Calendar 2019
Fluffy Duck Historic Rally Saturday 9th March
The Australian Historic Rally Group’s first event for 2019 was held on the 9th of March. The Fluffy Duck Historic Rally starting from Moto Farm Motel car park, with twenty-two competitors entered. This year’s event was divided into two categories, dirt and tar, ten competitors entered the dirt event and twelve took on the tar event.
From the start, competitors headed north following different routes to the finish at the Lions Club Lookout Park near Tea Gardens. This year’s event was a half day rally finishing close to Hawks Nest where a classic car display day was being held, so most competitors spent the afternoon looking at classic cars parked on the local football field.
Yellow Duck Motorsport did not compete this year, but were represented by Jim Pope/Quack McMallard filming the event for the Duck Report or you could check out Quack McMallards event report on you tube.
(For video of this event go to the rally page to find a link to you tube, or go to AHRG’s web site for results)
Jim Pope
29th 30th 31st March Black Stump Rally Historic Rally Club of NSW
Rally road to Raleigh Friday/Saturday/Sunday 10th – 12th May
Rally Roads to Raleigh
Rally roads to Raleigh is a new event in the AHRG calendar, a register run taking participants from Karuah to Dorrigo via Port Macquarie on the first day, on day two the route took the crews from Dorrigo to Sawtell via Horse shoe road and Taylors Arm, day three was spent at Raleigh Raceway. The idea behind this event was to drive over roads once used in rally gone by, like the Southern Cross rally and Round Australia rallies.
Day one had to be cut short as it become apparent that the crews would not get to Dorrigo at a reasonable hour following the pronominally dirt road route, so some freeway driving was necessary. The route took participants through Bellingen, a town with a long rally history, the Southern Cross use to have service points in the main street of Bellingen and the Bellingen Valley Rally use to start there. One competitor had some mechanical trouble half way up Dorrigo mountain, luckily this happened at a stop go point for some road works, or was it lucky as if they had not had to stop for the road works they may well have driven to the top without problem. Once the car had cooled down a bit, it was turned around, clutch started and thanks to a lookout not far away was able to do a U-turn and drive back up the mountain. So at the end of day one everyone made it to Dorrigo.
Day two took crews down Dorrigo Mountain to Sawtell via Horse Shoe road and Taylors Arm for lunch at the Pub with no beer. Horse Shoe road was used in the Southern Cross Rallies and for some of us it was like driving around Bathurst, something to cross off our bucket list. The road was in poor condition, rough in places with high drainage ditches (speed bumps) across the road throughout which made the drive along Horse Shoe very challenging, but I would not have missed it for the world. After lunch at the Pub with no beer the route took crews along some of the roads used in the Coffs Harbour WRC and after Horse Shoe road, these roads were very smooth and covered in loose gravel. On the way to Sawtell, driving along the freeway another crew had problems resulting in the car being towed to Sawtell. The problem was traced to the air filter collapsing and clogging the carburettor, which was fixed overnight. So at the end of day two everyone made it to Sawtell.
Day three was spent at Raleigh Raceway where competitors drove around both the lap dash configuration and the rallycross layout. This proved to be very popular with the competitors and much fun was had by all. One competitor had a gearbox problem that ended his day.
Jim Pope
(For video of this event go to the rally page to find a link to you tube)
Des West Winter Classic Rally Sunday 15th June
Des West Rally 2019
Another year and another Des West Classic Rally. Starting this year from Peats Ridge and heading via a lunch break at Wandi and then on to the finish at Kurri Kurri. The route took competitors along both tar and dirt roads on the Central Coast and lower Hunter Valley.
A field of around fifteen car set out from Peats Ridge with one competitor in trouble straight away with an overheating problem, resulting in their withdrawal, another competitor withdraw at the lunch break. At the finish control a competitor arrived with a broken exhaust which required some temporary repairs to get them home.
So ended another well organized event by the Australian Historic Rally Group, next event will be the Heart of the Hunter.
Yellow Duck Motorsport did not compete in the Des West but were represented by Jim Pope and Quack McMallard filming the event.
Jim Pope
(go to the rally page for video of this event)
Euro Day Sunday 16th June
Euro Day 2019
Its been a few years since Yellow Duck Motorsport attended a Euro Day, it that time the event has had a few venue changes. This year the event was held at the Foreshore Park in Newcastle, this is the same venue used for the Newcastle All British Day and is an ideal venue for a car show.
A large number of classic cars were on display under overcast skies. This event has had bad luck with the weather over the years but this year the weather was great for a car show, not to cold not to hot.
MG Car Club Hunter region always run a well-organized event and this year was no exception, with the local radio station on hand playing suitable music and encouraging people to come on down and have a look at the classic cars. Which a lot of people did, going by the crowds wandering around admiring some great examples of European classic cars.
Yellow Duck Motorsport was represented by the MK I Triumph
Jim Pope
Jaguar Mountain Rally Saturday/Sunday 22nd -23rd June
Newcastle All British Day Saturday 13th July
Newcastle All British Day 2019
The 2019 Newcastle All British Day,an event organized by the Jaguar Drivers Club Hunter region and held at the Foreshore Parknext to the Hunter River, Newcastle,was held on Saturday 13th July.A windy (blowing a gale) winters day greeted car club members displaying their British cars but the weather did not diminish everyone’senthusiasm. A goodnumber of British car were on display from most British manufactures,as you would expect a good number of Jaguars were in attendance. Everything from Morris’sto modern Lotus’s, and everything inbetween kept the crowd entertained. The Foreshore Park is an ideal venue for car displays and always attracts a large crowd of spectators.
Yellow Duck Motorsport was represented by a Triumph MK I Sedan parked amongst the Triumph Sports Owners Association Display.
The Newcastle All British Day is well worth a look if you are interested in British cars, held in July each year.
Jim Pope
The MK I Sedan
MG Rally (Newcastle) 14th July
MG Car Club Newcastle Rally 2019
A good size field of about fifteen competitors started this year’s MG Newcastle Rally. Starting from MG Club Rooms competitors headed into the Hunter Valley for a short event that finished with lunch at Ringwood Hillclimb. The field was made up of regular rally competitors driving classic cars as well as first timers.A good cross section of classic cars were entered, as you would expect, MG’s but also Datsun’s, Volvo, Alfa, Toyota, as well as a few modern cars.
Yellow Duck Motorsport was represented by Jim Pope filming the event
Jim Pope
The GT4 parked along the route
(go to the Rally page for video of this event)
Heart of the Hunter Historic Rally Saturday 17th August
Heart of the Hunter 2019
It’s August and its Freemans Waterholes that means its time for the Heart of the Hunter Historic Rally organized by the Australian Historic Rally Group. Just on forty classic cars assembled at the start for this year’s event on a very nice winters day. A good cross section of automotive history lined up for the start, cars from the Europeans, Fiat, Alfa, BMW, Volvo, Peugeot, cars from Japan, Datsun, Mazda, Toyota, and even cars from America, Mustang, corvette, but no British cars, unless you count small Fords as British. Yellow DuckMotorsport was represented by Jim Pope driving the MK I 2500 on official and film making duties.
The event got under way just after 9.30 with competitors leaving at two minute. The route took cars on a loop before the first control point at Ellalong, then Paxton and on into the Hunter Valley and lunch at Iron Bark Hill. After lunch, the event took competitors along some great roads of the Hunter Valley before finishing at the Potters Brewery just north of Cessnock.
As always a great event and a great time was had by everyone.
Jim Pope
The MK I parked at the Control point in Ellalong
Go to the Rallies drop down menu, click on 2019 for video of this event.
Shannon’s Day Sunday 18th August
Shannon’s Day 2019
The Shannon’s Eastern Creek Classic is a classic car display day held annually at Eastern Creek Raceway and is outgrowing the venue with cars parked in the pits, on the skidpan, the driver-training track as well as the pits for the south circuit and under the grand stand, plus part of the car park. You really need to be committed to walk around and look at everything. Blue skies were the order of the day for car enthusiasts at Eastern Creek for this year’s event. A good cross section of cars, everything from vintage to modern, race cars to concourse cars were on display. Each club enjoyed a parade lap of the circuit or you could see the track from old double decker buses that were kept busy touring the circuit all day. If you are a classic car enthusiast this event is a must see. Yellow Duck Motorsport was represented by Jim Pope on filming duties.
Jim Pope
Sydney All British Day Sunday 15th September
All British Day 2019
A fine and hot Spring day greeted participants for this years All British Day at Kings School near Parramatta. A very large number of British cars were parked all over the sports fields with a good cross sections of Marques, from Jaguar to Austin to MG. The Mini Cub and the Sprite Club were represented by large numbers of cars, with a great mix from competition cars to completely original. The Triumph TR6 turns 50 this year so there were some 18 TR6’s on display. Some effort went into arranging the cars on the Triumph display, which helped make the over all display seem less like a car park, resulting in Triumph taking out the best display on the day.
Yellow Duck Motorsport was represented by the Triumph MK I Sedan parked amongst the Triumph Sports Owners Association Display.
Jim Pope
The MK I parked with the other Triumphs
Toyotafest Sunday 6th October
Even Green Historic Rally Sunday 17th November, (Cancelled due to bush fires)
Christmas Run Sunday 1st December