TWO inspirational Mount Gambier men will travel Australia for a good cause when they participate in the Leukaemia Foundation Aussie Muscle Car Run this month.
Mick Mullan and Tom Stokker, known as Entrepreneurial Bogans in car 69, will be participating in the event for the fifth year, each having a personal connection to the vital fundraiser.
“My brother Brad Mullan was affected by terminal cancer in 2012, which is when we decided to tick off a few things on the bucket list,” Mick said.
“He always dreamed of owning a Torana and to cut a long story short we looked and found the current ’77 LX Hatchback Torana and bought it for him.”
The run departs Adelaide October 27 and passes through Tailem Bend, Mildura, Renmark, Wilpena Pound and Barossa Valley, before finishing back in Adelaide on November 2.
Tom and Mick will take on the event in the three-speed automatic, which is fitted with a V8 355 stroker and a 650 double pumper Holley.
Mick’s muscle car journey began in 2012, with both Brad and Mick completing the Leukaemia Foundation Aussie Muscle Car Run together.
“Initially my nephew, Brad’s son, read about the event in a muscle car magazine, with him being the ‘revhead’ that he still is today – I think his first words were ‘mum, dad, lion, car’,” he said.
“Brad rang me and I said if you want it to happen, we can make it happen.
“Brad travelled down from Cairns for the event and we raised over $33,000 the first ever year we ran.”
Sadly, Brad passed away a few months before the 2013 event, which is when Tom found his place.
“Before Brad passed, he asked me to continue participating in the event and pursue his passion,” Tom said.
“I suggested a few of his mates to participate as co-driver, but he kept saying ‘nope, they are not the right bloke’.
“Tom helped beforehand fundraising for the event, so that is how we started participating together in 2013.
“Ever since we have participated up until last year as it just was not the right time.”
Tom sadly lost his partner Donna Gray to cancer in 2017 and decided a break was necessary.
“The highlight of the event is not the trip, but more so the money raised for the foundation,” Tom said.
“Donna and I stayed at the Leukemia Foundation village when she had cancer and it was a tremendous help, not costing a single cent.
“The charity has helped us out a lot and we just want country people, in any similar situation, to have one less headache.”
The Leukaemia Foundation Aussie Muscle Car Run provides fun along the way, rewarding the like-minded participants’ efforts put into fundraising.
“The event route takes us through some of South Australia’s greatest country scenery, which sometimes we all take for granted,” Tom said.
Mick said the pair were also involved in motor sports as part of the event.
“Six to eight cars are sent out with 10 seconds in between – someone to chase and someone chasing you,” he said.
“If you catch someone, or someone catches you, we yield because we do not want damage, although if you do not spin out at some stage you are not trying hard enough.”
All money raised through the event is donated to the Leukemia Foundation, with a tally of more than $337,000 so far overall for the 2018 run.
“We have just started fundraising now and any donations are greatly appreciated,” Tom said.
“It is also fully tax deductible so you have nothing to lose.
“We have already indirectly helped many Limestone Coast residents and aim to help more.”
Donate to the Entrepreneurial Bogans by visiting the Aussie Muscle Car Run 2018 website.
