FANTASTIC weather greeted the 70 competitors and enthusiastic crowds participated in the 2013 Queensland Titles Billy Cart Race held at Malanda on the Atherton Tableland over the weekend of August 21-22.
Organised by the Malanda Lions Club, the event attracted media coverage from across North Queensland and was strongly supported by sponsors.
Competitors came from as far away as Newcastle and Wollongong to participate and spectators enjoyed easy access to the race track on English Road with the venue dubbed as “The Gravity Dome”.
One very heartening aspect of the event was the number of schools from across the north which participated. Mareeba State High School was too good this year and representative Justin Price took home the Schools Cup. Justin also won the 13-17yo Teens Challenge.
It was certainly an event for the young and the young at heart with drivers from five to 75 participating. There was a spectacular array of Billy Carts being raced. Wood, pipe and even fibreglass constructions took their places at the start of the 300 metre track to defy gravity as well as demonstrate their drivers’ dexterity.
A special highlight of the weekend was the Luge racers who came from Cairns to be part of a great day of gravity racing on the Sunday. ‘H’ and his family are all Luge riders. In fact ‘H’ is a national champion. Luge riders use oversized skateboards which they lie on (in leathers) and race down hills – it’s an extreme sport. ‘H’s” son Malik is a keen Luge racer having started at the age of three!
The Celebrity & Media Cup was won by Shane Knuth, Member for Charters Towers, who had a secret that gave him the winning edge which will be revealed in next week’s edition with more results and photographs by Brigitte Daley.
