Classic

2003 Classic Quarter Mile Sprint

Held on Sunday, February 9th 2003 at Sandalford Caversham Estate.

Incredibly hot weather marked the third annual Classic Quarter Mile Sprint. The hottest day in over five years saw temperatures rise to a sweltering 43.2 degrees (!) at Sandalford Caversham Estate, with many a joke being made about the sultanas being grown on the vines at the Swan Valley winery.

Nonetheless 120 entries turned up in good time and once the process of Scrutineering and Registration had taken place, the action began on time at 10am. Some blistering performances were recorded in spite of the weather, although the performance of drivers and cars was no doubt affected by the extreme heat. The completed lawn area for the Pits was well appreciated and all the shady spots were popular.

Improved viewing layout meant that the spectators gained a better view of the cars in action. The size of the crowd of spectators was down on past years, as a result of the high temperature, however the spectacle of the cars in action was as great as ever.

Once again the event had attracted an incredible variety of cars, spanning all ages and types - as can be seen from the photos and results chart. Where else in Australia could you see a Ford Model A, versus a Willys Street Rod, versus a twin-turbo Porsche 911, versus a Chevrolet Corvair or a Skyline GT-R - all in the same event?

Other attractions included displays from the Vintage Sports Car Club, Impreza WRX Club and Buick Car Club - the Buicks celebrating the 100th anniversary of the marque. Four Buicks were entered in the competition event as well.

Special mention should be made of the crew from the Impreza WRX Club, who assisted with marshalling all day in the intense heat - thanks guys!

RESULTS

Click on to the link below (in yellow) to see the full results. Congratulations to all the class winners, and especially to Cos Sorgiovanni, outright winner in his 1990 GTD Ford GT40 replica, with a time achieved on the very last run of the day - 12.41 seconds.

Winner of the Sandalford Award, for the spirit of the event, presented in memory of Maurice Brockwell, was Alasdair Campbell, driver of the wonderful, unrestored 1929 Chrysler Roadster. Maurice's wife and daughter presented the award.

The Car Care WA Best Presented Car award winner was Steve Aldridge, owner of the impressive black 1957 Chevrolet Belair. John Whitfield from Car Care WA selected the winner and presented the trophy.

THANKS
Thanks are extended to the Impreza WRX Club for their band of volunteers who manned the grounds all day, helping with marshalling cars, parking and spectator areas, with not a complaint heard in spite of the heat.

Also thanks to the VSCC who supplied their timing crew for the day as well as starters.

And to the announcer Terry Mann who put in a sterling effort all day as well as Sue, Heather, Pauline, Martin and all the administration crew for the event.

Special thanks to Rob McGowan of Quietaire Australia (tel: 9450 5503) for providing the amazing giant portable cooler for the admin and timing tent - a lifesaver!

Finally thanks are extended to the sponsors and supporters of the event:

Swissol car care products
Auto Trader Motorsport    -    Car Care WA    -    Subiaco Print
Sandalford Caversham Estate
PHOTOS
You may be interested in photos from the day - photographer Paul Kane has taken a lot of excellent shots of the day, which can be ordered direct from his website: www.prkphoto.iinet.net.au Once you get to the homepage, click onto Event Photography which will take you to the link for the Classic Quarter Mile Sprint. There are hundreds of high quality photos, showing every car that participated. Copies start from $10 plus postage and handling. See samples below.
MEDIA COVERAGE
All Perth newspapers have printed excellent reviews of the Classic Quarter Mile Sprints. Auto Trader mahazine featured a report and full results. The event also appeared on Channel 10 News, Drivetime TV on Channel 9 and Channel 31's Cruisn' programme. Look out for feature stories in the next issues of Unique Cars and Australian Classic Cars magazines.
NEXT YEAR
The date has not yet been set for next year, but keep visiting this website for updates (since set for December 5th). One change planned is to separate the vintage car class from the street rods and hot rods. The intention of the organizers is to encourage strong participation in the vintage car category. Watch this space for more news.
ENTRIES BY CATEGORY
A list of all entries in the event, listed by category appears after the photo gallery.