Wild Weekend at Winton FOS

Winton Festival of Speed
July 24-26 2026

Pics by Phil Wisewould Report by Jervis and Friends

Under 2 Litre
Noakes and Bressington Go Head-to-Head in Under 2 Litre Winton Thriller

The CoolDrive Group N Under 2 Litre field produced some of the closest racing of the entire 2026 Race Fuels Winton Festival of Speed, with a wonderfully varied grid of Escorts, Minis, Cortinas, Datsuns and the unmistakable Holden FJ taking on Winton Motor Raceway.

At the front, the weekend developed into a terrific contest between David Noakes’ Ford Escort RS1600 and Adam Bressington’s Morris Cooper S. The two NSW drivers were rarely far apart, and on two occasions the winning margin was measured in tenths – or even hundredths – of a second.

Noakes started the weekend on pole, Bressington struck back with victories in the opening two races, and then Noakes responded to win the remaining three. Behind them, Richard Hill, Max McKay, Luke Paterson and Victor Draper were among a large group fighting for the minor positions across a busy five-race program.

Qualifying – Noakes Puts the Escort on Pole

Friday morning’s 15-minute qualifying session immediately suggested the Under 2 Litre contest was going to be close. David Noakes put the #27 Noakes Motorsport Ford Escort RS1600 on pole with a 1:39.8562, recorded on the fourth of his eight laps.

But Adam Bressington was right with him. The #8 SU Midel Morris Cooper S produced a 1:40.2248 on its final lap, leaving Bressington only 0.3686 seconds away from pole.

Mark Lenstra made it two Escorts inside the top three with a 1:40.9484, while Richard Hill and Luke Paterson were almost inseparable in their Cooper Ss. Hill recorded a 1:42.2650 and Paterson a 1:42.2711 – just 0.0061 seconds between them.

Max McKay qualified sixth in another Cooper S, ahead of Graeme Hill, while Victor Draper put his Datsun 1600SSS eighth. John Doherty’s Austin Cooper S and John Harrison’s Ford Cortina Mk1 completed the top ten. From there came Anthony Green’s Cortina, Rowan Pinder’s Datsun 1200 Coupe, Christian Jannike’s Cooper S, David Cheney’s Morris Mini and Graham Jarrett’s Datsun 1600.

Chris Finlayson was 16th in another Cooper S, followed by the Cortinas of Stuart Bailey, Mark Wallace and Don Knight. Peter Olver’s Lotus Cortina was 20th, immediately ahead of one of the most distinctive cars in the field – Philip Barrow’s Holden FJ. Garry Treloar, Rob Ephgrave, Rodney Evans and Jeffery Vaux completed a field of 25 qualifiers.

The times at the top suggested Noakes versus Bressington. Race 1 proved just how accurate that prediction was. Race 1 – Bressington Wins by 0.0779 Seconds

The opening race produced an extraordinary finish. Bressington and Noakes fought throughout the seven-lap contest, and when they arrived at the chequered flag there was virtually nothing between them.
Bressington won in 15:43.2954. The winning margin was just 0.0779 seconds.

Noakes actually recorded the faster individual lap, setting a 1:40.5564 on lap three, while Bressington produced his best of 1:40.8419 on the final lap. But Bressington had done enough across the complete race distance to take the opening victory.

Behind the leading pair, McKay produced an excellent run to third in his Cooper S, with Paterson fourth.
Graeme Hill made it three Cooper Ss inside the top five. Draper’s Datsun 1600SSS finished sixth, ahead of Harrison’s Cortina. Cheney took eighth in the Morris Mini, followed by Doherty and Green. Jarrett was 11th, Finlayson 12th and Pinder 13th. Jannike followed in 14th, while Richard Hill, who had qualified fourth, finished 15th.

Bailey led the next group of Cortinas home in 16th, followed by Knight, Olver, Ephgrave, Treloar and Evans.
Vaux completed six laps to finish 22nd, with Wallace also completing six.

Barrow’s Holden FJ was the only retirement, completing two laps before its race ended early.
After a margin of less than eight hundredths of a second, expectations were high for another Noakes-Bressington battle. Race 2 delivered exactly that.

Race 2 – Bressington Does It Again

Saturday morning’s second race was only four laps long, but once again the two leaders were almost impossible to separate. Bressington won, Noakes was second. This time the margin was 0.1256 seconds.

Noakes again recorded the faster lap, producing a superb 1:39.0905, while Bressington’s best was a 1:39.6515.

Yet once again it was the little Morris Cooper S that reached the line first. Behind them, McKay continued his excellent weekend with another third place. Richard Hill rebounded strongly from his Race 1 result to finish fourth, with Paterson only 0.2022 seconds behind him in fifth.

Draper took sixth in the Datsun, followed by Harrison and Graeme Hill. Green finished ninth ahead of Jarrett, Finlayson, Pinder, Cheney and Doherty. Jannike was 15th, followed by Ephgrave and Knight.

Barrow’s Holden FJ enjoyed a much better run this time, completing all four laps to finish 18th.
Bailey, Treloar, Olver, Wallace, Evans and Vaux completed the order. The official results also recorded five-second penalties for Olver, Cheney, Draper, Doherty, Jannike and Bailey.
Two races had now produced two Bressington victories. But Noakes had been the faster man over a single lap in both. The question was whether he could finally convert that speed into a victory.

Race 3 – Noakes Strikes Back

Saturday afternoon’s third race was a completely different proposition. Instead of another short sprint, the field faced a 28-minute race, ultimately completing 15 laps. This time Noakes made no mistake.

The Ford Escort RS1600 completed the race in 30:00.3689, taking Noakes’ first victory of the weekend.
He also recorded the fastest lap, a 1:39.9082. But Bressington wasn’t the driver chasing him home. Instead it was Richard Hill who emerged as Noakes’ closest challenger. Hill put together an excellent drive in his Cooper S and finished only 3.8509 seconds behind the Escort. McKay continued his remarkably consistent weekend with third, just 1.427 seconds behind Hill.

Paterson finished fourth, meaning three Morris Cooper Ss occupied the positions immediately behind the winning Escort. Draper was fifth in the Datsun 1600SSS, followed by Harrison’s Cortina. Jarrett took seventh in his Datsun, while Cheney was only 0.1283 seconds behind in eighth.

Finlayson finished ninth and Pinder tenth. Green, Jannike, Ephgrave, Knight, Bailey and Olver followed, all completing the full 15 laps. Wallace and Evans completed 14 laps, with Vaux covering 13.

But the longer race also produced considerable attrition. Graeme Hill retired after nine laps. More significantly, Bressington’s winning run ended after eight laps, the Race 1 and Race 2 winner recording his first DNF of the weekend.

Doherty and Barrow also retired after eight laps, while Treloar completed five before his race ended.

After three races, the momentum had shifted. Bressington had won the first two. Noakes had won the third.

Sunday would decide which of the two could finish the weekend strongest.

Race 4 – Noakes Wins a Shortened Contest

Sunday’s fourth race became an unusual affair. Although scheduled for 13 minutes, the field completed only three laps, with the official race time stretching to 16:58. Through it all, Noakes emerged with another victory.

The Escort completed the three laps in 16:58.7066, but Richard Hill again proved to be a serious challenger. Hill finished only 1.4083 seconds behind Noakes. Bressington returned after his Race 3 retirement and charged back onto the podium, taking third. He was also the fastest driver on the circuit, recording a 1:40.9090 on the final lap.

Draper continued his consistent weekend with fourth in the Datsun 1600SSS, while Harrison took fifth in the Cortina. Jarrett and Cheney staged an extraordinary battle for sixth. Jarrett completed the race in 17:10.1290.
Cheney finished in 17:10.1481. The difference was only 0.0191 seconds.

Green followed in eighth, with Finlayson ninth, Pinder tenth and Jannike 11th. Graeme Hill returned to finish 12th, followed by Ephgrave, Knight, Olver, Bailey, Wallace, Evans and Treloar. Doherty completed two laps before retiring, while McKay and Paterson were also listed as DNFs without a completed lap.

Noakes now had two victories.
Bressington had two victories.
Everything came down to Race 5.

Race 5 – Noakes Wins the Decider

Sunday afternoon’s final race brought the two stars of the weekend together one more time.
Seven laps.

Noakes versus Bressington. Escort versus Cooper S. And once again, the margin was tiny. Noakes completed the race in 15:06.3372. Bressington finished in 2nd. After seven laps, just 0.5722 seconds separated them.

Noakes also claimed fastest lap with a 1:39.4392, compared with Bressington’s 1:39.6284. This time there was no denying the Escort driver. Noakes had won the finale and, after losing the first two races to Bressington, had responded by taking three consecutive victories.

Richard Hill completed another strong race to finish third. Draper was fourth, giving the Datsun 1600SSS another excellent result. Cheney brought the Morris Mini home fifth, followed by Green’s Cortina and Finlayson’s Cooper S. Jarrett finished eighth in the Datsun, with Jannike only 0.0404 seconds behind him in ninth.

Ephgrave completed the top ten, while Knight was the final classified finisher in 11th. Olver completed six laps before retiring the Lotus Cortina, while Graeme Hill was also listed as a DNF.

Jarrett’s #46 Datsun received a five-second penalty in the official results.

Escort Versus Mini – A Weekend-Long Battle

The CoolDrive Group N Under 2 Litre weekend ultimately belonged to two drivers; David Noakes and Adam Bressington. Noakes began by taking pole position in the Ford Escort RS1600, but Bressington immediately turned the tables when racing began.

Race 1 was decided by 0.0779 seconds.
Race 2 was decided by 0.1256 seconds.
Both went to Bressington.

At that stage, the Cooper S driver had a perfect two-from-two record despite Noakes setting the faster lap in each race.

Then everything changed in the longer Race 3. Bressington retired and Noakes finally converted his speed into victory. From that moment, Noakes didn’t lose another race. He won Race 4 and then defeated Bressington directly in the finale by 0.5722 seconds.

The weekend scorecard read:
Adam Bressington – Race 1 winner.
Adam Bressington – Race 2 winner.
David Noakes – Race 3 winner.
David Noakes – Race 4 winner.
David Noakes – Race 5 winner.

Behind them, Richard Hill became one of the stars of the second half of the weekend. After finishing 15th in Race 1, he recovered to fourth in Race 2 before recording second, second and third across the final three races.

Max McKay was another early standout, taking third in each of the opening three races before his Race 4 retirement. Luke Paterson was similarly competitive during the first half of the meeting, with fourth, fifth and fourth before failing to finish Race 4.

Victor Draper was one of the most consistent performers. The Datsun 1600SSS was regularly near the front, with results including sixth, sixth, fifth, fourth and fourth across the five races.
The depth of the Under 2 Litre field was equally impressive. Morris Cooper Ss battled Ford Cortinas, Datsuns and Minis throughout the order, while Barrow’s much older Holden FJ added something completely different to the grid.

There were close finishes everywhere. Jarrett and Cheney were separated by 0.0191 seconds in Race 4, while Jarrett and Jannike finished only 0.0404 seconds apart in Race 5.

But nothing quite matched the fight at the front. The little Morris Cooper S had the early advantage. The Ford Escort RS1600 had the final say. After qualifying and five races at Winton, Noakes versus Bressington had provided a classic Group N contest – two very different cars, two committed drivers and margins so small that neither could afford to give away a single corner.

Over 2 Litre
Five Races, Four Winners and a Wild Weekend at Winton

The Race Fuels Winton Festival of Speed 2026 delivered a tremendous weekend for the Racer Industries Group N Over 2 Litre field, with some of Australia’s most spectacular historic touring cars taking centre stage at Winton Motor Raceway. Ford Mustangs dominated the numbers, but the big Chevrolet Camaros were never far away, joined by Valiant Chargers, Holdens, a Ford Capri and a Mazda RX2. Across qualifying and five races, the competitive order changed repeatedly as Paul Stubber, Ben Wilkinson and Bradley Tilley all tasted victory.

The weekend began with Stubber looking almost untouchable. By the finish on Sunday afternoon, however, Bradley Tilley had emerged as the man with the momentum, winning the final two races.

Qualifying – Stubber Throws Down the Challenge

Friday morning qualifying immediately established Paul Stubber and the #31 BAR31 Chevrolet Camaro as the combination everyone else would have to chase.

Stubber needed only three laps to produce a 1:32.9999, putting the Camaro comfortably on pole.

The margin was substantial.

Bradley Tilley was closest in the #28 Tilley Racing Ford Mustang, recording a 1:34.6208, but that still left him 1.6209 seconds behind Stubber.

Bradley’s fellow Tilley Racing driver Jamie Tilley put the #9 Mustang third with a 1:35.5892, while Ben Wilkinson was only 0.0539 seconds behind Jamie in another Mustang.

Scott Pierce completed the leading five in his #21 Pierce Plumbing Mustang with a 1:36.3896.

The depth of the field became apparent further down the order. WA competitor Graeme Woolhouse qualified sixth in his Mustang ahead of Robert Burns’ Chevrolet Camaro, with Peter Meuleman eighth in another Mustang.

Glenn Miles put his distinctive Valiant Charger ninth, ahead of Michael Miceli’s Mustang and Geoff Munday’s Camaro. Domenic Leo and Darren Jones followed in their Mustangs, while Stephen Pillekers placed the Holden Torana GTR XU next.

David Crabtree qualified his Ford Capri in 15th, while Richard Fairlam’s Holden HQ completed only a single lap and did not record a qualifying time.

Stubber had made the opening statement. Now he had to convert that speed into a race result.

Race 1 – Stubber Converts Pole into Victory

Friday afternoon’s opening 18-minute race confirmed that Stubber’s qualifying speed was no fluke.

The Camaro driver immediately established himself at the head of the field and went even faster than he had in qualifying, recording a 1:32.9778 on lap two.

Eleven laps later, Stubber took the chequered flag with a winning margin of 15.786 seconds.

Bradley Tilley was his closest challenger and brought the #28 Mustang home second, while Jamie Tilley made it two Tilley Racing Mustangs on the podium in third.

Only 2.6747 seconds separated Bradley and Jamie at the finish.

Pierce was fourth after another consistent run, while Wilkinson completed the leading five.

Behind them came one of the tightest battles of the race.

Burns finished sixth in his Camaro, but Woolhouse was just 0.2469 seconds behind in seventh. Meuleman was another 1.732 seconds back in eighth.

Munday brought his Camaro home ninth, while Glenn Miles completed the top ten in the Valiant Charger, only 0.7618 seconds behind Munday.

Leo was 11th, with Pillekers 12th in the Torana and Crabtree 13th in the Capri.

All 13 listed starters reached the finish, giving the Over 2 Litre field an impressively clean beginning to its racing program.

For Stubber, it was the ideal Friday: pole position, victory and fastest lap.

Race 2 – Stubber Wins Again

Saturday morning’s second race was considerably shorter, with only five laps completed, but the identity of the winner remained unchanged.

Stubber again led the way.

His best lap of 1:33.2145 was the fastest of the race and he completed the five laps in 15:01.4378.

This time the Tilley order was reversed.

Jamie Tilley took second in the #9 Mustang, finishing 4.6947 seconds behind Stubber.

Bradley was right behind his teammate. Just 0.6734 seconds separated the two Tilley Racing Mustangs at the finish.

Pierce maintained his excellent consistency with another fourth place, followed by Wilkinson in fifth and Woolhouse sixth.

Burns took seventh in the Camaro, ahead of Meuleman and Munday.

Peter McNiven joined the Over 2 Litre action aboard the Mazda RX2 Coupe and immediately put himself inside the top ten, finishing tenth.

Fairlam brought the Holden HQ home 11th, ahead of Jones’ Mustang, Crabtree’s Capri and Pillekers’ Torana.

The only non-finisher was Glenn Miles in the Valiant Charger.

Two races down, two victories for Stubber.

At that point the Camaro appeared to have the weekend under control.

Race 3 changed everything.

Race 3 – Wilkinson Wins a Thriller

Saturday afternoon brought a completely different challenge. Lap times increased dramatically, and suddenly the established order was thrown into the air.

This time it was Ben Wilkinson who emerged at the front in the #189 Ford Mustang. Wilkinson completed the ten laps in 20:42.7225, but he had virtually no breathing room.

Jamie Tilley was right there. At the finish, Wilkinson defeated Jamie by just 0.4374 seconds after ten laps of racing. Stubber’s winning run came to an end, but the Camaro driver remained firmly in contention. He finished third, only 3.7241 seconds behind Wilkinson, and recorded the fastest lap of the race with a 1:48.5248 on the final tour.

Brad Tilley finished fourth, meaning the top four – Wilkinson, Jamie Tilley, Stubber and Bradley Tilley – were covered by only 7.5507 seconds.

McNiven produced an excellent result in the Mazda RX2 to take fifth, finishing ahead of a group of much larger-capacity machinery. Pierce was sixth, Woolhouse seventh and Pillekers put the Torana into eighth. Meuleman was ninth, followed by Fairlam’s Holden HQ and Crabtree’s Capri. Munday finished 12th in the Camaro and Jones 13th in his Mustang. Burns endured the difficult race. His Camaro completed only two laps before retiring, and the results also record a 15-second penalty for car #70.

Wilkinson had broken Stubber’s run and given the weekend its second race winner. And there was another change coming on Sunday morning.

Race 4 – Brad Tilley Breaks Through

Race 4 was a short, sharp four-lap contest, and Bradley Tilley made the most of it. The #28 Mustang driver produced a 1:34.1854 on lap two – the fastest lap of the race – and took victory in 9:55.9542.

Stubber was back near the front, but this time had to settle for second. Only 2.753 seconds separated the Mustang and Camaro at the chequered flag. Jamie Tilley completed the podium in third, giving the Tilley Racing squad two of the top three positions.

Wilkinson was fourth and Pierce fifth, the pair separated by just 0.5512 seconds at the finish. Woolhouse continued his consistent weekend with sixth, while Fairlam put the Holden HQ into an excellent seventh position. Meuleman followed in eighth.

The battle between the two Camaros of Munday and Burns was exceptionally close. Munday crossed the line ninth in 10:29.4860. Burns finished tenth in 10:29.5803. After four laps, just 0.0943 seconds separated the pair.

Pillekers was 11th in the Torana, while Jones retired his Mustang after completing two laps.

Brad Tilley had finally converted his front-running speed into a victory. More importantly, the longest race of the weekend was still to come.

Race 5 – Tilley Takes the Big One

Sunday afternoon’s finale was a much more substantial affair. Scheduled for 28 minutes, the race eventually ran for 17 laps and more than 31 minutes, making it the longest and arguably most important test of the weekend.

And Brad Tilley delivered again. The Mustang completed the race in 31:30.2407, giving Bradley consecutive victories to close the meeting. But Jamie Tilley ensured his Dad had no opportunity to relax. After 17 laps, Jamie crossed the line only 5.5447 seconds behind Brad to complete a superb Tilley Racing one-two.

Stubber finished third on the road in the Camaro. Even in defeat he remained the fastest man on the circuit, producing a 1:33.7718, comfortably the fastest lap of the race. The official results also record a 15-second penalty for Stubber’s #31 Camaro.

Pierce capped an exceptionally consistent weekend with fourth. He may not have taken a race victory, but the #21 Mustang was almost permanently near the front, having finished fourth in Races 1, 2 and 5, sixth in Race 3 and fifth in Race 4.

Meuleman finished the finale fifth, with Woolhouse sixth. Burns took seventh in his Camaro ahead of Munday in eighth. Jones finally enjoyed a full race distance, bringing his Mustang home ninth after 17 laps, while Pillekers completed 16 laps to finish tenth in the Torana.

The long final also took its toll.

Fairlam’s Holden HQ retired after 15 laps, while McNiven’s Mazda RX2 made it through 14 before being classified as a DNF.

There was also disappointment for Race 3 winner Wilkinson. His Mustang completed only ten laps before retiring, bringing an early end to what had otherwise been a highly competitive weekend.

Stubber Starts It, Tilley Finishes It. Across five races, the Group N Over 2 Litre field produced a weekend with several distinct chapters. At first, it belonged completely to Paul Stubber.

The WA Camaro driver took pole by more than 1.6 seconds, won Race 1 and backed it up with another victory in Race 2. His raw speed remained formidable throughout the meeting, with Stubber also setting the fastest lap in Races 1, 2, 3 and 5.

Then came the changing conditions of Race 3 and the arrival of Ben Wilkinson at the front. His narrow 0.4374-second victory over Jamie Tilley was one of the highlights of the meeting.

By Sunday, however, Bradley Tilley had found another gear.

Victory in the four-lap Race 4 was followed by an even more significant win in the 17-lap finale, while Jamie’s second place completed a memorable Tilley Racing one-two.

Jamie was another constant threat. He didn’t claim a race victory, but finishes of third, second, second, third and second made him one of the most consistent drivers of the entire weekend.

Pierce was similarly dependable and remained around the leading group throughout all five races.

Further back, Woolhouse and Meuleman accumulated a string of solid finishes, while the Camaros of Burns and Munday regularly found themselves locked in battles with the Mustang contingent.

The variety was supplied by Miles’ Valiant Charger, Fairlam’s Holden HQ, Pillekers’ Torana, Crabtree’s Capri and McNiven’s Mazda RX2 – the latter producing a particularly impressive fifth place in Race 3.

The final scorecard told the story of a weekend that refused to settle into a predictable pattern:

Paul Stubber – Race 1 winner.
Paul Stubber – Race 2 winner.
Ben Wilkinson – Race 3 winner.
Bradley Tilley – Race 4 winner.
Bradley Tilley – Race 5 winner.

From Stubber’s Friday domination to Wilkinson’s Saturday afternoon breakthrough and the Tilley Racing Mustangs taking control on Sunday, the 2026 Winton Festival of Speed delivered exactly what Group N racing does best – big cars, big engines, close battles and a field of classic touring cars being driven the way they were built to be driven.