THE BUTCHER WHO MADE MINCEMEAT OF THE OPPOSITION

Brisbane’s Denyse Butcher did plenty of laps of the Lismore Speedway in regular appearances at the circuit that spanned over 20 years.

It was first with the Mini in the early days when Dutton Stibbard and Neil Mansell were promoters then in later years driving the EH Holden and Monaro before the Grand National cars (Corvettes) which were not only fast and winners, but also remembered as being sponsored by Logan Homes.

Her and husband Allan were regulars at the circuit and competed in all the big sedan races, including success in the annual East Coast Grand National.

Denyse, 75, speaks fondly of her racing years at Castrol Edge Lismore Speedway.

“It was a drivers track and you really had to get hold of it,” she remarked.

“Just near the main grandstand there was a slight straight and if you could run that straight and keep the car straight, you were pretty good – Adrian Anderson was good at doing that. It was a very difficult track to drive until you got hold of it, primarily because it was a circle.”

Today Denyse suffers from Parkinson’s Disease, but she still has her facilities, is alert, and continues to have a sharp memory of times and places – particularly Lismore Speedway.

“There was a lot of competition in those days,” she said reflecting on her particular era at Lismore.

Nick named Tubby because “I was always asking my father for tuppence for lollies and I then became known as Tubby,” Denyse’s first appearance was in a ladies race at Lismore.

“There was a lot of entries, I remember it well.”

It was not long after Denyse White (who in earlier days was married to Solo rider Jack White) won her first race at Lismore. “When I won the first race on such a round track,  I remember I was very happy.”

It was more than a special thrill for Denyse and set her on the road to stardom at the Northern Rivers track where today she is recognised as not only one of the most successful women drivers to have raced there, but one of the overall stars of the track in 50 years of speedway at the Showground.

She has special memories about Lismore. “To me it was the fans . . . the fans, they were close to the track. It provided a great atmosphere.”

There was one particularly night at the completion of the East Coast Grand National when Allan Butcher and John Leslight became embroiled in a heated discussion that led to a scuffle on the infield at trophy presentation time. Denyse was the innocent bystander but was not far from the explosive action when it unfolded.

“Yes, Allan and Lesie had a scuffle, all right,” Denyse said. “It took a while for things to cool down after that night at Lismore,” she recalled.

Denyse and Allan were the travellers of the top grade sedan set and raced at over 80 tracks in Australia and New Zealand in what was a wonderful speedway sedan  era.

She continues to work – and run – the souvenir shop at Brisbane’s Archerfield Speedway that started off as an involvement almost 30 years ago through her range of Aussie Trackwear merchandise.

Denyse is probably one of the most versatile competitors who raced at Lismore Showground Speedway. Her oval track career also took to pavement racing at the Melbourne’s Calder high banked circuit racing an OZ-Car courtesy of Max de Jersey.

She was one of the last – if not THE last driver – to win a sedan main event at the world famous Sydney Showground.

She recalled that was in the 1979-80 season when Ron Wanless promoted the circuit.

One of the people in the Butcher team was Tony McNamara and of all the memories she has of the road trips she and Allan shared with Tony, there was nothing to equal the time when she “ran over” Tony.

“We had to back out of the pits because it was blind spot and Tony was behind the car. He said ‘don’t move until I tell you.’ I heard this voice tell me to start moving the car and it sounded exactly like Tony’s, but obviously it wasn’t because I later felt a bump, thump and I had hit and knocked over Tony. He was ok, but it created a bit of attention at the time.”

Denyse Butcher was always destined to race something, largely because of her upbringing.

“I grew up in the neighbourhood that was all boys and we got billy-carts and motorbikes so I was really one of the boys.”

Denyse has a great motto on life: “You’re only as old as you feel.” Words of wisdom we all agree on, Denyse.

She is just one of many big name competitors – and true personalities – who has raced at Lismore Speedway in its half century existence.