Tuesday 16 February 2016

I was there, 50 years ago...."Surfers Paradise, the place to race!"

50th anniversary of Surfers Paradise International Raceway
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Drag racers will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the opening of Surfers Paradise International Raceway on April 10 at the site formerly occupied by the Gold Coast race track.
The historic occasion also marks 50 years since the ground-breaking appearance of six American Dragfest cars, as well as the date that Willowbank board member John Winterburn began an unmatched half century of continuous service to drag racing.
The day revolves around a display of vehicles and memorabilia and is expected to turn into a seriously nostalgic bench racing session as racers, officials, and fans of the sport gather to commemorate its rich history in Queensland, in particular, the first 21 years at a permanent facility.
The display will be held at Lakeside Drive Parklands, Carrara, on Sunday, April 10, the date of the track’s opening event in 1966.
The parkland chosen for the celebration is close to the original location of the drag racing start line on the main straight of the former Surfers Paradise International Raceway.
The restored Courtesy Chevrolet Special dragster, driven by American Bob Keith in 1966, will be on display, as well as other vehicles from the Surfers Raceway era of the sport. John Winterburn, who began his involvement as a drag racing official at the opening event will be in attendance, as well as drivers who competed, such as the legendary Jim Reed, and race team members, including Dennis Calkin, crew chief for Ash Marshall’s “Vandal’’.
If you participated in the first event at Surfers as a competitor, race crew or official, or can put the organisers in contact with any of these participants, please let us know by emailing John Winterburn at jwinterb@bigpond.net.au
If you would like to put a vehicle and/or memorabilia on display on April 10, please email John Winterburn at jwinterb@bigpond.net.au with details.
Please share this item to help spread the word about the event.

The first race car I was involved with, the 18 day wonder three of us owned, built just to run the 1967 Nationals..
 all these following are Brier Thomas pics from the first event, April 1966.


















Earl Schreibers "Yellow Fang"
yep, that's me..4th from left
 Brother in law Col did plenty of runs there

 and me and my torqued up 454 Anglia


Raced my first blown car there..
 Met my wife Anita there..
Here she is...in her 327 Bathurst Monaro.
raced my hot rod there in 74/75
 Geoff, Col and Anita on the right

 Dawn raced as well, both girls ammased over 50 trophies each at SPIR
 US cars were a big deal in 66



 SPIR is were we all first met John Force and Gary Densham
 My cousin Graeme owned the Ash Marshall Scorcher, which is now in the USA

John Winterburn's photo.
Here's the add....and 50 years later...we get to remember the good old days...El Rancho..Bartletts Barn..Ski Gardens..

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