By Margaret Maccoll
The wet weather made Noosa Hill Climb’s Gyndier Drive a slippery track on the weekend but that didn’t deter car enthusiasts who make the event a regular pilgrimage.
Organiser Kate Rider said the crowds came out on Sunday when the sun shone on the event but it also brought a more challenging track for drivers with more spin outs on Sunday morning as the track dried than Saturday when the rain made drivers more cautious.The Ferraris were present and so was the gleaming gold Honda NSX but time-wise it was hard to beat the 1992 Dallara F392 racing car driven by a youthful Michael Von Rappard and owned by father and son mechanics Michael and his dad Harold.
This is the seventh year the pair have travelled from Airlie Beach to the Noosa Hill Climb after their first visit inspired them to buy the car which has completed the track in 51 seconds.
“They said if you want a fast car this is the way to go,” Michael said. “We found this one in England and brought it over here. It’s incredibly fast and such a great thrill to drive.”
Another father and son team John and David Anderson were there to hang out together and share their interest in cars with fellow enthusiasts.
Both agreed their 1932 Triumph was the better to drive and fastest of their two cars compared to their 1955 Austin Healey.
“It’s terrific fun to drive,” John said. “You do 80km/hr in this and you feel like you’re doing 180km/hr. It’ll do 200km/hr on the straight. Noosa Hill is good for it – you don’t have to use the brakes.”
The two have traveled from Brisbane to the Noosa Hill Climb each year for the past 15 year, as has Phil Charles who makes the hill climb in his Formula Libre in 60 seconds.
Phil races with various clubs each month having bought the racing car in place of Lotus and Mustangs. He said with no grip on the tyres the wet track was a bit scary and at half the horse power was never going to match the Dallara.
The Noosa Summer Hill Climb will be held 9-10 November.
