Goondiwindi Motorcycle Club turns 40

[N22]

This year is the 40th anniversary of the Goondiwindi MCC.It all started way back when dinosaurs roamed the town "Common",well almost,every weekend,the smell of Castrol R mixed with dust and the scent of gum leaves,wafted over the Macintyre River,as the locals raced around the Common on anything with 2 wheels.Some people even had proper MXers,like Suzuki TM400's or Husqvarnas but most were old road bikes,and Trail Bikes.There were plenty of crashes,and the other common users weren't real impressed when their tranquil picnic on the river bank,was interrupted as the TM rider jumped over them(unfortunately he passed away a couple of years back,he was still riding,and could ride his KTM525 up any hill,or jump further than most riders a third his age).
The Rotary Club got together with the riders and suggested that they would have a "Trailbike Spectacular"at the 1975,spring festival,if the bike riders were interested.It was suggested that the riders mark out a "Motocross"track in the creek,at the Gun Club Reserve.At least the noise would not be a problem,with the shooters,as most of them were deaf from shooting anyway.The old car bodies in the creek were covered over to make jumps,and a couple of wagon wheels were dragged around to mark out the track,and flatten the galvanised burr.
Come raceday bikes turned up from everywhere,with gun riders like Vince Strang,and Dave Sutherland coming from Inverell(Josh and Nick's fathers)Number plates were handed out,a bit of Masonite with a number painted on,and wired onto the front of the bike somewhere.The real surprise came when half the town came to watch!!!they ran out of beer at the bar,always a sign of success.
Enough history for the moment.The Club will be having a track day to celebrate the Anniversary on Saturday,August 22,and everyone is invited,we will be having a display of old photos,etc ,and we are hoping that we might have a few old riders and bikes come along and cut a few laps.Leave a message in my mailbox if you are interested.

[allan hughes]

well done
my club nbjmcc turned 40 in 2013
this year action park is 100 ftw al

[William Doe]

Isn't the Goondiwindi motorcycle club credited with inventing the backward falling start gate ?

Congrats on 40 yrs 

[Hoony]

Isn't the Goondiwindi motorcycle club credited with inventing the backward falling start gate ?

Congrats on 40 yrs 

Correct a Mondo, yes your right Bill, the goodiwindi gate. i never knew this untill a few years bak when it was probably posted here.

[N22]

Yes my brother and I came up with the cable release,self penalising starting gate,and Geoff Eldridge came to town for one of our races in 1979,and he did a story on it in ADB,and headlined it "The Goondiwindi Gate",and the name stuck.After the magazine came out,we had letters(which I still have)from all over Australia,NZand Asia ,wanting plans of the Gate.Blair Shepherd (speedway racer and Supercross Promoter)contracted us to supply and setup gates at his events over the next 3 years.We did pretty well ,with our hobby keeping us in new bikes during that time.

We also put the idea of one day licences to the ACU,as a way of allowing more country riders to compete in The Darling Downs Motocross Series,when they agreed to a trial of the idea,we affiliated along with 5 other clubs around the Downs,this was the first time any rider could enter an event and purchase a 1 day licence($5)to compete in ACU sanctioned events.Amazingly it was Noel Stitt who supported the trial,he had a reputation of being tough to deal with,and a stickler for the rules,we became good friends,I still have his obituary,and all those who knew him,really respected him.

[Tex]

Always refreshing to read some great stories about the "good old days" of dirt bikes, thanks N22.

Tex

[N22]

I have spoken to a few of the riders that were at the first race,Dave Sutherland won the 125 MX class on his Elsinore,his first race ever,his son Nick races in the MX Nats.Nick is racing at the Toowoomba round on the 23rd,so I hope Dave can drop in on the 22nd.Toowoomba is having a 40th Mountain Man Anniversary in November,hope to see some of the Stars from those Golden Years back at the Awesome Echo Valley Track.

[Gibbit]

You can camp at the grounds on Friday and Saturday if need be.
There will be a class for older bikes so make sure you bring your bike. I will have the YZ490 there.

[N22]

Getting some old photos together,they are going up on the facebook page,we are hoping Troy Bayliss can make it out(1980-1981).Although it is not a race day,I have challenged Dave Sutherland,to a one lap dash,wearing our old gear(we both have newer bikes),we were both at the first race in October 1975,Dave won the 125MX,and I came 2nd in the 250 Trailies,so any other first fleeters out there can join in.

[N22]

Greg Baldwin (ex Inverell)old Gundy Club rider sent me a photo from 1981,1st corner,somehow I was in front of Vince Strang,Bryan Fleming,and Dave Sutherland ,it brings back the memories.Oiled,grass off line,pegged and taped track.

[N22]

Only a week away,ride day,and party,to celebrate the Goondiwindi MCC 40th birthday,everybody is welcome to come and have a ride,or just bench race about the good old days.We have been getting a lot of photos,and news paper articles from the last 40 years,some of these are going up on the facebook page,and a lot of pics from other events from the mid 70s on,that we were involved in,are on my facebook page,which you can get to from the Gundy FB.Even Gally ,Dave Armstrong,and a few other riders have put there two bobs with in,definitely memory lane.