Vanderkamp eager to return for iconic hill climb

Dsc 0029  TBW Newsgroup
CLASSIC: Robert Vandercamp is set to make his mark on the Legend of the Lakes hill climb yet again in his striking yellow Falcon. Picture: TREVOR JACKSON

Dsc 0029 TBW Newsgroup
CLASSIC: Robert Vandercamp is set to make his mark on the Legend of the Lakes hill climb yet again in his striking yellow Falcon. Picture: TREVOR JACKSON

WITH the Legend of the Lakes hill climb upon us, the region’s eyes turn to the Valley Lakes precinct again.

Much interest revolves around the outright course record, currently held by Dan Day in his Subaru WRX, but a lot of goes to the various other classes competing over the weekend.

One popular car over the years has been the bright yellow 1971 Falcon of Robert Vanderkamp.

Vanderkamp competes in the Historic Group N category, with the current record up the hill of 55.60 seconds.

So far he has only missed the inaugural event, with a real love of the course.

“A lot of my mates were coming down and we all hang out together, so I started coming,” Vanderkamp said.

“It is an interesting layout, the track is fast and needs a lot of commitment to go fast.

“You have to put it on the line.”

While Day’s course record is quite a bit faster, the two cars could not vary much more, with the big Falcon a real handful up the hill.

But that is the way Vanderkamp seems to like it.

“You are certainly working for a living,” he said.

“You pretty much do not breath the whole way up – you take a deep breath and go, so to speak.

“But it is horses for courses.

“The big old cars move around a hell of a lot and that is what I like.

“I have always raced big heavy cars and a bit of slipping and sliding and moving does not tend to worry me too much.

“A lot of people like cars that are very accurate, but I just love the old girls.”

Of course Vanderkamp’s car was not always a race car.

It began life as a police pursuit vehicle in New South Wales and Vanderkamp bought it around 1995.

It is not a genuine GT, but certainly turns heads as it tackles the Valley Lakes’ hill.

Its original colour was changed by Vanderkamp, along with a few added extras to make it race ready.

“I got it as a street car, put a roll cage in it in about 2000 and started racing it from then,” he said.

“It used to be purple believe it or not.

“I also have another one identical to it which I race it in improved production.”

Vanderkamp said his best time up the hill equates to somewhere around 160kph on the open sections of the course.

He said in its historic circuit-racing trim the car was certainly hard to hang onto.

“You know you are cranking when you are going up there,” Vanderkamp said.

“We have to race a particular tyre size and width – I would love to have a bigger tyre up there because the thing is scratching for traction.

“I probably could, but hey, bring it as it is and have a bit of fun.”

The car runs a 351 cubic inch standard stroke engine, four-speed toploader gearbox, nine-inch diff and drum brakes on the rear end.

While Vanderkamp’s other Falcon is more modified, he said the historic version was not far behind in pace.

“I have been racing it for so many years and you get to know the traits and the tricks to make it go faster,” he said.

“It is not all about horsepower.

“It is all about trying to get the power down.

“It is a big heavy car and really does not like to change direction.”

Vanderkamp is joined by fellow Falcon GT driver Neil Oatway in a red car and certainly enjoys the competition.

“He is my best mate,” Vanderkamp said.

“We just enjoy our time racing together.

“We are as competitive as buggery, but at the same time we are just great mates.”

Vanderkamp said while he simply enjoys the hill climb event, he was also competitive by nature and would give it a “red hot go” over the weekend.

He said in essence his biggest competitor is himself.

“I try to go a bit quicker each year, but the unfortunate thing is I am getting older each year,” Vanderkamp said.

“The reflexes are going the wrong way, but I always give the car a little tweak before I go there.”

With all said and done there is another major factor which comes into play for Vanderkamp in his stunning Falcon.

“I am hoping to bring it back in one piece,” he said.

“I do every year.

“If I get a good time, awesome.”