Author Archives: admin

Just give us a fair go Premier!

Posted on by
Reply

Dear Premier

The NSW voters are made up of many different types with many different needs and requirements and for your Government to satisfy all theirs needs must be a very difficult and demanding task.

Many follow Football, NRL AFL Cricket all very well-funded and supported codes. A much lesser number of us follow Speedway but Speedway is just as important in their lives as Football, Cricket and the many other Sports that form part of our entertainment.

The recent announcement that your Government will acquire the site that the Valvoline Raceway sits on is devastating to the followers of Speedway while your Government spends Billions on new facilities for other codes! Speedway appears to be way down on your list of priority. Promoters and fans might not have the dollar muscle of the other sports that forces you to act but we have many votes when it comes to an election.

Photo credit Valvoline Raceway

Speedway in Sydney has been a tradition handed down and enjoyed by generations of families .Most of our facilities have been taken from us in the name of progress and the big end of Town is in there with their deep pockets with little interest in what these decisions mean for the local Speedway fan. There are thousands of fans all voters who can decide the fate of your or any Government particularly when they feel they are being ignored and don’t matter. The difference between being in Government and opposition can be a very small number of votes in crucial seats

The recent reply of the Honorable Mr. lees the Acting Minister for Sport to a question in Parliament  from the Opposition Leader was less than convincing and builds fear in the minds of Speedway fans and Valvoline Raceway that the Government is not really committed to building a new facility by 2021 or what ever date you decide to take over the site .

Do you or any of your Government understand the benefits that Speedway brings to both the National and State economies, Mr. Lees appears not to.

Sydney Speedways fans ,have lost most all of their Speedways venues over time with almost no support from Government to replace them .They have been pushed out of Sydney and in the last 60 odd years we have lost the Sportsground Speedway the Showground Speedway, Westmead Speedway and  Liverpool Speedway .Of course there were many  others before these closures .

What do the Speedway fans want, just a fair goes and some certainty for the future of our Sport in Sydney. By now I guess you have either binned this email or maybe handed it down to an under Secretary to reply in typical Government waffle, I hope not!

Your Government made a very public commitment, you can’t blame us lacking trust in your commitment. 

This email will be posted on my Speedway web sites and on my social media platforms.

Just give us a fair go Premier!

Thank you,

David Platt

http://www.talkingspeedway.com/

Share Button

Farewell Mike Raymond

Posted on by
Reply

This morning as I woke from my overnight slumber and dreams my bedside radio told me the saddest news,Mike Raymond Mr. Speedway known to many of us had passed away.

Mike Raymond was a giant in the Motorsport Commentary and Speedway Management field. There will be lots of tributes from all those inside Speedway and Motorsports, but my tribute is from that of just a Speedway and Touring Car fan in Australia.

Mr. Raymond gave us color, lots of information as he introduced local and international drivers to us live at the Speedway or through his many interesting Newspaper columns and across our televisions screens and the radio dial.

A Big Man, big in his knowledge and support of Speedway always immaculately dressed. To me and many others you were and will always be Mr. Speedway. Thank you for your work from the inside of the Tracks.

This current journey will be at a slower pace ,rest in peace Mr Raymond

Share Button

The Race for the Championship

Posted on by
Reply

As Brad Sweet heads into the Championship battle at the Dirt Tack with Donny Schatz all the scribes are chatting about what is to come over the three days of the Cam Am World Finals but there is another race of equal importance., the race of Championship Owner!

The race between the team owners Kasey Khane and the unpredictable and Speedway benefactor and legend Tony Stewart for the honor of being the Owner of the Championship winning car.

For Kasey Kahne this is the chance of adding to Title won when Daryn Pittman was driving the #9 car back in 2013 and for Smoke a win for Schatz will take his Title wins as an owner to 10! Incredible effort for a mighty talented driver by committed Speedway supporter.

While the drivers take center stage and that’s only right the Team owner’s desire is just as great with the tag Championship owner of the year sure to attract and secure sponsorship support for the coming season notwithstanding the personal prestige and glory it brings.

Who ever comes out on top one thing is for sure this year has been the most exciting and closest I can remember?

Images from World of Outlaws

Share Button

The Enemy strikes at Port Royal

Posted on by
Reply

Port Royal Speedway’s final  for 2019 with the Outlaws challenging the Posse and the race for the Outlaw Championship was  put to the sword ed by speedways greatest enemy Mother Nature .Constant rain during the early part of Saturday forced the promoters to call the meeting off .Even with a rain date thin place for Sunday the meeting could not be rescheduled .

The race for the 2019 Title n ow heads to the Dirt track in Charlotte for three nights of all or nothing   between Sweet and Schatz. Does  Sweet go all out for the win or look for points ,guess it depends on the strategy played Tony Stewart Racing and Schatz himself but the unknown factor is what the remaining Outlaws will have to say .They all be looking to increase their haul of points and grab as much of the prize pool as possible .

What ever happens Brad Sweet will end the year with the most race wins, we are in for one hell of a show!

Share Button

Schatz wins at Port Royal Gap just 8 points to Sweet

Posted on by
Reply

Schatz wins at Port Royal Gap is just 8 points to Sweet
Donny Schatz records his 11th win of the season and 3rd straight at Port Royal and reduces the gap to Sweet to just 8 points.


The final night of the Nittany Showdown at Port Royal is Saturday night with more than cash on the line points are vital for both Sweet and Schatz as the chase for the Championship enters its final four nights.
It is amazing just how close and exciting this Championship has been all season long and its fitting that the two leading contenders will head into the World Finals after tonight’s Nittany Showdown with the Championship on the razors edge.
Team and driver rivalry could nor be higher but the level of sportsmanship around the pits is special with teams eager to assist each other in times of need, you see it at most shows and last night they all pitched in again to help get Jason Sides damaged car back for the last chance showdown !

Share Button

The Killing of a Speedway

Posted on by
Reply

Today the breaking news in Australian Speedway is the news that the NSW
Government finally advised what we have all feared for years that the
Parramatta Speedway (Valvoline Raceway ) will be flattened by the demolishers as Government prepares to make way for the marshalling yards for the New South West Metro .

The promoters were advised yesterday by phone in typical Bureaucratic style with little interest in the history and effort of the promoters who have spent millions in building and staging such a world class facility.

Progress is important, infrastructure needs to keep pace with population growth but better planning by all Governments State and Federal with decentralization of business would reduce the massive push for more and more facilities for more and more residents and their needs.

As recent as this morning after massive public response the Government is
talking about a possible new Speedway but can they be trusted?

Governments forget Speedway is a business, creates jobs and adds value to
our economy and the recreational benefits for families can’t be underestimated.

It had to happen, but how much better would it have been to have announced first that a new facility would be built rather than cause all the anxious moments for race fans, teams and the promoter.

Here is a thought, how many Speedways have been closed over the years, lots. But how many Football Stadiums and Racecourse have been closed for  PROGRESS can you name one ?

Photo Credit   Full Throttle Publishing and ABC News

Share Button

The Race for the Top Outlaw

Image

Reply

The Race for the Top Outlaw in 2019 has never been closer

Five races left in Season 2019 and Brad Sweet leads the 10 Times Champion Donny Schatz by just 32 points. The pair will go at it again next weekend where the Posse headed by Dewease and Dietrich will try and better the Outlaws and play interference between the top three Title chance in the two night show the  Nittany Showdown at Port Royal Speedway .Then its on to the final three shows  of the Cam – Am World Finals at the Dirt Track Charlotte where the Champion will be crowned!

Sweet moment before the challenge WoO Photo

Out of the 69 events decided so far, the top two in the Championship race have finished in the top five 45 times each with Sweet sitting on top with 16 wins follow by Schatz with 10. Third running Gravel sits 102 points behind Sweet and shares 10 wins with Schatz but has only finished in the top five 42 times.

Gravel winning Jason Johnson Classic DB3 Image

While most of the interest will be on the Championship battle there are plenty of other contenders for wins in the remaining five events .With 16 different winners so far in 2019 trying to predict the winners over these last 5 races will be extremely difficult with the Posses on hand at Port Royal and the World Finals attracting a wide level of entry

Just look at the last three races, Christopher Bell took his own car to a first ever Outlaw win at Tri – State. Schatz won at Lakeside with new Ford Motor and Gravel punched back in the Jason Johnson Classic at Ozark Speedway.

As the Outlaws head into the Port Royal double header weekend the spread of points over the top 5 drivers in the chase for the Championship looks like this looks like this .

1/ Brad Sweet 9586, 2/ Donny Schatz 9554, 3/ David Gravel 9484, 4/ Daryn Pittman 9260, 5/ Logan Schuchart.

Share Button

Veal Seals Historic Easter Trail Series at Warnambool

Posted on by
Reply

Veal Seals Historic Easter Trail Series at Warnambool

 

 

 

Easter means different things to different people but around Easter Time along with our Christian beliefs Aussie Sprintcar Fans are drawn to Speedways in South Eastern Australia for the running of the annual Easter trail .A three stage series held over successive nights at Avalon Speedway Victoria ,Borderline Speedway in South Australia and the final back across the border at Premier Speedway ,Warnambool  Victoria.Good Friday evening Avalon Speedway starts the Easter Trail and it was before a massive  crowd that Jamie Veal let his intension be known . The track was single file early but as the racing continued into the night the track widened and after not winning his heats Veal was able to use the widening track to full effect winning the Trail opener easily from 2018 Grand Annual Classic Winner Corey McCullagh and Mike Van Bremen.

Easter Saturday and it was off across the Border into South Australia for night two at Borderline Speedway. Our Contributing Photographer Steve Walters was track side and snapped some of the action for you, visit our Facebook Page for a look.

With confidence high and the SWI#35 all gassed up Veal went about his business early timing first in his group and strong heat finishes before clinching the A Main from Two times National Champion David Murcott and John Vogel.

After such a strong performance at Borderline Veal’s intensions were clear and the big question in everyone’s mind was could the lad from Warnambool complete the treble and become the first Driver and Team to win all three nights of the Easter Trail. A big Cash bonus awaited Veal if he could seal the series with a historic win at his home track .

Back across the Border from South Australia they came to Warnambool in Victoria, anticipation in the team would have been high and the chatter track side would be about one thing, can Veal do it?The answer would come a little later in the night after setting fast time in qualifying and two seconds on the way the Final A Main Veal was in a good pace. One to go the big one and a $10,000 bonus waiting.

The early part of the race and the script was not working to plan as fellow local Darren Mollenoyux controlled the race for early part before Veal could consolidate his position and finally run to the flag ahead of Luke Walker and Rusty Hickman

The three wins of the Easter Trail netted Veal a cool $10,000 bonus and at the same time he had won the Parr Motorsports Premier Track Premiership worth another cool $10,000 for the 2018/19 Season.The Geelong Harley Davidson Easter Trail was complete for 2019 and the Series celebrated the Historic Win by Jamie Veal and the SWI Team.

Photos on this page are protected by the owners Copy now Right if you wish to use or purchase any photos that appear on our Web Site please contact below.

https://www.facebook.com/SnapperificPhotography/

https://www.facebook.com/Peter.Weaver.Photography/

http://www.premierspeedway.com.au/

 

 

Share Button

Visit Western Speedway Hamilton with Snapperific Photography

Posted on by
Reply

Visit Western Speedway Hamilton with Snapperific Photography

At Taking Speedway, we have a passion for the small Speedway Tracks and their committed competitors and fans across the Country.

With so many high-profile meetings featuring all the very best Teams and drivers on offer across the Nation we take the time to recognize these small but very vital venues and their fiercely competitive dirk track warriors.

Last Saturday our contributing photographer Steve Walters from Snappertrific Photographic took the 1 and half hour drive from Mount Gambier South Australia to the Western Speedway at Hamilton in South Western Victoria to share with you some shots of the Victorian Limited Sportsman Championship

Hamilton a Town with great heritage with the Speedway dating back some 49years. Hamilton was the site of the first Ansett Airlines flight in 1936 and not far out of Hamilton former Australian Prime Minister Malcom Frazer lived at the Nareen Station.

But to the now! The Victorian Limited Sportsman Title was decided on Saturday night before a Country crowd eager for some fast racing from the privately funded, hardworking Teams.

We often say these Country Tracks are the birthplace of our Sport and many of these guys and girls will hopefully someday be household names in Australian Speedway. The Champions must rise from somewhere and that somewhere is more than likely a Country Speedway

Steve Walters has sent us a range of shots from inside the track featuring many of the Limited Sportsman as they chased the Victorian Championship. The defending Champion on the night was Clint Baker but unfortunately, he was unable to go back to back when Lindsay Trotter took the honors and held the Championship trophy high over his head.

For more photos from the Victorian Limited Sportsman Championship visit our face Book Page

https://www.facebook.com/TalkingSpeedway/

You can find many more photos by contacting Steve Walters at.

https://www.facebook.com/SnapperificPhotography/ or phone   0417 535 472

Please note these photos are protected by the owner’s copyright!

Share Button

Manders Strikes Gold In Kalgoorlie

Posted on by
Reply

Manders Strikes Gold In Kalgoorlie

By Sprintcars Australia

Western Australian Kaiden Manders has become only the second driver in the history of the 360ci Sprintcar division to win multiple Australian 360ci Sprintcar Championships after leading all 40 laps at the Kalgoorlie International Speedway on Saturday Night. Manders now joins four-time Champion Ryan Jones in the exclusive club and he has already confirmed that he will try for the hat trick at the Simpson Speedway in Victoria in 2020.

Second across the line was Tim Van Ginneken who trailed Manders for the entire race after starting from the pole. Third place went to Ben Butcher, who started from position three in the final after his win in heat two catapulted him up the grid after finishing night 1 in position 8 on the score chart.

Fourth place went to a determined Dan Evans, who had a race long battle with Taylor Milling and Mitch Wormall. Wormall would eventually finish fifth after starting from position 8, while Milling fell to sixth after running inside the top four for most of the race. Sam Borlini, Daniel Keen and Jamie Landrigan would complete the finishers from the initial 19 car field.

Prior to the A-Main the drivers performed a four wide salute to packed crowd with the spectators on hand extremely appreciative of the fact that high quality Sprintcar racing had returned to the Goldfields venue.

As the green flag dropped the field hadn’t even got to the flag stand when the field was reduced by four cars when Daniel Keen made it three wide on the front straight resulting in Callum Sweetman hitting the wall and Daniel Hartigan and James Inglis had nowhere to go. This incident took all three cars out of action while Matthew Iwanow failed to even take the green due to ongoing engine issues.

Throughout the race there were several caution periods for several spins, but the most crucial yellow came out on lap 25 when AJ Nash spun in turn four and couldn’t keep the car going just as Van Ginneken was attempting a slide job for the lead. The resulting caution prevented Van Ginneken from making the pass and from that point Manders drove away to take a well-deserved win and his second National Title.

Earlier in the night the three heats went to local racer Robert Watson Jr, Ben Butcher and Tom Hooper.

The Australian 360ci Sprintcar Championship will return to the east coast in 2020 with the Simpson Speedway set to host the Championship in Victoria for the first time since the inaugural Championship was won by Stephen Bell at the Timmis Speedway in Mildura.

Photo By Phil Michell For Sprintcars Australia

Share Button