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Sydney Showground Speedway

March 06, 2023

For the new Sydney Showground Speedway located at Homebush Bay, see Sydney Showground (Homebush).

Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996.

Sydney Showground
Speedway Royale
Speedway Royal
The Royale
Sydney Showground during the 1936 Sydney Royal Easter Show. The speedways start/finish line was located at the right of the picture.
LocationMoore Park, New South Wales
Coordinates33°53′36″S 151°13′37″E / 33.89333°S 151.22694°E / -33.89333; 151.22694Coordinates: 33°53′36″S 151°13′37″E / 33.89333°S 151.22694°E / -33.89333; 151.22694
Capacity40,000
OwnerNew South Wales Government
OperatorRoyal Agricultural Society of NSW (showground)
Empire Speedways (speedway)
Broke ground1882
Opened1882 (showground)
1926 (speedway)
Closed1996
Major eventsAustralian Sprintcar Championship
Australian Speedcar Championship
Australian Speedcar Grand Prix
Australian Solo Championship
Australian Sidecar Championship
Australasian Solo Final
Oval
Surfacedolomite
Length0.316 miles (0.509 km)
Race lap record0:16.876 (Jay Drake (), , 1996, Speedcar)

History

In 1937, The Showground was claimed to be the fastest speedway in the world by the tracks promoters. The 509 metres (557 yards) egg shaped track was also the site of some spectacular crashes, some unfortunate deaths and a lot of spectacular racing. Although solos were first to race at the showground on 21 July 1926, they were soon joined by sidecars and Speedcars (also known as Midgets but called Speedcars in Australia). In the 1950s stock cars began to appear joined much later by demolition derbies and jumping motorcycles over buses and the Royale would attract huge spectator attendance.

The track had a dolomite surface, which the speedway drivers and riders continually asked the owners, the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW, to mix in shale and clay (as used on tracks in England such as Wembley) to improve traction but this never happened. A long stated reason for this was that the Showground was also used year-round as a harness racing venue (though this excuse wore thin after the 'trotts' moved permanently to the Harold Park Paceway in the late 1940s). The only other major complaint about the track itself was that it was very narrow compared to other speedways. Where most tracks allowed three wide racing even in the corners, at the Showground there was barely enough room for two cars.

The speedway's pits were located under the Martin & Angus Stand at the southern end of the track. This created a unique atmosphere with the place often filling with cigarette smoke and the smell of oil and petrol. Former dual Rugby international and part-time announcer at the speedway Rex Mossop once described the pits at the Royale as being like "Dantino's Inferno".

The start / finish line at the Showground was on the eastern side of the track in front of the Suttor Stand. Running anti-clockwise as most speedway divisions do, the track then moved into the Bull Pens for turn 1, so called as this was where the cattle would enter the arena during the Royal Easter Show. The track announcers box was located close to the track above the Bull Pens. They then continued past the double decked Members Stand and the famous clock tower sitting on the roof, and into what riders called "The Armpit", a tight turn leading onto the back straight where the Coronation Stand stood. Turns 3 and 4 went past Martin & Angus Stand and the pits before passing the Sinclair Stand in turn 4 and coming onto the main straight to finish the lap.

Although the Showground was later universally known as a Speedcar track, from the late 1920s until the 1950s the speedway was more well known for its motorcycle racing, hosting many Australian Solo Championship and Australian Sidecar Championship meetings as well as Solo test Matches between Australia and various visiting nations. The first test at the Showground was held on 15 December 1934 between Australia and Great Britain with Australia winning 35–19 in front of 50,000 paying fans. In March 1933, The Royale hosted the unofficial Speedway World Championship, won by England's Harry Whitfield from Australian's Billy Lamont and future World Champion Bluey Wilkinson.

During the 1960s and 1970s the Showground was Australia's best known and best attended speedway regularly drawing crowds on a Saturday night in excess of 10,000 and often over 30,000 making speedway one of the best attended spectator sports during the Australian summer. The speedway's promoter, John Sherwood (Empire Speedways who also promoted the Brisbane Exhibition Ground), was always looking for ways other than the racing itself to keep the crowds coming in. One of the more popular was the addition of Kings Cross strippers as trophy girls.

From 1947 until 1974 the Speedway hosted the annual Australian Speedcar Grand Prix, following which the race moved to the Liverpool Speedway in western Sydney before returning to the Showground in 1990. NSW drivers Ray Revell and Andy McGavin won a record 5 Speedcar Grand Prix's at the Showground while Bob "Two Gun" Tattersall of the United States won the race four times in 1960, 1962, 1966 and 1969.

One of the more unusual things at the speedway happened on 28 December 1975 when the so-called "Speedway Streaker" made his only appearance. Unlike the usual streakers at sporting events who jump the fence and run around on the field until caught by either Police or Security, this streaker rode out of the pits on a Solo motorbike completely naked other than a full faced helmet (to protect the guilty) and riding shoes. He did a quick lap of the track before laying the bike down on the infield. He was last seen jumping over the fence being chased by laughing policemen. Years later the streaker was revealed to be local solo rider Reg McCarthy.

The Speedway ran continuous Saturday night meetings until the close of the 1980/81 season with Sydney fans spoiled for choice with the Parramatta City Raceway running on Friday nights and the Showground as well as Liverpool Speedway both running on Saturday nights. Like other suburban based speedways around Australia such as Rowley Park in Adelaide, the local residents around the showground began to complain about the noise and also regarding the cars parking on the streets as the showground had very little in the way of designated car parks. With some residents having powerful friends on the City of Sydney council who made increasing restrictions on noise and parking and demanded that meetings be finished no later than 10:30pm (meetings traditionally finished around 11:30pm). This, combined with the advent of World Series Cricket in 1977 attracting a lot of the spectators, forced the speedway to close for regular meetings after 1981. What was hard to take for the promoter of the Showground, Brisbane based speedcar driver Ron Wanless, was that noise tests were conducted which proved that speedway meetings were actually quieter than sporting events at the neighbouring Sydney Cricket Ground, the Royal Easter Show and open air music concerts held at either venue. Traffic was also reportedly less of a problem on speedway nights than for the Easter Show or when sports such as rugby league or cricket used the SCG.

The showground enjoyed a brief revival in 1988 as a Bicentennial Solo Test Match was held between Australia and Great Britain attracting around 15,000 spectators. Unfortunately for the local fans, Great Britain defeated Australia on the night. The last ever Solo Test Match to take place at the Showground was held on 1 January 1994 with Australia taking on England. Like the first ever Test at the Showground in 1934, Australia dominated and won 68 points to 40 in front of a crowd of just over 17,000.

After 13 races held at the Liverpool Speedway, the Australian Speedcar Grand Prix returned to its traditional home as the Speedways only annual car racing event from 1990 until 1993 when the event was moved from the Speedway due to the same complaints that closed the Showground as a speedway in 1980, but returned for one last time in 1996 as the Showground was to be closed and turned into Fox Studios Australia. The 46th Australian Speedcar Grand Prix was held on 20 April. The race was won by the only competitor who had previously raced at the speedway, Australian speedway legend and 10 times Australian Sprintcar Champion Garry Rush from western Sydney. It was his second win in the Grand Prix as he had won the 1977 event held on the asphalt at the Liverpool Speedway.

On Saturday 27 April 1996, approximately 25,000 fans saw Garry Rush win the last ever race held at the world-famous Sydney Showground Speedway when he took out the World Derby for Speedcars in a fitting end to the Showgrounds life as a speedway. Rush's wins in the last two main events at the Showground were for the same team with whom he had raced for at the venue some 30 years previously.

Visiting American driver Jay Drake set the Showground lap record at the 20 April Grand Prix meeting when he ran the 509 metre oval in 16.876 seconds. When asked what he thought of the famous track, Drake described it as "Awfully narrow".

Present day

The old Sydney Showgrounds and the Showground Speedway is now owned by and is part of Fox Studios Australia and although it now has a paved surface the track, and its narrow width, is still clearly visible.

Lap records

Fatalities

The Sydney Showground Speedway, like other speedways of the era, saw its share of competitor fatalities. In total there were 29 deaths at the speedway between 1926 and 1973. In December 2000, a plaque was unveiled at the Fox studios site of the former Speedway by longtime track announcer Jim Shepherd. The plaque overlooks the former start line alongside the Suttor Stand (built in 1909) which is now a cafe restaurant.

The 29 who lost their lives at the Speedway Royale are[1]

  • Stanley Tyler - Solo (13 November 1926)
  • James Donaghy - Solo (26 February 1927)
  • Keith Mackay - Solo (22 December 1928)
  • Stuart Cobcroft - Solo (6 October 1930)
  • Frank Harris - Solo (6 December 1930)
  • Bert Brennan - Solo (3 December 1932)
  • Frank Elms - Solo (21 December 1935)
  • Leonard Behrmann -Solo (5 June 1945)
  • Jack Skelton - Sidecar (4 January 1947)
  • Norm Hardy - Sidecar (12 April 1947)
  • Kev Gallagher - Speedcar (7 December 1949)
  • Jim Hansbury - Solo (7 March 1953)
  • Brian Moles - Speedcar (3 November 1956)
  • Bob Staples - Solo (15 December 1956)
  • Merv Dowling - Sidecar [passenger] (3 March 1957)
  • Sam Stanton - Speedcar (24 January 1959)
  • Peter Johnson - Speedcar (7 January 1961)
  • Jack Blssacker - Speedcar (21 October 1961)
  • Barry Robinson - Speedcar (30 November 1963)
  • Nick Collier - Speedcar (27 February 1965)
  • Barry Hopkins - Solo (13 November 1965)
  • Ted Preston - Sidecar (5 February 1966)
  • Dennis Duggan - Sidecar [passenger] (29 October 1966)
  • Lionel Levy - Solo (10 February 1968)
  • Ken Mapp - Solo (29 September 1968)
  • Roger Browne - Solo (15 February 1969)
  • John Dunne - Sidecar (24 October 1970)
  • Geoff Curtis - Solo (15 December 1973)

Famous competitors

Some of the more famous competitors who raced at the Sydney Showground Speedway include:

† - Deceased
* - Speedway World Champion
Frank "Satan" Brewer was actually from New Zealand but promoters advertised him as being from the United States to bring in larger crowds

References

  1. ^ "Sydney Showground Speedway".

External links

  • Speedway Royale
  • Sydney Showground During the Royal Easter Show view from Martin & Angus Stand (above the pits)
  • Aerial view of Sydney Showground during he 1934 Royal Easter Show. Start/Finish straight is on the left of picture

March 06, 2023
sydney, showground, speedway, located, homebush, sydney, showground, homebush, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find. For the new Sydney Showground Speedway located at Homebush Bay see Sydney Showground Homebush This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Sydney Showground Speedway news newspapers books scholar JSTOR December 2019 Learn how and when to remove this template message Sydney Showground Speedway originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996 Sydney ShowgroundSpeedway RoyaleSpeedway RoyalThe RoyaleSydney Showground during the 1936 Sydney Royal Easter Show The speedways start finish line was located at the right of the picture LocationMoore Park New South WalesCoordinates33 53 36 S 151 13 37 E 33 89333 S 151 22694 E 33 89333 151 22694 Coordinates 33 53 36 S 151 13 37 E 33 89333 S 151 22694 E 33 89333 151 22694Capacity40 000OwnerNew South Wales GovernmentOperatorRoyal Agricultural Society of NSW showground Empire Speedways speedway Broke ground1882Opened1882 showground 1926 speedway Closed1996Major eventsAustralian Sprintcar ChampionshipAustralian Speedcar ChampionshipAustralian Speedcar Grand PrixAustralian Solo ChampionshipAustralian Sidecar ChampionshipAustralasian Solo FinalOvalSurfacedolomiteLength0 316 miles 0 509 km Race lap record0 16 876 Jay Drake 1996 Speedcar Contents 1 History 2 Present day 3 Lap records 4 Fatalities 5 Famous competitors 6 References 7 External linksHistory EditIn 1937 The Showground was claimed to be the fastest speedway in the world by the tracks promoters The 509 metres 557 yards egg shaped track was also the site of some spectacular crashes some unfortunate deaths and a lot of spectacular racing Although solos were first to race at the showground on 21 July 1926 they were soon joined by sidecars and Speedcars also known as Midgets but called Speedcars in Australia In the 1950s stock cars began to appear joined much later by demolition derbies and jumping motorcycles over buses and the Royale would attract huge spectator attendance The track had a dolomite surface which the speedway drivers and riders continually asked the owners the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW to mix in shale and clay as used on tracks in England such as Wembley to improve traction but this never happened A long stated reason for this was that the Showground was also used year round as a harness racing venue though this excuse wore thin after the trotts moved permanently to the Harold Park Paceway in the late 1940s The only other major complaint about the track itself was that it was very narrow compared to other speedways Where most tracks allowed three wide racing even in the corners at the Showground there was barely enough room for two cars The speedway s pits were located under the Martin amp Angus Stand at the southern end of the track This created a unique atmosphere with the place often filling with cigarette smoke and the smell of oil and petrol Former dual Rugby international and part time announcer at the speedway Rex Mossop once described the pits at the Royale as being like Dantino s Inferno The start finish line at the Showground was on the eastern side of the track in front of the Suttor Stand Running anti clockwise as most speedway divisions do the track then moved into the Bull Pens for turn 1 so called as this was where the cattle would enter the arena during the Royal Easter Show The track announcers box was located close to the track above the Bull Pens They then continued past the double decked Members Stand and the famous clock tower sitting on the roof and into what riders called The Armpit a tight turn leading onto the back straight where the Coronation Stand stood Turns 3 and 4 went past Martin amp Angus Stand and the pits before passing the Sinclair Stand in turn 4 and coming onto the main straight to finish the lap Although the Showground was later universally known as a Speedcar track from the late 1920s until the 1950s the speedway was more well known for its motorcycle racing hosting many Australian Solo Championship and Australian Sidecar Championship meetings as well as Solo test Matches between Australia and various visiting nations The first test at the Showground was held on 15 December 1934 between Australia and Great Britain with Australia winning 35 19 in front of 50 000 paying fans In March 1933 The Royale hosted the unofficial Speedway World Championship won by England s Harry Whitfield from Australian s Billy Lamont and future World Champion Bluey Wilkinson During the 1960s and 1970s the Showground was Australia s best known and best attended speedway regularly drawing crowds on a Saturday night in excess of 10 000 and often over 30 000 making speedway one of the best attended spectator sports during the Australian summer The speedway s promoter John Sherwood Empire Speedways who also promoted the Brisbane Exhibition Ground was always looking for ways other than the racing itself to keep the crowds coming in One of the more popular was the addition of Kings Cross strippers as trophy girls From 1947 until 1974 the Speedway hosted the annual Australian Speedcar Grand Prix following which the race moved to the Liverpool Speedway in western Sydney before returning to the Showground in 1990 NSW drivers Ray Revell and Andy McGavin won a record 5 Speedcar Grand Prix s at the Showground while Bob Two Gun Tattersall of the United States won the race four times in 1960 1962 1966 and 1969 One of the more unusual things at the speedway happened on 28 December 1975 when the so called Speedway Streaker made his only appearance Unlike the usual streakers at sporting events who jump the fence and run around on the field until caught by either Police or Security this streaker rode out of the pits on a Solo motorbike completely naked other than a full faced helmet to protect the guilty and riding shoes He did a quick lap of the track before laying the bike down on the infield He was last seen jumping over the fence being chased by laughing policemen Years later the streaker was revealed to be local solo rider Reg McCarthy The Speedway ran continuous Saturday night meetings until the close of the 1980 81 season with Sydney fans spoiled for choice with the Parramatta City Raceway running on Friday nights and the Showground as well as Liverpool Speedway both running on Saturday nights Like other suburban based speedways around Australia such as Rowley Park in Adelaide the local residents around the showground began to complain about the noise and also regarding the cars parking on the streets as the showground had very little in the way of designated car parks With some residents having powerful friends on the City of Sydney council who made increasing restrictions on noise and parking and demanded that meetings be finished no later than 10 30pm meetings traditionally finished around 11 30pm This combined with the advent of World Series Cricket in 1977 attracting a lot of the spectators forced the speedway to close for regular meetings after 1981 What was hard to take for the promoter of the Showground Brisbane based speedcar driver Ron Wanless was that noise tests were conducted which proved that speedway meetings were actually quieter than sporting events at the neighbouring Sydney Cricket Ground the Royal Easter Show and open air music concerts held at either venue Traffic was also reportedly less of a problem on speedway nights than for the Easter Show or when sports such as rugby league or cricket used the SCG The showground enjoyed a brief revival in 1988 as a Bicentennial Solo Test Match was held between Australia and Great Britain attracting around 15 000 spectators Unfortunately for the local fans Great Britain defeated Australia on the night The last ever Solo Test Match to take place at the Showground was held on 1 January 1994 with Australia taking on England Like the first ever Test at the Showground in 1934 Australia dominated and won 68 points to 40 in front of a crowd of just over 17 000 After 13 races held at the Liverpool Speedway the Australian Speedcar Grand Prix returned to its traditional home as the Speedways only annual car racing event from 1990 until 1993 when the event was moved from the Speedway due to the same complaints that closed the Showground as a speedway in 1980 but returned for one last time in 1996 as the Showground was to be closed and turned into Fox Studios Australia The 46th Australian Speedcar Grand Prix was held on 20 April The race was won by the only competitor who had previously raced at the speedway Australian speedway legend and 10 times Australian Sprintcar Champion Garry Rush from western Sydney It was his second win in the Grand Prix as he had won the 1977 event held on the asphalt at the Liverpool Speedway On Saturday 27 April 1996 approximately 25 000 fans saw Garry Rush win the last ever race held at the world famous Sydney Showground Speedway when he took out the World Derby for Speedcars in a fitting end to the Showgrounds life as a speedway Rush s wins in the last two main events at the Showground were for the same team with whom he had raced for at the venue some 30 years previously Visiting American driver Jay Drake set the Showground lap record at the 20 April Grand Prix meeting when he ran the 509 metre oval in 16 876 seconds When asked what he thought of the famous track Drake described it as Awfully narrow Present day EditThe old Sydney Showgrounds and the Showground Speedway is now owned by and is part of Fox Studios Australia and although it now has a paved surface the track and its narrow width is still clearly visible Lap records EditSpeedcars 16 876 Jay Drake 1996 Sprintcars 16 90 Jimmy Sills 1980 81 Solo 18 80 Bill Landels flying start Solo 19 80 Jim Airey clutch start Sidecars 20 20 Doug Tyerman clutch start Sedans 20 80 Ray SolwayFatalities EditThe Sydney Showground Speedway like other speedways of the era saw its share of competitor fatalities In total there were 29 deaths at the speedway between 1926 and 1973 In December 2000 a plaque was unveiled at the Fox studios site of the former Speedway by longtime track announcer Jim Shepherd The plaque overlooks the former start line alongside the Suttor Stand built in 1909 which is now a cafe restaurant The 29 who lost their lives at the Speedway Royale are 1 Stanley Tyler Solo 13 November 1926 James Donaghy Solo 26 February 1927 Keith Mackay Solo 22 December 1928 Stuart Cobcroft Solo 6 October 1930 Frank Harris Solo 6 December 1930 Bert Brennan Solo 3 December 1932 Frank Elms Solo 21 December 1935 Leonard Behrmann Solo 5 June 1945 Jack Skelton Sidecar 4 January 1947 Norm Hardy Sidecar 12 April 1947 Kev Gallagher Speedcar 7 December 1949 Jim Hansbury Solo 7 March 1953 Brian Moles Speedcar 3 November 1956 Bob Staples Solo 15 December 1956 Merv Dowling Sidecar passenger 3 March 1957 Sam Stanton Speedcar 24 January 1959 Peter Johnson Speedcar 7 January 1961 Jack Blssacker Speedcar 21 October 1961 Barry Robinson Speedcar 30 November 1963 Nick Collier Speedcar 27 February 1965 Barry Hopkins Solo 13 November 1965 Ted Preston Sidecar 5 February 1966 Dennis Duggan Sidecar passenger 29 October 1966 Lionel Levy Solo 10 February 1968 Ken Mapp Solo 29 September 1968 Roger Browne Solo 15 February 1969 John Dunne Sidecar 24 October 1970 Geoff Curtis Solo 15 December 1973 Famous competitors EditSome of the more famous competitors who raced at the Sydney Showground Speedway include Leigh Adams Solo Jim Airey Solo Grenville Anderson Sedans Merle Bettenhausen Speedcar Bill Bingham Sidecars Kym Bonython Speedcar Eric Boocock Solo Nigel Boocock Solo John Boulger Solo Jack Brabham Speedcar Frank Satan Brewer Speedcar Barry Briggs Solo Mike Broadbank Solo Leadfoot Len Brock Speedcar Barry Butterworth Speedcar Kenny Carter Solo Peter Collins Solo Phil Crump Solo Bryan Cunneen Speedcar Peter Cunneen Speedcar Jimmy Davies Speedcar Jay Drake Speedcar Max Dumesny Sprintcar Speedcar Sprouts Elder Solo Jeff Freeman Speedcar Ove Fundin Solo Max Grosskreutz Solo Gordon Guasco Solo John Harvey Speedcar Steve Kinser Sprintcar Wilbur Lamoreaux Solo Aub Lawson Solo Ivan Mauger Solo Ken McKinlay Solo Anders Michanek Solo Cordy Milne Solo Jack Milne Solo Ole Olsen Solo Jack Parker Solo Bruce Penhall Solo Howard Revell Speedcar Ray Revell Speedcar Garry Rush Super Modified Speedcar Sprintcar Billy Sanders Solo Marshall Sargent Super Modified Mitch Shirra Solo Tiger Stevenson Solo Johnny Stewart Speedcar Sammy Swindell Sprintcar Brooke Tatnell Speedcar George Tatnell Super Modified Speedcar Bob Two Gun Tattersall Speedcar Ron Sleepy Tripp Speedcar Bob Valentine Solo Harry Whitfield Solo Bill Wigzell Speedcar Super Modified Bluey Wilkinson Solo Freddie Williams Solo Jim Winterbottom Super Modified Sprintcar Doug Wolfgang Sprintcar Lionel Van Praag Solo Jack Young Solo Deceased Speedway World ChampionFrank Satan Brewer was actually from New Zealand but promoters advertised him as being from the United States to bring in larger crowdsReferences Edit Sydney Showground Speedway External links EditSpeedway Royale Sydney Showground During the Royal Easter Show view from Martin amp Angus Stand above the pits Aerial view of Sydney Showground during he 1934 Royal Easter Show Start Finish straight is on the left of picture Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sydney Showground Speedway amp oldid 1136338104, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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