Australian Historic Championships 2003

The Historic Competition Motorcycle Club of Western Australia is staging the 2003 Australian Historic Motorcycle Road Racing Championships at Wanneroo Raceway this weekend.

Action will kick off on Friday the 7th with practice and qualifying for all classes before the busy race schedule gets underway on the Saturday and Sunday.

Perth looks set to provide temperatures of up to 35°C over the weekend which will test the mettle of the men and their machines.

Aural pleasure will be there in abundance with historic racing machines from Vincent, Norton, AJS, Triumph, BSA, Velocette, Harley-Davidson, NSU, Ducati, Douglas, HRD, Rudge, Bultaco, J.A.P. and BMW. Of course the slightly more modern racing machines as late as 1980 from Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki will also be on hand to please the crowd.

Motorcycles are separated in to five age periods starting with pre-war and ending in period five machines up to 1980. Mildura (Vic) rider Peter Guest will be on the oldest machine in the field, a 1929 750cc Douglas.

In 1998 the HCMC brought the Australian Championships to WA for the first time and with over 220 entries it proved to be the biggest motorcycle entry list for any motorcycle event at Wanneroo Raceway since the opening of the circuit in 1968.

Already over 190 entries have been received for this years event with many previous Australian champions included in the field.

Former World 250 and 350cc Champion Jim Redman will be the guest of honour at the event. Redman won Motorcycle World Grand Prix Championships consecutively from 1962 through to 1965 in various classes. Redman was Honda mounted back in those days and at Wanneroo this year he will ride demonstration laps on the mcnews.com.au Honda CB1300 long-termer.

Malcolm ‘Wally’ Campbell is another star of yesteryear who will be making an appearance. Wally may have a few miles under his belt now but he hardly raised a sweat when easily making this motorcycle journalist look more than a little ordinary when we both rode CBR600RR machines around Phillip Island earlier this year. Wally is a multiple time Australian Superbike Champion with Honda and will be making the trip from Tasmania to compete in the 2003 Historics Championships.

Trade displays and an impressive show of machines from the Vintage and Classic motorcycling clubs of WA will help add to the atmosphere at the Honda sponsored event.

Admission to the event is $10 for Saturday, and $15 for Sunday or a full weekend pass will be available for $20 at the gate. This really is a great display of great sights and delightful sounds which will make any true motorcyclists enthusiasts hair stand on end.

We will bring you photos and results over the weekend.