2018 Indianapolis 500 Winner Will Power's brush with fame

Friday 24th April - 2020

"If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough". (Those are the famous words from the 1969 Indianapolis 500 winner and motor racing legend, Mario Andretti).

From the feedback I receive from my loyal Blog followers it is overwhelming how much you enjoy reading my stories about my 'brush with fame' articles.

So while we are all still bunkered down with this C19 virus pandemic, I have decided to put pen to paper once again to let you all know about Australian racing star, Will Power's Brush with fame back at the 97th running of the famous Indianapolis 500 in 2013.

Inside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's Museum, situated in mid-track.
Me sitting on Will Power's 2018 race winning No.12 machine

Thinking back, I have been a total Indianapolis 500 tragic fan for over 50-years. The Indianapolis 500 actually feeds my soul. I've been to Indianapolis, Indiana five times over that 50-year period to witness the running of the Indianapolis 500. Attending the event never grows old for me. The only thing that is growing old is me, unfortunately.

My first experience at the 500 was way back in 1969 when I was fortunate enough to watch Mario Andretti win his one and only Indy 500. There are legendary drivers and then there's Mario Andretti.

I can remember it just like it was yesterday when Mark Shultz sang the racetrack's traditional hometown opening song; 'Back home again in Indiana' he was a Purdue University student. (more on that to come).

Always an eye-catching addition to any Indianapolis event, the NFL's
Indiana Colts Cheerleaders made an guest appearance at the Indy 500
Parade in downtown Indianapolis on the day before the race.

I heard the most famous words in Motorsports echo over the track's PA from Tony Hulman the owner of the race track. 'Gentleman Start your Engines' - I will never forget that moment while ever there is breath in my body.

Needless to say the month of May is my favourite time of the year to visit Indianapolis when the streets turn fanatic in anticipation for that magical one day of the year event when thirty-three high-powered, high-speed race cars thunder down the main straight at over 250 mph (402 kph) only inches from each other as the chequered flag drops for start of the 500 mile race.

Let me tell you, if you are a race car fanatic there is nothing in the world that compares with that Adrenalin rush you experience in those few short seconds when these Daredevils hurtle past you at 250mph at the start of the race. The ground actually shakes.

The Indianapolis 500 attracts a crowd of around 500,000
excited race fans on race day.

I always try to purchase seats in the Grandstand at the Start/Finish line opposite the entry to Gasoline Alley and the pits where you can see the race car's pit stops and also where the drivers rejoin the race into turn 1, because that is where all the real action is, I suppose this is why there are 500,00 spectators at this event every year.

Now, back to the singing of 'Back Home Again in Indiana'.

Did you know? Jim Nabors (Gomer Pyle from the Andy Griffith Show) had the privilege to sing 'Back Home Again in Indiana' at nearly every year's 500 from 1972-2014. (When I went to school that was about 42 years approx.) Due to ill health, Jim Nabor's final appearance was at the 98th Indianapolis 500 in 2014. Unfortunately Jim Nabors died in Hawaii on November 30th 2017. Aged 87-years-old. 

Known to one & all as '60s TV star 'Gomer Pyle' - actor Jim Nabors
sang the race's traditional opening song 'Back home Again in Indiana'
at the Indianapolis 500 for over a 40-year period.

More useless information!

Did you know? Dinah Shore still holds the record as the only women soloist to sing 'Back Home Again in Indiana' in 1955. Unfortunately Dinah Shore passed away in Beverly Hills on 24th February 1994. Aged 77-years-old.

Now, back to the Will Power's 'Brush with Fame' if you are still interested.

I was introduced to Will Power and his wife Liz Cannon at the 2013 Indy 500 by my friend and motor mechanic mate Tim Lombardi, who back then was chief mechanic for the Penske Team. With Tim being my connection it afforded me with unbelievable advantages & opportunities within the Team Penske garages, access to Gasoline Alley and the opportunity to mix it with many other famous Indy car team drivers and of course the chance to meet the NFL's beautiful Indiana Colts Cheerleaders.

Will Powers with his very best new friend; yours truly
in the Team Penske Garage in Gasoline Alley.

As you can see by these photos, I am grinning like a Cheshire cat with a broad smile from ear to ear. My friend Tim Lombardi is the gentleman in the photograph [below] with Will Power & his wife Liz in the Team Penske garage.

Now I would like to share with you some interesting facts, figures and results from my (5) appearances spent watching this World Famous International Speed Classic.

* 1st Indianapolis "500" in 1911.
* 42 drivers have been killed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway chasing their dream.

Will with his wife Liz Cannon and my good friend & motor mechanic mate
Tim Lomdardi, who back then was chief mechanic for Verizon Team Penske.

Will Power is the first Australian to win this prestigious race. Will Power was born in Toowoomba, Queensland. He now is based in North Carolina, his wife Liz Cannon is originally from Sonoma, California, they have one son (Beau) born in 2016. Will's brother Damien Power is a very successful stand up comedian.

Before Will Power departed these shores he was a very accomplished race car driver here in Aussie. As a matter of fact he was the Australian Driver's Champion in the Formula 3 open wheel racing category in 2002.

Will joined Team Penske in 2009, he is up there with the very best of them. He has 56 career Indy car poles, only behind Mario Andretti on the all time list, he was the 2014 Indy car series champion. His career could have been so much more impressive, because he has been runner up (4) times in the Indy Car series driving for Team Penske in his Verizon sponsored race car. Not too bad an effort for a chap from Down-Under.

Close up and personal with Will Powers Chevrolet powered No.12 race car.
(How 'horny' does this race car look?).

Then finally in 2018 Will won the biggest race of his career, the 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500, and in doing so became the very 1st Australian to do so.

Here are Will's race results when I was there in the grandstands rooting for him.

* 2013. Started from 6th position finished in 19th place.
* 2016. Started from 6th position finished in 10th place.
* 2018. Started from 3rd position finished in 1st place. (Unfortunately on this occasion I was not in the stands to witness this historic event).
* 2019. Started from 6th position finished in 5th place.

Not too shabby for a boy from Toowoomba in Q'ld. I hope that you are not bored with my recollection of my experiences at the greatest motor racing event in the world.

Brand new Firestone racing tyre slicks, balanced & waiting for the opportunity
to be installed to Will's No.12 race car for practice and race day.

Below are the statistics from all five on my visits to the Indianapolis 500 races that I have attended over my 50-years.

1969 - *Pace Car. Chevrolet Camaro. Driver Jim Rathman. 1st place. Mario Andretti. 2nd place. Dan Gurney. 3rd place. Bobby Unser.

1981 - *Pace Car. Buick Regal V6. Driver Duke Nalon. 1st place. Bobby Unser. 2nd place. Mario Andretti. 3rd place. Vern Schuppan. (Australian, born in South Australia).

2013 - *Pace Car. Chevrolet Corvette C7 Stingray. Driver Jim Harbaugh. 1st place. Tony Kanaan. 2nd place. Carlos Munaz. 3rd place. Ryan Hunter- Reay.

My friend Bonnie, who lives 500 metres from turn 1 on the race track.
I have stayed at her residence on three occasions.
Bonnie looks after me like a 'Silk Worm'

2016 *Pace Car. Chevrolet Camaro SS. (50th Anniversary Edition). Driver Roger Penske (who now owns the Indianapolis 500 international raceway). 100th running of the Indianapolis 500. 1st place. Alexander Rossi. 2nd place. Carlos Munoz. 3rd place. Joseph Newgarden.

2019 - *Pace Car. Corvette Grand Sport. Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. (50-year Anniversary since Mario Andretti won his one and only Indianapolis 500). 1st place. Simon Pagenaud. 2nd place. Alexander Rossi. 3rd place. Takuma Sato. 

In 2018, Australian driver Will Power became the first Australian to ever win this prestigious event. Unfortunately this was the year that I did not attend the Indy 500 to witness this historic event.

Bonnie's house on race day. She parks 40 vehicles on her property at US$50
per vehicle. (helps pay for the band and food for the after-race party).

And finally for all the pre-historic Indianapolis 500 race fans like myself, and those that can still remember, I want to finish up with my memories of some of the true legends of that era that I actually saw race in my 1st Indianapolis 500 way back in 1969.

I can remember in the early '60s setting my alarm clock at 0200 in the morning (Sydney time) on the day of the Indianapolis 500 race. I am not sure if it was TCN Channel 9 (maybe somebody could help me with that information).

For years and years I sat up in the early hours of the morning watching the telecast that was beamed directly into my Sydney lounge room. That was the start of my dream to eventually attend that race event in person one day, and here I am, 50-plus years down the track writing about it. 

Enjoying a few cold ones with my friend & Indianapolis local, Donald P Quass
at the after-race party & celebrations at Bonnie's house.

Guess what, as I mentioned earlier in this story the Indianapolis 500 still feeds my soul. So before I turn my toes up I still have one more, if not two more Indianapolis 500s in me, that's how good it is. If you are fortunate enough to be in the position to attend the Indianapolis 500. Do it. You're sure as hell will not regret the experience.

Another good tip is to arrive into Indianapolis 5-days before the actual race so that you can watch the practice sessions and experience all the events in the build up to race day on the Sunday.

Look through this list of legendary drivers below that were in the 1969 Indy 500, I thought all my Christmas' had come at once.

Outside the racetrack and campaigning for the Trumpster's re-election
 in 2020 with a HUUUUGE street rally audience,
I was in my element, trust me, loving every minute of it.

AJ Foyt - Parnelli Jones - Lloyd Ruby - Lee Roy Yarbough - Dan Gurney - Al & Bobby Unser - Gordon Johncock - Wally Dallenback - Gary Bentenhausen - Mark Donohue - Johnny Rutherford - Bill Vukavich - Sam Posey - Denny Holme (NZ).

And what about the Australian man who was responsible for changing the Indianapolis 500 forever, from front-engine race cars to rear-engine race cars. None other than our own Sir Jack Brabham. Unfortunately Sir Jack only completed 58-laps on this occasion in '69, he was running real strong until he experienced mechanical failure.

If all that above is not a good story, then I don't know what is.

That's all folks

Cheers
Warbo


Read more: Warbo's other brushes with fame;

Sir Stirling Moss' brush with fame...
Nicole Tompkin's brush with fame...

Sir Stirling Moss' brush with fame

Tuesday, 15th April - 2020

Hello self isolators,

I would like to share a story with you all about my wonderful experience way back in 2006 when I met British Formula One legend, Sir Stirling Moss.

As you all know I am a car racing 'tragic' starting from way back when I was only knee-high to a grasshopper.

You are also well aware that I was a 'Trolly-Dolly' with Qantas for 34-years, and in that time of flying around the world every week, I was fortunate enough to meet a truck load of celebrities, politicians, movie stars, sport stars, businessmen and an endless list of famous identities whilst working inside a tube of aluminum flying at 37,000ft.

Stirling Moss deplaning an aircraft in golden era of international
air travel with a '60s-style airline bag slung over his shoulder

However, now that I am suffering with advanced Cabin Fever, I decided this morning to write a story about my time with another one of my heros that departed overnight, none other than the legendary race car driver Sir Stirling Moss.

As a young man I idolised Australia's Jack Brabham (three times World F1 Driving Champion, 1959, 1960, 1966) and Stirling Moss along with the daredevil drivers of that era, & what an era that was for real car racing. These pioneer era drivers fearlessly competed without even a seat belt to protect themselves as they drove their machines at breakneck speed by the seat of their pants in the late '50s and '60s. Many of them were killed in their endeavour to become World Champion.

I was lucky enough to witness
Stirling Moss driving at Sydney's Warwick
Farm racetrack in the early '60s.
*Note program price of two shillings

I was fortunate enough that my Dad took me to the car races to witness Stirling Moss win the (1961 Warwick Farm 100 driving a Lotus Climax 18) and then a year later I saw him win the (1962 Warwick Farm 100 only this time he was driving a Cooper-Climax T55). I was a young whippersnapper back then, at 14-15-year's-old.

This morning, I have done some research on Sir Stirling Moss because I wanted to know more about his racing career Down-Under when I was too young to know about this legend.

Some of Sir Stirling Moss' statistics:

His career spanned the era from 1951-1961, he competed in sixteen F1 Grand Prix races. Some experts say that he is one of the best Grand Prix drivers of all time, however he never won the World Driver's Championship.

I can still remember my Dad telling me that he was too hard on his race cars, many times when he was in a winning position he would push his machinery way too hard only to be disappointed with mechanical failure with the finishing line with in his sight.

This is why our very own Sir Jack Brabham won three World Championships in that same era, he knew how far to push his race cars so that they would reach the finishing line in one piece.

Winning the 1957 Grand Prix of Great Britain. Aintree, England.
Stirling Moss (Vanwall), 1st position shared with Tony Brooks. It was the
first victory in a World Championship Grand Prix for a British car.

Way back in '56 (when I was only 9-years-old) the year of the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australian race fans were privileged to see for the first time Stirling Moss and his team mate, the French national, Jean Behra visit Australia for the first time in their Maseratis. 

History tells us that there were between 100,000 to 200,000 spectators in Albert Park, Melbourne to watch Stirling Moss starting from pole position win the 1956 Australian Grand Prix from his fellow team mate, Jean Behra in their Maserati 250Fs.

In the same race were our own homegrown heroes, Reg Hunt & Stan Jones. It was Stan's son Alan Jones who went onto win the 1980 F1 World Championship for Williams 24-years later.

I was lucky enough on that Qantas encounter with Sir Stirling Moss
when he signed a Qantas First Class menu to my son Nathaniel
and myself. It's something that I treasure dearly.
[click to enlarge]

Why am I telling you all this?

In 2006 when Sir Stirling Moss was 76-years young, I was fortunate enough to be working on the Qantas 747 aircraft in the First Class cabin (where I should be).

This gave me the perfect opportunity to meet Sir Stirling Moss and his wife during the 8-hour flight to Singapore, he was delighted to chat to me about his career and of course I could not get enough of his spectacular stories about his life and times as a race driver, straight from the horse's mouth.

Covered in his own blood, Stirling Moss in the cockpit of his Lotus-Climax 18-21
at Goodwood in West Sussex, in 1962, the crash that ended his racing career

I asked him many questions about his life and that monumental crash at Goodwood in 1962 that more or less finished his racing career. I mentioned that my Dad had taken me to watch him race at Warwick Farm in '61 & '62. Only 45-years had passed since he first arrived in Australia, he laughed when I reminded him that he was only 31-years-old back then.

Then I asked him why he had traveled Down-Under on this trip. It was 50-years since he won the 1956 Australian Grand Prix and he was invited to Australia to celebrate that historical occasion. For those of you that are not suffering with dementia as yet.

Do you remember way back in 1976 when Stirling Moss and Jack Brabham joined together to drive a Holden Torana in the Hardie-Ferodo 1000 only to be rear ended on the starting grid. How unfortunate was that. My old boss Bob Morris and British driver John Fitzpatrick won that year's race in their LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34.

Simply wonderful memories... I hope that you all have enjoyed my recollection of my brief time spent with now the late Sir Stirling Moss, OBE.

Farewell Sir Stirling Moss - we honour & salute your brilliant career and I
thank you for those precious & treasured personal moments I spent with you sir

It sure is better than listening to or reading about this wretched Coronavirus.

Please stay safe, and we will see each other on the other side.

Cheers for now
Warbo.

Two of my loves make the Blog's new masthead banner

Saturday 28th March - 2020

Lazing around at home this morning in voluntary self-isolation due to the Coronavirus restrictions, I decided that it was about time for a change to the masthead banner photograph of my Blog.

It was 13-years ago when Qantas offered an early redundancy package to us old dinosaur ‘Trolly Dollys' and I thought at the time that it would be the perfect exit strategy for me, so I grabbed that golden opportunity with both hands.

Two of the loves on my life. The Qantas B747-438 Jumbo Jet, VH-OJA
and my 1964 Plymouth/Valiant, 2-door, [three-on-the-tree] sedan.

I was fortunate enough to have 34-years service with Qantas Airways and I had decided, ‘enough was enough’ it was now time to change direction in my life while I was still mentally and physically able.

This particular aircraft in the photos is VH-OJA, a Boeing B747-438 Jumbo (City of Canberra) which was in service with Qantas for just a tad over 25-years, so whenever I look at this aircraft it brings back wonderful memories that I would have flown on this very aircraft as crew to the moon and return many, many times over - without a doubt.

It was subsequently donated to the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society at the Illawarra Regional Airport in Wollongong, NSW via a delivery flight on 8 March 2015.

Editor's note: The 29th March, 2020 saw the final Qantas B747-400 revenue flight ever. Like me, the Boeing B747 aircraft type, is now completely retired from Qantas Airways passenger operations.

My 1964 Plymouth/Valiant parked below the tail of 
an ex-Qantas Boeing B747-438 at HARS in Wollongong

My Dad used to tell me that when you retire you need a purpose to get out of bed every morning.

Being a Qualified Motor mechanic (before my Qantas career) I decided that it was now time to go back to the nappies and re-ignite my passion for the motor industry and I have not looked back.

Now, I am heavily involved in activities with membership in five Car Clubs that keeps me out of mischief, plus involvement organising the Pre-WWII Vintage Car Show to raise much needed funds for my pet charity The Sylvanvale Foundation.

You all know my Motto: ‘Adventure before Dementia’.

Cheers for now

Warbo

The Squire from the Shire

Time Out on 'The Gem' with Ken

Friday 20th March - 2020

Due to this wretched Coronavirus, many of us over 70's age group have to make changes and look after ourselves much better.

The change came about this week for me when my son Nathaniel came around to my place for dinner on Tuesday evening for a traditional roast leg of lamb with baked veggies, which is my speciality.

During a chat over a leisurely home-baked dinner with all the trimmings, my son said to me that he was very happy that I cancelled my pending 3-months vacation in the UK (actually it was cancelled for me by the Australian Government) this year.

'The Gem' tied up at the pontoon in Burraneer Bay
on the afternoon of our successful day on the high seas

I also had to deal with the postponement of my pride and joy this week. The powers that be informed me on Monday morning that our Pre-WWII Vintage Car Show could not go ahead as planned on Sunday 5th April, 2020. After many months of planning we were all set to go in just over 3-weeks then bang!!! - unfortunately that's how the cookie crumbles.

So now I find myself with a postponed Vintage Car Show, along with a cancelled vacation in the Northern Hemisphere due to regulations that are completely out of my hands.

What's more my son mentioned over dinner that I was in the most vulnerable age group (over 70) to contract this wretched virus, of which I was not impressed with his comments, however he was speaking the truth.

Besides, I still have my Superannuation to spend and I don't cherish the fact of clocking off from life just yet. I have these terrible thoughts of my son Nathaniel perched up in a 1st Class aircraft seat, eating caviar & lobster on board the latest Qantas jet heading off on holidays to wherever in the world without me.

Here's our Esky with our catch of Bonito. (No fake news here).

Back to the story about our day on the high seas yesterday in our 18' Half Cabin clinker launch called 'The Gem'.

During the conversation over dinner Nathaniel mentioned that he went to Woolworths & Coles Supermarkets on Monday to purchase some supplies and when he went to the meat departments the shelves were empty, he didn't even make it to the 'dunny rolls' section!!!

So being totally pissed off he said "Dad, we're going fishing" we don't need to put up with these greedy bastards that have purchased bulk of everything at the supermarkets, we will catch our own 'tucker'.

Yours truly checking that the yellow tail is
a legitimate size off the coast of Cronulla.

At 0600 yesterday (it was still pitch dark) when Nathaniel met me down the front of my property, I had prepared 'The Gem' on Thursday afternoon, filled her up with fuel, checked all of the safety equipment so that we could hit the seas running, Nathaniel's job was to have all the bait & fishing gear all organised.

High tide was at 0700 and I had strict instructions that we needed to be at our favourite fishing grounds a couple of miles off the coast of the Royal National Park at the top of the high tide.

As you can see by the photos above, we had a very productive morning's fishing. We caught a decent feed of Bonito and later on in the morning we caught nice plate-sized Flathead. So needless to say we were very proud of ourselves. 

Cheers for now,
Warbo

'Adventure before Dementia'

NEWS: Our Car Show to be postponed

Tuesday 17th March - 2020

Unfortunately I must inform everyone that this year's Premier event in the Sutherland Shire the 6th Annual Pre-WWII Vintage Car Show has been postponed due to the current COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Pandemic.

As Event Founder and Custodian of this wonderful community event I feel absolutely devastated to relay this unfortunate news to everyone.

Already so many months work has gone into organising this unique event not only by myself but also our many volunteers and the Sylvanvale Foundation personnel that would have delivered the 'Biggest & Best' Vintage Car Show in our six short years to raise funds to support people with disabilities to reach their potential.

The decision was taken completely out of my hands by Australian Government advice, Sutherland Shire Council and the NSW Department of Health.

We feel strongly that our primary responsibility is to protect the people we support who are at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19, as well as the public, our exhibitors and volunteers.

We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience.

As parting words, please stay tuned to our Car Show's social media, including our Facebook Page and our Website. As soon as we work out the future of this event we will let you know all the details ASAP.

Looking forward to catching up with everyone down the track.

Yours sincerely

Ken Warburton

Event Founder and Custodian

To Check out our Car Show's website, click this link: Car Show Blog

To Check out our Car Show's Facebook, click this link: Car Show Facebook Page

Friday Promotions in the Cronulla Mall

Friday 13th March - 2020

Today folks, as the Event Founder and Custodian of the Sylvanvale Pre-WWII Vintage Car Show in Cronulla, I took two of my cars to exhibit in the Cronulla Mall for a promotional day for our upcoming Car Show.

The static display outside the old Cronulla Post Office, gave Autumn shoppers in The Mall a rare chance to have a real close look at a couple of classic vintage vehicles. 

In Cronulla Mall, me with my 1929 AA Ford flat bed truck
and behind is my 1930 Model A Ford, Special Delivery Van
Photo: Steve Core

With just three weeks left to run to our Car Show, we will be in the Cronulla Mall every Friday to promote our Show scheduled for Sunday 5th April, 2020.

In Cronulla mall, me with my 1929 AA Ford flat bed truck
and behind is my 1930 Model A Ford, Special Delivery Van
Photo: Steve Core

The rare Ford AA Truck truck is quite an historic vehicle as it helped construct the Hoover Dam in the US, that sits on the Colorado River on the State Line between Arizona and Nevada.

The Dam was built during the Great Depression and was opened by US President Franklin D Roosevelt in 1936.

Both cars, now 90-years old, will on display at our Show on Sunday 5th April, 2020.


To check out the Car Show Blog CLICK HERE

Honouring a childhood hero of mine

Friday 6th March - 2020

Today, I had the pleasure to attend the unveiling of a Memorial Plaque embedded in the footpath outside the residence of Jeff Freeman's inner-Sydney home by the Mayor of Woollahra, Susan Wynn in memory of the charismatic Australian Speedway legend and all round good guy Jeffrey Freeman.

As a young man growing up in the 'Shire' it was imperative that my Saturday nights were spent at Sydney's Empire Speedway Showground Royale hanging over the safety fence above the Bullpens dodging the clods of dolomite & dirt that these Daredevils would throw up at you.

Jeff Freeman’s ‘awesome’ Offenhauser No. 75 Midget Speedcar.

We watched in complete awe of their skills on the cinders as they raced around the 1/3 mile track entertaining 30,000 spectators every Saturday evening during the summer.

Every Saturday afternoon I would catch the 'red rattler' (train) from suburban Miranda to Central Railway station, then board the bus that then took thousands of fans to the nearby Sydney Showground to be entertained like you would not believe by these insane men getting their thrills racing around a small track risking their lives at breakneck speeds.

The great man himself, Jeff Freeman, in the mid-'60s

When I talk about these halcyon days to today's younger generation, they seem to think that the current Parramatta Speedway is the be all to end all, well unfortunately they have absolutely no idea of what Speedway racing was like in the '60s at the mighty Royale.

Every Saturday night, 30,000 plus spectators would cramp into the Sydney Showground to watch Solo Bikes, Sidecars, Midgets, Super modified, and if you were lucky the last event of the evening would be a Demolition Derby where the winner is the last man and car standing.

In a total of 107 career feature race starts at the Sydney Showground, Freeman won 19, placed second 15 times, with 14 thirds. That’s a 45% podium strike rate.

Snippets and highlights from a great racing career
cut short by a fatal accident at Westmead Speedway

My hero was none other than Jeff Freeman, a working class hero, motor mechanic, that also worked for Qantas Airways in their sheet metal shop. Jeff lived at Unit 4, 186 Glenmore Road, Paddington with his mother Mayfree. Jeff was born in Mudgee, NSW.

This man's name will always be embedded at the very top of the list whenever anyone talks about Speedway in Australia. From a very humble beginning this awesome Speedcar driver rose to be Australia's greatest Champion bar none in the few short years that he spent on this planet.

Now this is the sort of man I am talking about, now listen up you may learn something.

A close-up of the flying Freeman No.75 Offenhauser cockpit

In photo [below] you can see a middle aged gentleman with a huge bandage on his mellon, his name is Peter Carrall, I spoke to him today to find out his story about why he was attending the ceremony, and this is what he told me.

At the age of seven Peter was a street kid, his Mum and Dad were hopeless alcoholics, Jeff Freeman befriended him and took him under his wing. Peter told me today that if it was not for Jeff Freeman he probably would be either dead or in jail.

And I bet you didn't know this about Jeff Freeman. He took the time to learn sign language for the deaf children who often attended the Speedway from various Deaf and Dumb schools. Jeff would meet his fans on the grass where the trackside Sinclair Stand is and talk to them in sign language.

Long time Freeman fan, Peter Carrall, made sure he was
in attendance at today's dedication to pay tribute to an old friend
In the photo behind, that's a much younger Peter Carrall standing
in-between Jeff Freeman and NSW Champion, John Harvey

While I am on a roll I must tell you about a couple of Jeff's American competitors that I was fortunate enough to see race against him here in Australia in the '60s.

Sherman 'Shove em' Cleveland. (1937-1966) This guy was truly a Bad Ass in a Midget or a Sprint Car. I watched this guy on a number of occasions when he toured Down-Under in the middle '60s. Unfortunately Sherman was killed at Calistoga Fairgrounds in Napa County in California shortly after he returned home from one of his trips to Australia. He was only 29-years-old.

Bob 'Two Gun' Tattersal. He was the greatest American driver to ever set foot in Australia. 'Two Gun' dominated the Sydney Showground for a decade. The sixties were Tattersal's years not only at the Sydney Showground Royale but other capital city venues. Tattersal died on October 27th 1971 of illness way too young at 47-years-old.

Jeff Freeman’s Golden Fleece Trophy
for winning the 1965 Australian Grand Prix.

Now, why am I telling you all this information?

These Americans were at the top of their game when our man from down under 'kicked their arse'. As a matter of fact when Jeff Freeman won the Golden Fleece Australian Grand Prix in 1965 Bob Tattersal had organised for our local hero to go to America to compete in 18 fixtures throughout the US.

The former Freeman home as it stands today with the red 
arrow indicating the placement of today's new plaque
on the footpath [see the photo below for full details]

Unfortunately we will really never know how good Jeff Freeman would have been, because less that 2-months later after winning the Australian Grand Prix Jeff Freeman was killed instantly during a 15-lap Main Event race on a rain soaked track at Westmead, NSW on Mother's Day, May 9th 1965 - at just 27-years-old.

That day was one of the saddest days of my young life, because I was track-side on that fateful day to witness my hero killed.

I was only 18 years of age at that time, I can remember it just like it was yesterday. At the time, Jeff Freeman's funeral was the biggest sporting funeral in Sydney.

The newly installed plaque embedded in concrete in the footpath
outside Jeff Freeman's former home located at 
Unit 4, 186 Glenmore Road, Paddington, NSW

Jeff was laid to rest in his town of birth, Mudgee, NSW, at the Mudgee Lawn Cemetery. When his mother, Mayfree, passed in 1995, she requested to be buried with her very special boy.

And that my friends is another tale from my Highway of life.

I hope that you enjoyed the memories of a very special human being that went way to soon. RIP Jeff, because you gave us so many wonderful memories and you were always a true gentleman.

Stay safe my friends.

Ken

Greetings from Hedley & Sandy in Seaford, England

Wednesday 4th March - 2020

One of the redeeming features about writing this Blog is all the nice comments I get from everyone. This week I received this unsolicited email from a couple I don't even know in the UK. How lovely, here it is...

Hi Ken,

We live in England, at Seaford on the South Coast. We get the NSW Model A Club news letters along with many others, via email, and much enjoyed reading your blog!

Our son lives in Dee Why on Sydney's northern beaches and we have been for extended holidays to Australia a number of times. 

This blue Model A Ford, a 1930 two-door coupe
was the one that was subsequently written off

We have had two Model A Fords, a coupe and cabriolet. While at a rally over here we met a couple from Victoria who had a Phaeton, a long story short, we did a couple of National rallies with them, Adelaide and Bathurst also the Bay to Birdwood run.

When we get tired of Dee Why, we would head off into proper Oz! Where we enjoyed rural NSW Queensland and Victoria, and travelled the Bells Line of Road lots of times so it is sad to see the fruit farms and bush burnt, also the Zig Zag railway and we feel so sorry for the people and wildlife lost. 

This red one was the replacement, a 1930 Cabriolet, with
a model B engine, when we had finished getting it right!
Turned out being lovely, and much admired and missed!

We found Junee and the roundhouse on our trips to Echuca to see our pals with the Phaeton! and really enjoyed the outback, loved Australia, sadly ill health precludes any more visits, so we enjoy catching up with all the newsletters, and Outback Truckers!, but it's the first time I have found your blog, which took us back!

We had to part with the Model A Fords, first one, the Coupe written off by a drunk driver when coming home from a rally, fortunately I was on my own, but still suffered broken bones etc, we then got a Cabriolet from USA which turned out to need a lot of work, which kept me out of trouble for a few months and I could have done with out all the exxtra work!

Our current 1966 Mustang, 289 Coupe, imported from California in 1968,
 we have had it since 2010 and got it re-registered a couple of 
years later in order to have the correct year number plate

I wonder why do these people so misrepresent their cars when selling them? We had that for about four years and it was lovely when finished, but access for Sandy was eventually impossible.

So we now have '66 Mustang which I can get her in and out of and we enjoy that. Well I won't bore you anymore. I do look forward to the next one.

All the best, 
Hedley & Sandy Revett

Seaford, England

44th Berrima Rally in Mittagong

Thursday 19th February - 2020

Model A Ford Club cleans up at the 44th Berrima Rally in Mittagong, NSW.

For all our Model A Ford Club Members the 'Squire from the Shire' is reporting live once again with the news that our club had a 100% success rate at the awards ceremony in Mittagong this weekend while participating in the 44th Annual Berrima Rally.

My 1930 Model A Ford Special Delivery Panel Van picked up 
Best in the Commercial Category at Mittagong

I am pleased to report that fellow club members Ralph & Valerie Stedman won the Vintage 1930-1939 Category with their beautiful 1930 Model A Ford 2-door Tudor Sedan.

I am also pleased to report that the 'Squire' also won the Vintage Commercial Category with my (ex-Neville Jones) 1930 Model A Ford Special Delivery Delux Van. *This one is for you Neville*

Unfortunately I do not have a photograph of Ralph & Valerie's winning vehicle to post in this report, however I am sure you all know the car.

We spent plenty of time looking around Koorong, the magnificent 
Southern Highlands property that the Meuleman's have created

The other four photographs in this report were taken at Max & Sue Meuleman's spectacular country residence in Bargo on the Saturday afternoon Run.

Koorong: the magnificent gardens and museum created by owners Sue and Max Meuleman. They opened their personal paradise to the Rally so that we could enjoy and marvel at the beauty they have created.

Koorong has a awesome collection of novel,
antique and vintage items from Australia's past

This was another spectacular success for the Berrima District Historic Vehicle Club, as a matter of fact they had a 20% increase in entries this year. It is a huge pity that more of our Model A Ford Club members don't make the effort to attend this event so that they can witness a well run Rally. 

I have been trying now for 4-years to promote this wonderful event to our members, however you can lead a horse to the water trough... but it is another story to make him drink. I will leave it at that, and we are talking about putting on a National Meet in a couple of years... really.

An amazing collection of Australian memorabilia
and treasured household items from forgotten times

The Berrima District Historic Vehicle Club overwhelmed us with their wonderful entertainment, and true Southern Highlands country hospitality while motoring through some exciting countryside. The catering was 1st Class once again, they are to be congratulated. Job well done my friends.

I'm sure that as certain as daylight follows the night I will be returning next year for more.

Many thanks once again.

Warbo 


READ MORE: About my 1930 Model A Ford Special Delivery Delux Van CLICK HERE