Updated Monday, 16th January 2012
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Billy Carts off and racing!
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Sunny skies and inspired creations were the order of the day as Saturday's Billy Cart Derby staged a huge success at Falls Creek Alpine Village.
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A 50 gallon drum, mini Mack truck and cartoon dog - these were some of the inspirations on show as billycart enthusiasts converged on Falls Creek over the weekend.
Over 80 entrants across three age groups tackled the downhill village course in carts ranging from creative masterpieces to supreme feats of engineering. One such cart reached speeds up to 49KPH in a demonstration on the day - a mean feat considering the village's speed limit is just 30! Luckily for this eager racer, the Mt Beauty police were on hand to record, rather than regulate the speeds of the drivers.
There were several spills spills as some drivers pushed their carts to the limits. One such accident forced a Technology Institute group to retire their damaged cart from the final races. Another incident saw the wooden bonnet of one of the faster carts fly off mid-race. Whilst nobody was hurt in any of the incidents, they certainly provided some thrilling moments for the spectators.
With some hard-fought heats throughout the morning, the afternoon saw the real contest begin with the top five racers in each category proceeding to the finals. There were some familiar faces from previous years (with carts modified and updated through the year) and some new to the event. Competition was fierce and the times tight.
In the Under 10 category, Casey Young (complete with golden pants and bling) was too quick for the rest, winning by over a second. The Under 15's was a tight contest before Kayde Richardson blitzed the competition with his fastest time similarly quicker than the rest. In the Open category, Mt Hotham's Trevor Taylor was looking to win the title for the rival resort for the second year running. Taylor was finally overtaken by Trevor White - returning to Falls Creek from Wodonga for another crack at the crown. A spirited effort from the Winder family saw them take out the team challenge by racing strongly in each category.
All of the day's winners were rewarded with Championship Trophys, $100 vouchers from local Falls Creek operators, as well as having their names etched in history on the Falls Creek Billy Cart Derby perpetual trophy.
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|  | Falls Creek local Jason Nightingale sets the pace
Pic - Charlie Brown
|  | Previous winner "the Holcott Hurricane" modified for 2012
Pic - FCRM
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