“IT’S a huge honour,” said Dennis Kohlman of the life membership he recently received from the Southern 500 Speedway.
It is recognition of a huge commitment spanning decades, running the southern ‘Portland’ gate.
“I reckon it was ‘98 or ‘99 when I started doing the gate as I wasn’t racing or anything like that,” he said.
Mr Kohlman’s dedication to a pattern of service that benefits the community began with National Service and then serving in the Army for six years.
He later became involved with Navy Cadets, continuing to impart military skills to a younger generation.
It would seem that motorsport is in his DNA however – his brother Darren started racing in the early ‘90s and he jumped at the opportunity to get involved.
“I have always been interested in motorsport,” he said.
“I raced for three years… my brother had given up, but his kids were starting to come on so at the end of the season he said ‘why don’t you take my car out next season and race it?’”
“So I came out and raced his car for a season, then I built one and raced for another two seasons.
“Then I was elected president (of the speedway) and said ‘I will give the racing away’.
“While I was president I got sent away to work and vice-president Ken Holland took on the role until my return, and since then I have been on the gate… I reckon it’s got to be 22 or 23 years.”
There is one very simple reason he has stuck with it so long.
“The people,” he said.
“You get the same fans coming through every year.
“The gate used to open at five back in those days and you’d get there at four to set up and there would be a crowd waiting! They would be yelling ‘open it up!”
His time with the club has seen many changes and unusual or standout events.
“One of the ‘King of the Rings’ it got that foggy you couldn’t see the other side of the track,” he recalled.
“Sometimes in the early days you would come out of the pit gate, and you’d get bogged because the track had been over watered, or we had rain as well!”
“Speedway is very family orientated, I have seen kids race as juniors and then move through to the bigger classes like Street stocks, Super rods, Sprint cars and other classes with that family support following.
“We get rained out at least one meeting a season, this last season it was the caravan race which is usually the biggest meeting and always run during Christmas school holidays.
“It was re-scheduled after the school year started and we had people come from as far away as Melbourne.”
Without a doubt a highlight of any season at the Southern 500 is the Anton Domburg Memorial Caravan Race. The venue is always packed and excited children scream for carnage.
The excitement of watching cars race around the circuit, towing caravans that inevitably side swipe and destroy each other is a deceptively simple idea that none the less requires a huge amount of preparation and cleanup.
It’s volunteers such as Mr Kohlman that put in hours to keep the exciting event on the calendar.
“Back in the day it was nothing to be here until four o’clock in the morning, just walking the track picking up scrap,” he said.
“We do it as quick as you can and then run the grader over it. Before the caravan race, usually a week or two before we get out here and strip the vans - get as much stuff as we could puncture wise out of it. But always after the caravan race you notice there’s punctures.”
Whilst Mr Kohlman is delighted by the recognition entailed in his lifetime membership, he has no intention of stepping back from the role he loves so much and enjoys the friendly rivalry over numbers with the Northern ‘Heywood’ gate.
He has become something of an institution, recognised by the fans year after year - a living embodiment of the pleasure motorsport brings to so many people.