2007 Goulburn 18th Street Rod Nationals
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The ASRF 18th Street Rod Nationals in Goulburn, NSW kicked off on Wednesday
evening with traders setting up in the large sheds and early arrival drinks
in the Harness Club bar at the showground to the tunes of the juke box.
Thursday dawned, overcast and unseasonably cool, a sign of things too come.
Registration, the safety check and driving event scrutineering kept a steady
stream of rods going through the showgrounds, whilst others checked out this
great city, settled into their accommodation or just benchraced.
The opening of the Art Show in the council gallery drew a solid crowd, with
many expressing surprise at the size of the show and variety of art and
culture items on display, Hewey's live tiki carving being a standout
attraction. A bit of light rain fell that evening, far from the downpour
that Goulburn really needs, and certainly nowhere near enough to dampen
the spirits of entrants enjoying the band at the Workers Club or bench
racing in the Harness Club bar.
Friday kicked off with $2 pancakes from the Harness Club kids and ladies,
followed with more registration, scrutineering and vehicle classification.
The trader's stands opened to the public from 10am with the official
opening and book launch at noon.
The afternoon stepped up a notch with the Ladies Cocktail Party which
was a big hit with a fashion parade, 20 fashion, art and craft stalls,
munchies and of course cocktails.
All reviews suggested it was a step up from previous efforts, with
lots of "lets do it again" heard.
The number plate and poster auction warmed the spectators up for a
great night with Andy and the Roys, who as usual provided a good show
of classic and contemporary pub rock.
Saturday was set aside for driving events and Kroozin day, but the
clouds looked ominous all day. Wakefield Park turned on a great day
of go-to-whoa, burnouts and 1/8 mile drags with over 150 entrants
choosing to give their rods a rev, along with the Hambsters and a
couple of exhibition vehicles. The rain even held off, but the cold
snap started to bite by late afternoon. One of the highlights of the
day was a certain young lady from Sydney taking 10 wins from 38 starts!
She set a new lap record on the return road too, despite frantic arm
waving by the officials!
A trader's appreciation party was held at the Workers club on Saturday
evening, while the rodders were free to partake of the huge range of
food in town, grab a light feed and beverage at the bar back in the
showground, or keep partying at their accommodation.
Saturday evening saw the big street Krooze, with the main street closed
for four city blocks and a crowd estimated at 20,000 standing 6-10 deep
all night. It has been many, many years since a Nats has seen this kind
of a public spectacle. The evening was topped off with a free public
concert by Melbourne's Atomic High Tones, in the main park just 30 metres
from the Krooze track. One of the reasons we tried another Nationals in
a regional city was to be able to do this kind of a public showcase of
rodding. It went off, and the town and locals are still talking about
it months later. An awesome atmosphere was generated by the kroozin,
crowd and music.
Sunday dawned to clear skies, but still cooler than seasonal temperatures.
The show and shine had to be moved from the oval to the trotting track
due to some concerns over safety, but despite a little dust the entrants
and general public enjoyed a good show, along with the trade stands, a
small kids carnival, clowns, magic and face painting. The Harness bar
was rockin with an extra show by the Atomic Hi Tones around lunch time,
along with a local band in the afternoon. The day was topped off with the
raffle car draw, presentations and another great show from the Atomic Hi
Tones...followed by quiet ales for the die hards until the wee hours.
Monday was wind down day, with a krooze to the bio reactor in the old
Woodlawn mine. A very interesting place but a few Sydney rodders were
struck with the irony of driving down to visit their own rubbish! The
Loaded Dog at Tarago had a crowd to cater for on the way home.
Like any event, there were some issues. Whilst using the whole city as
a big, distributed venue worked well, the resounding opinion of members
was "bring back camping on site". The limited kroozing track on site
also elicited comments. Both easy fixes when we go back to Goulburn
in 2009. Under 700 entrants was clearly way down on previous events,
but was expected given the major change in structure and location of
the Nationals.
All in all, a great event with a number of major highlights, especially
the art show, driving events and incredible public Krooze night. Fortunately
for us, the rain held off. Sorry Goulburn, we know you needed it!
See you in Tassie in 2008!
Mark Saunders
ACT State Director
