THE holiday weekend crowd at Phillip Island has been super-charged by the annual Phillip Island Classic Festival of Motorsport with over 350 historic racing cars in period correct liveries, racing across 11 different Motorsport Australia sanctioned categories at the world-famous GP circuit.
And with hundreds of classic car enthusiasts descending on the Island in support, together with members of the Austin Healey Car Club of Victoria taking part in their 2025 Austin Healey National Rally, it was noticeable that a usually big weekend was even bigger.
Kicking the event off for car fans and interested locals was the Friday evening car show in Thompson Avenue, closed off for the night to allow everyone the opportunity to circulated through dozens of cars to find their favourite.
But the judges had already done their work for them, naming Dave and Kelly Neely’s superbly turned-out HK GTS Monaro as the ‘Phillip Classic Festival of Motorsport’ Best in Show, hardly surprising after the classic Aussie marque placed second at the biggest car show in Australia at Summernats 37 in Canberra behind only John Fenech's mercurial LJ Torana for the Grand Champion title.
“Yeah, pretty happy with that. There’s not much in it at that level,” said Dave Neely of Bass Coast Mechanical in Cowes.
“I built the car up from bare metal with Alfie’s Panels of Cranbourne doing the spray. We added a 454 Chevy big block, 9” rear axle, mini tubbed the rear to allow bigger wheels and 295/50/15 tyres.”
Dave also rolled out his 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air with work mate Tim Coombes his 1997 Torana in distinctive green.
“You’re right, you could eat your dinner out of that engine bay,” agreed Tim Coombes of the clinically clean space under the bonnet dominated by a super clean-looking Chevy 350 V8.
There were lots of great cars besides including Danny Dela Bosca’s Cadillac, and Mark Robinson’s 1972 Detomasa Pantera.
There was a Back to the Future gull-wing DeLorean, Porsches, Ferraris and more.
The action on the track starts at 9am on Saturday and Sunday with dozens of classic classes and close racing assured. There’s also the opportunity to get up close and personal with the cars and the drivers.
Click HERE for the program.
