Island Magic

November 22-23, 2025

Pics by Phil Wisewould

Beard Claims Pole in Season-Ending Qualifying at Phillip Island

Andrew Beard closed out the 2025 Historic Touring Cars season in emphatic style, storming to pole position during Saturday morning qualifying at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.

In cool but improving conditions for the 15-minute Qquali session, Beard’s Chevrolet Camaro set the benchmark early and never looked back. His best lap of 1:47.645 was the only time in the session to dip into the 1:47s, sealing pole by a comfortable 0.539 seconds and underlining his pace at the fast, flowing circuit.

Darren Collins emerged as Beard’s closest challenger, guiding his Ford Mustang to second on the grid with a 1:48.184. Collins steadily improved throughout the session but ultimately had no answer to Beard’s outright speed.

Third position went to New South Wales driver Ben Wilkinson, also aboard a Mustang. Wilkinson’s 1:49.261 kept him safely ahead of fellow Victorian Trevor Talbot, whose Chevrolet Camaro placed fourth after a late flying lap effort.

Rounding out the top five was Scott Pierce in the Pierce Plumbing Mustang, separated from fourth by less than a tenth of a second in a tightly packed battle among the front runners.

Midfield honours saw Peter McNiven impress in the Mazda RX-2 Coupe, claiming sixth ahead of Geoff Munday’s Camaro. Further back, Peter Meuleman, Stephen Pillekers, and Darren Jones completed the top ten, each navigating traffic to post clean laps during the busy session.

With Phillip Island’s reputation for rewarding bravery and momentum, the qualifying order promises an exciting final race of the year. Beard may start from pole, but with Mustangs and Camaros evenly matched and slip-streaming likely to play a role, the season finale is set up for a thrilling conclusion.

Racer Industries Historic Touring Cars — Race 1 Report

Race 1 for the Historic Touring Cars served up exactly what Phillip Island is famous for — slipstream battles, V8 thunder, and plenty of movement at the front as the lead changed hands early before the race settled into a fast, strategic rhythm.

Wilkinson Prevails After Fierce Lead Fight

After a close start, Ben Wilkinson (Ford Mustang, Car 189) emerged as the driver to beat, gradually edging clear in the final laps to claim victory with a race time of 13:39.7348. While never entirely comfortable, Wilkinson held his nerve in the closing stages — and crucially, kept his Mustang tidy through Southern Loop and Lukey Heights where mistakes can be costly.

Just 1.13 seconds behind, Trevor Talbot (Chevrolet Camaro, Car 76) chased hard all the way to the flag. Talbot looked threatening mid-race and briefly pressured for the lead, but ultimately had to settle for second.

Rounding out the podium was Darren Collins (Ford Mustang, Car 97), just 1.1 seconds further back, making it two Mustangs versus one Camaro inside the top three — the Blue Oval faithful enjoying their afternoon.

Hard-Chargers & Class Battles

Behind the leading trio, Geoff Munday (Camaro, Car 68) and Andrew Beard (Camaro, Car 86) staged their own V8 war. Beard actually posted the fastest lap of the race — a blistering 1:48.4091 — but a five-second penalty left him officially fifth behind Munday.

Further back, Peter Meuleman (Mustang, Car 43) and Stephen Pillekers (Torana, Car 14) kept things tidy in midfield traffic, while the smaller-capacity cars again punched above their weight — none more so than Richard and Graeme Hill in their Morris Cooper S entries, both finishing strongly inside the top 11.

Sadly, Scott Pierce (Mustang, Car 21) was the lone retirement, pulling out after four laps despite showing strong pace early, including a 1:49.8419 best lap.

• Fastest Lap: Andrew Beard — 1:48.4091 (Chevrolet Camaro)


Racer Industries Historic Touring Cars — Race 2. 5 Laps

Weather: Wet, slippery, and treacherous


The Sunday morning race dawned under completely different conditions to Saturday’s sprint — a damp Phillip Island circuit testing patience, throttle-control and bravery in equal measure. With visibility reduced and grip at a premium, the Historic Touring Cars tip-toed into Turn 1, and from there the race became all about rhythm and confidence on the slippery surface.

Beard masters the wet to take victory

Andrew Beard (Chevrolet Camaro, Car 86) was simply superb in the conditions. Settling into a smooth, flowing style while others wrestled for traction, Beard gradually eased clear to win in 10:25.5696, sealing the race with his quickest lap coming right at the end.

Darren Collins (Mustang, Car 97) chased relentlessly and was fastest through the middle sector at times, closing the gap to just a few seconds before finishing runner-up after a strong final-lap surge.

One of the standout drives came from Peter McNiven (Mazda RX-2, Car 13) — the lightweight rotary machine dancing on the wet surface and clocking the fastest lap of the race (2:01.4974) on Lap 3 to secure a superb third place overall.

Behind them, Trevor Talbot (Camaro, Car 76) brought the big Chevy home fourth after a measured drive.

Penalty for Car 43 shapes the midfield

Peter Meuleman (Mustang, Car 43) crossed the line fifth on the road — and remained fifth once a 5-second penalty was applied post-race. Even with the time added, he kept his position ahead of the chasing pack.
Further back, Geoff Munday (Camaro, Car 68) battled through the worst of the spray to finish sixth, with Darren Jones (Mustang Coupe, Car 5) in seventh.

Saturday race-winner Ben Wilkinson (Mustang, Car 189) struggled to find comfort in the wet with no wets and eventually finished eighth after a cautious run.

Small-capacity runners fight through

The diminutive Morris Cooper S entries of Richard and Graeme Hill again impressed with tidy wet-weather discipline, while Philip Barrow’s Holden FJ soldiered on to complete the classified finishers — a fine effort in conditions that caught many drivers off-guard earlier in the morning.

No retirements meant every competitor who started saw the chequered flag — a testament to race craft and respect for the tricky surface.

• Fastest Lap: Peter McNiven — 2:01.4974 (Mazda RX-2 Coupe)


Racer Industries Historic Touring Cars — Race 3 Report
Island Magic, Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit — Sunday, Nov 23, 2025
Weather: Fine and dry — perfect finale conditions
Distance: 11 laps (Final race of the season)

The sun returned for the final hit-out of the year, giving the Historic Touring Car field a dry Phillip Island circuit and one last chance to settle the weekend score. After the drama of Sunday morning’s wet race, Race 3 was all about pace, nerve, and keeping mistakes to a minimum over a full-length 11-lap run.

Collins closes the season with a statement win

Darren Collins (Ford Mustang, Car 97) saved his best until last, producing a commanding drive to win the finale in 20:21.4801 — and sealing the result with the fastest lap of the race (1:49.1208). Once he hit the front, Collins controlled the pace beautifully, never letting traffic or tyre wear unsettle the Mustang.

Morning winner Andrew Beard (Camaro, Car 86) remained firmly in the hunt, pushing hard early and eventually finishing just over two seconds behind. The pair set a relentless pace, trading purple sectors across the opening laps.

Saturday winner Ben Wilkinson (Mustang, Car 189) bounced back strongly after a tricky wet race, running a clean and measured race to secure third.

Battles all the way through the top ten

Trevor Talbot (Camaro, Car 76) claimed fourth after another consistent outing, followed by Geoff Munday (Camaro, Car 68) in fifth, while Peter McNiven (Mazda RX-2, Car 13) again impressed — the nimble rotary machine punching well above its weight to take sixth.

Behind them, the mid-pack fight ebbed and flowed through the final laps as Peter Meuleman (Mustang, Car 43), Stephen Pillekers (Torana, Car 14) and Darren Jones (Mustang Coupe, Car 5) finished nose-to-tail over the line.

Further back, the ever-popular Hill brothers in their Morris Coopers kept things neat and tidy, while Philip Barrow (Holden FJ) and Gordon Cox (Plymouth Valiant) toughed it out to the chequered flag.
Sadly, Neil Crowe (Mustang, Car 30) was an early retirement after just one lap.

• Fastest Lap: Darren Collins — 1:49.1208

• Race Avg Speed: 144 kph

The current lap record — 1:45.3178 — remains safe for now.