Sellicks Beach Vintage Motorcycle Racing

Six decades is a long time to go without anything, but for fans of motorcycle beach racing, the 64 years they’ve waited for competition to return to Sellicks Beach in South Australia must have seemed like an eternity! This past February, that drought was finally broken when racing returned to the historic seaside location, attracting a healthy turn-out of both entrants and spectators that organisers hope will see the event become a regular fixture.

Sellicks Revived

Sellicks Beach first saw racing, in the form of local-level speed record attempts, in the early 1900s, followed by annual speed trials organised by the Levis (motorcycle) Social Club and held from 1924 until 1953. Following that, tributes were held in 1986 and 1992, but these were display and re-enactment events only, not competition. This past 18-19 February, after more than four years of planning and consultation, racing returned to Sellicks, in a festival that attracted 105 entrants on pre-1963 motorcycles and outfits.  It was fitting that the event was organised by the oldest motorcycle club in South Australia – the Levis Motorcycle Club. Founded in 1922, the club takes their name from the British motorcycle manufacturer founded in 1911 and best known for the two-stoke singles – “the Master Two-Stroke” – they produced. From 1928, Levis also built four-strokes until motorcycle production ended in 1941.  For those that don’t know, the brand is pronounced ‘Lev-iss’, not ‘Lee-vyz’, as some elements of the mainstream media reported! The Levis MCC started beach racing at Sellicks back in those early days and were instrumental in running the ‘Sellicks Beach Speed Trials’ that were held every summer from 1924 until 1953.

Why Sellicks?

Located 45 minutes south of Adelaide, Sellicks Beach is one of the few around Australia that allows beach driving, making it popular with four-wheel drive enthusiasts, as well as for events like the speed trials. Peter Hennekam, Publicity Officer for the Sellicks Beach races, explained that unlike other beaches, what makes Sellicks so suitable for flat-track and sprint-style competition is that the beach sand sits on a pebble foundation, which prevents it from becoming boggy. For the 2017 revival event, a 1.6km (1 mile) course was laid out, just like the original, consisting of an 800m straight and 800m return with hairpin turns at each end. When the return of racing to Sellicks was announced, it immediately drew a flurry of interest, with Hennekam stating that more than 2,000 spectator tickets had been pre-sold by late January. Given the environmental and safety concerns, spectator numbers were limited to 4,000 and spectator areas strictly controlled, but fans still had the opportunity to visit the pit areas and see the various machines up close. Fans also appreciated the chance to go on the ‘track’ and chat to the riders and their crews before each day’s competition started.

Classical Gas

With the event open to pre-1963 machinery across a number of periods and capacities, 105 machines ultimately greeted the starters, with entrants coming from all over Australia and fielding everything from pre-unit Triumphs and hand-shift Harleys to Manx Nortons, Ariels, Matchless and Velocette singles, Indian, Bultaco, BSA, Jawa and James, as well as rarities like a 1930 OEC, ’20s-era Douglas TS 350, Norton 500T, DKW single and even a few Adlers. When asked to select a highlight amongst the diverse range of two-wheel machinery on show, Hennekam said: “There’s 105 highlights - every bike and everyone had an amazing story of how they got there. “There was a local bloke who was riding a 1938 Harley-Davidson. It had been sitting in boxes for 60 years and he put it all together. [the event] is only the second or third time it had been ridden in 60 years.” Sidecars were welcome, too, with Hennekam identifying a particular highlight amongst the outfits being the 1958 Ariel that was rebuilt over six months by two gentlemen aged 81 and 79, who then blasted it up and down the beach course. The two-day, 46-race event (including heats and finals) was split over six Period 2 and 3 classes, from under 125cc to 501cc – 1300cc, with this latter category attracting the biggest fields. While most of the races were scratch events, there were a few handicap races to even up the entrants and keep things interesting.

Beach Date?

Given the resounding success of this year’s Sellicks Beach races, the Levis MCC are hoping to make it a biennial event. “Everybody had a ball,” Hennekam said. “The riders are keen to come back and the spectators were just ecstatic with it all.” The addition of some demo laps by period-authentic cars late in the day, as well as vintage aircraft flyovers, show that Sellicks has scope to expand into a Goodwood Revival-style vintage festival, too. Here’s hoping this event continues, not just as an outlet for vintage and veteran bike owners to experience beach racing, but also for spectators and enthusiasts to see that motorcycle competition doesn’t start and end with a tarmac circuit, drag strip or motocross course.

For more from this year’s races and further details on future Sellicks Beach events, go to: <a href="www.levismcc.asn.au">levismcc.asn.au</a>

Words: The Lead South Australia and Mike Ryan

Photos: Andrey Moisseyev