78-year old's Nissan Pulsar impounded after AU street race with Skyline
A 78-year-old Australian man with a need for speed had his car impounded after being caught racing at 170 km/h (105 mph) on a winding road east of Melbourne on New Year's Day. It seems John Belfield, the senior citizen under the spotlight, is a member of a local Nissan-Datsun sports car club. The club was holding a social run for its members on January 1, and Mr. Belfield was in attendance with his sporty Nissan Pulsar.
When prodded during the drive by a 36-year-old fellow club member in a Nissan Skyline, Belfield couldn't restrain himself and took chase. While it isn't clear who had the lead when the police intervened, the local constabulary did nab both drivers and promptly impounded their cars based on Victoria's "hoon laws" (a series of laws that covers certain types of speeding, burnouts, street racing, screeching brakes, etc...). The violation, according to police records, makes John Belfield the oldest person to have his car impounded under the law... an accolade, of sorts. In his defense, Mr. Belfield pointed out that he is a skilled driver who races cars. We doubt that got him off the hook, as it has never worked for us when we're in our Pulsars. Thanks to Sam for the tip!
[National News AU]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Michael 8:01PM (1/10/2009)
Keep it on the track.
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esteva03 8:19PM (1/10/2009)
At the track its easy to get to 105 MPH. Where i race that speed is achieved twice in every lap being one the top speed at the grid and the second midway on a backstretch. There is never fear of crashing or nothing to be careful except your own mistake. It was after the first time i went to the track i realized how hard and dangerous it is to go slow on the street and how much easier and more fun it is to go really fast at the track.
If i was the club i would have requested a section of the pass closed. Its imposible to get but they could at least try if they didn't.
VOTE! you kno where!!! :) last time i say it :D
tragedy 8:04PM (1/10/2009)
That's not a Skyline in the picture, it's a GT-R. You wouldn't put a picture of a Cadillac CTS and write a headline saying "78-year-old's Nissan Pulsar imounded after AU street race with Corvette"
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glitched 1:37AM (1/11/2009)
really autoblog, havent you learned by now?
Zeus.:God 10:56PM (1/11/2009)
The GTR is a Skyline, doofus.
Guillaume 11:01PM (1/11/2009)
@ Zeus
No, the GT-R is a separate car. The skyline is a G35/G37. It's called the Skyline GT350/GT370 in Japan. Try again when you've learned better.
Pines 8:08PM (1/10/2009)
What do they do with the cars they empound in AU?
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Tocam 9:56PM (1/10/2009)
Pines, cars that are compounded under the hoon laws are set to be crushed and destroyed.
I've even seen a GTO in one of the list.
Smeagle 10:08PM (1/10/2009)
Tocam: what are you smoking? For first and second offenses, the car is impounded for 48 hours with all associated costs being covered by the driver and a court hearing later on where the appropriate fine/demerit points are issued. On the third offense the vehicle is surrendered to the state where it will most likely be auctioned off. Nobody is having their cars crushed.
Jeff 8:10PM (1/10/2009)
From 2001 to 2003 I owned an S2000 and many times people wanted to race me.
I hated red lights specially at nights because the cars next to me always sized me up.
I miss that car. I loved it. I traded it for a Jeep liberty Diesel in 2004 which I still have
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De 9:03PM (1/10/2009)
Sounds like my last six years with my yellow SRT-4. I even put a muffler and took off the wing on it so that it wouldn't attract so much attention. I think that people think that means I want to race more or something. I can't wait for the new Camaro SS to come out-- it will be subtle in comparison.
Albert 8:27PM (1/10/2009)
Pulsar GTi-Rs are nothing to scoff at. Quick out of the box and easy to modify.
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Conundrum 8:45PM (1/10/2009)
A 78 year old driver may be nothing to scoff at either. He may have a lot of money to burn through to modify his ride and may be close enough to visiting the pearly gates to have no fear on the race track. (Comic relief statement. Don't hate.)
larry a 10:44PM (1/10/2009)
+1 Pulsars are no joke
rodan32 8:34PM (1/10/2009)
That conjured images of the 87 Pulsar I used to drive. I guess it's a whole different car in other parts of the world (or maybe they kept the Pulsar name rather than calling them Sentras like they did here; some Sentras are pretty quick).
I'm not saying it wasn't a fun little car, but it was not fast and it was not reliable.
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Zach 8:42PM (1/10/2009)
They made turbo Pulsars in other countries that were actually fun little cars...
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645E3A 10:00PM (1/10/2009)
Pulsar GTi-Rs are nothing to scoff at. Unlike the weak little ones that we deal with here in the States..
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Jim 10:48PM (1/10/2009)
This guy is a retard. A Pulsar against a Skyline!? Maybe he stood a chance if the guy was intoxicated and the Skyline was running on 3 cylinders... maybe. I don't care if he has race experience. This kind of behavior belongs on the track.
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Franz 12:01AM (1/11/2009)
Ummm... a modded Pulsar GTi-R against a stock GT-R isn't exactly a horrible match up. ATTESA all-wheel drive and the venerable SR20DET in a package that weighs over 1000lbs less isn't anything to sneeze at. There used to be loads of them at the drag races back home in Jamaica and 10 & 11 second et's weren't uncommon with a few choice mods, even street driven with full interiors in place.
13enS 11:26PM (1/10/2009)
Track or not... reading about a 78 yr old that can see over the steering wheel and have the co'hones to take on someone half his age w/ an "inferior" set of wheels, is at least worth a grin.
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