Thousands of car enthusiasts found paradise on the streets of Joondalup this weekend at the Joondalup Festival of Motoring, with the final day seeing unique, modified, restored and adored vehicles lining the streets of the Automotive World display, while cars built with speed in mind demonstrated their horsepower during the Joondalup City Sprint.
With a drop of the flag from the City of Joondalup Mayor Albert Jacob the battle was on amongst the 150 competitors as to who could set the fastest cumulative time and go into history as the first Joondalup City Sprint winner. The on track action delivered plenty of thrills and spills for the thousands of spectators who lined the streets throughout the day to witness the sight and sound of the cars in full flight.
In the end, it was Troy Wilson who rose to the challenge of delivering the driving skill the 2.4km sprint track demanded and posting an outright time in his Mitsubishi Evo X, which could not be beaten.
Wilson said the course was easily underestimated as a horsepower track but soon revealed itself to require more than just a fast car.
“I originally thought the course was going to be high speed, but once we started running, I discovered it was more technical than I thought,” said Wilson.
“There were booby traps out there with the kerbing, but that’s all part of it. I loved that it was technical, and lucky for me I got through unscathed – but there is probably a little bit of touching wood involved with that.
“Near the end where the big hay bales and the crowd was standing was a highlight. The car was definitely loose and hanging out a bit through there – that was fun!
“Atmosphere in Joondalup was awesome for the first event, and I’m looking forward to next year.”
Matt James-Wallace in the Nissan R32 GTR took second place on the podium, a little over 8 seconds overall behind Wilson.
James-Wallace also embraced the challenge provided by driving suburban streets at speed in a motorsport setting.
“I obviously like to get the horsepower down in the GTR and find some speed,” said James-Wallace.
“There were some dips and crests in the course and managing it (the car) through was a challenge, but I loved it!
“Well, apart from the roundabouts – I’m not a fan of going through those roundabouts.
“I did better than I hoped. I was placed Numbe in the Mitsubishi Evo 8MR, who was just over 3 seconds behind James-Wallace.
But the glory wasn’t just restricted to the track, with three People’s Choice Awards up for grabs in the Automotive World precinct. It was a hard decision for eventgoers to choose a favourite from the 480 immaculately presented vehicles on display in the Old Blighty (UK), Drift to the Orient (JAP), Route 66 (USA), The Continent (Europe) and The Land Down Under (AUS) areas.
One of the three People’s Choice Awards went to the immaculate Holden Monaro of Jeff Clinckers and his wife Karen, who are heavily involved in the HSV Owners Club of WA.
While the Monaro’s blue paintwork and unique rims are eye-catching, the car also has plenty of grunt.
“Jeff has owned his Monaro for two years, and it was the dream car he always wanted to own,” said Karen.
“The Monaro has an LS3 engine with mild cam and 3 ½ stall shift kit. It also runs 3.9 gears with a True Track diff and has done a 12.3 second quarter mile.
“The HSV Owners Club of WA car club provides great options for members to enjoy both the motorsport and social sides of membership. I’m a FIFO wife and the club gives me an opportunity to get out to social events with my Clubsport.
“I recently volunteered as flag marshalled at one of the motorsport rounds at the Raceway, and it was a great way to experience the motorsport side of the Club.
“At the Joondalup Festival of Motoring, we enjoyed seeing the people interact with our Car Club display. We love hearing people’s car stories and the passion displayed when relaying their experiences with the marque. So many people love Holdens.”
Event Director Justin Hunt said he was proud of the event team and felt privileged to be entrusted by the City of Joondalup to organise the event.
“Our team worked tirelessly to bring this event to fruition, and they can be absolutely proud of the result,” said Mr Hunt. “There were plenty of smiling faces out there from competitors, spectators and the next generation of motoring enthusiasts!
“We’re grateful to the City of Joondalup and their local community for their enthusiasm and support of this event. We think this year has shown an appetite for these events in Perth, and we look forward to building it into one of the region’s iconic events.
The Joondalup Festival of Motoring is a partnership between the City of Joondalup and Justin Hunt Management.
For full results, event news and information please visit www.jfom.com.au (website), facebook.com/joondalupfom (Facebook) and @joondalupfom (Instagram)
