The Hobart Sporting Car Club held its opening event for 2019, with more than 220 drivers competing in the Autocraft Baskerville 1000.

Due to the club’s growing popularity and the event being the state’s first regularity for the year, it was split across two days to accommodate the teams hitting the track for more than 200 laps each. 

With each team getting six hours on track and receiving five points for finishing within two seconds over time or one second under time, the competition had non-stop intense action all weekend.

Taking out the first day was the Phil Morris Motorsport AU Falcon with 755 points, while the North of Creek Road driven Ford Falcon won the second day with 960 points.


Taylor Thomas, Andrew Moore and Geoff Dunkin were the men responsible of steering the AU Falcon to victory on the first day, comfortably securing a 65 point win over the second placed Team Gulf Mirage, made up of Shane and Robin Bond, Adrian Hodgetts and Roger Carter.

Finishing 20 points behind the second placed Mitsubishi Mirage was the Wilcox Racing Commodore, driven by Daryl Wilcox, Geoff Wilcox, Scott Wilcox and Leon Duggan.

On day two, it was a much closer affair as the North of Creek Road team lead by Allan Van Dullemen, Bruce Thomas and Callan Thomas managed to seal victory by only five points.

Undertaking the most laps across the whole weekend the Ford Falcon completed an incredible 245 laps to claim  not just the most points on day two, but over the whole weekend.

With Dave McCullach, Dean Howard and Michael Robson behind the wheel of the Twin Rusty's Racing Toyota Mirage, the team put in a gallant effort, only to fall just short of the outright winners.

The dramatic ending was between only the top two teams, who were more than 100 points ahead of the day’s third placed team, the 13CABs Hyundai Excel driven by Michelle Fish, Jeff Dickson and Royce Peterson.

While the brilliant on-track action was the major talking point for the event, the increase in beginner drivers and family run teams were the biggest positive for one of the event’s founders Bruce Thomas. 

“The Baskerville 1000 is an entry level event designed to attract new competitors to motor sport and at least half of the field was represented by people new to the sport,” Thomas said.

“Many of the teams were comprised of family members experiencing motor sport for the first time which was also fantastic.

“The increase in interest has multiple benefactors including affiliated clubs with new memberships, CAMS due to the large number of new licences processed and the motor sport retail sector thanks to the sales of a range of safety and essential items.

“As for the racing itself, the driving standards and vehicle reliability were generally impeccable as no safety cars and no recoveries were required throughout the course of the event.”

The Hobart Sporting Car Club’s next Baskerville 1000 is scheduled for 13-14 July at Baskerville Raceway.