A crowd favourite at the annual Skope Classic meeting in Christchurch this weekend will be the Historic Touring Car category with over 30 cars entered.
On the grid will be a Mazda Xedos 6 which was campaigned in the 193 and 1994 British Touring Car Championship.
In 1994 the Xedos 6 featured a more “restrained” blue and white colour scheme, but in 1993 the car hit the grid at Round 1, Silverstone, in this wild purple and yellow scheme, matching the howl of the 2-litre V6.
Patrick Watts would go on to finish that race in 6th place, and although he finished the seasons back in 15th, the car actually achieved some pretty good results, with a string of 5 top ten places including 4th on three occasions. Probably better than the car is really remembered for!
The Mazda would go on to run again in 1994, this time driven by Slim Borgudd in the Nordic Touring Car Championship, winning outright, before being heading off to the USA in 1997 for a season.
The car was pulled from its mothball state by Paul McCarthy, and subject to a thorough rebuild and sympathetic restoration – the interior and engine bay of the car has never been repainted and retained its original purple all these years! This’ll be the car’s first crack at Skope Classic, with a handful of North Island events under it’s belt, and a competitive showing at the Pukekohe Supercars round.
A newcomer to the HTC field at Skope is Richard McCarthy’s 1993 Toyota Carina E. This car ran in the BTCC in 1993, driven by James Kaye in the Independents Cup. It’d later go on to become Murph’s very first Bathurst weapon in 1994, sharing with James Kaye. Richard’s recent restoration does the car absolute justice, and it’ll be a welcome addition to the grid for 2023!
Rodney Heads will be racing this Genuine Lansvale VL Group A Walkinshaw Commodore at Skope Classic next weekend with the Archibalds Historic Touring Cars NZ. Rodney has spent the last five- years doing a meticulous restoration on this car which is owned by Kane Lawson
It was originally a Lansvale smash repairs privateer commodore raced by Sydney duo Trevor Ashby and Steve Reed in 1987 and it competed in Seven Bathurst 1000s between 1987 and 1994. It left Australian Shores in 1995, moving to New Zealand where it remained hidden until Rodney discovered it in 2017.
Kayne Scott will be reunited with the Whittakers Peanut Slab Ford Sierra RS500 in which he co-drove with Greg Murphy at the Wellington Street Race, finishing fourth overall.
Also joining the grid is five-times Bathurst 1000 winner, Steve Richards, who will be behind the wheel of Peter Sturgeon’s. 1996 Nissen Primera Supertourer.
Also crossing the ditch is John Bowe who will be reunited with his Shell Ford Sierra (DJR#6), the car he drove in the 1991 Australian Touring Car Championship.
After a near 6-year journey, Gary Wilkinson rejoins the HTC grid in his freshly completed Group 1 Ford Capri, built in 1978 by CC Developments and the final iteration of the classic coupe in European Touring Car racing.
Designated chassis CC5, the Capri’s ran a 3.0 litre Essex V6, snarling their way to success around the UK and Europe. This specific car, prepared by Gordon Spice Racing, ran in the BTCC from 1978 through to 1982, with it’s greatest moment coming at the 1978 Spa 24hr where it took overall honours with Teddy Pilette and Gordon Spice sharing driving duties. This explains the big Cibies hanging off the bumper, all the better for spotting wildlife while blazing down Blanchimont at the top of 5th.
The car would end up in Macau after it’s European career was essentially curtailed by the introduction of the Rover SD1, but 35 years after it’s racing tenure was finished, the car is now ready to take to the tarmac again in it’s Spa 24hr winning form.
Historic Tour Cars Entry List (Name, Car, #)
Nigel Arkell, Honda Accord ST 62
David Beattie, Toyota Corona 100
Stuart Black, Toyota Camry 11
Arran Black, BMW E30 M3 15
John Bowe, Ford Sierra RS 500 17
Mike Buist, BMW 325I Group A 125
Paul Burnet, Ford Mustang 29
Graeme Cameron, BMW DTM M3 21
Dennis Chapman, BMW 318I Super Tourer 23
Murray Cleland, Nissan Sentra GT Cup 24
Allan Dippie, TWR Rover Vitesse 7
Nick Donaldson, BMW E30 Group A 34
Warren Good, BMW E36 8
Bert Govan, BMW 635 51
Stephen Grellet, BMW E30 M3 12
Dennis Ham, Alfa Romeo 155 55
Rodney Heads, Holden VL Group A 9
Steven Kelly, BMW E36 320I Supertourer 1
Peter Lord BMW, E30 325I 45
Phil Mauger, Nissan Primera 77
Richard McCarthy, Toyota Carina BTCC 10
Paul McCarthy, Mazda Xedos 66
Austin McKinley, Holden Commodore 39
Matthew O’Donnell, BMW 318 Supertourer 25
Lindsay O’Donnell, Volvo S40 Supertourer 40
Steven Richards, Nissan Primera 3
Stu Rogers, Nissan Skyline GTR 4
Kayne Scott, Ford Sierra Cosworth 2
Brett Stevens, Ford Sierra Cosworth Group A 28
Conrad Timms, Ford Mondeo 33
Gary Wilkinson, Ford Capri GP1 27
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