Orange’s annual celebration of “Everything on Wheels” is bigger than ever in 2024.

The 2024 Gnoo Blas Classic, now in its 25th year, gets underway this Friday, February 9, with an expanded three-day program that includes an informal street parade, an even bigger car show, some very special guests and much more for motor enthusiasts of all ages.

“This is the first year that we've turned it into a three-day event,” said Gnoo Blas Classic Car Club president Wayne Swadling.

“In the past, it has mainly just been the actual car show on Saturday, but this is our 25th anniversary and we are wanting to take it up to the next level.”

Dropping the “Car, Truck and Bike Show” from the name, the club is looking to build the Gnoo Blas Classic into a real destination event for motor enthusiasts, Wayne said.

“We are expecting 700 cars, trucks and bikes, caravans, boats and whatever!” he said.

“Hopefully we will have 5,000 people through the gates… it is going to bring a lot of people to town —  we have people coming from clubs in Queensland, Victoria… all over the place!”

The expanded program will get underway at 1pm on Friday, February 9, with an informal street parade along Summer Street and close on Sunday, February 11 with a drive out to Lake Canobolas and lunch at the Waratahs Sports Club.

But as in previous years, the highlight of the weekend will be the Saturday car show held at Sir Jack Brabham Park, the site of the historic Gnoo Blas racing circuit.

“We've got a couple of new things happening on the day,” said Wayne. “On the hour, every hour we are doing a bus tour of the race track and going to have Reg Kidd commentating and telling people all about the history of the race track.

“We've got Cody Burcher unveiling his new race car… we’re having what we call a 'Snake Pit' as I am into Ford Cobras and we have a whole heap of Ford Cobras coming. We've got 11 historic police cars coming and another thing is the ‘Lions Den’ celebrating all the Holden history.

“Where else can you see millions and millions of dollars for cars for just $5? It should be good!”

On Saturday night, there will be a dinner at the Orange Ex-Services Club where attendees will hear from this year’s special guests: up-and-coming local racer Cody Burcher; motor racing journalist, commentator and writer John Smailes; and longtime Ford fan and motorsport stalwart Dale Sudholz.

But this year the Gnoo Blas Classic Car Club have also decided to pay a special tribute to Australian motor racing legend and Orange’s own, Max Stewart, with the unveiling of a new plaque and presentation to the family.

Considered one of Australia’s leading racing drivers, Max died in a collision during a practice session at Calder Raceway, Melbourne at the age of just 42.

“Our special guest John Smailes, he's the one who suggested we do something,” explained Wayne.

“When we asked John to be our guest speaker, he mentioned that it would be good to do something on Max Stewart because he's Orange's most famous racing driver in terms of what he's done and what he achieved, so we thought we’d like to pay tribute to Max for what he did in motorsport and get the family up here for the dinner.”

For more details on the 2024 Gnoo Blas Classic visit gnooblas.com

MAX STEWART

1935 – 1977

Born in Orange in 1935, Max began his racing career on motorcycles but soon switched to karts, touring cars and then open wheeler racing cars in Australian Formula II where he was runner-up in 1965 and winner in 1967, 1968, 1969 and 1970.

Max came second to world Champion Jackie Stewart at the 1970 Japanese Grand Prix. In 1972 he won the Singapore Grand Prix and came second in the Macau Grand Prix.

This prompted his move to the ultimate in racing cars – Formula 5000.

In 1973, Max contested the L & M Series in the United States and after six races he was in fourth position overall but had to return home with a fractured wrist.

In 1974 he was placed second outright in the Tasman Series and made history that year by winning five of six rounds in the Gold Star Formula 1 Drivers Championship. He also won the Australian Grand Prix at Oran Park in the Sydney Round of the Gold Star, driving a Lola T330.

In 1975, at Surfers Paradise, he won his second successive Australian Grand Prix in a Lola T400 under the most appalling conditions. The following year in New Zealand he recorded good wins at Levin and Mansfield and also won a round of the Australian Drivers’ Championship at Oran Park.

Unfortunately on March 19, 1977, while practising for a race at Calder Raceway, Melbourne Max was involved in a collision that was to claim his life at the age of 42.