The start of the up to 500cc and historics half-hour endurance race.
VICTORIA'S George Campbell thought he had given up motorcycle racing for good in 1954, but that was before his son Keith brought him back to the track about 17 years ago.
George Campbell was the brother of Australia's first grand prix motorcycle world champion Keith Campbell snr, who was killed in France a year after he won the 350cc crown in 1957.
``I got married and didn't have any money so I stopped in about 1954-55,'' George Campbell said.
``My brother was racing in Europe professionally . . . and got killed . . . so me, personally, I just never lifted another motorbike again.
``Then he (his son Keith) comes along and says `hey, I wanna ride motorbikes?', so what do you do?''
In 1994, Keith Campbell jnr and his father bought a late 1950s AJS road bike, which Keith Campbell said was ``an absolute heap'' before they restored it into a historic race-standard bike in 18 months.
The duo has been touring the country ever since, with Keith Campbell racing and George Campbell doing a majority of the maintenance.
The pair was yesterday at Symmons Plains for the opening day of the first Tasmanian Motorcycle Club road racing championships of the season.
Keith Campbell, a national historic motorcycle champion, was invited by Newstead rider Chris McCausland to ride his 750 Honda this weekend.
``We are starting to get a handle on it, the competition is pretty stiff and we are outclassed by some of the other bikes,'' Keith Campbell said.
``We are still chasing our tail a little bit but we are riding around some of the problems we've got.''
Entry is free and the championships continue today at Symmons Plains until 4pm.