49th Historic Winton
May 30-31, 2026
Pics by Phil Wisewould
The Racer Industries / Cooldrive Historic Touring Cars Group N Qualifying – Historic Winton 2026
The opening qualifying session for Group N at Historic Winton produced a fascinating mix of giant-killing Minis, classic touring cars and larger-capacity challengers. At the top of the timesheets, Jeremy Bennett delivered a commanding performance in his 1964 Morris Cooper S, setting a benchmark lap of 1:15.226 to secure pole position. Bennett was the only driver to dip into the 1:15s, finishing more than two and a half seconds clear of fellow Mini racer Jason Armstrong, with Steven McKay completing an all-Cooper S top three.
The tightly packed Mini contingent continued to dominate the upper order, with Linda Devlin placing fourth before the first non-Mini entry appeared. Kirk Davis put his Mazda RX-2 fifth overall and fastest of the NC runners, while Jerry Lenstra impressed with sixth in his 1965 Ford Cortina GT. Among the larger-capacity cars, Philip Barrow’s 1955 Holden FJ was one of the standout performers, qualifying eleventh overall and showing strong pace against much newer machinery.
The iconic Australian sedan split a pack of Cooper S entries and edged out Richard Fairlam’s Holden EH in a competitive midfield battle. Further back, the variety that makes Group N such a crowd favourite was on full display. Datsun 1600s, Ford Cortinas, a Ford Capri V6 GT and a Lotus Cortina all featured throughout the field, showcasing the broad spectrum of touring car machinery from the 1950s through to the early 1970s.
With the front four covered by less than three and a half seconds and several experienced competitors poised just behind them, qualifying set the stage for a fiercely contested opening race at Winton’s tight and technical circuit.
Race 1
Race 1 delivered exactly the sort of close, hard-fought competition that has become synonymous with Group N racing. Despite qualifying second, Jason Armstrong made a perfect start in his Morris Cooper S and emerged from a fierce six-lap battle to claim victory by less than a second. Armstrong maintained relentless pace throughout the race, holding off pressure from a charging field to take the chequered flag in 7:55.125.
The biggest challenge came from Kirk Davis, whose Mazda RX-2 proved to be the class of the NC field. Davis remained within striking distance throughout the race and crossed the line just 0.68 seconds behind the winner after a thrilling contest that wasn’t decided until the final lap. Pole-sitter Jeremy Bennett completed the podium after setting the fastest lap of the race with a blistering 1:17.266, but the Tasmanian was unable to convert his qualifying speed into victory and had to settle for third. Behind him, Steven McKay and Linda Devlin rounded out the top five after solid performances in their Morris Cooper S machines.
Further back, the battle among the Minis remained intense, with Max McKay, Francis Meier, and David Cheney all securing top-ten finishes. Cheney’s Cooper S was particularly impressive, setting lap times capable of mixing it with the front-running NB contenders despite competing in NC. Among the larger touring cars, Jerry Lenstra’s Ford Cortina GT finished ninth, while Derek McLaughlan’s Datsun 1600 and Richard Fairlam’s Holden EH completed the top eleven. The diverse Group N field was once again on full display, featuring everything from nimble Minis and Cortinas to Capris, Holdens and the ever-popular FJ Holden. One of the crowd favourites, Philip Barrow’s 1955 Holden FJ, completed all six laps to finish fifteenth, continuing the classic Holden’s reliable showing against much newer machinery.
The only retirement of the race belonged to David Roberts, whose Morris Cooper S failed to reach the finish after showing competitive pace in the opening stages. With less than three seconds covering the top three at the flag, Race 1 set up a fascinating remainder of the weekend, proving once again that in Group N racing, outright speed is only part of the story.
Race 2
Sunday morning’s second race delivered another action-packed six-lap contest, with Jason Armstrong continuing his perfect weekend by securing a second consecutive victory in his Morris Cooper S. Armstrong was immediately on the pace, setting a race-best among the finishers of 1:08.799 and controlling the race from the front to take the chequered flag by more than four seconds.
The standout drive came from Linda Devlin, who produced one of her strongest performances of the weekend to finish second. Devlin kept Armstrong within sight throughout the race and comfortably secured the runner-up position ahead of the larger and more powerful Mazda RX-2 of Kirk Davis, who once again led the NC contenders in third overall.
Behind the podium finishers, the battle among the Cooper S brigade remained fierce. Steven McKay and Max McKay crossed the line separated by less than two tenths of a second after a race-long duel, while David Cheney continued his impressive form to finish sixth. Further back, the midfield produced plenty of variety. Derek McLaughlan’s Datsun 1600, Brad Forgeard’s Ford Cortina Mk2 GT, and Jerry Lenstra’s Ford Cortina GT were involved in a closely matched contest, while Ian Pringle’s Cooper S and Richard Fairlam’s Holden EH rounded out the top twelve. One of the crowd favourites, Philip Barrow’s 1955 Holden FJ, enjoyed another solid outing, bringing the classic Holden home in thirteenth position after completing all six laps. The distinctive FJ once again proved reliable and competitive against machinery up to two decades younger.
The race wasn’t without drama. Pole-sitter and qualifying pace-setter Jeremy Bennett looked capable of challenging for victory and set the fastest lap of the race with a stunning 1:08.074, but his challenge ended prematurely with a DNF after just two laps. John Doherty also failed to reach the finish after retiring his Austin Cooper S. With Armstrong extending his winning streak, Devlin stepping onto the podium, and Bennett’s early retirement shaking up the order, the stage was perfectly set for an intriguing final race of the Historic Winton weekend.
Race 3
The final Group N race of the Historic Winton weekend saw Jason Armstrong complete a perfect clean sweep, taking his third victory from three starts in the Dave Armstrong Motors Morris Cooper S. Armstrong was untouchable throughout the six-lap sprint, setting the fastest lap of the race at 1:08.284 and crossing the finish line more than four seconds clear of his nearest challenger. It was a dominant performance that capped off an outstanding weekend for the South Australian.
The battle behind Armstrong was intense, with Kirk Davis once again demonstrating the pace of his Mazda RX-2 to secure second place and top NC honours. Davis held off a determined challenge from Linda Devlin, who continued her strong Sunday form to finish third overall and claim another podium result for the Mini brigade. After his disappointment in Race 2, Jeremy Bennett bounced back strongly.
The Tasmanian front-runner recovered to fourth place and recorded one of the quickest laps of the race, but was unable to break into the podium positions despite closing on the leaders in the latter stages. Behind the leading quartet, Steven McKay completed another consistent weekend in fifth, while Max McKay finished sixth after receiving a five-second penalty for a start-line infringement.
The penalty reshuffled several midfield positions but did little to diminish the close competition that characterised the race from start to finish. Further down the order, Ian Pringle, Derek McLaughlan, David McKay, Francis Meier, and Jerry Lenstra were all involved in tightly contested battles, while the Ford Cortina contingent of Lenstra and John Shuttle continued to fly the flag for the Blue Oval faithful. Unfortunately, the race ended early for crowd favourite Philip Barrow.
After two strong runs in the venerable 1955 Holden FJ, Barrow retired after four laps, bringing an end to the classic Holden’s weekend. Despite the DNF, the FJ had once again proven its durability and charm, competing admirably against machinery more than a decade newer. As the chequered flag fell on another Historic Winton meeting, Armstrong emerged as the undisputed star of the Group N field, claiming all three race victories and showcasing the remarkable pace of the Morris Cooper S. Behind him, Davis, Devlin and Bennett ensured the competition remained fierce, while the diverse field of Minis, Cortinas, Holdens, Datsuns and Mazdas delivered the close, entertaining racing that has made Group N one of the most popular categories in historic motorsport.
Race 4
The final race of the weekend delivered a fitting conclusion to a highly competitive Group N program, with Jason Armstrong completing a flawless four-race sweep in his Dave Armstrong Motors Morris Cooper S. Over eight laps of Winton Raceway, Armstrong once again proved the benchmark of the field, fending off relentless pressure to secure his fourth victory of the meeting and cement his status as the standout performer of the weekend.
The closest challenge came from fellow Cooper S driver Jeremy Bennett, who pushed Armstrong all the way to the chequered flag. Bennett recorded the fastest lap of the race with a scorching 1:08.141, but despite his pace he was unable to overhaul the South Australian, finishing less than two seconds behind after an enthralling contest at the front. Rounding out the podium was Kirk Davis, whose Mazda RX-2 once again flew the flag for the NC category. Davis maintained strong pace throughout the race and comfortably secured third position, completing a weekend in which the rotary-powered Mazda consistently challenged the dominant Cooper S brigade.
Behind the leading trio, Max McKay finished fourth ahead of Steven McKay, while David Cheney continued his solid weekend with sixth. The battle through the midfield remained intense, with David McKay, Randle Beavis’ Ford Capri V6 GT, and Graeme Hill all enjoying close racing as the laps wound down. The Ford contingent was led by John Shuttle and Jerry Lenstra, whose Cortina GTs once again showcased the versatility of Group N machinery. Alongside them, the Lotus Cortina of Peter Olver and the Austin Cooper S of John Doherty completed the classified finishers. Unfortunately, the race was not without drama.
Linda Devlin, who had been one of the stars of Sunday’s earlier races, retired after just a single lap, while Francis Meier also failed to continue beyond the opening tour. Later, Ian Pringle became another retirement after completing six laps. As the sun began to fall over Winton Raceway, Armstrong’s perfect four-from-four record stood as one of the defining achievements of the meeting. Yet beyond the victories, the weekend highlighted everything that makes Group N racing so popular: giant-killing Minis, rotary-powered Mazdas, thundering Capris, classic Cortinas and a field packed with historic machinery racing exactly as it was meant to be raced—hard, fair and spectacularly close.