WHEN he’s not preaching the word of God, The Reverend Ross Hathway indulges in other passions.
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Hot Rods, that is, - sleek symmetry, raw power and sheer artistry.
The St Nicholas Anglican Church Minister is already well known for his love of motorbikes.
He’s a member of the Ulysses and Goulburn Classic Motorcycle Clubs and enjoys nothing more than a ride around the countryside.
But this weekend he’ll be lining up his brother Mark’s ’32 Chev for the Goulburn Easter Rod Shakedown.
The bright yellow, 400 horsepower machine will be among 100 machines involved in the two-day event. Organisers Joanne and Ben Facey have been working on the extravaganza since the Combined State Rod Run in 2012.
Reverend Hathway’s car is on loan from his brother, a member of the Gunnedah Car Club.
“It’s five years old and was built during the drought when Mark was told he needed an off-farm interest,” he said.
“He thought ‘what the heck, I’ll go further into debt,’” The Reverend said, Unable to visit Goulburn himself, he insisted his Minister brother drive the Rod in the shakedown.
The shiny yellow machine will line up in Saturday night’s street cruise along Auburn St.
“It will be a thrill,” Reverend Hathway said.
“My daughter is over from England and together with my wife we’ve already done a few ‘mainies’ (laps) with the sunglasses on.”
He says Rods’ attraction lies in their ‘metal artistry,’ the union of modern powerful running gear and suspension with classic shapes and of course, a bit of horsepower.
But the Reverend also has an ulterior motive. The Rod will be promoting St Nicholas’ 150th anniversary and this year’s celebrations.
The Easter Rod Shakedown kicks off with a dinner for entrants at The Astor on Friday night. Mrs Facey said Rod owners from South Australia, Victoria, Queensland and all over NSW were participating.
Charley Hutton, well known in the ‘rodding industry’ is this year’s celebrity judge. He’ll be giving a skills demonstration to entrants at the main venue, Goulburn High School, on Saturday morning.
Other activities are also planned and later, the ‘rodders’ will be motoring around local tourist attractions.
The street cruise gets underway from 5pm Saturday for the next two hours, starting at Clinton St.
On Easter Sunday, the Shakedown Show and Shine at Goulburn High School is open to the public from 10am. Entry is $5 per person or $10 for families.
There will also be plenty of stalls, music and kids’ activities.
Mrs Facey said the shakedown would bring the city alive. She thanked sponsors and Goulburn Mulwaree Council for helping to revive the popular street cruise, dumped in 2012 over traffic issues.