A record field of more than 300 historic cars from the 1940s through to the 1990s is set to descend upon Winton Motor Raceway for the Winton Festival of Speed, on 6-7 August.
The Festival of Speed first appeared on the Winton calendar in 2010 and since then, it has grown into one of the best-attended events of the year.
Organised as a joint venture between Winton Motor Raceway and the Victorian Historic Racing Register (VHRR), the Festival of Speed is set to attract even more interest in 2016 thanks to the introduction of some new marquee events.
At the top of the list is the new Just Cars Touring Car Cup for Group N Historic Touring Cars, a 50km feature race that will see iconic muscle cars of the 1970s such as Ford Mustangs and Falcon GTHOs, Chevrolet Camaros, Valiant Chargers and Holden Monaros competing against smaller and more nimble cars of the era such as Holden Torana XU1s, Ford Escorts and Alfa Romeo GTVs.
The powerful V8s are expected to lead the way early, but will also be harder on their brakes and tyres over the 17-lap journey so the lighter vehicles will be nipping at their heels towards the end, setting up the prospect of an exciting finish.
Festival of Speed race directory Peter Donald said the Just Cars Cup will be an exciting addition to the program.
“Fans who attend these sorts of race meetings always enjoy the spectacle of muscle cars being hustled around a technical racetrack like Winton, and Group N cars appeal to fans of all ages, Mr Donald said.
“There are the people who grew up with those sorts of cars, but there are also the younger generations who are fascinated by the older vehicles.
“We used to have a feature race for the Group N cars that included a compulsory pit stop, but we decided the pit stop didn’t really add to the spectacle so this year we’ve gone for a longer race where the cars will be flat out all the way to the chequered flag.”
The Festival of Speed will also include a feature race, the 15-lap Rose City Sports Car Trophy, for Group S historic production sports cars including Porsche 911s, various MG models, Corvettes and De Tomaso Panteras.
Making a return to the program after a successful maiden appearance at last year’s Festival of Speed will be the HQ Holdens, which will stage the second round of their FUSO Interstate Challenge with a number of competitors travelling from as far away as Queensland to participate in the meeting.
Also on the schedule will be the Victorian MG Racing Series, Group P, Q and R Sports and Racing, Group M and O Sports and Racing and historic Formula Ford and Formula Vee.
The oldest cars in the event will participate in the Group J, K and Lb races, while the newest cars will compete in the Group C and A races.
A number of high-profile drivers are set to compete in the event, with further news to be released in the coming weeks.
