MGs to descend on Gunnedah Aerodrome

This Easter Sunday, the final day of Gunnedah’s ‘Weeks of Speed’ festival, two events are scheduled for Gunnedah Airport.

One of them has been nearly two years in the planning and will see the MG Car Club of Sydney host its national meeting at Gunnedah.

Sixty MG Vehicles from pre-war to the 1970s will descend on the Gunnedah Airport for a motorkhana – part of a 250-strong MG contingent in the north west over the Easter weekend.

The national meeting has attracted entrants from all eastern seaboard states, including Tasmania. It is held in a different state each year in accordance with the traditional MG national meeting.

Three simultaneous motorkhana test patterns – multiple loop, straight slalom and arrowhead – will be set up for operation at Gunnedah Airport.

Drivers will have two attempts at each test and penalties can be applied for wrong direction, etc:

“The vehicle class winner will be the driver with the fastest cumulative times over three tests – a non-speed test of driver skills and control,” national meet event secretary Steve Perry said.

Many different types of MGs and owners will be present at the airport – spectators and families are welcome to attend with a gold coin or note donation entry.

Later on Sunday afternoon, Gunnedah Motoring Enthusiasts (GME) will conduct a half mile/804-metre single vehicle release sprint, similar to events held in 2014 and 2022. GME event secretary Geoff Hood said this will be a small club event with a couple of special entrants and will also serve as a “tester” of the revamped tarmac surface that now has no bumps, hollows and is very smooth.

Entrants from Newcastle include long time GME event supporter, Dr Andrew Walker in a Mazda MX5, as well as Tracey and Gordon Harris in a 1960 VW special, who will be using the recorded elapsed time to qualify for an international speed record for the historic vehicle.

An unusual vehicle entrant is a ‘Lakester’ from the Blue Mountains. Damien Carlson normally gives his Lakester a crack at the salt lake flats in South Australia, which are in poor condition, so instead will head for the bright lights of Gunnedah to compete in the GME half-mile sprint.