Have you heard about the time AUSCAR and Sportsman ran a combined race at Calder Park Raceway in 1999?

Until yesterday, ASCN didn’t and here is where the story starts.

Jamie Jordan, current owner of the #31 Holden Commodore posted a picture a few days earlier that he had obtained (from somewhere) showing what looks to be thirteen AUSCAR and Sportsman vehicles in formation about to take the green flag, we assume the green flag as safety vehicles are behind the field.

The first clues of when the race was held were the Speers’ #31, Chris Robinson’s #54, Tim D’Ombrain’s car and Eddie Woods #55 which put the photo c98/99 which raised the question was it a sudden added on round.

So, a search was done through the Motorsport News archives, nothing there, so just to be sure the search was spread out a couple of years but not too far as we knew the #31 was at One Raceway for rides not long into the 2000s, again the result was nothing.

There was nothing on Natsoft and nothing on The Third Turn about an event at Calder Park Raceway after the 1998/99 season had ended.

Then Chris Robinson confirmed that the race was after the 1998/99 season was done and so the archived Calder Park website was searched, nothing was found until a search was done in the news section which was intact.

A media release was posted about ‘Round 1 of the Continental Tyres Australian SuperTruck Nationals on the 23^rd May 1999‘ that looked promising.

On the press release was the words we were looking for ‘The V8 Auscars, Sportsman, Sports Sedans and HQ Holdens will also produce spectacular racing on May 23^rd around Calder Park’s demanding road course. Auscars and Sportsman will again combine their numbers to produce a grid of 25 starters. Field sizes for the other support classes will be in excess of 30, so all the racing promises to be close and furious around the short circuit at Calder Park.’

Obviously, a number of AUSCAR and Sportsman runners did not race at Calder Park Raceway for example Leigh Watkins, Matthew White, the Pretty’s, Darren McDonald and more did not race.

Auto Action reported on the race on June 19, 1999, this fact was brought to Jamie Jordan by the team at V8 Sleuth.

Those listed as participating in the race were Chris Robinson, Darryl Speers, Tim D’Ombrain, Graeme Gilliland, Eddie Woods, John Agosta, Glenn Potter, Ron Savas, John Umseher, Andrew Gillespie and Mark Sutherland.

The yellow car at the back appears to be Leigh Moran but the photo is not detailed enough to know for sure.

Darryl Speers won all four ten lap races of the meet in showery conditions; the four wins are his only wins in AUSCAR.

If you know anybody with race programme from this round, please contact Jamie Jordan at AUSCAR #31.