What better place could there be to hold a race meeting for classic motor cycles than at the famous Philip island circuit, which was first used in the 1920’s with the present track being built in 1956 , it is one of the oldest purpose built race tracks still in use today,the island circuit has played host to many famous riders and drivers and has been the venue for some wonderful races, and one case of alleged spying by the german DKW team prior to the second world war , the track is hard on both man and machine , the changeable weather encountered on the island does not make it any easier. Australian motor sports enthusiasts are lucky the track survived as it was in a poor state of repair due to the effects of the weather and of poor surface preparation as well as the hammering dished out to the circuit during the Armstrong 500 of 1962 that it was decided to move the race to Bathurst and the rest as they say is history. Luckily for us the race track committee found the money to repair the track , after pondering all this over breakfast i climbed aboard my 650 suzuki and started on the 300 km trip to the circuit arriving at 9.30 am Saturday gave me time to have a look around the course and through the Pitt's whilst qualifying was under way , racing started at 11.00 am , for both solo’s and sidecars
with classes for bikes from the 1930’s to 1980’s .the island classic is an international meeting which meant that there were teams from NZ and the UK in attendance. one of the biggest bonuses of going to these meetings is that you get to see some fabulous bikes not only on the track but also in the car park plus one can generally stroll around the Pitt's and admire the bikes and outfits . All through the day the racing was hard fought and spectacular the afore mentioned changeable weather adding to the excitement for both spectators and riders, with the meeting drawing to a close it was time to leave on the long journey back to Bendigo , i left the circuit with the sound of roaring twins and the rumble of singles still echoing in my ears , already planning the trip back next year.
( I have posted some photo’s in the gallery), Graham.