State Race Series Rd 5 – Phillip Island

October 4 – 5 2025

Pics by Phil Wisewould

The field was headed by a flying Peter Meuleman in the Nepean Welding Mustang, who stamped his authority on the session with a blistering 1:50.928, the only car to break into the 1:50s and the outright fastest time of the combined Historic Touring Car and HQ Holden field

Qualifying – 15 minutes

Meuleman looked immediately comfortable in the high-speed Phillip Island conditions, setting his benchmark on lap eight and leaving the rest of the GN runners chasing.

Mark Johnson (MJR Motorsport Mustang) secured second in class with a strong 1:52.006, just over a second adrift, while Geoff Munday placed his Chevrolet Camaro third on 1:52.164, less than two-tenths behind Johnson in a tight scrap for the front of the GN grid.

The fight for the next positions was equally close, with Glenn Miles (Valiant Charger) fourth on 1:52.240, narrowly ahead of Trevor Talbot in another Camaro on 1:52.385, making the top five in GN separated by just 1.45 seconds.

With clear air, cool conditions and a fast Phillip Island surface, qualifying delivered a strong benchmark for both classes, setting up what promises to be a hard-fought GN feature led by Meuleman’s Mustang.

Race 1 – 8 Laps

Race 1 delivered a classic Phillip Island slipstream battle, with Geoff Munday taking a hard-fought victory in his Chevrolet Camaro after an intense duel with pole-sitter Peter Meuleman in the Bitchin Mustang. Munday crossed the line just 1.45 seconds clear after eight flat-out laps, using strong mid-corner speed through Southern Loop and Lukey Heights to edge ahead in the closing stages.

Meuleman, who had dominated qualifying, stayed glued to the Camaro’s rear bumper throughout and set the second-fastest race lap, but had to settle for second. Glenn Miles brought the Valiant Charger home third, completing an all-V8 podium after a consistent and trouble-free run. Fourth went to Trevor Talbot in another Camaro, while the race was attritional for several front-runners. Brent Trengrove and Mark Johnson both recorded DNFs after running strongly early, and Stephen Pillekers’ Mazda RX-2 was also sidelined before the finish. Notably, Trengrove set the fastest lap of the race with a stunning 1:50.651, underlining the outright pace of the GN field despite the mechanical casualties.

Race 1 set the tone for a fiercely competitive weekend, the high-speed nature of Phillip Island ensuring slipstreaming, late braking and precision through the fast corners would be decisive for the remaining races.

Race 2 – 5 Laps

Sunday morning produced a fast and furious five-lap sprint, with Brent Trengrove making amends for his Race 1 retirement by storming to victory in the Barwon Timber Chevrolet Camaro. Trengrove led the field home after an intense opening lap and went on to set the fastest lap of the race with a stunning 1:50.259, the quickest time of the entire weekend.

He was chased to the flag by Glenn Miles in the Valiant Charger, who finished just over a second behind, while Geoff Munday completed the podium in third after another consistent run. Mark Johnson and Peter Meuleman filled fourth and fifth respectively, the Mustang pair locked in close formation across the line, all five covered by just over four seconds. Trevor Talbot was an early retirement, recording a DNF after problems in his Camaro curtailed what had been a promising run.

With Trengrove’s outright pace the Sunday morning race added another layer of intensity to an already action-packed Phillip Island weekend.

Race 3 – 7 Laps

The weekend concluded with an emphatic performance from Brent Trengrove, who completed a stunning Sunday double by taking victory in Race 3 and setting the outright fastest lap of the meeting with a sensational 1:48.834 in his Barwon Timber Chevrolet Camaro. Trengrove controlled the seven-lap encounter from the front, stretching a clear margin while the pack behind fought tooth and nail.

Behind him, the battle for the remaining podium positions was one of the closest of the weekend. Geoff Munday secured second, narrowly ahead of Glenn Miles, with just four-tenths separating second to fourth as Peter Meuleman and Mark Johnson arrived in close formation. The top five were covered by barely a second at the flag, underlining the intensity of the GN competition at Phillip Island’s high-speed layout.

Trengrove’s Camaro delivering outright pace with margins measured in tenths and slipstream battles all the way to the chequered flag.