Yarram Lions Club

	THE HAPPY DAYS ROCK & ROLL, HOT ROD & CAR FESTIVAL! For more information contact : Brian Hall 5182 0629 or Carol Kavanagh 5182 6995.

HOT RODS AT YARRAM

SOUTHERN BEACHES ROD & CUSTOM CLUB EST 196 Hot Rod

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In the 60's the club meeting used to be held in Aspendale at a flat on the beach. In the early days the club consisted of 8 members then quickly went to 12. These days the club has just on 30 members but add in the rest of the family and you have a fair size club.
The club consisted of T models, custom lines, FJ Holden's, Ford Zephyrs and race cars in the 60's - 70's. The club used to run a Top fuel race car which consisted of a blown and injected 396 HEMI. An engine that is very sought after and expensive these days. The club were regulars at drag race meetings and even travelled all the way to Surfers Paradise to race. Another member Geoff La Levra also ran a race car back then, a HR Holden named "TROUBLE MAKER" this was a very popular and competitive race car and is still known to this day. In 1971 on the Queen’s birthday weekend at Surfers Paradise Raceway the Top fuel car made a record setting 7 second quarter mile pass and "Trouble Maker" ran a 13 sec pass, which was a very competitive time for a street car in those days.
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Leigh Fielder a current member is also a record setter. He is one of 3 Australians who made up the "THUNDER FROM DOWN UNDER TEAM " that went to 50th speed trials in Bonneville , Utah in the U.S.A. IN 1998. Leigh not only set a new world record but then beat it again the record still stands to this day. Leigh will be competing to hold on to his title in 2008, the record is 238.331mph in the class of A/GALT .He was the first Aussie to break such a record over in the US and is a member of the famous 200 MPH club. He is also an active member in the Dry Lake Racers in Australia.
The club has always been very competitive not just with racing but with our annual car display at the VICTORIAN HOTROD SHOW. The club has taken out best club display year in and year out for the last 20 years. The display is a very strongly contested event, others always state they will knock us from our perch but we have yet to see it happen. We not only win top club display year in and year out but our members continue to take home trophies for individual member's cars. We also have other record makers; Joe Vannutini (PRESIDENT) and his son Dean Vannutini (SECRETARY) have both won Top National Street Rod at the ASRF nationals. This is the biggest trophy in all of Hot Rodding and we have not one but two members who have won it. Hot Rod

In the early 70's we had a second year Electrical Apprentice who was a member. He came to the club and said he was quitting his apprenticeship to start a band. The second year apprentice was the now famous "DARRYL BRAITHWAITE" from SHERBET fame.
The Southern Beaches are a very family friendly and social hot rod club. Not much has changed since its establishment, our members are always out and supporting other clubs, charity and the sport of Street Rodding. We can regularly be seen and we have a very well respected presence among the Hot Rod community.