Ripper weekend at Winton

This year's Winton Festival of Speed saw record numbers, with thousands flocking to Winton Motor Raceway from Friday, 1 August to Sunday, 3 August to witness the glorious spectacle of race cars from the golden era of motorsport. As cars and people came thundering in, the action was instantaneous. According to Victorian Historic Racing Register's social media page, Saturday marked their "biggest Saturday attendance record in the history of the Winton Festival of Speed." And it's no surprise, as this year's festival introduced the five litre touring cars on top of the pre-existing categories including Historic Touring Cars from the 1960s through to the 1990s, with Group C&A, Group N as well as HQ Racing, Historic Sports Sedans, MG and Alfa Racing, Touring Car Tributes, Formula Ford, Formula Vee and others. The day was made all the better with sunny weather and clear skies. Ian Ross, co chair of the VHRR, said the influx of people this year was best explained by the model year of cars that were brought through the gates, noting there were about 330 entrants this year as well. In the festival's early days, there was a heavy focus on older cars from the 40s and 50s, but Ian said audiences may not have identified with these vehicles as they didn't grow up with them. "This year, we switched more to late 70s/80s/90s and up to the 2000s, and I think that's what made the difference," he said. Ian, who also raced on the day, said seeing how happy people were with the event was a personal highlight for him. "I think it was the overall feedback from all the people who had entered cars and raced," he said. "They thought it was one of best race meetings that they've ever been too. "It's a lovely part of the world, lovely weather, a great track."

Ripper weekend at Winton

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