Getting to Know 2019 HGNA Club Champion David Stone

Inaugural and current HGNA Club Champion David Stone has been activity involved in motorsport since the mid-1970s.

Competition started for David in his late teens, when he competed all across NSW in motoross in 125/250cc classes. His three years of racing were, in his own words, largely unremarkable.

David’s motocross competition ceased in 1980, when left his employment as a panel-beater to study firstly at Hornsby Tech and then Macquarie University. Racing resumed towards the end of his studies in late 1983.

“My first event was a lap dash at Oran Park in my university commute - a Peugeot 504. It didn’t even have a tacho but retained its centre bolted chrome hubcaps. I had been to Oran Park many times as a spectator since 1968, thanks to my father, but this was the first time I had driven on any race track”.

David Stone Photo: The Datsun 240Z on the Amaroo Dirt Track

For the next few years David participated at a grass roots level using various road registered cars. “I had a really good Datsun 240Z in 1984/5 that achieved a lot of class and outright awards at both Amaroo and Oran Park. I ran in a round of the NSW Motokhana series but I got continually confused and was absolutely hopeless.”

In 1986 David attained his full racing licence in a Triumph Dolomite Sprint. “I was very lucky as it blew up during the observed licence test at Amaroo, but the CAMS examiners reckoned I had done enough. It blew up again a few meetings later at Oran Park, which shouldn’t have surprised me.”

David Stone Photo: The Alfa GTV 1750

For the rest of the 1980s David raced as often as possible at club level events. He replaced his troublesome Triumph with an Alfa GTV 1750. “That Alfa was really fast but broke my heart and wallet endlessly. I continued my self-inflicted punishment when I upgraded it to a GTV 2000.”

Lance Ruting photo: Cortina GT at Bathurst

David had three years out of regular competition until 1992. “I sold those Alfas as I wanted to race a Cortina GT in Group N, but I had a big problem with the guy I engaged to build the car – it took a very long time and cost a lot of money”.

Once built and ironed out the Cortina was very successful. “I loved racing it. At the first Wakefield Park event in 1994, I experienced leading for the very first time. That was until the Minis of Frank Dartell, Frank Binding and Bob Asher combined to mug me”.

Alan McConnell photo: The Hyundai at Bathurst

During that time David also raced in the national production car series in a Hyundai Lantra. “I was part of the Hyundai team. We had mixed success. We blew up at the Bathurst 12 Hour in 1992 and had a gearbox issue in 1993 that put us down the order. However we won our class at the 1993 Sandown 6 Hour against tough Nissan and Citroen teams. The prize money was $3000!”

Photo by DH Photo

In 1995 the Cortina was sold and replaced with a self-built Group S Datsun 2000. “It was really successful. It won every Group S race in NSW in 1996 and led every lap except for four all year. I had many big battles with Neil Dunn, who was the previous year’s champ in his Healey 3000”.

After one season the Group S Datsun was sold to fund the restoration of another Datsun 2000. This car was originally raced by David Mingay and Richard Carter. “I wanted to restore and race that Datsun in its 1969 Marque Sports condition – exactly as I had seen it at Warwick Farm when I was nine”.

The ex-Mingay Datsun was completed in 1999 and commenced racing in Group O. “Both Datsuns were great but I was particularly proud of the restoration and performance of the former Mingay car. It more than held its own against purpose-built Group O Sports Racing cars”.

Dirk Klynsmith Photo: The Falcon GT At Bathurst

However in the background a Falcon GT was under construction for a return to Group N competition. “Cam Worner and I are good friends. I had been crewing for him with his Falcon GT and thought I should have one too. Cam built almost everything mechanical and I did all the bodywork and most of the fabrication. It took a few years but it was worth it.”

Cam debuted the car at Eastern Creek in 2002, winning the then Australian Historic Touring Car Championship race. “I was stuck on business in Queensland at the time – so I couldn’t drive. A mutual friend commented the whole race to me from grandstand via his mobile phone”.

Running double-duty in the March and Mustang at Wakefield Park

David raced the Falcon from 2003 to 2010. “It was really good car. It wasn’t exotic but it was simple, tough and reliable. It started 65 races, won quite a few and finished every one of them without a single DNF. It was real credit to Cam as he was the brains behind it. I also remember that Toranas were annoying – as I regularly had to repair my rear quarter panels”.

During the second half of the decade, David returned to production car racing in an Alfa 159. “I was very fortunate to be a driver with Alfa Romeo from 2007 to 2010. Our team, with co-drivers Kean Booker and Rocco Rinaldo, won our class at the Bathurst 12 Hour on three occasions and finished in the Top 20 each time. They were fabulous events and experiences”.

David’s Falcon was sold in 2010 to fund a divorce. “Michael Anderson saw it race at Bathurst at Easter, he bought it on the spot and I virtually gave the money directly to the lawyers”. “However, I had tucked a little cash away – so I bought an MX5 a few months later.

“That MX5 has been great. It’s had over 150 races over the past nine years. Lots of wins and less than a handful of DNFs. It’s the cheapest fun I’ve ever had – and it’s still in the garage!”

Not surprisingly though David was planning a return to historic racing when he could afford it. “I’ve always been drawn to historic competition. So I was determined to own and experience really good cars and events before I was too old.”

In 2011 David bought a tired 1968 Mustang import and engaged Craig Smith in Wagga to build it into a Group Nc car. “Pete Geoghegan was my hero in the late 1960s – so I always wanted to own a Mustang”.

The 1982 March Sports 2000 Group R

However, whilst the Mustang was under construction, David wanted to experience as much historic racing as possible in the meantime. “I was approaching 60 – and I started to panic because I knew that the Mustang would take some time to complete. So in 2015 I bought a 1982 March Sports 2000 for Group R. My first real racing car. I’ve still got it. It was pretty bad when I bought it but between Anglo Motorsport and myself we got it right. Unfortunately I think buying it extended the completion time for the Mustang”

The taste of the March plus a number of visits as a spectator to historic racing in California meant that David wanted to expand his racing experience internationally. “I was so impressed with how the Americans ran historic racing. They were fun events with usually a very big field of very good cars”.

Alvin Lumanlan Photo: Driving the ‘79 Crossle 35F Formula Ford in the States

“So two years ago I bought a 1979 Crossle 35F Formula Ford based in LA to race in the USA. I’d never raced a Formula Ford until then. I wish I had earlier, as it’s fantastic. I’ve had a few meetings at Sonoma in California – a really tough track.” Last year a fellow competitor rode over David’s rear wheel and landed on his right hand fracturing it in two places. “Yes, that hurt a bit but around the clock ice packs meant that I was able to race the next day”.

David and son on the dummy in early 2019

In early 2019 David’s Mustang was eventually completed. “Craig brought it to Wakefield for the HSRCA event directly from his workshop. I couldn’t believe it. I had not seen the car outside in any form for about seven years. It was beautiful, finished and mine. Group N had changed quite a bit during the nine years I’d been away. Some familiar faces and friends – we were just all older. Lots of new people to make friends with too”.

During the year David competed in as many events as possible. “I waited a long time plus I needed to sort the car out with Craig as well as get used to it. I hadn’t raced anything that heavy or as powerful for about ten years”.

David Jenkins Photo: The mustang coming out of turn two at Wakefield Park

At the end of 2019 to have been awarded Club Champion of the newly-formed Historic Group N Association was a huge highlight. “I was proud to have been the Club’s first. They are full of good people with the right attitude. And I’m a member of many other historic clubs too – as I believe in preserving older race cars and acknowledging history. I strongly believe that in historic racing, the cars matter much more than the drivers”.

Mark Richards Photo: Paul Tierney and David Stone in a close scrap at the 2020 HSRCA Autumn Festival at Wakefield Park

For 2020 David’s approach is to race as often as possible. “Time marches on and there’ll be a day when I can’t do this properly – so I’d better make the most of it”.

With thanks to David Stone

Images thanks to David Stone, Lance Ruting, Alan McConnell, DH Photo, Dirk Klynsmith, Alvin Lumanlan, David Jenkins, Mark Richards and Seth Reinhardt.