Baskerville Historics, Day 2, 2017

The Baskerville Historics race meeting, held annually in September at southern Tasmania's Baskerville Raceway, might just be about the state's best motor-sports event (www.motorsportstas.com.au/event/baskerville-historics). That's a big call, of course; Targa Tasmania and Targa Wrest Point are both hugely popular, attracting competitors and their fabulous, and often genuinely exotic, cars from all around Australia and the rest of the world.

So what makes the Historics so special? For this writer, it's the combination of some truly beautiful classic race cars from all categories - including sports sedans and open-wheelers - exhibitions of sheer driving talent, very, very close racing, and accessibility that clinches the argument.

Whereas the Targas offer spectators perhaps forty-five minutes' of concentrated competition as entrants scream by on each stage, the Historics gives fans the opportunity to enjoy multiple laps of racing over several rounds conducted during the three days of the event. What's more, the layout of the track means that spectators can pretty much follow the action around the whole circuit and aren't limited to what they can see from a single vantage point, as happens on a typical leg of Targa.

Then there's the pit area, located in the heart of the track, allowing fans the ability to get up nice and close to the cars and their crews. Team members often chat with enthusiasts, creating a very inclusive, friendly atmosphere.

And, if that's not enough to convince you, attendees' classic cars get corralled into their own special parking area, creating a very nice car show outside the main arena. All of this just twenty minutes' drive from Hobart city!

When too many early Holdens are barely enough!

How long has Dean Tapping been campaigning P510s? 35 years??

Not your average Vauxhall Viva power-plant. A Holden 'red' motor, by the looks of it.

You know you've made your mark in motor-sport when a colour's named after you: three 'Wilcox Blue' Holdens.

This RX2 has achieved a level of fame beyond even the dizzy heights of uppermiddlepetrolhead.com.au, having featured in a Petrolicious video. It’s well worth checking out: https://petrolicious.com/films/this-howling-mazda-rx-2-is-a-killer-bee .

The driver of this Capri put on a sizzling display of driving, battling a couple of SLR Toranas in a very fierce tussle for first place in their event.

Hello, Steve. Nice to see the GTV's all sorted.

That's one ugly umbrella girl, Callan!

One of the more unusual entrants: an EH Holden race van.

Sadly, this extremely muscular MGB V8 aquaplaned whilst leading a race and crashed into the Armco. The driver was ok, though.

One of the earliest cars at the event.

Truly putting the historic into the Historics!

There was a collective sigh of sorrow from the spectators when this Mustang and the Valiant shown below collided mid-corner. Fortunately, no one was injured.

............

A 'Trickford' Falcon.

U M P H

(uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.)

EJ or EH Holden? (Up-dated December, 2022)

EJ or the later EH? Several years ago, I posed the question: Can somebody please explain the difference between an EJ and an EH Holden ute or van? The response at the time wasn't overwhelming, so I did a bit of Googling and ferreting through my photos and came up with my own rough guide to EJ and EH identification. Sedans and wagons are easy to tell apart ; the EH's vertical rectangular tail lights are a dead give-away. However, the workhorse versions of both models share the rear-end treatment of the earlier EJ, making it harder to identify one from the other. No super obvious hints here. Or here ... . It turns out that the main clues are in the placement of the front H O L D E N lettering and GMH lion emblems, the style of the radiator grille and the width of the vents in front of the windscreen, with all EJs - sedans, wagons, utes and vans - having one combination and the EH line-up having their own . So what exactly are those diffe

Vick Auto Prima Fiat X1/9 Brakes: An Owner’s Assessment

At the end of 2022, I fitted a set of Vick Autosport Prima front brakes to my mildly worked 1.5 litre Series 1 Fiat X1/9 . I was fortunate, having picked them up at a very, very reasonable price, brand new but surplus to the needs of a fellow X1/9 Australia member who had imported them from the US. The kit included: New single pot callipers , new vented rotors (standard X1/9 front rotors are smaller, non-vented items), DOT approved stainless steel brake hoses, and all the necessary mounting hardware. They are a value proposition, being particularly well priced compared to other manufacturers’ packages - even at RRP - with everyone I’ve spoken to saying they’re made to a high standard, too. Here's a link to a piece that I wrote about them at that time, including some costings: https://uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-x19-gets-prima-brake-upgrade.html . Initial Assessment: I was a little underwhelmed by the brakes' performance, finding that although they had a tiny

Random # 301: Nanna-Spec KE36 Corolla

Once upon a time - six or seven years ago, actually - there was a lovely pale yellow GC Galant station wagon getting around Hobart. It was totally nanna-spec; its paint was umarked, the chrome work and hubcaps were immaculate, and its very original interior was pristine. Then someone stuck feathers in its dashboard. Next, the windows were adorned with Tibetan prayer flags. And a hubcap went missing. And the the rear bumper was pushed in, mangling the bodywork behind it. And a mudguard got dented. And rust set in. I fear for this sweet, innocent KE36 Corolla. Somebody please save it before it's too late. Nanna needs you to do it. U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.) Photos by GlamRock.

Upper Middle Petrol Head:

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