The event that could match the Burt Munro Challenge
“We’d love for it to become something that matches the Burt Munro Challenge, the Bluff Oyster Festival, the Art Deco Festival in Napier, all of those well-known Kiwi events.”
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You don’t have to look too far in motorsport circles to find those that believe George Begg’s story rivals Burt Munro’s.
For a good part of 20 years - from Munro’s home in Invercargill - he went about modifying his 1920 Indian Motorcycle.
In 1967, at 68 years old riding a 47-year-old machine, Munro set an under-1,000 cc world record.
A spotlight was shone brightly on Munro’s story in 2005 through the release of Roger Donaldson’s movie The World’s Fastest Indian.
There’s now a statue of Munro in Invercargill, as well as a four-day event each year called the Burt Munro Challenge. It attracts thousands to the city.
Sift through the life of the late George Begg and it quickly becomes obvious his story deserves the same sort of attention.
Begg got his start in motorsport by racing motorcycles, including in the Isle of Man.
But it’s when he returned home to the farm in Drummond, Southland that the motorsport magic really happened.
He opened a successful engineering business in 1957, and after reading a book about race car construction decided to give it a go.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Begg built 18 race cars that took on some of the biggest names in the motorsport world.
His achievements were so legendary, he was even compared to Enzo Ferrari. Drummond was dubbed the Maranello of Southland.
Richardson Group director Scott O’Donnell is a fan of George Begg and his story. He has gone about shining the appropriate spotlight on Begg’s achievements.
It has included putting together the George Begg Bunker exhibition in the basement of Classic Motorcycle Mecca in Invercargill.
But the biggest play in celebrating Begg has been the formation of the George Begg Festival. A four-day event that organisers believe can become the four-wheel version of the Burt Munro Challenge.
In 2020 the Bill Richardson Transport World and the Southland Sports Car Club teamed up to put on the George Begg Classic Speedfest.
This year Transport World has hired the Teretonga Park track itself and put together a new four-day George Begg Festival.
The first George Begg Festival will start in Invercargill on Thursday.
There are few Southland events that have undergone such a marketing drive as that of the new George Begg Festival.
The team at Transport World has taken the lead in what has been a nationwide push to promote the unique new motorsport offering.
Transport World communications and marketing advisor Alana Dixon has been part of that team putting it all together.
She says it’s the “sky’s the limit”, in terms of what the event could become in years to come.
“It is showcasing another incredible story like Burt Munro’s is to Southlanders. It’s something we can be really proud of.”
“Long-term we’d love for this to be something that attracts three, four, five thousand people over the four days.
“This [year] is obviously the first event, so we are starting with our expectations a little bit different from that long-term outlook. But it has been very encouraging.”
“We’ve got people coming from all over the country for it. We’d love to attract not just visitors - because that’s great for our hotels, our restaurants, our retailers - but also our locals as well.
“We really want people from here in Southland to get behind the event and celebrate a really incredible Southland story.
“We’d love for it to become something that matches the Burt Munro Challenge, the Bluff Oyster Festival, the Art Deco Festival in Napier, all of those well-known Kiwi events.”
The 2023 George Begg Festival will include the Beggs Barmy Rally on Thursday evening and the Studio GB retro disco-style event on Friday night.
Of course, there will be racing at Teretonga Park on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday which motorsport followers would expect.
But this race meeting will be like no other held at the historic Invercargill circuit. After all, you’ll be able to get your hair, makeup, and nails down at Teretonga Park if you want.
They have used the Goodwood Revival historic motor race meeting in England as a template for the George Begg Festival.
A retro beauty parlor will be on hand at the George Begg Festival and attendees are encouraged to dress up in 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, noughties (00s) era clothing.
On top of live entertainment, a retro beached-themed kid zone will also be set up.
The hope is people who may not have otherwise ventured to Teretonga Park before will for the George Begg Festival.
“I myself am not a particular motorsport attendee, but even for somebody like me there’s the disco party, there is all the live entertainment, music, and the dress up element of it all,” Dixon says.
“It’s about making motorsport accessible and appealing to a really big audience, so that all of the people who have never been to a motorsport event or a race meet before, will come away and go; ‘that was so much fun’.”
The plan is for the George Begg Festival to be held every second year.
“We are already thinking about what we might have for the 2025 event, like a champagne lawn. Just adding to it every year so it becomes bigger and better every time.”
Spare a thought for those that have put this together as well.
“It really has been like building another museum, almost. It’s been a huge amount of work; the whole team has been really dedicated. We’ve thrown everything we’ve got at it; it’s been a mammoth team effort.”
The birth of another potential marquee event will take place this week. Another feather in Invercargill’s already impressive motoring cap.