LEONGATHA businessman Peter McNiven enjoyed success at the Winton Festival of Speed premier event, the Historic Touring Car 50km race on Sunday, claiming outright victory.
He did so in his 1971 Mazda RX2, the field of 40 entrants mostly driving Ford Mustangs and Chevrolet Camaros.
An exciting final lap ended with Peter .08 of a second in front.
His dad and pit crew member Jim McNiven reflected on the thrilling finish to the race and how the only rotary Mazda in the field got the better of the leading Mustang late in the piece.
“With a lap to go, the Mustang overshot a corner, went onto the grass and lost ground so Pete was right on him,” he said, explaining his son seized the last-lap opportunity on the tightest part of the track, ‘the cleavage’, a series of four corners where he had an advantage.
While the Mustang with its 500 horsepower threatened to pass Peter on the straight, he was just able to hang on.
The second-placed Mustang driven by Brad Tilley had led by around 12 seconds late in the race.
Peter’s 18-month-old son and his wife were at the track for his winning drive, making it a real family affair.
Jim and his friend Ian Speight prepared the Mazda at home and at the track, with Nick Murdica also part of the winning pit crew at Winton, with Jim outlining the way the 13 lap, 50km battle panned out.
“It’s a long way for 1971 motorcars, and Pete’s car just kept going round at the same speed for the whole time, while the very fast Mustangs and Camaros all got away at the start, but their tyres and brakes wear out and they get slower, and the next thing Pete’s passing them one at a time,” Jim said.
The Mazda started fifth on the grid, taking on an experienced field of racers, Peter having first driven at the age of seven.
Jim noted that Winton is the second biggest historic race meeting in Australia, only behind Phillip Island, which hosts its event two weeks before the Grand Prix, attracting a lot of international participants.
“This is the biggest of Australian historic racing,” he said of the Winton meeting.
