Brisbane Sporting Car Club Ltd is: Brisport Magazine
All correspondence to:
Brisbane Sporting Car Club Unit 16 - 23 Ashtan Place
Banyo QLD 4014
Board of Directors
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Board Members
Tony Kabel
Craig Porter
Judy Foster
Kevin Lefever
Barry Neuendorff
Malcolm Bartolo
John Coleman
Sam Donovan
Other Office Bearers
Motorsport Australia Delegate
Membership Officer
Social Media/ Brisport Editor
Peter Flynn
Margaret Mackay
Sam Donovan
If you ’ ve got something to contribute to the magazine we’d love to hear from you
All correspondence to:
Brisbane Sporting Car Club Unit 16 - 23 Ashtan Place
Banyo QLD 4014
Phone: (07) 3267 7647
Email: info@bsccasnau
Instagram: @brisbanesportingcarclub
Website: bsccasnau
Phone: (07) 3267 7647
Email: info@bsccasnau
sdonovan@bsccasnau
Website: bsccasnau
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facebook.com/BrisbaneSportingCarClub
Instagram: @brisbanesportingcarclub
The President’s Report
With Tony kabel
Hi everyone, and welcome to the 1st Quarter 2025 edition of Brisport. This year has started off with two great events completed, and sadly, two we ’ ve had to postpone. In early February, we held the SR Automotive Jimna Test and Tune, with around 25 crews entering to test out any repairs and maintenance carried out over the break. This year ' s Test and Tune featured a new Clerk of Course, John Coleman, who stepped up to take on the challenge. He did an excellent job, quickly learning and applying the necessary skills to organize the event. The amount of preevent work was substantial, but with help from many others, the event went off without a hitch. A big thank you to John and his team, as well as Peter from Jimna Base Camp and Stewart from SR Automotive for their continued support.
John and I started discussing and scouting roads in Jimna back in November last year, and together, we identified two stages we felt would be suitable for testing: a short 5km stage and a longer 10.5km stage. Both stages were well received by the crews and offered a variety of road conditions, ranging from fast, flowing sections to tight, twisting forest roads.
Just three weeks later, 32 crews lined up for the first round of the 2025 Queensland Rally Championship in Blackbutt. The Blackbutt Showgrounds served as our base for this event, marking the first time we have used this venue. With plenty of space and great facilities, we’ll definitely be considering it for future events. This was also the first of our three single-heat Rallysprint rounds, with two fantastic stages run twice, in both directions.
When developing this format, there were some concerns about turning the two stages around and how long it would take. With a solid plan in place, both stages were turned around during the lunchtime break and ready to run on time in the afternoon. A massive thank you to everyone involved for making this happen. Thanks to Peter Flynn and his team, every stage started on time, and this new format was well received by everyone involved. There will be a full report in this edition; thank you, Peter.
As I mentioned earlier, the second round of the QRC, which was to be held on the last weekend of March in Jimna, had to be postponed due to yet another of our increasingly frequent weather events. This event was organized by Craig Porter in an impressively short amount of time. Again, we had planned to run two stages twice in both directions, just like at Blackbutt. The longer of the two stages was to use some fantastic roads in Jimna that we haven’t used in more than five years—possibly even longer. Rest assured, we are working on finding a new date for this event, and we will keep you updated as things progress. A big thank you to Craig Porter, Judy Foster, and their team for their hard work.
The next round of the QRC will be the Quality Accounting Coffs Coast Rally in May, and we wish the organizers and competitors all the best.
Our next club event will be the Accent Benchtops Rally Queensland, to be held in Gympie on the first weekend of July. Brian Everitt and his team have been working closely with the Gympie Regional Council and other stakeholders to bring an even bigger and better event than last year (if that’s even possible!). We will provide updates as more information becomes available.
EXPERIENCE A UNIQUE GETAWAY IN THE GYMPIE REGION
Two hours from Brisbane, the Gympie region is surrounded by nature and wildlife that you can’t get anywhere else in Queensland.
The coloured sands of Rainbow Beach and the charming fishing town of Tin Can Bay are our coastal playgrounds and the southern gateway to K’gari (Fraser Island).
Away from the coast, you’ll find the pioneering heritage town of Gympie with elegant buildings and heritage railways. Out west, you’ll discover a beauty unmatched; the rolling hills of our western townships and the lush, fertile land of the Mary Valley.
There’s more to the Gympie region than you might imagine.
INVITATION
Annual General Meeting
You are invited BSCC Annual General Meeting Brisbane Sporting Car Club Ltd
To be held Monday 28th April 2025 at the BSCC Clubrooms Meeting to commence at 7:00pm
25 28 April 2024 7:00PM BSCC Clubrooms 16/23 Ashtan Place Banyo.
NEW DATE! 31ST OF MAY JIMNA BASE CAMP
T H E B A T T L E O F B L A C K B U T T
QRC 1: APX SUSPENSION BLACKBUTT RALLYSPRINT
N e w y e a r , n e w f o r m a t , n e w h o m e
b a s e v e n u e w a s t h e t h e m e t o t h e
f i r s t r o u n d o f t h e 2 0 2 5 K i c k a s s
M o t o r s p o r t A u s t r a l i a Q u e e n s l a n d
R a l l y C h a m p i o n s h i p h e l d i n t h e
s m a l l t o w n o f B l a c k b u t t , t w o h o u r s
n o r t h e a s t o f B r i s b a n e .
L i n i n g u p t o s t a r t , 2 9 r a l l y c a r s
p l u s t w o r e g u l a r i t y r u n n e r s w e r e
t h e f i r s t t o e x p e r i e n c e a n S 2
R a l l y s p r i n t a s a r o u n d o f t h e Q R C .
6 3 c o m p e t i t i v e k i l o m e t r e s i s
u n u s u a l l y s h o r t f o r a s t a t e r o u n d b u t r u n a s t w o l e g s i n a s i n g l e h e a t , t h e f o r m a t d i d n ’ t j u s t p r o v i d e a p o t e n t i a l l y s h o r t e r d a y , i t m e a n t a l l c r e w s w o u l d n e e d t o
t a c k l e t h e s t a g e s b l i n d a t t e n
t e n t h s f r o m t h e s t a r t w i t h n o r o o m
f o r m i s t a k e s .
W h i l e a l l e y e s w e r e o n t h e
l e a d i n g p r o t a g o n i s t s o f J o s h
W i e d m a n w i t h R y a n P r e s t o n i n
h i s n e w l y a c q u i r e d M i t s u b i s h i
E v o 9 a n d I a n M e n z i e s w i t h B o b
M c G o w a n i n a f o r m e r N e a l B a t e s
M o t o r s p o r t T o y o t a Y a r i s A P 4 , i t
w a s E r i k J o h n s s o n a n d L a r i s a
B i g g a r i n t h e o l d e r S u b a r u W R X
w h o t o o k S S 1 a l b e i t b y o n l y o n e
s e c o n d f r o m W i e d m a n / P r e s t o n
a n d a f u r t h e r o n e s e c o n d b a c k t o
M e n z i e s / M c G o w a n . T h e n e x t
t h r e e s t a g e s w e r e s w a p p e d
b e t w e e n t h e W e i d m a n a n d
M e n z i e s c r e w s d u r i n g w h i c h
M e n z i e s / M c G o w a n o v e r s h o t a
j u n c t i o n o n S S 4 t o b e 8 s e c o n d s
b e h i n d t h e l e a d b e f o r e t h e
s t a g e s w o u l d b e t u r n e d a r o u n d
H e a d i n g i n t o t h e r e v e r s e d
s t a g e s , W i e d m a n w o n o n e ,
M e n z i e s t w o a n d b o t h h a d a n
e q u a l t i m e o n a n o t h e r r e s u l t i n g
i n a d e a d h e a t f o r f i r s t A c o u n t
b a c k o n s t a g e w i n s r e v e a l e d b o t h
h a d w o n a n e q u a l n u m b e r o f
s t a g e s t h r o u g h t h e d a y . T o b r e a k
t h e t i e , a c o u n t b a c k o n s e c o n d
p l a c e s r e v e a l e d t h e p a i r i n g o f
W i e d m a n a n d P r e s t o n c a m e
s e c o n d t h r e e t i m e s t o M e n z i e s
a n d M c G o w a n ’ s t w o s o i n w h a t
w a s t h e c l o s e s t o f f i n i s h e s ,
W e i d m a n / P r e s t o n w e r e d e c l a r e d
w i n n e r o f t h e e v e n t .
T h e c r o w d p l e a s i n g A l f a R o m e o
1 4 7 o f T r i s t a n C a r r i g a n s t a y e d i n
t o u c h w i t h t h e t h r e e l e a d i n g
c r e w s a n d w a s b a t t l i n g C o f f s
H a r b o u r d r i v e r S t e v e A r t h u r b u t
a b r o k e n d r i v e s h a f t i n S S 2 l e f t
A r t h u r d o i n g a l l h e c o u l d t o s t a y
i n t o u c h o n r o a d s h e h a d n e v e r
b e f o r e s e e n T h i s l e f t T i m
C o l l i n g w o o d t o b a t t l e o u t 2 W D
w i t h M i t c h e l l P l a n t w h o s w a p p e d
s t a g e w i n s i n t h e f i r s t l e g .
C o l l i n g w o o d p r e v a i l e d i n a l l f o u r
f i n a l s t a g e s t o t a k e o u t 2 W D
w h i l e t h e P l a n t b r o t h e r s w o n t h e
J u n i o r c a t e g o r y .
D a v i d M i c j a n a n d K e l v i n O ’ S h e a
t o o k a n e a r l y l e a d i n t h e
A c w o r t h R e c r u i t m e n t
Q u e e n s l a n d C l u b m a n S e r i e s i n
S S 1 w h i c h t h e y k e p t t h e e n t i r e
e v e n t w h i l e n e w c o m e r s K r i s t e n
S p r e n g e r a n d J a r r a d V a n d e r h o r
h e l d o f f S a s h a P o w e r a n d B r a d
H u r f o r d i n t h e S u b a r u E x p e r t s
W o o l g o o l g a S e r v i c e C e n t r e
N o v i c e S e r i e s .
N e w t o t h e K i c k A s s Q R C i n
2 0 2 5 , a R e g u l a r i t y c a t e g o r y h a s
b e e n a d d e d t o t h e o n e h e a t
r o u n d s . T w o c r e w s n e w t o
s p e c i a l s t a g e c o n d i t i o n s , a l b e i t
r u n n i n g i n R e g u l a r i t y f o r m a t
r e p o r t e d t h r o u g h o u t t h e d a y
h o w g o o d i t w a s t o d r i v e l i v e
s t a g e s i n a n e v e n t . T h e i r s m i l e s
w e r e a s w i d e a s t h e o v e r a l l
e v e n t w i n n e r s .
A l l u p , t h e n e w c o n c e p t w o r k e d
b r i l l i a n t l y , l e d b y C l e r k o f
C o u r s e P e t e r F l y n n w h o s a i d
“ O u r d e d i c a t e d t e a m o f
v o l u n t e e r o f f i c i a l s d i d a n
i n c r e d i b l e j o b a l l d a y . T h e y
f l a w l e s s l y e x e c u t e d t h e
t u r n a r o u n d r e a d y f o r t h e
a f t e r n o o n l e g t o s t a r t o n t i m e
a n d k e p t t h e e v e n t r u n n i n g t o
s c h e d u l e ” . D O M I N I C
Words by Larisa Biggar
Images by Wishart Media
Nothing puts a bigger smile on your face than the one you wear after conquering Kuri Bush.
No onboard footage can truly capture what this stage delivers. It’s something you have to experience for yourself. You crest impossibly steep rises, float over the top, land with momentum that throws you into the next descent faster than you imagined only to be met by another sudden corner or brutal incline. It’s relentless. It demands everything. You can try to enjoy the ride, but do so at your peril. Kuri Bush isn’t a stage you coast through. It requires commitment—more than you knew you had. Lose your rhythm for even a moment, and it will punish you. It’s a rollercoaster just one made for rally cars.
And just to make things even more intense; picture the crowd. Spectators line every fence line, crest, corner, and ridge anywhere they can get a glimpse. They're loud, excited, and always watching. The temptation to put on a show is strong—but it’s a risky game. One wrong move, and the price is high. What truly sets Kuri Bush apart isn’t just the terrain or the thrill. It’s what it represents. Kuri Bush is never the first stage of the Otago Rally. You don’t get to start here. You earn the right to take it on. It’s the final test in a rally that has already pushed you to the edge—two days of reconnaissance, followed by two grueling days of competition. Many stages stretch beyond 25 kilometers, and they come back-to-back. Your car is tired. You’re tired. The tyres under you aren’t ideal; most of your best gear has been spent just getting this far.
So when you finally reach Kuri Bush, it’s not just another stage it’s a reward. A culmination of everything: the work, the endurance, the sacrifice. You feel the emotion as you drop into that first crest and ride that final descent. Once you cross the finish line, that’s when the smile takes over. Maybe even a tear. Because in that moment, you don’t just finish a rally—you complete something extraordinary.
After a string of frustrating cancellations, the hills of Jimna finally echoed with the sweet sound of rally cars once more as the SR Automotive BSCC Jimna Test and Tune made a triumphant return in 2025!
Backed by our proud new naming sponsor, SR Automotive, this year ’ s event had extra polish—and plenty of horsepower to match. We extend a huge thank you to SR Automotive for their support and involvement in reigniting the season with a bang.
FINALLY BACK TO
This time, even the weather got the memo—sunshine, dry roads, and perfect conditions set the stage for an unforgettable start to the rally year. Under the smooth direction of Clerk of the Course John Coleman, the event ran like clockwork.
Jimna’s start-of-year shakedown has a well-earned reputation for bringing together an eclectic mix of cars and characters, and 2025 was no exception. From classic beasts to modern missiles, everyone was there to stretch the legs of their machines on our two-stage layout one long, one short designed for maximum mileage, not stopwatch stress. It’s a day where lap times don’t matter, but seat time does.
A sincere thank you once again to Jimna Base Camp for their hospitality and our officials for their support in making the event happen. We’re already itching to return hopefully sooner rather than later. Sadly, the upcoming QRC event has been postponed, but rest assured, we’ll be back and better than ever.
IINACTIO NACTIO BSCC CREW
ANTHONY McLOUGHLIN (with Lewis Bates), RYAN PRESTON (with Tom Clarke), STEWART REID, SHANE and SYLVIE GARNER, and JOSH WIEDMAN made the trip to Canberra for Round 1 of the ARC. All except the GARNERS will also be heading to Western Australia for Round 2.
JOSH WIEDMAN returns for Round 2 of the ARC in WA, continuing his campaign in the ARC Production Cup behind the wheel of his new Mitsubishi. After securing Round 1 wins in both the QRC and NSWRC, he currently leads the state championships.
GARY DUTTON is set to return to the Rally of the Heartland following a strong performance at the Mitta Mitta Rally, once again joined by RAY PRIEST in the co-driver’s seat. Also heading to South Australia is ZACH HEGDÉ, competing in the Retromotive Porsche. We’re looking forward to hearing more tales from the Heartland.
NEILL WOOLLEY had a strong showing at the Otago Rally, teaming up with Josh Keighley to finish 3rd in the NZRC Group A Challenge. Fellow member ED MULLIGAN also made the journey across the Tasman, returning to action in his well-proven BMW this time with NICOLA HOEY alongside.
Sorry if we missed anyone!
BEST OF LUCK TO ALL CREWS!
You asked. We listened!
By popular demand, entries for our events this year will be via the Motorsport Australia Member Portal. We trust that this will make entries smoother for crews going forward. So get in now and populate your MA Member Portal today!
At time of print this was f resh news, but we felt it important to acknowledge Ed’s passing. We hope to have something more substantial for the next issue.
SO LONG, STIRLING’S CROSSING
Stirling’s Crossing Equestrian Complex opened its gates in early 2016 as Australia’s only privately owned, purpose-built endurance facility The complex is surrounded by diverse topography suited for endurance rides as well as flat ground to accommodate eventing and other equestrian disciplines and offers riders the chance to enjoy the beautiful environment of Imbil, camp alongside their horses and participate in a range of events using the great facilities onsite.
From world-class facilities to the stunning natural environment, the complex provides all requirements for a variety of equestrian related events.
Long before the SCEC was opened, owner Matthew Sample and his family, have been deeply entrenched in the sport of endurance riding and also and horse breeding In endurance competition, one event that shines like the Melbourne Cup does in horse racing, The Tom Quilty Gold Cup This truly iconic event is steeped in history since it was established in 1966 by Queenslanders Erica and R.M. Williams, who loved long distance riding and their Arabian horses
To explain this event; it begins with start time at TC0 at midnight and event closure / cutoff at midnight 24hrs later; a number of service & vet checks in between and a total distance of 160kms. It is a truly grueling event.Matthew Sample, founder of Stirling’s Crossing Endurance Club, won the Tom Quilty Gold Cup in 2009 and the Sample family has a long history in endurance riding; with Matthew, his brother Brook and father Bob having collectively taken home 33 buckles for successfully completing the ride. Between them, they have taken home the Gold Cup more than any other family accumulating nine wins over its 51-year history.
Words by Mal Bartolo
The Tom Quilty Gold Cup is the premier ride on the endurance calendar in Australia The prestige associated with winning this event, as well as competing, is immense. It is the goal of all Australian endurance riders to attempt and be successful in this ride.”
As coincidence would have it, Gwen & I knew of the owner (Matthew Sample) through personal business with the financial advisory company Sample & Partners many years earlier.
In early 2021 and after many visits to the SCEC grounds assisting Gwen at events, I pondered the idea of running a rally from these magnificent grounds and approached then club Secretary Kim (a friend of Gwen’s through events) of the thought of using the grounds. Kim suggested having a discussion with Matthew who looked at the idea favorably and welcomed us to use the SCEC. This was the start of 4 years of events at the Stirling Crossing Equestrian Complex.
The venue is ideally located at the edge of the Imbil State Forests No.1 & No2 and equally conveniently located between our typically longer stages (Imbil, Aracauria, Derrier & Big Dadda) and the other equally popular stage just 2k to the north of the service park (Kandanga, Branch & Macca).
In 2024, we were provided access to the grounds for the Accent Benchtops Rally Queensland TESTING Service Park and allowed to land helicopters there, thanks to Luke Annear’s corporate needs.
It is said that the competitors and officials have loved the SCEC grounds and were impressed with the quality of the bathroom amenities made available to them. If you ’ ve had the pleasure, quality facilities that are both heated & airconditioned for your comfort.
Unfortunately, our time has come to an end, as the business at SCEC is expanding their needs on the property including more horse yarding and the introduction of the property as an entry on the HipCamp camping site and various other camping apps I understand that Matthew’s father-in-law Daniel, heads this new business venture and it is obvious that the paddock we have generally used is the prime location for such a venture given proximity to the amenities block. We wish Daniel all the best and thank Matthew for his generosity of the past 4 years.
So, we must now say goodbye to the luxury of what was on offer and return to the Imbil Showgrounds were familiarity remains from so many years of use. In some regards, we were truly lucky to have had the opportunity that Matthew offered us and to be honest, at a cost that was more affordable than you would imagine. We must note that we were never charged for Time & Materials for the many spiked water pipes that had to be repaired
If we consider the challenges that event directors are faced, Food & Beverage supply to our people is always a concern and returning to the Imbil Showgrounds does remove that concern With the newly opened Liberty garage and the brand-new IGA with extended operating times, and let’s not forget the Railway Hotel, the Imbil Community Club, the Wild Vine Café’ (now licensed) and the Imbil Bakery, food & beverage offerings are a plenty. We will still seek the offerings from the Mary Valley Show Society but the need to organize vendors will be greatly reduced. While losing access to the SCEC is a negative, we must always look for a positive
In summary, we ’ ve had a great run at SCEC and we had a real blast of a time there but rallying in Imbil will remain strong no matter where we are based and the BSCC will do everything possible to ensure that our volunteer officials and competitors & crews are well catered for
To Matthew, Nikki & their extended family, and the great team that run the Stirling Crossing Equestrain Complex, THANK YOU.
@ b r i s b a n e s p o r t i n g c a r c l u b
@ b r i s b a n e s p o r t i n g c a r c l u b
BSCC Buddies
Re-Joins
