The Chronicle

Our Booze Bros rally for cause

- Peter Hardwick peter.hardwick@thechronic­le.com.au

AFTER 29 years of trying, The Booze Bros have at last won the Road Boss Rally.

Booze Bros leader Barry Stubbs accepted the trophy on behalf of the quartet, which also includes Grant Truscott, Royce Hodge and Scott Keenan, after the crew arrived at the finish line in Tamworth having spent 10 days driving through some of Australia’s roughest outback tracks.

“I always thought it was a bit crooked,” Mr Stubbs laughed when accepting the trophy.

“I assumed you just had to wait your turn.”

Starting out from Gladstone, the rally participan­ts drove to Tamworth via the Boulia camel races, along the way having a lot of fun and raising an incredible $265,000 for the GIVIT charity.

The Booze Bros adopt the uniform of the Blues Bros movie fame, black suit and tie and black hat.

The Chronicle photograph­er Nev Madsen joined this year’s rally and hopped in the Booze Bros’ Fairlane for one leg of the trip.

In light of their formal attire, Mr Madsen asked if they were sponsored by a fashion house.

“Yeah, Lowes or St Vincent de Paul,” Mr Stubbs laughed.

“I’ve been wearing the same suit for 10 years, I only wear it once a year.”

Mr Stubbs said there was great camaraderi­e among the rally participan­ts.

“We count all of these people as our friends, some particular­ly good friends.”

“The rally people all stick together, they all share together and when we catch up each year it’s incredible.”

In the aftermath of the 2011 floods, The Booze Bros put out a call to help in the clean up of Grantham.

“We spent eight or nine days patching up after the floods,” Mr Stubbs said.

“We took a couple of excavators, a couple of bobcats and a half a dozen blokes.

“It was a real thrill to see how the rally people came together and supported it.”

Crews came from South Australia, Victoria, New Zealand and the United States to take part in this year’s rally.

You can ride with The Brooze Bros, see our video on The Chronicle website.

 ?? PHOTO: NEV MADSEN ?? WINNERS ARE GRINNERS: The Booze Brothers (from left) Barry Stubbs, Royce Hodge, Scott Keenan and Grant Truscott on their way to winning the 2017 Road Boss Rally in the car 007.
PHOTO: NEV MADSEN WINNERS ARE GRINNERS: The Booze Brothers (from left) Barry Stubbs, Royce Hodge, Scott Keenan and Grant Truscott on their way to winning the 2017 Road Boss Rally in the car 007.
 ??  ?? ON THE ROAD AGAIN: The Booze Brothers’ car 707 leaves the start line of the 2017 Road Boss Rally in Gladstone with 500km of rugged road ahead.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN: The Booze Brothers’ car 707 leaves the start line of the 2017 Road Boss Rally in Gladstone with 500km of rugged road ahead.

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