All-Historic Mallala

12-13 April 2025

Report and Photos by John Lemm

The THR Developments Historic Touring Car Cup, part of Autosport All-Historic Mallala, attracted 28 entries, but lost five of them during Friday’s practice and qualifying due to a spate of engine failures.

Race 1

Polesitter Adam Smith (Falcon GT) shot off into the lead in Saturday’s opener, closely followed by the battling Mazda RX2s of Jason Humble and Peter McNiven, with the quickest Group Nb runner Jason Armstrong (Morris Cooper S) hot on their tails.

Despite McNiven setting fastest lap on the final tour, the first four finished in this order.

Race 2

Smith got away a little too quickly in the second race, to receive a 5-second penalty, but tried as hard as he could to make up the deficit.

Armstrong retired his Mini on the final lap after an over-rev on a downshift damaged the top end of his engine. Meanwhile Humble pulled out a second over McNiven by the finish with Smith a further second back, with Josh Axford’s Escort RS1600 in fourth, ahead of Ian Pringle’s Morris Cooper S.

Race 3

McNiven grabbed the lead from Humble from the start of the third start, the pair battling for the lead for most of the race, with Smith setting fastest lap to finish a second back from the Mazdas. Axford came in fourth ahead of Randle Beavis’s Capri V6.

This saw Humble finish the day with 86 points to McNiven’s 84 and Smith’s 82.

Race 4

Smith blasted his way into the lead in race 4 from McNiven and Humble but threw it away when a missed gearchange coming out of the esses on the first lap dropped him to third.

Neil Oatway’s Falcon GT laid down an oil slick for much of the lap, then Ian Pringle rolled his Nb leading Cooper S after clipping the kerb in turn 2 (possibly caused by the oil). This saw the race called at three laps, with Humble taking the win from McNiven, Axford, Beavis and Graham Jarrett, whose ex-TCM Datsun 1600 was running as “Invitational”.

Race 5

We then had the tantalising situation of both Mazdas going into the final race on equal points.

The leading three cars went into Turn 1 side-by-side – and didn’t fit, Smith coming in too hot, narrowly avoiding Humble, but colliding with McNiven. The clash saw Humble come out of the skirmish first, well clear of Smith, McNiven, Axford, Les Walmsley (Cortina GT) and Jarrett.

Smith pitted with suspension damage at the end of the lap whilst McNiven set off after Humble, setting fastest lap in the process.

A great battle ensued between the pair, Humble winning by .4 second, which could have been different if the race went a lap longer. Axford was third, ahead of Beavis and Jarrett.

First-time winner Humble took the Cup with 144 points to McNiven’s 142 and Axford’s 123. It was all Cortinas in Group Nb, Walmsley with 142 from John Harrison’s 132 and Stuart Barnes’ 123.