By Tania Phillips
The motors roared and the dirt bikes flew again at Morgan Park with the official opening and renaming of the local Warwick Motocross club.
As well as the festivities and formalities, the club used the day to test out the newly rebuilt track and facilities, with156 members coming from near and far for the club practice day.
President Monique Andrews said the newly refurbished track now formed part of the larger motor-racing enclave at Morgan Park and they hoped to hold a combined event with the other members of the racing fraternity domiciled there now they are up and running again.
“We’ve been working on the track since March-April of this year,” she said.
“We had the first practice day and opening and relaunch of the club under a new “trading as” name. We’re now Warwick Motocross Club so we’ve changed from Warwick and District Dirt bike club.
“We had our grand opening which Russell Bentley from Motorcycling Queensland and Councillor Russell Wantling attending. Cr Wantling did the cutting of the ribbon. We also had an important presentation for Brayden Erbacher who passed away at the ProMx. “We have had $5000 donated by the Erbacher family to the club (Dad Ash, Mum Corrine, brother Damon and sister Ellie). It was money raised from Fisthandwear gloves designed in honour of Brayden.“
The Erbacher donation was used to buy the canteen building for the track.
“It’s amazing,“ Andrews said.
“We’re licenced and we can have a bar there. So, we’ve called our bar – Bar 59 which is after Brayden’s race number. He was an important member of the club and of the motorcycling community in general, very much loved and just a great all-round person. Warwick was one of his favourite tracks. They are actually from Mutdapilly so this is one of their closest tracks. His brother Damon has built the timber sign to go above the bar and we launched that as well and had a big group photo with everyone.”
She said the day went off “without a hitch” and they managed to get in four rounds of the club’s practice day.
“I think everyone was really thrilled with how it all went and now we’re looking forward to our club day on 21 September,” she said.
“That will be our first race day.”
Andrews said there had been an off-road motorcycling community in Warwick since the late 80s but the track had been closed since August 2021.
“When we went in there it had been flooded, it was eroded, it was overgrown, it was a hot mess,” Andrews said.
“I’ve been in touch with Motorcycling Qld to help us get back onboard financially. It is a loan but we’ve managed to turn things around in a number of months.
“SK Landscaping and Contracting from Stanthorpe and Hoffman Bros Earthmoving, Forestry and vegetation Management have donated their time, staff and machines as well as supplies to help us get underway.
“Hoffman’s have had their own machinery out there and have been paying the diesel for that machinery. Both companies have had their staff working out there and paying them to be there. Without that level of commitment and support from them we wouldn’t be where we are today.
“Honestly it has been amazing. Even councillor Wantling – he’s been out to site several times now. It’s just great to have that level of support not only from the community but also from council as well. I feel really grateful to have that level of support.”
She said the new track was housed in the Mt Morgan precinct with several other motorsports.
“Next year the idea is that we’ll do a combined event and make it a week-long event of all the different motorsports and celebrate motor sports and motorcycling in Queensland,” she said.
“We’re collaborating with all of the other disciplines in the Morgan Park precincts to help grow our various disciplines just by working together. It’s an amazing precinct and it’s vital for Warwick I think. I think that’s another reason why we’ve put in so much effort in. There’s an amazing facility there so we should be utilizing it accordingly and making long-term plans. You have committees that come in and look after it for a year but instead of being that way, we have a 10-year plan in place.”
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