Paddy Clancy and Steve Bonney.
The sign on the rear guard is apt.OLD BIKES AT THE TRACK
Victorian Historic Road Racing C/ships
- 7-8 April, 2018 – Broadford, Victoria
Title tussles
at Broadford
ReportMick Large PhotosSCE Photography
The annualVictorian Historic Road
Race Championships were run in
perfect weather, with promoters the
HMRAV again running a well organised
event at Broadford. Despite some
delays on Saturday the full forty-five
events were run over the two days.
Machines from the 1940s up to the
1980s strutted their stuff and the
riders’ ages reflected the same spread.
Ken Lucas and Ron Mathews were
racing before most of us were born
and are still going strong, with Ron
featuring in the trophy presentations.
At the other extreme, sixteen-year-old
Paddy Clancy piloted a sidecar with
mum Chrissie in the chair. She also
crewed Mick Alton’s Formula 2
machine. John Clancy rode his Post
Classic sidecar with Warren Grubb in
the chair. Ours is a family sport.
Highlights of the meeting included
Chas Hearn blitzing the Forgotten Era
Unlimited class on the T Rex Racing
Harris Honda. He was circulating in
well below one minute but still had
time to entertain the crowd with the
front wheel in the air. In the Classic
500 class evergreen Bob Rosenthal
battled a much younger Garth Francis,
with the pair rounding the left hander
into the finishing straight handlebar to
handlebar. Bob’s G50 Matchless just
pipped Garth’s home-brewed ESO
special to the post and to a points
win. Garth showed his versatility by
then taking out the Unlimited Classic
Sidecar class. The up to 650 class was
won by the ever consistent pair of
David Wain and Greg Ditchfield on
their Triel.
The growing Handshift Battle pits
Indians and Harley-Davidsons against
each other in a team format. Indians
were victorious in round one but the
battle will continue at Historic Winton
in May and the Southern Classic in
November. Harley-Davidson won the
first two years with Indian taking the
honours last year. Not all went to plan
at Broadford. Stuart Gorrie and Stuart
Williams got it a bit wrong at pit corner,
with the BSA outfit involved in a
frighteningly spectacular multiple
rollover. Stuart spent some time in
hospital but is recovering well after
surgery. Dad Doug will need to perform
some surgery on the outfit, which he
has been racing for over thirty years.
As usual, the pits were busy with
people working on their own and
their competitors’ bikes. Russell
Craddock dominated the Unlimited
Classic solos on Lady Penelope despite
again spending much of the weekend
working on other people’s machines.
He really personifies the spirit of
Historic Racing. He also entertains
with “colourful” trophy acceptance
speeches! I won’t quote him here.
Full results are available at
Computime.■Chas Hearn had plenty of
time to play to the crowd.Indian-mounted Chris Beaumont
in the Handshift battle.Unlimited P3 winner
Russell Craddock.