13th July 2010
YOUTH CHARITY TO BE OFFICIAL SPEED
ON TWEED BENEFICIARY FOR 2010
A GROUP that has reached out to thousands of Tweed area young people with vital messages about safe behaviour involving drugs and alcohol has been nominated as the official charity of the 2010 South Coast Automotive Speed on Tweed.
Proceeds from the 10-12 September speed trials for historic and classic cars at Murwillumbah will be used to further the work of Life Education, which delivers drug and health programs through its Mobile Learning Centres to more than 300,000 children in New South Wales, including 5479 in the Tweed Shire last year.
The announcement of the Life Education appointment at the Speed on Tweed official launch today continues a practice that has seen the annual event donate more than $300,000 to charities over the past 10 years.
Festival of Speed on Tweed partners, the Rotary Club of Murwillumbah and Rally Australia, believe Life Education is a vital service aimed at educating children and assisting them to avoid uninformed choices about drugs, alcohol and their health.
Life Education Chief Executive Officer Jay Bacik said the organisation was honoured to be the South Coast Automotive Speed on Tweed official charity.
It was critical that young people were educated as early as possible about their body, health and the choices they make, particularly about the harmful effects of drugs and alcohol.
“We are involved in protecting Aussie kids,” Mr Bacik said.
“We are building a fence around the top of the cliff before it’s necessary to have more ambulances at the bottom.
“Murwillumbah has been a critical centre to Life Education, as it was the first area where the late Ted Noffs had (his) vision of the Life Education Mobile Learning Centre.
“It is a credit to the supporters of Life Education in this area that we have been delivering programs for almost 30 years.”
More information about Life Education is available at www.lifeeducation.org.au.
The 2010South Coast Automotive Speed on Tweed will see around 200 cars from many eras race against the clock on a twisty and undulating temporary street course in the centre of Murwillumbah.
The Festival also will include a street parade and party on Friday and Saturday-night entertainment. Local businesses dress up their premises and pubs and restaurants offer an enthusiastic welcome to visitors.
Spectator tickets are expected to go on sale shortly.
ENDS
13th July 2010
MONGREL, JOLUS AND LOLITA HELP CELEBRATE
“AUSTRALIAN SPECIALS” AT 2010 SPEED ON TWEED
WITH names like Mongrel, Jolus, Nedelko, Whatmore, Pitstock and Lolita they scorched the race tracks of Australia during the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies.
When the budgets of enthusiasts could not run to professionally-built imported sports cars and single-seaters, often the only way to go racing was in machinery built with their own hands and driven with typical Aussie grit.
The so-called Australian Specials claimed hundreds of victories. At the end of their racing lives many were scrapped or pushed into garages, but now their place in the country’s racing history is revered and will be celebrated as the official theme for this year’s South Coast Automotive Speed on Tweed on 10-12 September in Murwillumbah.
The 2010 Speed on Tweed was launched officially today at Mantra at Salt resort, Kingscliff, accommodation headquarters for the event.
Organisers expect up to 200 vehicles from many eras to contest the annual speed trials around a street course near the centre of Murwillumbah, beside the Tweed River in Northern New South Wales.
The Ford Mongrel, Nedelko MG, Whatmore Jaguar Special, Pitstock Holden Special and Lolita BMC Mk 1 will be among them.
And as well as runs against the clock on the twisting and hilly track, drivers, crews and spectators will enjoy entertainment and hospitality that sets the scene for one of the region’s most popular tourist events.
The not-for-profit event, born in 2002, is run by the Rotary Club of Murwillumbah and Rally Australia and will be sponsored this year by the South Coast Automotive Group, sellers of Mazda and Nissan vehicles.
Proceeds will be used to assist Life Education, an organisation that helps young people make good choices about alcohol and drugs. Speed on Tweed has given more than $300,000 to local charities since it began.
Many local community groups and individuals support the event by working as volunteers during the weekend.
Organising Committee Chairman Bill Larkin says the South Coast Automotive Speed on Tweed is hoping to attract some of the finest all-Australian racing cars.
“I’m sure no-one will leave dissatisfied after seeing some of the most famous cars and drivers in Australia’s racing history in action and absorbing our unique festival atmosphere,” he said.
The Festival weekend promises non-stop action and entertainment.
Competing cars will join in a traditional street parade on Friday afternoon, departing from their pit area in the town’s picturesque showgrounds.
At night, the main street will be closed to traffic as pubs throw open their doors, restaurants cater for outdoor diners and competitors display their cars.
The party returns on Saturday night with a free concert in the showgrounds.
Off-track on Saturday and Sunday, crowds will be attracted to a spectacular Show and Shine display.
The charming setting, emphasis on inviting the finest-quality historic cars and some of Australia’s best-known drivers, from Sir Jack Brabham to Kevin Bartlett, Jim Richards and John Bowe, have made the Festival of Speed on Tweed one of most admired events of its type in the country.
“Every year we strive to make Speed on Tweed something different and special and I’m sure the appearance of many Australian Specials will make 2010 one of the most memorable,” Bill Larkin said.
“It will be a wonderful event for not only the visiting competitors, but also the local community, which is proud to showcase the natural beauty and enviable lifestyle of the Tweed region.”
Ticket sales and further entertainment details are expected to be announced shortly.
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8th July 2010
MEDIA INVITATION TO OFFICIAL LAUNCH
Tuesday 13 July, Mantra @ Salt village, Kingscliff
Dear Media Colleague
Attached is your invitation to the Official Launch of the 2010 South Coast Automotive Speed on Tweed, one of the Northern Rivers’ most popular events and a landmark for historic motor racing enthusiasts around Australia.
Event organisers hosting the launch will outline the racing and entertainment program for Speed on Tweed, including this year’s theme, “Australian Specials”, which celebrates the skills and inventiveness of enthusiasts who built their own racing cars when custom-made machinery from overseas was in short supply.
Several historic cars and their drivers will be in attendance at the launch.
Please advise Tania Longworth via email at tanialongworth@hotmail.com if you’re able to join us next Tuesday morning. We’ll look forward to welcoming you.
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Media Release 8th July 2010
SOUTH COAST AUTOMOTIVE TAKES POLE
POSITION AS SPEED ON TWEED NAMING SPONSOR
ONE of Australia’s most popular historic motorsports events, the Festival of Speed on Tweed, has signed the South Coast Automotive Group as naming sponsor for this year’s running of the round-the-streets speed trials in Murwillumbah, northern New South Wales, on 10-12 September.
Now called the South Coast Automotive Speed on Tweed, the event is expected to attract around 200 racing, sports and touring cars for a weekend of competition and social events in the picturesque town on the Tweed River.
The South Coast Automotive Group, which sells new Mazda and Nissan vehicles from its Tweed Heads dealerships, has committed active and comprehensive support for Speed on Tweed.
Managing Director Maurie Pickering, who plans to race in the event, said the company wanted to ensure Speed on Tweed was a big success for the Northern Rivers region.
“Speed on Tweed is unlike any other historic racing event in Australia. It has a beautiful setting, a street course that challenges drivers and entertains spectators, a great after-hours social program and a welcoming country atmosphere,” Mr Pickering said.
“The South Coast Automotive Group will be an enthusiastic, active sponsor. Our dealerships will sell tickets and host car displays, run competitions to win memorabilia, assist with marketing resources and make available for pre-event activities our South Coast Mazda Driver Awareness Ambassador and V8 Supercar driver Steve Johnson and South Coast Nissan Ambassador Luke O’Dwyer of the Gold Coast Titans.
“We are proud to be part of an event that since 2002 has brought to Murwillumbah many of the greatest Australian racing drivers, including world champions Sir Jack Brabham and Alan Jones, Le Mans winners Geoff Brabham and Vern Schuppan and touring car legends such as Dick Johnson, Jim Richards, the late Frank Gardner, John Bowe and many more.”
The not-for-profit Festival of Speed on Tweed is owned by the Rotary Club of Murwillumbah and Rally Australia and runs with a large team of volunteer officials and workers.
Chairman Bill Larkin said the South Coast Automotive Group’s sponsorship would greatly assist the event and its ultimate goal of supporting local charities.
“We’re extremely fortunate to have a racing enthusiast like Maurie Pickering and his team at South Coast Automotive Group as our partners in the South Coast Automotive Speed on Tweed. With their involvement, we look forward to another successful weekend,” Mr Larkin said.
The 2010South Coast Automotive Speed on Tweed will celebrate the so-called Australian Specials racing cars, hundreds of which were built in the early years after World War II when specialised British and European racing cars were in short supply.
Resourceful enthusiasts used modified production chassis, engines and gearboxes combined with lightweight bodywork to create many effective race winners.
A surprising number of these remain in active competition and organisers hope to attract them to Speed on Tweed. Entries close tomorrow.
As well as two days’ of individual timed runs on the temporary street course near the centre of Murwillumbah, the South Coast Automotive Speed on Tweed will include a street parade and party on Friday and Saturday night entertainment. Local businesses dress up their premises and pubs and restaurants offer an enthusiastic welcome to visitors.
Spectator tickets are expected to go on sale this month.
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Media Release - 31st May 2010
Entries open for 2010 Speed on Tweed
The wait is finally over and entries for the 9th annual Festival of Speed on Tweed are now open.
After much anticipation organisers are pleased to announce that entries are open for the iconic Tweed event which will take place from 10-12 September this year.
With only four months until the event is in full swing the organisers are very pleased with the interest which has already been received and are looking forward to sorting through a number of entries which has had to be capped at 200. “We have had people calling and emailing us about entering our event basically since it was announced a couple of months ago that it would be running again” says Chairman Bill Larkin.
As always the festival will embrace a theme and this year organisers agreed early on that “Australian Specials” would be appropriate not only to celebrate a proud history of Australian racing cars and icons, but also to celebrate 40 years of the Maybach. “Australians are renowned for their engineering abilities and we are adept at using whatever is available to build world class machines. We have some extraordinary race cars built in this spirit. Some were very successful , others not so. We are taking this opportunity to celebrate these cars, their drivers and the engineers that built them” continued Larkin.
The organisers have also hinted that some special guests may just make an appearance during the weekend although at this stage all details are being kept in house.
Entries for the event are now available from the www.speedontweed.com.au website or alternatively by emailing info@speedontweed.com.au
ENDS
Media Release - 19 March 2010
Start Your Engines - Speed on Tweed Returns for 2010
The rumours are true and the organising committee of Speed on Tweed is now pleased to
announce that the iconic Festival of Speed on Tweed will be returning to the streets of
Murwillumbah in 2010.
Running from 10th-12th September this year, the non-profit community event will again be
run by the Rotary Club of Murwillumbah in conjunction with Rally Australia who became
shareholders of the renowned event after reviving the festival in 2009.
“We are thrilled that Speed on Tweed will be returning to the spotlight once more and are
looking forward to turning on a festival similar to that which ran in 2008” says event
spokesperson Bill Larkin . “We have always had high numbers in attendance in the past and
we are hoping that the many spectators that attended the event in previous years will return
to see the spectacle that is Speed on Tweed. I’m sure nobody will leave dissatisfied after
seeing some of the most famous cars and drivers in Australia’s racing history in action and
absorbing our unique festival atmosphere”.
The theme for this year’s event has been decided as ‘Australian Specials’ and it is hoped
that this theme will assist in attracting a number of the country’s finest, classic all-Australian
race cars to participate in the festival.
Although no schedule for the event has yet been released, plans are in full swing, the Friday
and Saturday night events are back and competitors are already knocking on the doors of
organisers as they wait with great anticipation for entries for the 2010 event to open.
ENDS
SPEED ON TWEED SPONSORSHPS NOW AVAILABLE 2010
BUSINESSES can sign on as sponsors of the Festival of Speed on Tweed if they want to use the event to market their products and services or simply show their support and have a great time.
The event is on 10-12 September in Murwillumbah and sponsorships ranging from $10,000 Platinum level to $250 Insignia Club Membership aimed at local businesses are available.
Marketing Manager Michael Zuschke said sponsorship offered a great way for businesses to be involved in a professional event and leverage that involvement by publicising their brand and business name.
He said 180 cars would be involved this year and past studies showed drivers, supporters and spectators spent an average of $180 per day in town with an average stay of 5 days, with about 25,000 people attending the event annually.
“Most business owners and their staff felt the Insignia Club was just a great way to be involved without spending a lot of money. It also helped create much of the atmosphere surrounding the event,” he said.
Insignia Club members receive two weekend passes to the event, a membership badge, official event flags to display outside their businesses, discounts on memorabilia and their name on a competitors race car during the event.
Other sponsorship categories are Gold ($5000), Silver ($2000) and Bronze ($1000). All offer different benefits and packages to suit individual business needs or we can tailor a package to suit you. This year we will be looking forward to offering some exciting catering and spectator packages to our sponsers also.
The Festival of Speed on Tweed pits historic and classic cars of all types and some of Australia’s best drivers of several eras against the clock on a one-kilometre closed public road course in the centre of Murwillumbah.
The non-profit Speed on Tweed has raised more than $300,000 for charities such as the Children’s Cancer Institute, the Peter Brock Foundation, local service clubs, schools, emergency services and our hospital.
Full details of sponsorship packages are available on the official website www.speedontweed.com, or by emailing Michael Zuschke at michael@barkingtoad.com.au
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