AFTER a 30-year hiatus, former driver and self-confessed showman Terry ‘Wild Man’ Willimott has returned to the Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic.
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Mr Willimott was one of more than 60 fans who lined up to get a spot at Mt Max on Friday.
The Geelong resident said in his final race at Premier Speedway in super modifieds, the forerunner to sprintcars, he made the most of his moment to make his goodbyes to the crowd and threw his helmet to the fans.
“I have not been back to the track since I quit,” he said.
Mr Willimott had a reputation for being a showman on the track and said he had fun playing up to the crowd.
“I just always thought that people were paying money to go and see you race,” he said.
“I was always a bit of a showman I guess.
“Back in my day you’d race Friday and Saturday night.
“There’d be a bit of push and shove and then the next weekend it would be talked about as a bit of a grudge match.
“People would be buying tickets to see a bit of argy bargy.
“People used to reckon I was pretty crazy – and I was.”
Mr Willimott said he had mixed feelings returning to the Allansford speedway.
“It’s strange to be here since all those years ago,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to it though.
“It was much flatter when I was here, there wasn’t such a hill.”
Mr Willimott still holds the 10-second hot lap record at Avalon.
He said there had been plenty of changes since he raced particularly in terms of modifications made to cars.
“We didn’t have the big wings on the cars,” he said.
“They just don’t get the speed like I used to.”
Mr Willimott said he was lucky to never suffer any broken bones or serious injuries in his time, but there were often a lot of bruises.
He said prior to a race the adrenaline would kick in and he’d forget any aches and pains.
“I came into a corner and hit a rut and ended up on the fence once,” he said.
“They ended up taking a wheel off and they let it drop to the ground. But times have changed.”
Mr Willimot, who met his partner Elizabeth Bailey through speedway, raced super modifieds and speedcars and said about three-and-a-half years ago his friend bought him a ticket to a meeting which featured vintage racing.
“I said ‘I don’t go to racing any more’,” he said. “I wasn’t too happy about it. He said ‘come on I’ll buy you a hot dog’, as a bit of a joke.”
Mr Willimott found that he enjoyed the races and said since then he had considered getting into vintage racing.