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The Winter Classic Rally,
2001
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The 5th Winter Classic Rally has
been run and won and judging by reports from competitors was judged
to have been a huge success. The 2000 event attracted more than its fair
share of criticism, but Event Director Keith McElroy vowed to fix the
event and ensure that the event surpassed the standards set in its first
few years. Commenting on changes prior to this years event, McElroy
said: "Simplified navigation, a much improved scoring system and at
least 5 driving events per day will make an already great rally, truly the
best of its kind. Three days of intense fun competition rewarding both
driver and navigator". Here is Philip Meiklejohn's report on the 2001
event:
That long weekend in June The long weekend in June, we must be in Ballarat for the 2001 Winter Classic Rally. 43 cars started this years event, once again a wide variety of some interesting cars, and some interesting people. The format remained fundamentally the same as previous years, the main change was to the scoring, but the competitors never could figure that out anyway. So nothing changed this year. Victoria Park special stage kicked off each morning, and once again the 4WDs showed the way, Jeff Beable according to the results 7 seconds faster than Steve Glenney in another GTR. Not bad over 2 minutes. The fastest 2WD, James Brock in a ute in fourth place. That over, off to Skipton for the first of the navigations and a cuppa, then on to Camperdown for lunch, and a few motorkhanas. On the way back to Ballarat, a quick trip through the Devils Kitchen, Beable again 7 secs faster than Glenney, Doug Lehmann 3rd in his Evo 4. (Was that Beaumonts car Doug?). Then back to the Bus Park test, Glenney faster than Beable this time. At the end of the day though Peter Riseborough / Matt De Vaus leaders from Beable/Beable and Peter Washington/Tim McNeilly in 3rd. Day 2 Sunday in Victoria Park it was the Beable show again by 6 secs over Riseborough, then Craig Birchell/Vince Spinello 3rd. Navigation was interesting in that we were never more than 40kms from Ballarat all day, and any competitor that decided to follow another in the hope of being shown the way could easily have found themselves on the wrong section. 4 driving tests interrupted the navigation to complete the day. Leaders at day 2? Same as day 1. Monday morning again in the park. Beable must be getting tired. He is only 4 secs faster than Glenney. North & West we go to find One Tree Hill at Ararat socked in with low cloud. On a shortened track timed to the second, Beable & Glenney on the same time 52 secs, Brock in third. A test in Ararat, followed by a long boring navigation back to Ballarat, (there is a real shortage of roads to Ararat), then one last blast around the Bus Park. Its all over. Final results outright, and we find the 2 Michaels, Arundel/Verge have bumped Washington / McNeilly for third, otherwise Riseborough and Beable 1st and 2nd. Class wins also to the Begleys, me and Jacobs, Washington and Tim, Ian Ross / Paul Flintoff. Outstanding performance had to be Tim Hendy/ Noel Peers in a GTR. They were a totally novice crew, but when you consider a bad compass combined with a trip meter that was seldom if at all used, it is a commendable performance to come in 8th. Look out when they have experience. This is without doubt the best rally of its type in existence. They had a lot of problems last year, but this year the large team at the Ballarat Light Car Club excelled themselves. The officials were everywhere, and competitors & officials alike spent the weekend with smiles fixed to their faces. Oh! there was one exception, but we wont go into that. Criticism, none. Suggestions: photographer, crew briefing & documentation at Rally H.Q. Philip Meiklejohn Winter Classic 200 1 - ResultsThere were 11 Maserati Club members represented in the 43 strong field for this years Winter Classic. As usual there was a spread of performances. Those members representing the club were as follows:
In the battle for outright there were three club members in the top six of the event behind outright winners Riseborough/de Vaus in their Subaru WRX STI,. Jeff and Neridah Beable took out 2nd placepoints behind, viz:
In the handicap competition, Peter Washington and Tim McNeilly finished in first place only 9 points clear of Ian and Robyn Begley. Club members filled four places in the top 6.
The Driver Award went to Peter Riseborough narrowly ahead of Jeff Beable, whilst the navigator award went to Matt de Vaus Club members did well in class also. Philip Meiklejohn won Class B; Ian Begley class C; Jeff Beable was 2nd in Class D; Peter Washington 1st and Tony Hawker 3rd in Class E and Stephen Canny 3rd in Class F. In the Teams Awards Ian Begley picked up first in the Otway Sports Drivers team and Philip Meiklejohn a 2nd in the 2x4x4' team. Special Awards were received by Jeff & Neridah Beable for the Ararat One Tree Hill Climb and Ian & Robyn Begley for the Ararat AME Special Test. Congratulations to you all! Whilst it is nice to pick up an award (or a truckload in the Begleys case) it is also great fun just to compete and enjoy the camaraderie of the event. Judging on the reports file for this years event, the Winter Classic Rally is not only firmly back on track, but has been hailed by many as the best yet. Whilst the competitors obviously have had a good time, it seems the officials of the event still have a problem or two. A note in the recent minutes of the Victorian State Council of CAMS said: "S. Lister also had concerns about the way the Winter Classic was run, and recommended it should be prevented from running until such time as a proper investigation is carried out into the organisation of the event." Lets hope the concerns are easily remedied, as competitor reaction, at least, says that the event was pretty good!!
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