To qualify for the Sh!tbox Rally, you need a car of that description, and Steve Carey’s 37-year-old Ford Meteor passes the test – no power steering, no air-con, no wind-down windows and the dashboard is cracked.
“And the seats aren’t the most comfortable either,” says Steve Carey, who parks his rally car in Latham. Steve and his mate John Hutchinson (Sharky and Hutch, get it?) are one of 250 entries in the rally, which will drive (or limp) 3000km from Newcastle to Townsville to raise money for cancer research.
“You can’t spend over $1500 on the car so, yes, our car is a sh!tbox,” laughs Steve. “She’s a bit rough, she’s got a few rattles but that’s the thing, buy a sh!tbox and see if you can get it there and back.”
Spoiler alert: Vehicles often break down. Last year, Steve and John’s Ford Meteor blew a head gasket before the rally even started. There is a mantra, however, “we never leave anyone behind” and 20 volunteer mechanics work around the clock to ensure drivers are back on the road each day.
“We’ll take driving in turns, the itinerary is both on sealed and unsealed roads. Last year, due to the rain, they had heaps of detours. When the cars pulled in, some of the cars were pulling up with 8 kilos of dirt stuck to each wheel.”
Steve and John’s goal is to raise $10,000 and the inspiration for Steve is a girlfriend he lost to bone cancer 30 years ago and his late father, who had 300 skin cancers removed.
With a Spotify playlist of AC/DC, Barnsey and Iron Maiden, Sharky and Hutch are planning (hoping) to cover 600km a day.
“It’s not a race, it’s basically just a matter of getting there because they’re, you know, they’re sh!tboxes.”
Since its inception, the rally has raised more than $37 million – the second biggest contributor to cancer research after government. Steve and John are also holding an auction (including a signed Raiders & West Tigers jumper and a Balloon Aloft voucher) at the Stonehouse Amaroo on Thursday 11 May at 7pm. Tickets at Sharky & Hutch Facebook page.
For more information, visit shitboxrally.com.au
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