Warwick drivers take on Mt Coot-tha
SEVERAL Warwick enthusiasts headed to Mt Coot-tha, on the weekend of May 30-31, for the inaugural Coot-tha Classic, a Q150 speed event to commemorate the original Mt Coot-tha Hillclimb.
The Historic Racing Car Club of Queensland organised the event and the patron was none other than Jim Richards, who transported the Mayor of Brisbane, Campbell Newman, around the track in his GT2 Porsche, fresh from the Targa Tasmania, in 58 seconds on his second run.
Mr Newman was rather shaky when he came back to flag the first car away.
With fantastic sunny weather after the heavy rain and recent floods in Brisbane, the spectators enjoyed two days of action with a few thrills and spills.
Cars of all types, from historic classics to modern machines, motor bikes from a 1939 Ariel square 4 to more modern classics, and rows of immaculately restored vehicles were in the Shannons display.
There were three De Lorean cars with stainless steel bodies and gullwing doors (remember Back to the Future ).
The track consisted of a steep uphill run with two sets of chicanes to navigate before the nasty hairpin (which caught out a few drivers, therefore making it a good spectator vantage point), then down the bumpy and winding back road with another two sets of chicanes before the finish line. It was 1.4km of sheer adrenalin - all over in less than a minute for the fastest drivers.
Warwick was well represented by five entrants, including Bruce Bunch in his 1966 Mini, Darryl Selwood in his Suzuki Mighty Boy along with the TAFE Motorsport crew, Yve Stocks in a red 1995 DRB Cobra, Len Don in his 1975 Stag, and John Devitt and Bevan Batham's 1962 Centaur GT driven by Neville Bertwhistle and the 1965 Centaur Clubman driven by Matthew Devitt.
Mike Collins, from the Leyburn district, drove his 1937 Ford Special and finished well.
We were all able to bring our cars home in one piece.
Darryl managed to finish in the top 20, with a time of 53.73 secs, only four seconds behind Jim Richards's best time. Well done to competitors and organisers.
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