Widescreen Gallery: Sydney Retro Racefest
Images by Seth Reinhardt
Sydney Retro Racefest 2016 ran over the 11th & 12th of June and let a spectacular collection of historic racing and sports cars loose on Sydney Motorsport Park.
Now in its third year, Sydney Retro Racefest has become an exciting fixture in Australia’s historic racing calendar, and certainly one of New South Wales’ biggest historic events.
This year it was headlined by the legendary Group C & A touring cars of the Heritage Touring Cars series, and they did not disappoint. Each time they hit the track they put on tin top racing piped direct from the golden age of the sport and looked magnificent door-to-door at speed.
And the sound! Big Australian V8s; BMW and Nissan 6s; the 4-cylinder Japanese legends; rotary RX7s; turbos; superchargers; the 5.3-litre V12 Jaguar XJ-S – it’s all there and it’s a symphony.
Speaking of spectacular sounds, Group C & A were joined by some storied single seaters from Formula 5000, Formula 1, including an ex-Berger Ferrari F1/87, Formula Ford and Formula Vee. Groups Q & R brought the sports race car action to the track and Groups N & S put on some fierce races for those into cars with doors and roofs.
Regularity saw a particularly varied and interesting field putting in some great drives as well. And where else can you see a GT40 and Barracuda go head to head?
The off-track action was just as good, and included one of the biggest gatherings of Lotus Elevens that has been assembled in recent years. Six of the beauties were displayed in the paddock, with the leading car above running in regularity as well.
The Heritage Touring Cars guys drew a great crowd, as always, but so did the many other exciting machines in the pits and paddock. It’s always good to wander through the pits and paddock, get up close and personal with the cars and chat with their owners, drivers, crews and engineers. This is one of the best aspects of historic racing, so make sure to head to a historic event near you and experience it!
Take a few minutes to enjoy the pics, and head to the HSRCA’s website and Facebook page for more.
Via the HSRCA
Photography by Seth Reinhardt
MORE: Photo Gallery: The 2015 Sydney Retro Speedfest
