General News
8 April, 2025
Roger retires but still revving
By CHRIS EARL ROGER Boehme has been fascinated with cars since he was a six-year-old. “I am certainly an enthusiast,” he said as cars whizzed along Eddington’s Playfair Street on Saturday in the 40th annual Eddington Vintage Car Sprints. One...
By CHRIS EARL
ROGER Boehme has been fascinated with cars since he was a six-year-old.
“I am certainly an enthusiast,” he said as cars whizzed along Eddington’s Playfair Street on Saturday in the 40th annual Eddington Vintage Car Sprints.
One of those vehicles was the Harley Sporster dubbed Testa Piatta and once driven by Roger in the event he has been part of almost since the first cars arrived to tackle the straight quarter-mile track in 1985.
“Borrowed the car from Jim and Joyce Russell, competed once and won my class ... did the track in 15.3 seconds,” said the Inglewood car racing fanatic.
The Harley was again on the track on Saturday, now driven by Clinton Mitchell.
Roger was a key organiser and member of the Vintage Sports Car Club of Victoria and officiated at more than 30 incarnations of the Eddington sprints.
With age and health creeping up, Roger stepped back as Bendigo Car Club took on the sprint event’s organisation.
But last Saturday, he was still on site with hi-vis vest assisting where needed and swapping stories with fellow enthusiasts.
“The idea of Eddington Sprints came from two notable vintage sports club members Neville Roberts - an Eddington man - and Graeme Quin of Barkers Creek,” said Roger.
“We had some pretty crude times early ...,” he recalled.
Roger said the sprints had always had strong support from the Eddington community with the hall committee’s catering helping make a “magical, laid-back and atmospheric event.”
Hall committee members were on deck again this year, serving up breakfast rolls from soon after dawn and barbecued sausages throughout the day.
Among a new group of volunteers was Ian Clusker, of Bendigo, who was a trainee marshal beyond the finishing lines as cars and historic motorcycles completed the course and were lined up before returning in convoy to the pits between the community hall and the disused miniature railway.
“I should have been competing but the engine gave out so I’ve been put on duty,” he said between directing cars.
“My MG Midget will be back soon. I’ve been competing at Eddington for 10 years and will again”