Entry Still Open For Alan Cox Cup
TweetEntries are still being taken for the 25th Alan Cox Cup, to be held at Tamworth on September 1 and 2.
The event, as per Alan's wish, always runs on the 401-all-points-count format. Each class gets five races - four x 10-lap heats (computer gridded) and a 15-lap final heat (grids based on accumulated points).
The track is open for practice on Friday 31st August, as well as the Saturday morning. Racing will commence at 1pm on Saturday.
Whose name will be the next on the winner's list of the Alan Cox Cup?
2012 - ???
2011 - David Waters
2010 - Darsey Kondopirakas
2009 - Nathan Skelley
2008 - Nathan Taylor
2007 - Brian Griffiths
2006 - Nathan Taylor
2005 - Scott Connole
2004 - Tyrone Smithers
2003 - Shane Marriott
2002 - Shane Marriott
2001 - David Samuels
2000 - Daniel Gallagher
1999 - Anthony Petrilli
1998 - Anthony Petrilli
1997 - Anthony Petrilli
1996 - Anthony Cox
1995 - Dave Redwood
1994 - Phillip Scifleet
1993 - Scott Dilegge
1992 - Paul Hendrie
1991 - Greg Grattan
1990 - Ben Cook
1989 - Mitchell Gilbert
1988 - Barry Chapman
For further information:
- Club website >> www.tamworthkartclub.com.au
- Enquiries >> phone 0412 181 134
- Accommodation Guide >> HERE (Word doc)
- Supp Regs >> HERE (Word doc)
The History of Tamworth Kart Racing Club
In 1960 a group of Kart Enthusiasts combined with the Motorcycle Club and ran their Karts on the dirt Motorcycle Track at Nemingha. This was found to be most unsatisfactory and following a falling out with Harry Pyne, these same enthusiasts decided to part with the Motorcycle Club and set about organising their own track.
The first meeting of the Tamworth Kart Racing Club was held in 1961 at the Albert Hotel. Ross McHugh was elected as President, Dick Crawford as Secretary and Barry Hurcum as Treasurer. Some of the early Members were Lynton Turnham, Ross Bowden, Barry, Max & Neville Patterson, Snow Bar, Sid Blytman, Tod & Max Bowen, Barry Rapley, Keith Singh, Bob Kerr, Len Martyn, Dave McIntyre, John Rowarth, Bill Nyman, Alan Cox, Merv Savins.
Money was raised to fund the construction of the Victoria Park Track from meat raffles every Friday night at the Albert Hotel.
The track at Victoria Park was constructed before Oxley High School, the surrounding houses and the water towers were built in the area. Construction was made possible and at a very low cost by the generous loan of equipment from local Business People.
Alan Cox joined the Tamworth Kart Club in November, 1963 and was made a life member in 1985. Alan obtained his first AKA Licence on 9th January, 1984 – just in case he needed it, but never raced.
Lynton Turnham said he remembers the first attempt to tar seal the track being a complete failure. The seal that was put down only lasted half way through the first race meeting, with pieces of tar the size of dinner plates being dislodged. Before the track was tarred the second time, the club sought expert advice and was told that kart racing put the tar under the same stress as a 4 tonne truck.
Alan Cox said “The track was then equiped with lights, three separate circuits if he remembers rightly. These lights were powered by a Southern Cross Diesel generator (Courtesy of Keith Singh). Ross Bowden and Merv Savins being the electricians. A great thrill if a circuit dropped out during racing. Slight alterations were made to the track and bitumen sealed for the first open meeting held under lights, starting at 4.00 p.m. on Saturday 8th February, 1964. Probably one of the best meetings I have ever attended” said Alan Cox, “Sydney and Newcastle drivers could not get over the sea of faces behind the safety fence. If only we could get them back again” Alan said.
The club had a run around some weeks prior to this to sort out any buts in the system, when approximately 800 spectators rolled up, giving the Club great encouragement for the future. The club went from strength to strength after this, holding some great meetings and also social picnic race meetings.
Tamworth played host to some of the biggest names in the sport and in 1965, a New Zealand Test team came to town to take on the local talent with the Patterson brothers (Patterson’s Transport) transporting the Kiwis gear to Tamworth free-of-charge and their families were billeted by club members. Greg Cox won this meeting and was awarded a Silver Trophy.
Going back to the early days, it was not all plain sailing even after the fledgling club had been established, there was a lull in the sport in the late 1960s when other sports drained some support from karting and the club went into recess with only about half-a-dozen keen drivers still turning up occasionally for a friendly spin on the track.
In 1974, a new band of enthusiasts took on the job of rekindling Interest in karting. Names such as John Rapmund, John Missen, Steve Smith, Ron Steele, Bill Nyman, Mario Canu and of course, Alan Cox, set about the task of putting karting back on the Tamworth sporting map. With only $52 left in the bank after the club's recess, the new members set about building up not only the bank balance, but the membership. Raffles were the order of the day and not many hotels missed out on seeing kart club members at some stage during the week, meat trays and fruit boxes in tow.
The track at Victoria Park had naturally fallen on hard times through disuse with fences to be repaired and the track itself needing a complete overhaul. Ron Steele, one of the new club members, helped out with padding machinery to help put the surface right again, after a lot of hard work and long hours, Victoria Park was ready for action.
The first meeting under the new committee was in 1974 and with the Gunnedah club providing a helping hand, karting was back in Tamworth and according to Alan Cox, has never looked back. "The track was resealed and extended, a new tower was erected, and the people of the business community of Tamworth got behind the club, with materials to get it off the ground," said Mr. Cox. "Keith Singh provided a staircase which came from a disused Electricity Commission building and John Missen, who is now in Queensland, chased up materials to help revamp the complex. "It was a team and community effort." Unfortunately, the new consciousness of noise pollution and environmentally-friendly activities saw Victoria Park under close scrutiny from several residents who eventually objected to council over noise levels.
In 1988 Tamworth hosted a very successful NSW State Titles, which left the club in a very sound financial position. It was decided to use this money to construct a new amenities block. Upon application of the DA for the amenities block to council, which also coincided with the renewal of Lease on Victoria Park, the new residents along Duruka Road put in objections to the DA – They formed a group and received a lot of Media coverage for their campaign to oust the Kart Club. Their main complaint was about the noise generated from the Kart Track (Even though the Kart Track & Gun Club was there before any houses were built along the section of Duruka Road opposite the Kart Track). The Council declined the DA and informed the club that the lease for the track would not be renewed. They also informed the club that they would work with the club to help relocate to another site and would help with the construction of the track - in kind and not in a monetary way.
Whilst the Club only raced once a month with the occasional night meeting, due to public pressure Victoria Park has become part of karting history. The last race at Victoria Park was held on the 18th April, 1993.
On the 14th & 15th March, 1992 the Club as part of the newly formed Tamworth Motor Sports Committee held a Kart Grand Prix around the streets of Taminda industrial area. This event was organised to help fund the setting up of Oakburn Park. The event appears to have been a logistical nightmare and required enormous effort from all the committee members and volunteers, but was a great success with reports stating 5000 to 10,000 spectators attended over the 2 days and had more than 270 entrants.
The First Race Meeting at The Oakburn Park Track was held on 20th June, 1993.
The Official opening of the Oakburn Park Kart Track was attended by the Mayor - David John & Tony Windsor – Member for Tamworth, on 18th July, 1993. Without the commitment from Eric Barnes – President, Kerry Stehr - Secretary, all the other committee & club members, Tamworth Motor Sport Committee members and the Business community Oakburn Park Kart Track would not have been possible.
On the 6th – 8th October, 1995 the Tamworth Kart Racing Club hosted the National Titles with 258 entries. This was the first National Titles to be held outside a Metropolitan area.
Entrants that are now well respected Racing Car Drivers that competed at the Nationals and other Race Meeting at Tamworth include:- Mark Winterbottom, Dean Canto, Ryan Briscoe, Marcus Ambrose, James Courtney, Leanne Tander, Mathew White, Alex Davison, Greg Ritter, Garry Holt & Michael Caruso.
At approximately 8.45pm Sunday 25th February, 2001 the Oakburn Park Clubhouse was burnt almost to the ground. This was a major blow to the Kart Club as Motor Sports President Barrie Young quoted in the Northern Daily Leader “We lost it all from kitchen utensils to ride-on mowers to club records and memorabilia to our toilets, storage areas, canteen facilities and the clubhouse” Luckily the complex was insured and rebuilt almost identical to the first one. But sadly there was a lot of historical items lost that could never be replaced.
The club has also hosted the one off State Titles, Premiere State Cup, & Toyota Cup to name a few.
2010 saw a small dedicated band of Club Members attending working bee’s almost every weekend to get the track up to National Standards and with the help of a $100,000.00 Track Loan from the Australian Karting Association, over $30,000.00 of Club Funds and the generous help from Tamworth Precision Excavation & BMR Quarries the whole straight, corners 1 & 2 and part of the back straight were dug out and started from scratch ( 3 x deeper road base than before), better drainage put in under the straight, along with widening & re-fencing the in and out grids just prior to Tamworth Hosting The NSW Open Sprint Kart Championships on 1st to 3rd of October, 2010. This event attracted 284 entrants from all over eastern Australia and was a very successful event for Tamworth Kart Racing Club.
Our Major Meeting the Alan Cox Cup started in 1988, to acknowledge Alan’s dedication to the club. Alan requested that this race meeting always be run in the 401 all points count format, as he was not a fan of the final only counts format. Alan reasoned that the 401 all points count format meant you could have a bad heat and still be in the running to win your class.
Sadly, Mr Cox passed away on Monday May 9, 2011 at the age of 89. Three months prior to the 50th Anniversary celebrations of Tamworth Kart Racing Club held on the weekend of the Alan Cox Cup in 2011.
At the 50th Celebration night Alan Cox was added to the honour role of Life Members of the AKA. Steve King said on the night that “it is with deep regret that Alan’s efforts were not recognised whilst he was still with us”, however his wife Joyce accepted the award on the night and with family members also present she was extremely proud.
2012 will see the 25th running of this event which is usually held in August/September each year.
The 13th running of the Brian Higginbotham Trophy was in 2012. This Race Day was created in 2000 to recognise Brian’s commitment to the club. The Brian Higginbotham Trophy is usually held in March/April each year and Brian also requested this meeting always be run in the 401 all points format.
The Club is constantly improving their section of the Oakburn Park Complex – with 2011 seeing the installation of new start lights over the straight and fencing to be erected between Kart Track and MotorCross Track.
