It only seems like yesterday but it was 8 years ago this month that I was competing in the wonderful Speed on Tweed event in Murwillumbah in the northern rivers region of NSW. Sadly that was the last year of Speed on Tweed. The previous year there had been a fatality involving an Austin 7 driver and the insurance cost for the event had become prohibitive. Additionally the driving force behind the event,Roger Ealand,had moved on so Speed on Tweed was no more which was very sad because the street circuit was superb as was the atmosphere. It was just a wonderful weekend and the weather was beautiful too.
I drove up in my 2.2 911T sharing the driving with John Marosszeky. We stayed in a pub right in the centre of town and our room was up a set of stairs about 5 metres from the bar where a local band played very loudly on saturday night. It was not luxury motor sport but it was fun.
I ran in the Masters regularity speed event. No trophy for me but a great drive and the car ran faultlessly.That's how amateur motor sport used to be. Drive your car to the event on road tyres. Slap on the numbers. Do the event on road tyres. Take off the numbers and drive home. Not a motorhome in sight -and we did have grid girls-see below.
The value of early 911's has gone up so much in the intervening years that I would not be game to risk my car and enter Speed on Tweed today if it was still going. Friend Craig who bent his early 911 at Sydney Motorsport Park a few months ago would probably share my reservations now.
Photos above of me in action taken by John Marosszeky on my Canon G7. Who needs a Leica or a long lens? Thanks John-great photos.
Photo below of my car in the paddock surrounded by the local Castrol grid girls. Not at all PC I know-please don't complain. Photo by me.
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