VICTORIAN MX Tracks

[Doggy Digger]

There was the two brothers from the Dandy club that crashed their cars into each other
with one leaving the track for a beer run while the other was returning. Police nabbed
Russel and me on the 850 norton on the Highway doing the beer run for the Dads as
they were too pissed. Pity we were only 16. Coppers took us back to the dads who
thoroughly gave it to us so they looked liked responsible parents.

Hi Rosco,
   I just put two and two together (because of the attached sidecar photo) - we were
both probably in the same club DMCC at same time, as I hung out with Russell Bergmeier
and Rob Portbury.   (I'm 56 and grew up in Berwick)
People knew Russell for his sidehacks, but he was out there kicking butt in the solos as well.
No thumb, and all.
Remember those loose units Gary Pangbourne and Laurie Genova?!

I remember racing at the very first event at Wonthaggi - just a club day, pegged out in
the grassy paddock ... and so we left the Upper Packy track which had always been home track.
------------------
The Akoonah Park mini race was an absolute one-off event, as someone managed to
get approval.  I couldn't believe they ran a race down there (bang in the middle of
two villages of Berwick and Beacy).
----------------
  I was just a bit too old to be riding minis in the day (1972  and up) and kinda
hung with the older guys in DMCC.  A few years back, Macca and I discovered that
we both lived in the same town Berwick - but never met - as he was about
three years younger.   Which is quite a gap when a teenager.  I remember
younger kids always hanging around when we were fanging about on the
several Berwick tracks.   Macca was no doubt one of them.

[VMX247]

I knew I'd seen that striped tent before   
http://ozvmx.com/community/index.php?topic=20579.msg204810

also an interesting Victorian character read on Karel Morlang riding his Norton ES2 solo at Fishermans Bend airstrip(Williamson Town).VMX mag #26

This in itself is rare as rare now days 

Too hard to read!
The letter says:  10/9/1962.  To Sec. Geelong Sporting Motor Cycle Club,
In reply to your adv. in Sat. Geelong Advertiser. I would consider letting you have a course if it suited your purpose. I have plenty of hilly country probably suited for hillclimbs.  I am 10 or 11 miles from Geelong.
Yours sincerely,
C.R. McAdam
Ph. Gnarwarre 20

[Rosco86]

70/71 used to practice on the sl70 and Honda dax at Tulip st, Sandringham, just on the other side of the Cheltenham Cemetary. Cyclone meshed vacant factory lot, lots of single tracks in heaps of directions, quite sandy. Learnt a big lesson, don't chase the hard edges when riding next to a cyclone mesh fence. Grabbed the left handlebar and I instaneously face planted.
Rosco86

[Hoony]

i lived in that area, did you ride Farm Rd, Totals Rd and another sandy track between Warrigal road and Herald St all in Cheltenham area

[Viper65]

Great thread guys
Who remembers the Coldstream/Lilydale track which is now a tip!
This track was frequented by the Flood brothers in the 1970s.  Last time I was there would have been late '70s when I was about 16/17 years old, it was the first mx track I ever rode.

[xrBarf]

Hey Rosco, yeah i remember that track well you talk about in Sandringham of Tulip st. We use to call it "Talinga" because it was actually on Talinga rd. behind the Sandy drive inn. Rode there heaps around 74-75 on my XR75 with all my mates. We had a cubby house at the back of the cemetry on an old council dump. We used even run old cars around Talinga until the cops came and then we would all scatter. One of my good mates back then was Warren Westney and he was really fast too. I'm sure you would remember him too because he also raced Honda minis. Would got to that track  each weekend with about 3 bucks of petrol and ride all day. Great memories of that place .... regards Les

[albrid-3]

Warnambool (Lake Gillar)
Heywood,
Casterdon
MT Gambier
Vit Vit
Avoca
Yoe,
Kettle Park.
6 mile Dam Track.
Ararat
Stewall
Great Western

[Barra]

This in itself is rare as rare now days 

Too hard to read!
The letter says:  10/9/1962.  To Sec. Geelong Sporting Motor Cycle Club,
In reply to your adv. in Sat. Geelong Advertiser. I would consider letting you have a course if it suited your purpose. I have plenty of hilly country probably suited for hillclimbs.  I am 10 or 11 miles from Geelong.
Yours sincerely,
C.R. McAdam
Ph. Gnarwarre 20

Yeah we were rapt to find this after so long of never actually knowing exactly when Barrabool took off.  We all knew the stories of how the club advertised for a track (after losing one at Point Henry) and of the famous "letter" Clive wrote back offering his farm, and this turned up out of the blue!  It will be preserved and put up on the clubroom wall (once things get settled! ).

Acts of generousity like this are few and far between - Clives legacy will not be be forgotten.

[Tony T]

Can anyone remember a track at Coleraine?

I kinda remember racing somewhere like that in either '79 or '80 but never later than that.
I'm guessing it was part of the Western Centre series and was definitely not Cooper Park at Casterton..... 

[Rosco86]

Used to go up to Coldstream with Chris Oldfield and Sam Skilling, must have been a tip area before the track as lots of debris as you came down off the drop off jumps. Anyone ride at the Centre Rd Oakliegh track just up from the VW factory towards the Springvale Rd junction. Had my first ride their on a big bike, KTM 125. Hit a hidden hole made by a bogged car and certainly appreciated all of the suspension and handling.

Roger, photos copied and will send tomorrow. Can you remember when the Pangbourne boys had the head on at the gates to the MX track. One going for beer the other one returning from the bottle shop?

[John Orchard]

Sometimes rode at Dandenong Minibike Track on Hammond Rd, we'd side-saddle our bikes about 5 k's from Carrum Downs through all the back roads.

[jerry]

I well remember the Coldstream track. Barreling down the straight in the winter mud and I speared off to one side layer it down and missed a plough shear by a couple of inches! Still have nightmares about that one. Also remember Chis Oldfield doing cross ups on his brothers Ossa Mick Andrews Replica.

[Andrew L]

Barra my father and the late Lyle Obrien use to tell me of the time they went to negotiate the use of the land with Clive, they had to sit and chat for hours( i think they said about 6hrs+ ) had many cups of tea and were played songs on the piano before they were granted use of the land at barrabool not many visitors out there at that time and after they left they still werent sure if they had permission to use it.

[Barra]

Barra my father and the late Lyle Obrien use to tell me of the time they went to negotiate the use of the land with Clive, they had to sit and chat for hours( i think they said about 6hrs+ ) had many cups of tea and were played songs on the piano before they were granted use of the land at barrabool not many visitors out there at that time and after they left they still werent sure if they had permission to use it.

Hi Mav, so your dad must be Eddie? I see his name everywhere in club records! 

That meeting with Clive sounds so familiar and 100% true I reckon! Had quite a few just like that with Clive and his wife Gert over the years - took hours to get to the point of the visit - talk about kill you with kindness!

[oldie]

Those tracks you fellas talked about brought back some good memories, one scramble track you forgot was Dobie from memory it was about ten miles before ya get to Ararat on the Western HWY very small place I think it only had two houses there, I've watched two races there in the early 60's. does anyone else remember that track. there's nothing there now the name isn't even on the map any more.