Speed on Tweed
Encyclopedia
Speed on Tweed is an annual historic motor racing festival held in the Northern Rivers town of Murwillumbah
in New South Wales
, Australia
. The event is modelled on Goodwood Festival of Speed
and has consistently attracted the best historic racing cars in Australia and from overseas to visit the small town and since its debut in 2002 has contributed substantially to the region's economy.
While much of the event features displays, stalls, merchandising and musical performances, the featured events occur around the competitive vehicles. Friday night features a tour through the main street of Murwillumbah before the vehicles pull over and park at a street party before moving into their home for the weekend at the showgrounds at the northern end of the town. Saturday night features another street party, in later years saw dining tables set up in the middle of the street with patrons fed by the restaurants that operate in Murwillumbah. The competitive event features a timed sprint which starts from the showgrounds and races along eight local streets racing up the side of a hill before returning to the showgrounds in a challenging course of just over a kilometre.
It was announced in the lead-up to the 2008 event that it would be the last Speed on Tweed organised by the original organising team, led by Roger Ealand. Immediately the battle was on the save the event and very quickly the event found a new home as part of the reborn Rally Australia
(Australian leg of the World Rally Championship
) that coincidentally was to be held in the Northern Rivers area at the same time of year in 2009. The festival went ahead with Friday and Saturday night on the event taken over by the rally cars, becoming a Super Special stage of the rally.
Murwillumbah, New South Wales
Murwillumbah is a town of approximately 7,500 people in far north-eastern New South Wales, Australia in the Tweed Shire. It lies on the Tweed River, 848 km north-east of Sydney, 13 km south of the Queensland border and 132 km south of Brisbane. At the 2006 census, Murwillumbah had a...
in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The event is modelled on Goodwood Festival of Speed
Goodwood Festival of Speed
The Goodwood Festival of Speed, commonly abbreviated as FoS and referred within the United Kingdom as simply the Festival of Speed, is an annual hill climb featuring historic motor racing vehicles that is held in the grounds of Goodwood House, West Sussex, England.Typically held in late June or...
and has consistently attracted the best historic racing cars in Australia and from overseas to visit the small town and since its debut in 2002 has contributed substantially to the region's economy.
While much of the event features displays, stalls, merchandising and musical performances, the featured events occur around the competitive vehicles. Friday night features a tour through the main street of Murwillumbah before the vehicles pull over and park at a street party before moving into their home for the weekend at the showgrounds at the northern end of the town. Saturday night features another street party, in later years saw dining tables set up in the middle of the street with patrons fed by the restaurants that operate in Murwillumbah. The competitive event features a timed sprint which starts from the showgrounds and races along eight local streets racing up the side of a hill before returning to the showgrounds in a challenging course of just over a kilometre.
It was announced in the lead-up to the 2008 event that it would be the last Speed on Tweed organised by the original organising team, led by Roger Ealand. Immediately the battle was on the save the event and very quickly the event found a new home as part of the reborn Rally Australia
Rally Australia
Rally Australia is an automobile rally event which was held in and around Perth, Western Australia from 1988 until 2006, when that state's tourism commission severed its collaboration with the event. The rally was part of the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship in 1988 and the World Rally Championship...
(Australian leg of the World Rally Championship
World Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system. The series currently consists of 13...
) that coincidentally was to be held in the Northern Rivers area at the same time of year in 2009. The festival went ahead with Friday and Saturday night on the event taken over by the rally cars, becoming a Super Special stage of the rally.
Fastest time
| Year | Fastest Driver |
Elapsed time |
Car |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Ty Hangar | 0:41.78 | March 77B |
| 2007 | Ty Hangar | 0:39.8875 | March 77B |
| 2008 | Peter Gumley | 0:39.4261 | Wortmeyer SCV Volkswagen |