A BUMPER entry of 363 vehicles is set to descend upon the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit for the Penrite 100 Classic, which is set for March 13-15.

For the first time, the event is set to be live-streamed via Blend Line TV as a part of a new deal, which will also cover the Winton Festival of Speed in July.

Tickets for the Phillip Island Penrite 100 Classic are now available for purchase.

For the event’s organisers, the VHRR, the competitor response to the now three-day event is heartening.

“It’s exciting that historic motorsport is alive and well,” said Mike Herlihy, VHRR Vice-President and Phillip Island Classic Director.

“Over many years, Phillip Island has proved itself to be the standout race meeting of its type for the region.

“Outside of the strong entry, all of the off-track activities and displays are coming together nicely, which is a credit to the volunteer army who make this event happen.”

Headlining the meet will be huge fields from Group N and Group S, with touring cars attracting 60 cars, and the sports cars drawing 59 nominations.

The Group N era covers pre-1972 tin-top cars, from Mini Coopers through to front-running Chevrolet Camaros and Ford Mustangs, which will be kept honest by cars including Mazda RX-2s, Holden Torana XU-1s, Ford Falcons, and a wide assortment of class cars.

Group S, meanwhile, pits the likes of Chevrolet Corvettes up against Porsches, a De Tomaso Pantera and a Ferrari 308, with an array of lower-capacity cars always pushing the hero cars at the front of the field.

Lovers of all things Touring Cars from the 1970s through to the early 1990s will get behind the 34 genuine Group C and A cars entered.

Included on the entry are cars from Ford, Holden, Nissan, BMW, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz and Mazda.

Contemporary 5 Litre Touring Cars will take to the track for a series of SuperSprints, with a total of 20 cars encompassing modern V8 Bathurst winners through to stunning early model reproductions that fall outside of the scope of Group C and A.

Included in this mix is an ex-Dick Johnson EB Falcon and Marcos Ambrose’s last Supercars Falcon.

For open wheel fans, there is plenty of variety set to take to the track.

Groups P, Q and R, racing and sports cars, will be represented by a staunch 39-car field, while the ever-popular F5000S have mustered 15 nominations.

A full field of 32 Formula Fords is set to bring back a slipstreaming train to the flowing Phillip Island circuit.

Classic M and O Sports and Racing have gathered 25 nominations, while the even earlier J, K and L field is bolstered by the ever-competitive Formula Vees with a great line of 39 starters.

Rounding out the on-track action will be an eclectic mix of 40 machines for the regularity trial, which brings together a wild assortment of machinery from across the motorsport spectrum.

The VHRR is an advertising partner of V8 Sleuth

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