Driving for good cause

25 March 2010
Y Weekly, Page: 6

By Lisa Anderson

On Saturday, Fizz Mayberry, Steve Clark, Clem Mayberry and Peter Hill will set off in their 1962 Pontiac wagon, joined by Peter (Golly) Keane in his Ford A Model hot rod as part of a convoy of 14 hot rods travelling to Western Australia to raise money for their entry to Camp Quality's fundraising event, esCarpade.

This year's esCarpade begins in Tamworth on October 16 and finishes in Warialda on October 23.

For many people the drive across the Nullarbor in a hot rod would be the trip of a lifetime, but for these car enthusiasts the journey will merely be a warm-up exercise with the added attraction of attending the Sandgroper Street Rod Nationals organised by Australian Street Rod Federation at Busselton, WA, from April 2 to 5.

Fizz, Steve and Bill Simpson (who will join them in Escarpade) bought the Pontiac wagon together in 1998 and established FR12 Team Pontiac Racing.

During the past 13 years they have collected $291 000 for Camp Quality, last year raising $43 000 of the $1.15 million esCarpade donated to Camp Quality.

"We fund our own expenses along the way including fuel, food and accommodation, so all money raised goes to Camp Quality," Steve said.

"The dynamics of being in a car with four blokes who are all old friends on a road trip is going to be a lot of fun, and there will be a few stops along the way," Steve said.

He said he was looking forward to the drive across the Nullarbor.

"The Pontiac is designed for long road trips and has a long-range fuel tank. We take a spare Jerry can of fuel, 60 litres of water and two spare tyres." Because the road across to Perth is sealed all the way, unlike the roads they will travel on during esCarpade in October, Steve said this trip would be relatively easy.

The hot rods on the five-day 4000 km trip from Shepparton (via Melbourne) through Adelaide, Kalgoorlie and Perth to Busselton will be averaging 700 km a day.

Since the Australian Street Rod Federation learned of the boys' fundraising effort for the trip over, it has made its annual hot rod show a Camp Quality fundraiser.

If you would like to sponsor FR12 Team Pontiac Racing, call Steve on 0408 575 380, Golly on 5862 1144 or Fizz on 0428 577 717.