I bought a new wool press the other day, and the salesman was one of the coppers on the Nullarbor when the Cannonball went through. He sent me a description of the event from the police point of view and a few old newspaper clippings from the day.
From Noel Lawrence.
Some info on the first (unadvertised test cannon ball run, just two cars I think, the Commodore and Transam if there were others I don't remember).
The main article in that particular magazine was written by Jeff Denmeade.
I was the copper giving Jeff a speeding ticket late in the afternoon, near Southern Cross. His speed was checked over the marks that we had on the highway then. At that stage we did not know anything of a cannonball run or practise cannonball run.
But the day before the other traffic cars working with us stopped the Transam near Clackline for speeding. That night we were talking about it and knew something was rather odd because when the driver was getting a speeding ticket, the passenger was out of the car cleaning the windscreen with a rag. We knew something must have been up.
The following night we stayed in Southern Cross and spent the night with Denmeade and the crew, thus the picture of the aircraft and his Commodore at the Southern Cross Airstrip..
The real Cannonball Run later on caused a lot of headache with the Police department and we were ordered out to the Eyre Highway to grab them as they came along, and told to "lock em up if they were going beyond 145Kmh", but because police cars were in the wrong place and the cars moving at high speed we could only follow one towards Norseman for several hours. But I think by the time he was stopped the others slipped through and I think the big Holden one tonner slipped by Esperance way and was the "unofficial/controversial" winner.
A few years ago I saw where Jeff Denmeade won the big Hill climb up Pikes Peak in Colorado in the USA..
Rather interesting.
cheers
Noel
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