Another successful weekend of pretending you've been catapulted back to the '50s! Paul headed to the fifth instalment of the famous Rattle Trap event... Photos: DTrain Photography.
Paul heads to Crowdy Head, NSW, for the Drag-Ens Hot Rod Club Rattle Trap beach event again this year! It’s a fantastic event for pre 1949 Hot Rods and pre 1963 period style motorcycles. The perfect weather this year made it even better…
With around 60 Hot Rods and 25 motorcycles for this year’s Rattle Trap the event was always going to be a great day.
The whole event is based around the period beach races that happened around the world in the ’40s with Hot Rods and motorcycles. It’s all hosted by the Drag-ens Hot Rod Club, which is one of the oldest in Australia and has a proud heritage when it comes to building/owning period style Hot Rods.
Hot Rodders have always been very closely associated with motorcycles and vice versa. So, it’s a pretty natural decision by the Drag-ens to include motorcycles in the event.
Paul competes every year on his old 1940s 120cc rigid Harley. He loves it and is damn quick! He dirt tracks and road races this bike too!
The pre ’63 cut off is also a natural choice as it fits with classic racing around the world with the same cut-off date and it limits the types of bikes than can qualify for the event, which keeps it focused on the classic American, British and European motorcycles.
The event is simple: line up in pairs to race your mate down the beach for an eighth of a mile, stage at the other end of the beach and wait for your next turn to run.
The start is done with some of the Drag-ens members partners and daughters, it’s the traditional style of start where the girl waving a flag jumps in the air, when she touches the sand with her feet you go!
The start is done with some of the Drag-ens members partners and daughters, it’s the traditional style of start where the girl waving a flag jumps in the air, when she touches the sand with her feet you go!
They even went through to the trouble of building a commentary tower and starting towers that are replicas of the types used back in the ’40s! The staff and helpers all wear white overalls and hats from the period, while the start girls are all dressed in period clothing. Many of the spectators also came in period clothes to add to the flavour of the event.
The tide is the controlling factor as to how much time you get on the beach, this year we got about four and a half hours before the tide came back in too high to run the course. Most of the riders/drivers got eight runs during this time with well organised Marshalls controlling the cars and bikes.
They even went through to the trouble of building a commentary tower and starting towers that are replicas of the types used back in the ’40s! . Most of the riders/drivers got eight runs during this time with well organised Marshalls.
It’s great to see so many volunteer organisations there doing their bit with food stalls, trade stalls and merchandise. It takes a lot of planning and support from local residents and council for something like this to happen. Without the support of council, police and locals these events just don’t happen.
The Drag-ens made the commitment about five years ago to do this each year and they work most of the year to achieve the results and fun of this great event. Well done to the Drag-ens Hot Rod club for such a great event. I’m already looking forward to next year.
Check out Paul’s story on the 2022 event here…
2023 Rattle Trap Gallery
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