The 19th consecutive annual running of the International Island Classic has yet again lived up to expectation of being one of the greatest event on the motorcycling calendar as 19,400 people across all 3 days flocked there way to the seaside circuit to see some of the greatest old machines and world class riders do battle for line honours on the fast and following 4.45kmh Phillip Island track.

It is Australia's largest historic motorcycle race and third largest motorcycling event on the Australian calendar behind the World Superbikes and Motogp events.

The main event for the weekend was the International challenge, fiercely contested between Australia, The UK, and New Zealand along with the points score challenge for the Phil Irving trophy.

There were a whole load of big name stars who came out from England to play again, riders such as former 250/500GP and 2011 Island Classic winner star Jeremy McWilliams, Ryan Farquhar, one of the best riders to have never won an Isle of Man TT (despite breaking the lap record in 2003 in the 600 class). Barry Ditchman, former 250cc GP racer who finished 11th in the 1977 world 250cc championship racing for the Kawasaki factory racing team, and a whole lot more would be up against some of the best Aussies on home soil such as 1999 Australian Superbike champion Steve Martin, and his new stable mate 3 times Australian Superbike champion Shawn Giles riding the 175HP Suzuki Katana, and "Mr.Superbike" Robbie Phillis just to name a few..

The big news before the event was about IOM TT winner Cam Donald who broke his jaw while dirt bike riding the week before the Island classic and having to have his jaw pinned and plated ruling him out of the event.. Donald's replacement to ride the Suzuki XR69 was 28 year old former world supersport winner at Phillip Island in 2004 Josh Brookes.

Over all, the Australian team did go back to back wins in the International teams challenge, but for the riders them selves, it looked as if Martin and Giles would leave every one in there wake as they where in the top 2 from the start of practice right up until the end of Race 3 on the Sunday..
2011 Island Classic winner, Jeremy McWilliams from the start of the weekend looked as he was on high odds to even be lucky enough to finish on the podium let alone win 2 years in a row purely and simply because they were having dramas after dramas with bike set up and carburetor issues. "We have been trying every thing, but cant seem to get it right at the moment, we have changed the needles, the floats, but can't seem to figure it out" said the said the 47 year old from Belfast.
 

For final qualifying on the Saturday, The Aussies made it clear that they meant business on home turf making it a lock out on the front row as Martin set a all new lap record with a 1:38.658, .852 ahead of Giles, Brookesn third and Beau Beaton on the Irving Vincent 1300..

As the first race got under way on Saturday afternoon in blistering hot conditions, it was a 3 man race at the front, with Giles getting the hole shot into turn 1 and was the man to catch from the word go.. Brookes and Martin were in a ding dong battle of there own but would only last a few corners as Josh Brookes would end his debut Island Classic in the kitty litter at Doohan corner on lap 3 after his exhaust pipe came off and went sliding under his rear wheel off after making contact with Martin. That was Brookes's weekend done and dusted as his Suzuki XR69 was a to damaged to fix for the rest of the weekend.
 

Race 2 and this time Martin would have the upper hand as he lead the 3 times Australian Superbike champion, Shawn Giles for the first time into turn 1. With both riders punching out 39's during the 6 lap journey, the pace was red hot! By lap 3 Giles over took Martin coming out of Honda corner due to Martin hitting a false neutral and running wide.

For the final day of the 2012 AMCN 19th International Island classic, the big question was, who was going to stop both Martin and Giles from skipping away at the front? Race 3 was a turning point for Martin as lead from start to finish on board his #99 Suzuki Katana beating Giles by 3.419 seconds, with McWilliams rounding out the top 3. Martin saying later on "The bike felt a lot better in that race, when ever you win its great feeling".

The fourth and final race for the weekend seemed to have had Giles's hand writing all over it as he lead for all but 3 laps until the red flag was brought out due to Andy Bailey from the UK hitting the deck at turn 10 causing the race to be stopped. Race 4 would go ahead again as a full race distance (6 laps), and what a turn around it would be for the weekend..

As the red lights went out, Martin’s race evaporated when he unexpectedly stalled on the grid, and just when Giles was in sight of victory the battery failed on his Suzuki Katana, leaving him to push the bike back to the pits. How ever during race 4 Martin entertained the crowd with some spectacular wheel stands which got the crowd going and out of there seats! Jeremy McWilliams who was having a up and down weekend seemed to have the last laugh as he cruised to his first win of the weekend by 3.686 seconds and take out yet another win and also winning the inaugural Ken Wootton International Perpetual Trophy for his victory.

"massive up and downs there, the start of the weekend I wasn't getting anyway, I couldn't post the times, had carburetion problems all the way through, really relived to finish firstly. Then to get the win is just very surreal to be honest" McWilliams said after the race. "I'm pretty pleased that we have done it, how ever it came about, I didn't really have the pace over Gilesy and Steve I'm not pretending that I did. Beau was keeping me on my toes all weekend" added McWilliams.

The over all result was McWilliams winning with a grand total of 149 points, Beau Beaton in second on 147 points and Robbie Phillis rounding out the top 3 on 141. Steve Martin just missed out by 4 points in the end leaving him in fourth over all for the weekend, Mal Campbell rounded out the top 5. Shawn Giles who was robbed of over all victory ended up finishing 10th over all on 116 points.

South Australian rider Levy Day was awarded the Phil Irving Memorial Trophy for the highest individual point-scorer across the weekend, after scoring maximum scorecards across two classes, 500cc Classic and 350cc Classic.

Other winners included Ryan Taylor (1000cc New Era), Scott Webster (Unlimited Forgotten Era), Mick Damon (Unlimited Classic), Glenn Hindle (350cc Classic), Craig Ditchburn (500cc Post-Classic) and Simon Cook (Unlimited Post-Classic).

Once again, this event is just getting bigger and bigger every year. A big credit must go Fergus Cameron and hard working staff that make this event possible, and of course all the officials who give there time to enable riders to go racing through out the weekend. A great job done by every one!