When Terence Bracken OAM made his tentative steps into motorsport, he never imagined that almost five decades later he would still be found trackside.
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The Ravenswood man has witnessed some of the biggest events in Tasmanian motorsport from the early beginnings of Targa to the touring cars at Symmons Plains.
As a steward and dedicated volunteer to car clubs like Motor Sport Club Tasmania as a president, vice president and magazine editor, it is no stretch to say racing is in Bracken's blood.
For all those years of service, Bracken has been bestowed the medal of the order of Australia in the general division for his services to motorsport, where he still helps out as an active steward.
"My first instinct was this was a scam and then I was prompted by one of the people who nominated me that it wasn't, it's been very hard to keep it to ourselves," he said.
"It's an honour to be acknowledged."
Trackside, there is no much the 2004 state official of the year has not witnessed in his role as a course checker for the likes of Targa and a communications/timing official for more than a decade.
While he has competed and officaled at various state and national events, the early beginnings of Targa remain strongly in his memory.
"Back in those days I probably wouldn't have thought that I'd still be involved it's one of those things where I was involved in the original Targa organisational team in 1992 ... if you asked me then whether Targa would still be running 30 years later, I'd have said no," Bracken said.
"It was a very, very steep learning curve as we went into the event, because nothing like that had ever been contemplated in Tasmania before.
"It's good to say that this year they'll get to their 30th anniversary and get it off the ground hopefully."
Away from the track, Bracken has helped impart the gift of knowledge onto others as a tutor at the Launceston Senior School and raised valuable funds for Cancer Council Tasmania in the Relay for Life.
"I love the friendships of all the different clubs that we assisted, the last two years I've acted as a series steward for the off-road racing clubs in Tasmania and their events and you build up a really friendly relationship with club members and organisers."
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Adam Daunt
Sports reporter at The Examiner. Focus on basketball and netball but occasionally rolls the arm over for some cricket coverage in the summer. Previously from Adelaide with a stint in Byron Bay. Get in touch: adam.daunt@examiner.com.au.
Sports reporter at The Examiner. Focus on basketball and netball but occasionally rolls the arm over for some cricket coverage in the summer. Previously from Adelaide with a stint in Byron Bay. Get in touch: adam.daunt@examiner.com.au.
