|
I guess it all
started a long time
ago. They say that
you are born with it
but I am not really
sure about that. All
that I know is that
for as long as I
can remember, I
always pestered my
Dad to take me to
the race track. My
Grandfather and my
Dad were flag
marshals in
Queensland's early
days of motor
racing. I can still
remember Mum packing
up Dad's lunch and
thermos for his
coffee on race day
morning and sending
him on his way. I
think that the
thermos may have had
tartan paintwork
just like Jackie
Stewart's helmet but
I may be stretching
the truth a bit
here.
Of course I know now why Dad
left me totally distraught at
the door every time he headed
off in his white flaggies
overalls with all the sew-on
patches. Dad has since told me
many stories about his flag
marshalling days, like standing
under the bridge at the edge of
the track at Lakeside
International Raceway, his back
to the race cars because he was
on the yellow flag and the likes
of Geoghegan, Beechey, Manton
etc. in their big sedans
blasting past just inches away.
There were no barriers in those
days!! I suppose he did have a
good reason for not wanting me
there.
Mum bought me race car books and
Dad could not ban me from the
television so at least I got to
see some motor racing. The most
vivid memory that I have is back
in 1976 watching the Channel 7
telecast of the Hardie Ferodo
1000 touring car race at
Bathurst. Bob Morris and all of
his crew praying for that L34
Torana and its fancy coloured
race numbers to just get to the
finish line and take the
Chequered Flag. The die was well
and truly cast. I just had to be
a racing driver.
How good is it for a boy to turn
17! You can legally drive a car
on the road. I thought it was
pretty cool to have an FJ Holden
sedan as my first road car and
after that there were a few
Morris Minors and then I got
something that I thought was
pretty special. A genuine 1968
Mini Cooper S. I at least now
had a car that looked and went
like a race car.
Echo Valley Hillclimb on the
dirt was my first run on a
proper race track and then with
a roll bar fitted and a race
seat and harness, it was off to
the 1984 Street Machine
Nationals in Canberra. I blasted
away all of the big horsepower
machines and won the Motorkhana
competition. I was so hyped up
that it took hours to calm me
down. Back in Brisbane I went to
Lakeside and completed an
advanced driver course with well
known race car driver John
Fraser. While all the other
guests on the day were learning
how to change spark plugs and
oil in the pits, John was
probably regretting his decision
to let me loose on the track on
my own to do lap after lap after
lap of the circuit. You could
not get the smile off my face.
 I have to fast forward here to
1994 and the next step in my
goal of reaching my dream. With
money from a bank loan I bought
a 1972 Welsor Clubman Sports
Racing Car. I was on my way, all
I had to do was actually learn
how to drive it. It really is a
baptism of fire to have your
first race meeting competing
against the Formula Fords and
their "take no prisoner"
attitude. Seven unbelievable
racing seasons followed and
during that time I managed to
become the Rookie Of The Year
and the Queensland Sports 1300
Racing Association Champion in
1998. I have met many fantastic
people along the way also!!
 I write this little story during
a time of forced semi retirement
from racing. I always had a
desire to get a big rear engined
Sports car and to this end I
searched for three years for an
old Sports Racing Car that I
knew existed just outside of
Brisbane. This car, known as the
Cougar Leyland, was a wild
looking Renmax bodied car with a
Leyland V8 engine. I am very
fortunate and extremely lucky to
now have this car in my
possession. Thirteen years of
dust covered this crashed car
but underneath the dirt lay a
car that had three Australian
Hillclimb Championships for
Sports Car to its credit. I am
now in the process of restoring
this wonderful historic car and
I can not wait to drive this
beast.
Steve.
|
