The only noise that swept all the way across Symmons Plains over the weekend was the noise of the wind.
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The barren track was left empty without not only the engines powering down the back straight, but the cheers from vocal support for every time the Supercars circuit arrives in Launceston.
Just for a moment, Andrew Stride thinks the abandonment of this year's scheduled round may have been for the best after coronavirus put a stop to a weathered start.
"To get to all that, we have to get through the pain of not having it now," he said.
"Having said that, we've been maybe a bit fortunate because it poured on Thursday, poured on Saturday and poured rain once again on the morning of the race.
"It would have been a bit uncomfortable out there."
But Stride would have taken a bit of drizzle over waiting up to another 12 months to race should the motorsport season not get underway.
The 56-year-old has been down track side every single year for the Symmons Plains race bar one since 1977.
Struggling to recall why, he reckons an interstate trip stopped the streak of official appearances - until this year.
Stride began an obsession, almost underhandedly, as a flag trackside marshall.
He was 14 then in 1977.
"I was actually too young really at the time to be out on a flag point, but I managed to sneak out there," Stride said.
"A lot of people, who were involved back in the late 70s and early 80s, have all just disappeared off the scene.
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"I'm probably the last of those people floating around.
"But I am not sure if I am the oldest young bloke or the youngest old bloke there.
"I think I am a relic from the past. I'm history."
Strides continued on waving flags for 11 years before progressing to driving safety vehicles at the annual touring cars event that coincided with racing HQ Holdens a bit quicker on the state scene.
There is little that Strides has not done at Symmons Plains: driving tow trucks, race promoter and currently a category manager.
"I'm a motorsport tragic, have been all my life, born into a motorsport family and my dad raced and is a member of the Tasmanian Motorsport hall of fame," he said.
"It's been in my life since I was born and every one has their chosen sport so I guess motorsport is my go to."
His Tas GT category is the Supercars support division that had 32 cars lined up all set to race on Sunday.
The Tasmanian speedway commentator counts down the days on the calendar to Symmons Plains, but he stopped short before reaching single digits this year.
"If you asked me three weeks ago, I wouldn't expected this," Strides said.
This was special to Strides as the track celebrates six decades of touring cars after he arrived the next decade.
"It's just not me, but there are people who look forward to it - it's the biggest day, the biggest weekend of motorsport in Tasmania bar none," he said.
"The big names come that everybody watches at Bathurst and it's an opportunity to see them in the flesh and up close and personal."
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