On the 26th of November 2008, Claremont College was the place to be for billycart enthusiasts based in Tassie.

Especially me in the Radar Gun Challenge as I began this run with a good vibe which had carried on from the initial warm up run.

I positioned my billycart to ensure that I would have minimal steering to do through the sweeping track in a bid to get the best speed I could achieve.

As a result I got it right as I free wheeled nice and smoothly all the way from the start to the finish setting a good benchmark speed for others to follow. 

At the completion of the challenge I was told that I had clocked the fastest speed of 50km/ph which wasn't what I expected.

A second or third place was what I was expecting so at the end of the day I accepted the trophy for putting it altogether in one flying run.

It's been a bad start to what I firmly believed was going to be a solid one of good performances.

It began at Pyalong in Victoria where I clearly struggled against all of the competitors whom where starting off from ramps.

Free Spirit sadly did not comply which made life hard for me. 

The following day at Corowa in New South Wales I found it more enjoyable having some close races against David Peters in Firebird.

We both made it into the Grand Final where he finished third followed by me in fourth place as shown in the photo.

At that point I still felt confident that I would do alright at Baskerville Raceway.

As shown by the photos taken at the event the usage of the nose cone was a huge mistake.

My crew will be removing it before the next event which I hope will see better results.

Last year proved to be a successful one having finally won my first ever event outside Tasmania.

The year started at the tenth and final running of the Lions Club of Glenorchy Billycart Derby at the Technopark.

It was conducted on a day that had all sorts of weather which ended up been a successful one after I claimed another third place.

I then laid low for about six months before venturing across Bass Strait to compete at the fifth running of the Inverloch Billycart Derby.

It proved very worthwhile as I came home with two first place trophies as a result of having the fastest billycart on the day.

The only race that I had to work hard in was the Charitable Organisations Invitational of which I won narrowly and represented the Lions Club of Glenorchy.

All other heats and finals were easily won because I maintained the usage of the better racing lane.

Nothing further to report about in 2007.

The review of 2006 is coming soon.

The review of 2005 is coming soon.

The punctured tyre at Inverloch in November 2002 was the start of an interesting twelve months in my billycarting life.  

During the summer of 2002/03 a new set of wheels where fitted to ensure that I could keep up appearances for another year.

It started at the Technopark which saw me finishing third outright on a day of reaching the milestone of entering my 25th billycart event in Australia. 

About six weeks after celebrating the milestone I returned to Victoria to compete at Castlemaine where I did a creditable job of securing fifth outright on a wet track. 

My third start for the year was the Tasmanian Titles at Baskerville Raceway which turned into a day of carnage as a result of a crash in my first heat.

My brake was cushioned into a rise as I began travelling down the back straight of the track which resulted in Free Spirit and I becoming airborne.

As a result I landed very heavily which subsequently buckled the rear wheels putting me out of the event.

Nothing further to report about in 2003.

The beloved billycart I personally own and named Free Spirit has finally reached the tender age of ten.

Originally built by David Dungey during the Australian off-season of 1997, I have found this billycart a joy to drive.

Free Spirit began well by finishing second place in the Supercart Class at an event in Devonport, Tasmania against some good opposition.

During the first year of racing in Tasmania it had the fortune of winning its first outright win at the first ever Technopark Billycart Derby in 1998.

After that it maintained a good level of speed to finish second or third place on most occasions.

In November 2002, Free Spirit and I began venturing across Bass Strait to race in Victoria where we had limited success with only one notable fifth place at Castlemaine in 2003.

During this time Free Spirit was modified to ensure the current wheels could be fitted which has been a successful transition.

Since the change of wheels I have been able to claim some more success behind the wheel which has been satisfying.

Dalmaney Hill located at Rosebery in Tasmania was one of those occasions which resulted in me claiming my third outright win.

The competition was fierce throughout the day which made sharing the highlights with my father a pleasurable experience.

My fourth outright win of my career has just become a reality having just successfully claimed my very first ever trophy outside Tasmania at Inverloch in Victoria.

I guess it is a reward for persistence having tried unsuccessfully on two other separate occasions.