Mum and Dad, Adrian and Maria, with their son Joseph, before his tragic death. Photo: Pace Images.
Griffith families are being urged to rally behind a special race meeting this weekend honouring two young members of the same family whose lives were cut tragically short.
The Joseph Bianchini Memorial event, running from Friday, 17 April, to Sunday, 19 April, will celebrate the lives of a beloved uncle and nephew who shared not only a name but a passion that brought people together.
The first Joseph Bianchini was just 15 when he was killed in June 2003 after the car he was being driven in collided with a truck at an intersection in Yoogali.
Years later, his nephew was born and named in his honour. That Joseph would go on to carve out his own legacy – emerging as a talented go-karter with a bright future before his sudden death from illness in August 2025 at just 13.
For his mother, Maria, the weekend is about more than remembrance – it’s about community, and continuing the spirit her son lived by.
“I’d really love to thank the Griffith community for their extraordinary support after Joseph’s passing,” she said.
“It’s been up and down for us since then, but mostly very hard. We’d built our lives around Joseph, travelling to support him in his sport.
“He’d raced internationally and was asked to come to Italy by the EKS Chassis builders — he really pioneered that kart, a lot of kids are racing it now.
“Joseph was that humble kid who always said hello to everyone; he was polite, and he was never arrogant on the track.”
Joseph has already built a reputation as a promising racer. Photo: Supplied.
The weekend begins with a ‘Little Italy Festival’ dinner on Friday night, featuring pizza, pasta, wine and live music – a fitting tribute in a town where family and culture run deep.
Racing will follow across Saturday and Sunday, at the Griffith Kart Club, Whites Road, Griffith, with between 80 and 100 competitors expected to take part in the random grid format.
Griffith Kart Club president Sam Belardo said the event carries a weight few could have imagined.
“We ran the event in 2021 in honour of Joseph, who died 18 years earlier, and we brought it back last year. We never imagined we’d be doing it again for Joseph’s nephew as well,” he said.
“Our club is about a lot more than racing; it’s about the community.
“This weekend, there’ll be more than $100,000 in prizes and giveaways, including $3000 cash for the winners, and each entry receives a memorial T-shirt and festival ticket.”
Joseph, who died in 2003, also loved go-karts. Photo: Supplied.
Maria said regional events rely heavily on local support, and she is urging residents to come along and be part of something meaningful.
“It’s a long way for people to come here, but we make it worthwhile. We’ve got the hospitality to cater for people at these events. A thousand people at a race meeting is like a standard Griffith Italian wedding,” she said.
“For both Josephs and their fathers, their dream was to bring people to Griffith and let people enjoy being here.
“The race meeting last year was amazing, even though it rained. But we can make it even bigger this weekend.”
More information on this weekend’s dinner and race at Whites Road, Griffith, can be obtained by messaging the Griffith Kart Club Facebook page. Dinner on the Friday night costs $50 per adult. Entries for the race close Wednesday night.
