Bid Now for Gilroy Bonnett
Singleton’s V8 Supercar driver Ryan Gilroy will not only be racing for himself at Townsville this weekend, he’s hitting the circuit for his beloved hometown, too.
Like most people throughout the Hunter Valley and beyond, the 22-year-old was deeply affected by last month’s Greta bus tragedy, which claimed the lives of 10 individuals, including several sportsmen and women from the Singleton Roosters AFL club.
Now, the self-confessed Singletonian wants to help support the survivors as well as the victims’ immediate families.
In collaboration with Newcastle-based artist Jordan Lucky, Gilroy has commissioned a one-of-a-kind street art bonnet, honouring those who were taken too soon.
The piece, featuring the town’s iconic Sundial and a coal train, will be front and centre on his Bowers Heavy Haulage ex-Triple Eight Holden VF Commodore when it zooms around the streets of north-eastern Queensland from Friday through to Sunday this weekend.
And, the commemorative hood is being auctioned online by Grays.com up until the end of the 2023 Townsville 500.
All proceeds raised will be donated to the fund co-managed by the NSW Government and Rotary Australia, which offers financial relief and assistance to those impacted by that heart-breaking evening.
“I just wanted to do it because Singleton and the Hunter Valley, in general, has been so supportive of my racing career thus far… and they continue to back me in whatever direction I choose to go, which I’m forever thankful for,” Gilroy said.
“So, if I can play a role and raise some money to help others, I’m more than happy to.”