The Classic Speed Shop’s Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV Historic Touring Car, back home after setting a new Historic Touring Car Under 2 Litre Lap Record at the Easter Historic Mallala Meeting 2012
The Classic Speed Shop attended the Easter Historic Race meeting at Mallala, South Australia this year and what a fantastic meeting for competitors and spectators alike!
Our team consisted of Spencer and Elisha (Mr. & Mrs. Rice) who journeyed down from Sydney (NSW) and Josh Copeland who had travelled all the way from Mukinbudin (WA) to be part of the action!
A big mention must go out to the Sporting Car Club of South Australia for organizing this event. It was worth every hour of travel.
Qualifying the Alfa in position six (6) in a healthy field of thirty three (33) Historic Touring Cars was a receipe for excitement! After a good start from all in Race 1, five laps of racing ensued. We held fifth position, tightly sandwiched in between Graeme Hill (Ford Mustang) and Alf Bargwanna (Holden Torana) until lap five when the head gasket on the Alfa failed and we had to limp across the line, a far way down the field. An unfortunate start to our racing weekend.
Sacrificing a start in race 2 to remove the cylinder head in readiness to replace the head gasket, we were fit for a start in the Under 2 Litre Feature Race for Touring and Sports cars combined on the following morning. All cars got away cleanly and after the five laps we came home in Second position behind Mike Byrne’s ultra rapid Lotus 7 Sports Car.
Sunday afternoon tabled a five and a ten lap race for the Historic Touring Cars. Because of the previous days no-start in race 2, we had been relegated to the very back of the grid, position 33! After a very tentative start following Mark Byfield breaking his diff into three pieces on the start line, the field got underway. After the five laps we managed to claw our way up to position 18 in time for the chequered flag.
Starting from position 18 gave us half an opportunity to perhaps work our way through the field and towards the leading cars of the Under 2 Litre class. Mark Byfield managed to get the diff replaced on the Torana and was back in the grid albeit from the rear (we know how that feels) and with ten laps on offer there was work to be done.
The flag dropped and all got away safely, and slowly we started to make our way forward. By the start of lap 10 we had made our way into position 7, with John Harrison just in front in his Torana, who was furiously pumping the brake pedal in an endeavor to maintain pressure. Needless to say, lap 10 was our fastest lap of the race trying to chase John down before the chequered flag fell!
In the end we settled for position 7, just under 4 tenths of a second behind John, but managing to be the first Under 2 Litre Car home.
A special thanks must go out to local (S.A.) Alfa Romeo Club members Andrew, Malcolm and Mark who helped us immensley by locating a head gasket. Also to our good friend Peter Axford from Eurosport Automotive for the support on Sunday which was instrumental in helping us complete the race meeting and finishing on a high note!
Race results for all categories available here.
I really enjoyed watching your rocket in race 1 at Mallalla up till the head gasket gave way. I have been researching your times back to 2006… race 1 p/i 10/3/06, what a bottler. Plus the competitive times against B. Cutler 2002 and W. Anderson. I must get some car specs eventually. Regards Darryl.