Gymkhana Driving Tests 2017

8 March at Fiat Car Club

Photos by Tim Shellshear and Jeremy Morris

Gymkhana Report, by Jeremy Morris

The VSCCA has not run a driving test or Gymkhana for many years.  The Alvis Club has ran a small light-hearted affair for many years, and a chance conversation with Brian Wilson led to one with Heather Goldsmith, which led to advice from John Lackey, Fiat Club and others, which culminated in the combined VSCCA/Alvis Club Gymkhana at the Fiat Car Club grounds near the Richmond Air Base on Saturday, 8 April 2017.

The course was set out in a wide paddock, and whilst it had been mown some weeks ago, after recent rains the grass was up again.  Whilst the competitors went out, the others sat under established deciduous trees, socialising.  A picnic followed the event, on a perfect autumnal day.  The venue is beautiful and secluded and one felt a million miles from Sydney. Further, because of the cool weather there were very few flies to bother us.

I think it was a success for both clubs, with the attendance of many old friends turning up to compete, marshal or spectate.

Thanks must go to ...

Geoffrey Farrance, Heather Goldsmith and Brian Wilson who spend Friday pegging out the course, and to Heather Goldsmith for her patience, expertise and advice.  It is fair to say the Alvis Club took the running on all the instructions and printing, and we owe them thanks.  

Thanks must go to the marshals

They swapped around so unfortunately I am not sure of all who served:  John Wilson; Warwick Nicholson, Danielle Rambourg, Malcolm Knight, George Barry, Rob Everett, Jill Gane, Bill McIntosh, Noel McIntosh, Todd barker, Brian Wilson and Rob Phillips. 

Thanks for being there!

Either spectating or competing we had:
ANDREONI, Richard     Jaguar MK5
BARKER, Allan    Fiat 501
BARKER, Todd    MG SA
BARRY, George (guest)    
BARWICK, Ross and Lydia    Land Rover Series 11
BENOIT, Andrew    1913 Le Zebre
BLACKETT, Bob and Denise    Alvis 12/50 SD
BROWN, Tony     Jaguar MK2
CROSS, John and son Tim    Alvis 12 Ducksback
CUNNINGHAM, Bruce    Alvis TC 21
EVERETT, Robert    MG L1
FARRANCE, Geoffrey and Danielle RAMBOURG
GANE, Jill
GOLDSMITH, Heather    Alvis FWD
HANDS Andrew    MG TD  
HEHIR, Richard and June    MG ZA
INGOLD, Tony
KNIGHT, Malcolm
LACKEY, John    MG TC Special
LUNSMANN, Paul    MG TC
McDONALD, David    Alvis Speed 25
McINTOSH, Noel, Bill, Liam and Tara    Rolls Royce    
MASSON, Marguerite (guest)
MORRIS, Christopher, Henry and William    GN Sports
MORRIS, Jeremy, Kate and Imogen    Frazer Nash
NICHOLSON, Vic and Warwick    Vauxhall 30/98
PHILLIPS, Robert
SHELLSHEAR, Tim    MG TC
SHERRY, Sean    Modern
TAYLOR, Eric and son Joshua    Modern
WALTON, Richard    MG TC
WEBSTER, Norman    Modern
WILSON, Brian, Louise and Joshua    Alvis 12/40
WILSON, John and Janice    Vauxhall 30/98
WYBORN, Brian    Lagonda 2 litre

Many young people with family links attended

Importantly, many young people turned up, with a strong family link – Eric Taylor with son Johnno in a modern, Noel McIntosh with son Bill and Bill’s children Liam and Tara in the capacious, quiet and elegant Rolls Royce 25hp saloon contrasting strongly with Christopher Morris and his twin sons Henry and William clattering and popping in the GN twin cylinder cycle car; Brian Wilson with daughter Louise and grandson Joshua; John Cross and Tim Cross and Jeremy Morris with daughter Imogen and guest George Barry.

A great effort was made by Andrew Benoit, who had just returned from a rally in South Australia, only to trailer up and bring the Le Zebre along for a run and display.

The Fiat ground is fabulous  

While competitors were competing, or people picnicking, there was the opportunity for people to have a go at driving a vintage car, or practising their crash gearbox changes in quiet seclusion in another mown paddock “South Park”.

Many people availed themselves of this opportunity, which is a fantastic introduction to vintage motoring.  This event will almost certainly be run next year and even putting aside the tests, it is a wonderful picnic venue.

The two equal winners, who won a bar of chocolate each, were young  Johnno Taylor with dad Eric as passenger and Tim Shellshear with Richard Walton as passenger.

~ Jeremy Morris, President