It was a close finish at the hill climb time trials at the weekend, with less than half a second separating the first two drivers.
Bryant Park in Yallourn hosted the 2016 Australian Hill Climb Championship and attracted some of Australia’s best hill climb drivers in the four-day event.
Current Australian champion Malcolm Oastler claimed the win with the fastest time, cementing his spot as number one in Australia with a third straight championship.
Oastler needed just three runs to record his winning time, completing the
Oastler is an ex-Formula One car designer, which Gippsland Car Club secretary John Bryant said helped him perform well.
“He had a career in Formula One in Europe and came back here, purchased a cattle farm and retired,” Bryant said.
“He likes building race cars and he has the knowledge and skills required.”
Local drivers from Leongatha, Brett
Bryant said Oastler, Hayward and Ackland were the
“On any given day, any of these three can win,” Bryant said.
“Before the
The trio made for the fastest three drivers in the timed practice on Friday, with Ackland recording 45.54, followed by Oastler, 45.78, and Hayward, 45.82.
The overall track record was broken three times over the weekend, which Bryant
“The weather and the track were both excellent, which made record breaking a distinct possibility,” Bryant said.
The event finished with a Top 10 Shootout, with the fastest five racing cars and the fastest five tin-top cars battling it out.
Local drivers had success in the shootout, with Gippsland Car Club member Peter Minahan winning the racing cars division and Traralgon’s Kevin Mackrell winning the tin-top section.
*Aimee Dawson is a journalism student from La Trobe University.
