Cotton family takes vintage car for a spin
THE Cotton family’s long history with speedway and motorsports will be on show tomorrow when three generations participate in a practice demonstration at Avalon Speedway.
Ed Cotton, now 82, began his love affair with speedway and motorsports in the 1950s, crewing in Melbourne, before beginning to race in the early 1960s.
A well-known mechanic in the Geelong area, Ed drove three cars during his racing career, each built using his own expertise. His son Garry Cotton said his father experienced particular success in the third car, which he built in 1970. “Dad built it and did all the engineering. A lot of the parts he either made, modified found,” Garry said.
“Running at local level he had 18 consecutive wins at one point, which included the club championship three years in a or row at a track in Point Lonsdale.”
It will be this car the family will drive in the Victorian Classic and Vintage Speedway Club event tomorrow.
“The only thing different about the car is that it’s been repainted since when we got it out of storage, and we’ve got different tyres because the tracks are now made of clay, not gravel,” Garry said.
“But it’s the exact same car and same engine that Dad ran in the ’70s.”
According to Garry, it will be the first time in Australian speedway history that three generations of the one family will drive the one car in the one day.
Ed Cotton will be joined by his two sons Garry and Steve, and his grandchildren Jackie, Jamie and Matthew.
“It’ll certainly be the first time my kids have ever driven the car on a track,” Garry said.
Garry and Steve have followed their father’s footsteps in motorsport, with Steve also racing competitively for more than 35 years.
The siblings continue the family love affair with speedway, regularly driving Ed’s prized machine in vintage demonstrations across Victoria.