willmington Holden ‘Walkinshaw’ VL
