Westcoast Classic & Vintage Speedway
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CLUB CARS & MEMBERS
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2018 - DAVID COLES - MARKOVICH SPEEDCAR
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2018 - JOHN LANGE - SPEEDCAR
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MICHAEL ZLATOVICH - HERMEN BESSEMAR SPEEDCAR
Michaels cageless speedcar was originally built and maintained by a group of three well known racers in Hermen Bessemar, Bryan Shugg and Bob Ridley, Herman was the driver while Bryan and Bob raced their own cars all at the big Claremont Showground track,
Later in life the car was taken to the Goldfields and raced by Kerry Torpy at the Boulder Oval Speedway, at this point a roll cage was fitted to the car as per the new rules.
After Boulder the car was onsold to a new owner in Geraldton and just sat around for a period while changing owners again on one or more occasions.
Frank Hastings was the man who rescued the car and brought it back to Perth on selling it to a panel beater in Navel Base, who had plans of restoring the car.
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1970's - when Kerry Torpy owned the car and fitted with the rollcage. Photo: Boulder Speedway website.
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That panel beater was a past speedway champion, the man we call Gando (John Gandosi) with the pressure of work, John never got around to restoring his project, Michael who wanted to by the car eventually wore down Gando and made the sale, today the restoration is complete and as you can see the finished product is outstanding. Michael is one of the founding members of the West Coast Classic an Vintage Speedway club.
2017 - The finished product pictured at the cars home track of Corrigin Speedway. Photo: Brian Moyle.
2019 - the car pictured at a vintage display after a diff upgrade and some Halibrand wheels fitted. Photo: Brian Moyle.
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MICK THOMPSON - DON "DIESEL" MORRIS SUPERMODIFIED
Mick brought to car off Don Morris around 1999 and started restoring the car, The car was fairly well complete with no engine, but Don did through in an engine with the correct type of fuel injection to go with it.
Mick has spared nothing during the restoration which took about 2 years to complete.
Since its completion the car has been demonstated on occasions and display at many function, the car is currently in the York Motor Museum.
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BRIAN McDONOUGH - JOHN SINGLETON PRODUCTION SEDAN
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MICK THOMPSON - FREDDIE AGABASHIAN USA MIDGET
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BRIAN MOYLE - LINDSEY GROVER - STINGRAY CORVETT - SUPER SEDAN
This classic speedway machine is based on the 1978 model of a Stingray Corvette, Its original foundations were built in the early 1980's with a 327 Chev engine by Lindsay Grover, Lindsay and brother Roy raced it at various tracks including Quairading Speedway were Lindsay won the Open and Closed Championship in the same year, It has also raced at Claremont under a Pontiac body, later it was converted back to a Stringray Corvette body with a modified left hand drive.
Craig Agnew, a relation to Lindsay and Roy, also raced this car for a short period of time with a Chev 350 engine.
Up until 1997 the vehicle lay dormant in bad condition on a vacant block in Mandurah, Enquiries were made and the vehicle owner was still under Craig Agnew, Gary Smith brought the Corvette in its upturned state with rusted framework, damaged body and no engine with the intention to rebuild and race once more,
Gary completely rebuilt the car to its present condition, Gary has since on sold the Corvette to Brian Moyle.
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BRIAN MOYLE - RICHARD HARTZER - 1934 FORD COUPE - HOT ROD
1994 The Richard Hartzer 34 coupe featured in a race car display at the John Day Ball awards night.
Richard Hartzer's coupe was built by his father Dick Hartzer in the 1960's, The chassis and body is a 1935 five window coupe, the front suspension and steering was standard fitment, The rear diff assembly was a Vangaurd unit mounted on swinging arms. The engine was upgraded to a later model Y block OHV engine and gearbox, the car was light blue in colour with a single number one on the doors and Richards name on the roof.
In 1972 when Blicks Raceway had closed and Bunbury Speedway had opened, Richard moved into a GT Falcon Production Sedan that was prepared by Morris Johnston and Lloyd Bickerton, Dick onsold the car to a Donnybrook racer by the name of Marty Hall, he fitted a sidevalve v8 to the car and raced the car at Donnybrook's Cherrydale Raceway.
In 1975 I found the coupe sitting on a vacant block at the rear of Tom Halls house in Boyanup, I brought the car for eighty dollars, at the time I was seventeen and had very little money, with some mates we managed to free up the engine but not get it running.
In 1980 Graeme Brown from the Bunbury Car Club approached me about the car with a plan to restore the car and use it for promotional work, I gave the car to the club, The Coupe was restored with Marty's side valve engine, not the OHV Y Block that was in the car when Richard raced it, A group of club members such as Barry Thomson (Project Manager)
Graeme Wheat, Ivan Burke, Ross Coxson, Colin Resta and Brian Lee, The Coupe was used but then left in the weather again , About then I got back involved in speedway and joined the Car Club, after this on two different occasions myself, Greg Freeman and Brad Blake rescued the Coupe and got it going again for different functions, but once again it would be moved from the club rooms into the open, On the final occasion the club asked me to get the car going, I put it to the club that when I owned it again I would do the work on it, The car is now stripped for a major rebuild, all or some of the chassis needs replacing, A 292 Y block engine has been sourced and a truck gearbox as originally fitted.
1981 Barry Thomson the original project manager that led the charge on rebuilding the car in the clubs colours.
THE REBUILD
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TIM THOMSON - BRYAN DYSON - SIDECAR
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BRIAN MOYLE - JIM LANFRANKI - FORMULA 500
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2009 - WILLIAMS GATEWAY EXPO
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2010 - WILLIAMS GATEWAY EXPO
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2012 - WILLIAMS GATEWAY EXPO
A sedan car that is very quite well known around the road racing group, The Bob Morris A9X Torana that he raced at Bathurst that now resides at Peter Briggs York Motor Museum.
The car was made available from the museum to West Coast Classic and Vintage Speedway member Mick Thompson for the day, with all the preparation work of the car being carried out by Tony the wheel man.
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2012 - NORTHAM SPEEDWAY DEMONSTRATION
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2015 Bunbury - Eaton Forshore Festival
Murray Hastie with his childen Tyttan 5, and Matilda Rose Bell-Hastie 6, checking out the Stringray Corvette.
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2015 - WILLIAMS GATEWAY EXPO
Members of the West Coast Vintage & Classic Speedway Club and the WA Classic Speedway Association got together to support the town of Williams with a display of racecars and bikes.
2015 - MICK THOMPSON FORD V8 USA SPEEDCAR
Mick Imported this Ford sidevalve V8 midget its a classic example of an American Midget. Photo: Rod Waller.
Now that's a tow car Micks 1934 Ford coupes is also powered by a Ford sidevalve V8. Photo: Rod Waller.
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2016 - BUNBURY Eaton forshore festival.
Once again the vintage speedway display was a big success at the Eaton Foreshore Festival on the banks of the Collie River, As per last year cars from both WA Vintage clubs were on display.
Ron West from the WA Classic and Vintage club came from Mandurah with his 1934 Ford coupe hot rod, This car is a replica of the car that Ron roared around the Forrestfield track back in the 1960. Photo: Brian Moyle.
Brian McDonough from West Coast Vintage and Classic displayed the Blue Max Mustang on the day with one of its previous drivers in John Singleton turning up on the day. Photo: Brian Moyle.
Perth based member of West Coast Vintage and classic club Mick Thompson turned out his immaculate presentation of his American built side valve V8 cageless midget being hauled by a sidevalve V8 powered coupe, truly a step back in time. Photo: Brian Moyle.
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Brian Moyle recalls: as usual the Eaton Foreshore festival is still growing in size and the foot traffic through the park was incredible, my weekend started with Mick Thompson and Brian McDonough hitting town on Saturday, We then took a cruise around Bunbury before enjoying some fine Italian food along with some Beer, Stout and some semi rough red and off to bed.
With an early morning set up there was nothing more to do that take in some shade and talk to a few people throughout the day, The display's attracted a lot of attension with cars used as back drops for shot of the boyfriend or girlfriend.
Me personally I love to see people in the drivers seat of my cars getting there picture taken, most of all the kids.
All in all the day was fantastic, thanks to Steve and Margaret Williams and the Eaton School who organise the event, was great to catch up with Ron West for the first time, and all the other's who turned up.