Historic VL Commodore Damaged in Phillip Island Qualifying

An ex-Garry Willmington VL Commodore Group A SV, driven by Adrian Allisey, sustained significant rear-end damage during the Heritage Touring Cars qualifying at the Phillip Island Penrite 100 Classic on Friday afternoon.

The incident occurred when Allisey mis-slotted a downshift while approaching Lukey Heights, causing the vehicle to leave the track and impact an outside wall. The car's fuel tank was ruptured, but Allisey emerged without injury, and plans for repairs have begun.

The crash led to the abandonment of the qualifying session, which was the final session of the day.

The vehicle holds historical significance as the first fuel-injected Group A SV VL model to race in Australia, debuting in 1988.

Race Results and Further Event Disruptions

During the same event, Race 1 of Heritage Touring Cars on Saturday was won by Elliot Barbour in a Mazda RX7. Barbour secured a second win in Race 3 on Sunday.

However, the event also faced further disruptions. A separate incident involving Eddie Sansil’s Diet Coke M3 BMW caused barrier repairs and a program delay, leading to the cancellation of the second Heritage Touring Cars race. Race 4 was also cancelled after a BMW expired at the start, resulting in collisions involving two Commodores.