[AshSimmonds]

MOTOR Magazine article.

It's difficult to read with the flash online-mag layout: http://www.cannonballrun.info/pageflip_motor-7-94/motor_july94.html

[AshSimmonds]

CAR Magazine article.

http://www.cannonballrun.info/pageflip_car-7-94/car_july94.html

[AshSimmonds]

The memorial.

[AshSimmonds]

Have been in contact with Russ from http://www.cannonballrun.info - he might pop in to chat.

Coincidentally - it was 15 years ago today the Cannonball was winding up.

If you have any more information you can add about the event - please post it here or see this page: http://www.cannonballrun.info/help.htm

[Cannonballrun.info]

Thanks for the invite guys. Looks like the type of place you could sit and have a few beers with the locals. :-)

Thanks for having a look at the www.cannonballrun.info site.

If you guys could help out with the years on some of these cars... that would be a great help.

Nice chattin with Ash off site..... If your doing anything with the cannonball run in future... like 05/06/or 07 I would like to know about it.

15 years ago... the 27th of May.... they drive back into Darwin... tired.... but also... a feeling I wont ever forget... I tried to explain it on the site when I wrote it... but.... I still cant explain it now.... something like.... exhausted, but ... not feeling like you did a good days work.... it wasnt fun.... people were just not happy......... It's like they had come to have some fun... maybe even win a race... at the end of the day... they just finished the job... I hope that sums up the feeling....

Again... thanks for contacting me Ash, and inviting me to say something on your forum.

Also... just to be able to read the page flip a bit better... hit the 1:1 button when your reading the page flip thing on the "media" page... makes it a lot easier to read.

Russ.
www.cannonballrun.info

[AshSimmonds]

Good to have you on-board Russ - would be very interesting to hear some more 1st-hand accounts from those who were involved - and have a definitive source of information for reference.

[AshSimmonds]

Cannonball number plates:

#69 was not issued.  Colour variation was early manufacture error.

http://www.ausplates.info/NTall/NT1st.htm

[AshSimmonds]

Reports at the time (I was on the Stuart Hwy as the tail enders passed and was at the scene of the crash the following day) said that the F40's odometer was inaccurate, probably leading the driver to believe the checkpoint was 7km further. He was travelling at speed, unexpectedly saw the checkpoint and braked suddenly, sending the tail of the F40 onto the dirt. He then over corrected and went into a spin. Photographs of the F40 in the fatal slide (and my photographs of the tyre marks!) confirms that the tail of the car went onto the dirt before going back onto the road.

http://forums.biante.com.au/showpost.php?p=157523&postcount=10

[AshSimmonds]

Photo No:    PH0766/0024
Title:    Akihiro Kabe / photographer unknown.
Photographer:    Unknown.
Date taken:    20 May 1994.
Place:    Darwin (N.T.)
Collection:    Hartwell Collection.
Description:    Akihiro Kabe standing beside his Ferrari F40 at the Cannonball Run speed trials "Cannonball Alley" at Hidden Valley Motor Sports Complex, 20 May 1994.

http://www.territorystories.nt.gov.au/handle/10070/153147

[AshSimmonds]

Title:    Akihiro Kabe / photographer unknown.
Photographer:    Unknown.
Date taken:    21 May 1994.
Place:    Darwin (N.T.)
Collection:    Hartwell Collection.
Description:    Akihiro Kabe with his Ferrari F40 at the Cannonball Run Expo held on 21 May 1994 at Stokes Hill Wharf, Darwin.

http://www.territorystories.nt.gov.au/handle/10070/153158