MG Car Club of South Australia
SPRINGING into SPRINGTIME
by David McNabb
W
hat better way to “run in” our new
MG purchase than heading for
Melbourne in the MG-GS to contest the
Victorian MGCC annual Springtime
Rally. The absence of our SA Club’s
Weekender this year prompted Kerry
and David to enter another of these
Mexican events, which Russell Garth is
rather familiar with.
This was my fourth Springtime, so I
picked a few changes in format over
the years. For 2019 the entry list
peaked at a lower-than-usual 36 cars,
mainly due to an untimely clash with
three other “competing” events such as
Sandown Historic Racing (where
Adrian Ackhurst was among the com-
petitors).
A maturing age-group, increased road
traffic, and the desire to mitigate Rally
accidents have led to the scrubbing of
Sunday morning’s traditional “Le Mans”
start. Also, solving puzzles while driving
along is now deemed too unsafe, hav-
ing been replaced by the more sedate,
sensible Town Walks, trying to solve
cryptic questions (as per last year’s SA
Clare Weekender).
For 2019 the Rally route started Satur-
day and led the varied MG lineup
(which boasted an MGTA, plenty of
TCs, TDs, TFs, even a very rapid MGA
with crossflow head, etc) out of Mel-
bourne through the Kinglake environs
and several lovely townships including
Alexandra’s vintage railway, finishing
for the night at Marysville. The sur-
rounding countryside is lovely to behold
but does still bear scars of the awful
fires from a decade ago.
A terrific social evening with a monu-
mental buffet dinner at the Vibe hotel
saw plenty of merriment, assisted by a
dress-up theme (country & western).
The Vics really are friendly folk, helping
make the only interstate entry (us!) feel
welcome. This flowed over into Kerry &
I being judged “best dressed” and tak-
ing away the prize (an SA Pepperjack
shiraz) . . .
After Sunday morning’s drivers’ briefing,
all crews departed Marysville, via Gem-
brook (another Puffing Billy), Heales-
ville, Yarra Junction regions, with more
nice townships to peruse and Town
Walks to tackle. The finish venue on
Melbourne’s outskirts saw the local
CWA provide an eye-popping lunch
while results were compiled.
Seemed appropriate that in the 53rd
running of this long-established Rally,
the winner was a 1953 MGTD, with run-
nerup being (yes!) those ruddy South
Australians again on board that 2019
MG-GS . . . Overall a really enjoyable
MG event – and whenever SA misses
out hosting a Weekender, do consider
heading over the border. A warm wel-
come awaits!
Footnote: A couple of days after Spring-
timing, I was able to help out on one of
the weekly busy bees held at Rob Roy
Hillclimb where work was in earnest on
the eve of a large-scale racemeet. Lo-
cal stalwart Wayne Rushton coordi-
nates the dozen or so regulars who vol-
unteer to keep Australasia’s longest-
established hillclimb in working order.
As a “reward” I was offered the chance
to “toodle” up the hillclimb track with the
pledge that if he went under 17 sec-
onds, they’d be glad to award me Rob
Roy race record time. No chance! But it
was a most enjoyable experience all the
same.
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