Record Entry for Phillip Island Classic FOM

SYDNEY – Feb 13, 2012: An all-time record entry of 573 applications has been received for the 2012 Phillip Island Classic Festival of Motorsport, ensuring it will be the largest historic motor racing meeting every staged in the Southern Hemisphere.

With over-capacity fields for many categories, it appears certain that around 550 vehicles spanning eight decades will face the starter’s flag for 43 events over the March 10-11 weekend, with Friday, March 9 devoted to Practice and Qualifying for all categories.

Highlights of the entry include:

44 Group C and Group A Touring Cars that raced from 1973-1992. They include Jim Richards driving one of the BMW 635CSi coupes he raced in 1985 en route to his first of four Australian Touring Car titles

33 Formula 5000 V8 open wheelers, with drivers from the UK, Denmark, Canada, Sri Lanka and New Zealand

45 Group P, Q & R sports and racing cars, including 1980s F1 cars and big banger V8 sports cars

60 Group Sa (to end of 1960) and Sb (1961-1969) Production Sports Cars

53 Group Sc (1970-1977) Production Sports Cars

60 Historic Touring Cars up to 3.0 litres

54 Historic Touring Cars Over 3.0 litres, including four-time Australian Champion John Bowe driving a 1973 Porsche 911 ST

112 Regularity competitors in two groups.

The VHRR has also received a record entry of 620 display cars from 44 clubs, including 100 Hot Rods on the Saturday, while there will be a record number of trade stands at this year’s meeting.

Motor racing celebrities confirmed for the ‘Classic include VHRR Patron Sir Jack Brabham, whose upcoming 86th birthday (on April 2) will be celebrated.

Australian motorsport’s most famous husband and wife touring car team of Fred and Christine Gibson are joint Patrons of the meeting. Between them the celebrity racing couple have represented Ford, Holden, Alfa Romeo and Nissan.

The huge entry cements the Phillip Island Classic Festival of Motorsport as one of the most respected historic motorsport events on the international calendar. It was recently short-listed in Octane Magazine’s inaugural 2011 International Historic Motoring Awards.

The meeting is being organised for the 23rd year by the Victorian Historic Racing Register, again supported by Shannons, CoolDrive and Penrite.