Liverpool Speedway
Encyclopedia
Liverpool Speedway was located in Green Valley
, Western Sydney
, New South Wales
, Australia
. Liverpool was opened by Frank Oliveri, the mayor of Liverpool at the time, and ran until its sudden and unexpected closure in 1989. Oliveri would later share track management with track announcer and promoter, Channel 7 television sports presenter
Mike Raymond.
, TQ's, Super Modifieds, Stock Cars and production sedans.
Liverpool was managed and promoted by Channel 7
television sports presenter Mike Raymond and former Liverpool Mayor Frank Oliveri. The speedway was promoted heavily on television and radio and everyone in Sydney with access to television saw the commercials with Raymond's famous words, "7.45 This Saturday Night At The Liverpool City Raceway, so BE THERE".
During the winter
of 1974, the management of Liverpool City Raceway announced that the track surface was being changed from clay and dolomite to Asphalt
. Also announced at the time were extensive renovations including a fully enclosed grandstand with a glass enclosed restaurant, a VIP lounge and a 3 storey control tower, all aimed at increasing the 1/4 mile tracks spectator capacity to around 35,000. The track was paved in time for the 1974/75 season but the other proposed works never got off the ground.
Liverpool Speedway's biggest annual event was the Marlboro Grand National 100 Lap race which was first run in 1971 and won by local driver Rick Hunter. First run for sedans, the race became the home of specialist pavement racing cars which eventually became known as Grand National's. This event attracted drivers from all around Australia and the United States
making it the most prestigious sedan based speedway event ever hosted in Australia at the time other than the annual National Championships and crowds of up to 25,000 people would attend this event. Grand National Sedans were a new breed of cars developed especially for Liverpool Raceway though they were easily adapted for the many dirt track speedways around Australia. They were a tube spaceframe chassis with a fuel injected small block V8 engine
, similar to a Sprintcar
engine and although designed primarily for racing on Liverpool's paved oval the cars competed on dirt or clay around the country including at the Newcastle Motordrome
north of Sydney, Parramatta City Raceway in western Sydney, Speedway Park
in Adelaide
, Claremont Speedway
in Perth
, Premier Speedway in Warrnambool and Archerfield Speedway in Brisbane
.
One of the speedway management's biggest promotions was to annually bring a team of four sedan drivers from America to race at Liverpool in test Matches against the Australian drivers. American drivers such as Gene Welch, "Big Ed" Wilbur and Rodney Combs
became regulars in Australia and the action on the track between the "Yanks" and the Aussies was often described as "World Championship Wrestling on Wheels". The test matches took place both on the dirt track and the pavement with the usually good natured crowd totally against the visiting Americans.
Despite the change in track surface from dirt to asphalt, Speedcars, Sprintcars and other car categories continued to race at the speedway with the track hosting the Australian Speedcar Championship
in 1976 and a round of the three race 1977 Australian championship.
In 1975 Mike Raymond and his promotions partner Frank Oliveri attracted then three time Indy 500 champion A. J. Foyt
and fellow Indy racer Mel Kenyon
to Liverpool to race in VW
powered Speedcars in the 21st Australian Speedcar Grand Prix
. The running joke about this at the time was "The Legend in a Lawn Mower" but Foyt was there to win, and win he did passing Kenyon for the lead in mid-race after he (Kenyon) almost spun on oil and tapped the fence. Kenyon still finished 2nd while the USA made it a 1-4 result with Larry Rice
and Garry Patterson being the only other drivers to finish on the lead lap.
Foyt returned to Liverpool for the 22nd Australian Grand Prix in 1976 along with fellow Indy 500 winner Johnny Rutherford
and fellow Americans Ron "Sleepy" Tripp
and Hank Butcher. All four Americans, along with most of the field, drove the VW powered cars. A.J. Foyt was again the winner this time passing local hero and National Champion George Tatnell in the dying laps. Tatnell was driving his controversial Winfield
sponsored "Wedge" Speedcar powered by an off-set Offenhauser
engine.
Liverpool Speedway continued to run the Australian Speedcar Grand Prix on both the asphalt and dirt until 1988 with such winners as 10 time Australian Sprintcar Champion
Garry Rush in 1977, Ron "Sleepy" Tripp
of the United States
in 1983 and 1984 and after the track had reverted to a clay surface, World of Outlaws
legend Steve Kinser
would swap his Sprintcar
for a Speedcar and win in 1986.
Stock Saloons were also a favorite at the track. The cars had to be a pre-1968 prouction car and they raced the track in a Clockwise
direction. In Speedway, either on dirt or bitumen, almost every class of car and the Solo bikes race oval tracks Anti-clockwise. Squealing tyres would become the norm at Liverpool in its 10 year run as a paved speedway.
When it was decided to pave the Speedway in 1974 it was also decided to build a 350m dirt based motorcycle track on the inside of the 440m pavement track so as to keep both cars and bikes on the same race program. Previous to this, Solos
and sidecars
had been run at Liverpool on the main track since the tracks opening after local rider Gordon Guasco
convinced Speedway Manager Oliveri to put bikes on the program. In a sad twist, Guasco was to lose his life at the track in a crash on November 8, 1970). The infield motorcycle track hosted many world class solo and sidecar riders during its life, with solo riders like Australian greats Billy Sanders, Phil Crump
and Gary Guglielmi
as well as World Champions
Ivan Mauger
, Ole Olsen and Hans Nielsen
to name a few. In 1976 Ole Olsen won the only Australian Solo Championship
held at Liverpool, to date the last time a non-Australian won the Australian title.
In a major win for the Liverpool City Raceway management and promotors, the track was awarded the 1982 Speedway World Pairs Championship
, still the only time the Championship
has ever been held outside of England
or Europe
. The championship was won by Dennis Sigalos
and Bobby Schwartz
representing the United States
. Peter Collins
and Kenny Carter
representing England
finished in second while Denmark's
Hans Nielsen and Ole Olsen finished in third. Host nation Australia, represented by local Liverpool riders Billy Sanders
(the reigning Australian Champion) and Gary Guglielmi
, finished in fourth place.
Following the 1983/84 speedway season the pavement was torn up and the dirt was re-introduced with clay as the main surface, though the bikes continued on their track as the main tracks clay surface was not suitable for bikes. The sedan scene was winding down and Sprintcars became the new #1 division in the mid 1980's. Also popular at Liverpool and through NSW and Queensland
was a class known as Compact Speedcars
.
Liverpool Speedway also had a BMX track at the south western end of the venue and hosted many international events. The BMX track was known as "Metro West" BMX track. In the early 80's, a group of American riders toured and raced at the venue.
In 1989 the urban sprawl was inevitable, and this led to the reluctant closure of the venue to make way for new housing and a shopping complex now known as the Valley Plaza. If you visit the northern end of the plaza and look under the building, you can see some of the dirt which made up turn 4 of the old speedway spectator area.
† - Deceaced
Green Valley, New South Wales
Green Valley is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Green Valley is located 39 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Liverpool and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region.-History:Green Valley was...
, Western Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Liverpool was opened by Frank Oliveri, the mayor of Liverpool at the time, and ran until its sudden and unexpected closure in 1989. Oliveri would later share track management with track announcer and promoter, Channel 7 television sports presenter
Seven Sport
Seven Sport is the brand that all sporting events broadcast on the Seven Network are broadcast under.-History:The Seven Network is a major player in Australian sports broadcasting. Before 1999, Seven telecasted all matches of the Australian Football League. However, in 2000 Nine and pay TV provider...
Mike Raymond.
History
Liverpool City Raceway was officially opened on May 14, 1967. The track was "D" shaped and was a clay and dolomite mix. On the program that first night were SpeedcarsMidget car racing
Midget cars, also Speedcars in Australia, are very small race cars with a very high power-to-weight ratio and typically use four-cylinder engines.-Cars:Typically, these cars have 300 to 400 horsepower and weigh...
, TQ's, Super Modifieds, Stock Cars and production sedans.
Liverpool was managed and promoted by Channel 7
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
television sports presenter Mike Raymond and former Liverpool Mayor Frank Oliveri. The speedway was promoted heavily on television and radio and everyone in Sydney with access to television saw the commercials with Raymond's famous words, "7.45 This Saturday Night At The Liverpool City Raceway, so BE THERE".
During the winter
Winter
Winter is the coldest season of the year in temperate climates, between autumn and spring. At the winter solstice, the days are shortest and the nights are longest, with days lengthening as the season progresses after the solstice.-Meteorology:...
of 1974, the management of Liverpool City Raceway announced that the track surface was being changed from clay and dolomite to Asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
. Also announced at the time were extensive renovations including a fully enclosed grandstand with a glass enclosed restaurant, a VIP lounge and a 3 storey control tower, all aimed at increasing the 1/4 mile tracks spectator capacity to around 35,000. The track was paved in time for the 1974/75 season but the other proposed works never got off the ground.
Liverpool Speedway's biggest annual event was the Marlboro Grand National 100 Lap race which was first run in 1971 and won by local driver Rick Hunter. First run for sedans, the race became the home of specialist pavement racing cars which eventually became known as Grand National's. This event attracted drivers from all around Australia and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
making it the most prestigious sedan based speedway event ever hosted in Australia at the time other than the annual National Championships and crowds of up to 25,000 people would attend this event. Grand National Sedans were a new breed of cars developed especially for Liverpool Raceway though they were easily adapted for the many dirt track speedways around Australia. They were a tube spaceframe chassis with a fuel injected small block V8 engine
V8 engine
A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
, similar to a Sprintcar
Sprint car racing
Sprint cars are high-powered race cars designed primarily for the purpose of running on short oval or circular dirt or paved tracks. Sprint car racing is popular in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa....
engine and although designed primarily for racing on Liverpool's paved oval the cars competed on dirt or clay around the country including at the Newcastle Motordrome
Newcastle Motordrome
Newcastle Motordrome was a Dirt track racing venue located on the Old Punt Road in Tomago, New South Wales, just north of the Hunter River and north of the city of Newcastle. The ¼ Mile speedway operated from its opening in 1977 until it was sold in 2002...
north of Sydney, Parramatta City Raceway in western Sydney, Speedway Park
Speedway City
Speedway City is a Dirt track racing venue located 26 km north of Adelaide in Virginia, South Australia, adjacent to the Adelaide International Raceway...
in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, Claremont Speedway
Claremont Showgrounds
The Claremont Showgrounds were built in 1905 in the Perth suburb of Claremont. The Showgrounds are home to the annual Perth Royal Show. They were also the original home of Claremont-Cottesloe in its first year in the WAFL before moving to Claremont Oval....
in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Premier Speedway in Warrnambool and Archerfield Speedway in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
.
One of the speedway management's biggest promotions was to annually bring a team of four sedan drivers from America to race at Liverpool in test Matches against the Australian drivers. American drivers such as Gene Welch, "Big Ed" Wilbur and Rodney Combs
Rodney Combs
Rodney Combs is a former NASCAR driver. He has not been in NASCAR since 1997, when he was released from his ride in the Busch Series. Combs was born on March 27, 1950 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Combs entered NASCAR after many years on the open-wheel and short track circuit in the Midwest, racing with...
became regulars in Australia and the action on the track between the "Yanks" and the Aussies was often described as "World Championship Wrestling on Wheels". The test matches took place both on the dirt track and the pavement with the usually good natured crowd totally against the visiting Americans.
Despite the change in track surface from dirt to asphalt, Speedcars, Sprintcars and other car categories continued to race at the speedway with the track hosting the Australian Speedcar Championship
Australian Speedcar Championship
The Australian Speedcar Championship is a dirt track motor racing championship held each year to determine the Australian national champion. The single championship meeting runs in either late January or early February and has been held year after year since 1935...
in 1976 and a round of the three race 1977 Australian championship.
In 1975 Mike Raymond and his promotions partner Frank Oliveri attracted then three time Indy 500 champion A. J. Foyt
A. J. Foyt
Anthony Joseph Foyt, Jr., or as he is universally known as in motorsports circles, A. J. Foyt , is a retired American automobile racing driver. He raced in numerous genres of motorsports. His open wheel racing includes USAC Champ cars and midget cars. He raced stock cars in NASCAR and USAC. He won...
and fellow Indy racer Mel Kenyon
Mel Kenyon
Mel Kenyon is a former midget car driver. He is known as the "King of the Midgets", "Miraculous Mel", and "Champion of Midget Auto Racing." The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America says "Many consider him to be midget car racing's greatest driver ever." -Racing career:He attended his first auto...
to Liverpool to race in VW
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
powered Speedcars in the 21st Australian Speedcar Grand Prix
Australian Speedcar Grand Prix
The Australian Speedcar Grand Prix is an annual dirt track racing meeting held for Speedcars. The meeting has traditionally been held in Sydney but on occasions has been held on tracks in Victoria and in 2000 the race was held at Perth's Claremont Speedway, not long before the 1/3 mile Showground...
. The running joke about this at the time was "The Legend in a Lawn Mower" but Foyt was there to win, and win he did passing Kenyon for the lead in mid-race after he (Kenyon) almost spun on oil and tapped the fence. Kenyon still finished 2nd while the USA made it a 1-4 result with Larry Rice
Larry Rice
Larry Rice was an American racing driver in the USAC and CART Championship Car series. He was the 1973 USAC National midget driver's champion and won the USAC Silver Crown series in 1977 and 1981. He was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1993.-Racing career:Larry's father...
and Garry Patterson being the only other drivers to finish on the lead lap.
Foyt returned to Liverpool for the 22nd Australian Grand Prix in 1976 along with fellow Indy 500 winner Johnny Rutherford
Johnny Rutherford
For the Major League Baseball pitcher, see Johnny Rutherford . For other people with a similar name, see John RutherfordJohn Sherman Rutherford III , better known as Johnny Rutherford, and also known as "Lone Star JR" is a former U.S...
and fellow Americans Ron "Sleepy" Tripp
Sleepy Tripp
Ron "Sleepy" Tripp is an American Hall of Fame midget car driver. Tripp got his nickname as a youth when he would fall asleep in his quarter midget car while waiting for his next race to start. -Midget car career:...
and Hank Butcher. All four Americans, along with most of the field, drove the VW powered cars. A.J. Foyt was again the winner this time passing local hero and National Champion George Tatnell in the dying laps. Tatnell was driving his controversial Winfield
Winfield (cigarette)
Winfield is a brand of cigarette that is popular in Australia and New Zealand. They are also sold in other markets in Europe, Canada, South Africa and Asia...
sponsored "Wedge" Speedcar powered by an off-set Offenhauser
Offenhauser
Offenhauser was an American racing engine manufacturer that operated from 1933 to 1983.The Offenhauser engine, familiarly known as the "Offy", was developed by Fred Offenhauser and his employer Harry Arminius Miller, after maintaining and repairing a 1913 Peugeot Grand Prix car of the type which...
engine.
Liverpool Speedway continued to run the Australian Speedcar Grand Prix on both the asphalt and dirt until 1988 with such winners as 10 time Australian Sprintcar Champion
Australian Sprintcar Championship
The Australian Sprintcar Championship is a Dirt track racing championship held each year to determine the Australian national champion. The single championship meeting runs in either late January or early February and has been held year after year since 1963...
Garry Rush in 1977, Ron "Sleepy" Tripp
Sleepy Tripp
Ron "Sleepy" Tripp is an American Hall of Fame midget car driver. Tripp got his nickname as a youth when he would fall asleep in his quarter midget car while waiting for his next race to start. -Midget car career:...
of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1983 and 1984 and after the track had reverted to a clay surface, World of Outlaws
World of Outlaws
The World of Outlaws is an American motorsports sanctioning body. The body sanctions two major national touring series. It is best known for sanctioning a national tour of sprint cars. It later purchased a national tour of late model stockcars called the World of Outlaws Late Model Series...
legend Steve Kinser
Steve Kinser
Steve Kinser , is a professional sprint car racer. He has won 20 championships in the World of Outlaws series, and currently drives the #11 Bass Pro Shops car. Kinser left the World of Outlaws in 2006 to compete with the National Sprint Tour series, but returned to the World of Outlaws for the...
would swap his Sprintcar
Sprint car racing
Sprint cars are high-powered race cars designed primarily for the purpose of running on short oval or circular dirt or paved tracks. Sprint car racing is popular in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa....
for a Speedcar and win in 1986.
Stock Saloons were also a favorite at the track. The cars had to be a pre-1968 prouction car and they raced the track in a Clockwise
Clockwise
Circular motion can occur in two possible directions. A clockwise motion is one that proceeds in the same direction as a clock's hands: from the top to the right, then down and then to the left, and back to the top...
direction. In Speedway, either on dirt or bitumen, almost every class of car and the Solo bikes race oval tracks Anti-clockwise. Squealing tyres would become the norm at Liverpool in its 10 year run as a paved speedway.
When it was decided to pave the Speedway in 1974 it was also decided to build a 350m dirt based motorcycle track on the inside of the 440m pavement track so as to keep both cars and bikes on the same race program. Previous to this, Solos
Motorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. Speedway motorcycles use only one gear and have no brakes and racing takes place on a flat oval track usually...
and sidecars
Sidecar speedway
Sidecar Speedway is a motorcycle sport involving 4 crews of a rider and a passenger competing over 4 laps on an oval shale surface. Rules are governed by the national speedway federation and are not dissimilar to conventional speedway rules....
had been run at Liverpool on the main track since the tracks opening after local rider Gordon Guasco
Gordon Guasco
Gordon Guasco is a former Australian Motorcycle speedway rider who was a favourite at both the Sydney Showground Speedway and Liverpool Speedway...
convinced Speedway Manager Oliveri to put bikes on the program. In a sad twist, Guasco was to lose his life at the track in a crash on November 8, 1970). The infield motorcycle track hosted many world class solo and sidecar riders during its life, with solo riders like Australian greats Billy Sanders, Phil Crump
Phil Crump
Philip John "Phil" Crump in Mildura, Victoria is a retired Australian Motorcycle speedway rider who attained 3rd place in the 1976 World Championship...
and Gary Guglielmi
Gary Guglielmi
Gary Graham Christopher Guglielmi is a former Australian international Speedway rider who represented Australia in both test matches and in the World Pairs Championship....
as well as World Champions
Speedway World Championship
The World Championship of Speedway is an international competition between the highest ranked motorcycle speedway riders of the world. Today, it is organised as a series of Speedway Grand Prix events, where points are awarded according to performance in the event and tallied up at the end of each...
Ivan Mauger
Ivan Mauger
Ivan Mauger, OBE, MBE, is a retired motorcycle speedway rider. He won a record six World Championships, a feat only equalled by Tony Rickardsson of Sweden...
, Ole Olsen and Hans Nielsen
Hans Nielsen (speedway rider)
Hans Hollen Nielsen - a prominent speedway rider active from the 1970s to the late 1990s; a former World Champion....
to name a few. In 1976 Ole Olsen won the only Australian Solo Championship
Individual Speedway Australian Championship
The Australian Individual Speedway Championship is a Motorcycle speedway championship held each year to determine the Australian national champion...
held at Liverpool, to date the last time a non-Australian won the Australian title.
In a major win for the Liverpool City Raceway management and promotors, the track was awarded the 1982 Speedway World Pairs Championship
1982 Speedway World Pairs Championship
The 1982 Speedway World Pairs Championship was the thirteenth FIM Speedway World Pairs Championship. The final took place in Sydney, Australia, at the Liverpool Speedway. The championship was won by Dennis Sigalos and Bobby Schwartz of the United States who were undefeated on the night...
, still the only time the Championship
Speedway World Pairs Championship
The Speedway World Pairs Championship was an annual speedway event held each year in different countries. The first competition was held in 1968 and the final competition was held in 1993. From 1994 it was merged with the World Team Cup.- Rules :...
has ever been held outside of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
or Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. The championship was won by Dennis Sigalos
Dennis Sigalos
Arthur Dennis Sigalos is a professional speedway rider in the United States. He became World Pairs Champion with Bobby Schwartz in 1982 and appeared in the 1982 and 1983 Speedway World Finals, finishing in third place in 1982 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum...
and Bobby Schwartz
Bobby Schwartz
Robert Benjamin 'Bobby' Schwartz is a professional speedway rider in the United States. He became World Pairs Champion with Bruce Penhall in 1981 and Dennis Sigalos in 1982....
representing the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Peter Collins
Peter Collins (speedway rider)
Peter Spencer Collins MBE is a former Speedway rider who spent his whole career with the Belle Vue Aces, the team he supported as a child...
and Kenny Carter
Kenny Carter
Kenneth 'Kenny' Malcolm Carter , was a world class speedway rider. He rode for Newcastle Diamonds , Halifax Dukes and Bradford Dukes ....
representing England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
finished in second while Denmark's
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
Hans Nielsen and Ole Olsen finished in third. Host nation Australia, represented by local Liverpool riders Billy Sanders
Billy Sanders
William Robert Sanders 'Billy Sanders' was an Australian international Speedway rider who won six Australian Championships and was a five time Speedway World Championship finalist with a career best second place in Germany 1983.-Australian Speedway:Billy Sanders bought his first speedway bike from...
(the reigning Australian Champion) and Gary Guglielmi
Gary Guglielmi
Gary Graham Christopher Guglielmi is a former Australian international Speedway rider who represented Australia in both test matches and in the World Pairs Championship....
, finished in fourth place.
Following the 1983/84 speedway season the pavement was torn up and the dirt was re-introduced with clay as the main surface, though the bikes continued on their track as the main tracks clay surface was not suitable for bikes. The sedan scene was winding down and Sprintcars became the new #1 division in the mid 1980's. Also popular at Liverpool and through NSW and Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
was a class known as Compact Speedcars
Midget car racing
Midget cars, also Speedcars in Australia, are very small race cars with a very high power-to-weight ratio and typically use four-cylinder engines.-Cars:Typically, these cars have 300 to 400 horsepower and weigh...
.
Liverpool Speedway also had a BMX track at the south western end of the venue and hosted many international events. The BMX track was known as "Metro West" BMX track. In the early 80's, a group of American riders toured and raced at the venue.
In 1989 the urban sprawl was inevitable, and this led to the reluctant closure of the venue to make way for new housing and a shopping complex now known as the Valley Plaza. If you visit the northern end of the plaza and look under the building, you can see some of the dirt which made up turn 4 of the old speedway spectator area.
Classes of Racing
- SprintcarsSprint car racingSprint cars are high-powered race cars designed primarily for the purpose of running on short oval or circular dirt or paved tracks. Sprint car racing is popular in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa....
- SpeedcarsMidget car racingMidget cars, also Speedcars in Australia, are very small race cars with a very high power-to-weight ratio and typically use four-cylinder engines.-Cars:Typically, these cars have 300 to 400 horsepower and weigh...
- Grand National Sedans
- Stock Saloons
- SolosMotorcycle speedwayMotorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. Speedway motorcycles use only one gear and have no brakes and racing takes place on a flat oval track usually...
- Sidecars
- BMXBMXBicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...
- Compact Speedcars
- GP Midgets
- Figure 8 racingFigure 8 racingFigure 8 racing is a form of racing that combines elements of oval racing, demolition derby, and road racing.-Track:Racing is done on a track shaped like an 8. The cars cross paths at the center of the 8, which is known as the "crossover". Because of this layout, crashes are inevitable...
- Demolition DerbyDemolition derbyDemolition derby is a motorsport usually presented at county fairs and festivals. While rules vary from event to event, the typical demolition derby event consists of five or more drivers competing by deliberately ramming their vehicles into one another...
- Stunt Shows
Famous Competitors
- "Big" Ed Wilbur (
) (sedan) - Rodney CombsRodney CombsRodney Combs is a former NASCAR driver. He has not been in NASCAR since 1997, when he was released from his ride in the Busch Series. Combs was born on March 27, 1950 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Combs entered NASCAR after many years on the open-wheel and short track circuit in the Midwest, racing with...
( ) (sedan) - Gary Patterson ( ) (sprintcar/speedcar) †
- Garry Rush (
) (sprintcar/speedcar) - George Tatnell ( ) (sprintcar/speedcar) †
- Brooke Tatnell ( ) (sprintcar)
- Jack HewittJack HewittJack Hewitt , is a former driver and two-time champion in the USAC Silver Crown Series.- Racing career :He raced in the 1998 Indianapolis 500, placing 12th...
( ) (speedcar/sedan) - Dick Britton ( ) (sprintcar/super modified)
- Peter CollinsPeter Collins (speedway rider)Peter Spencer Collins MBE is a former Speedway rider who spent his whole career with the Belle Vue Aces, the team he supported as a child...
(
) (solo) - Barry Pinchbeck ( ) (speedcar)
- Gene Cook ( ) (grand national)
- Bruce PenhallBruce PenhallBruce Lee Penhall is a retired American motorcycle speedway racer who also starred in television and in film. He was the World Speedway Champion in 1981 and 1982 and rode for the successful Cradley Heath Heathens speedway team in the United Kingdom...
( ) (solo) - John Harvey ( ) (speedcar)
- Kenny CarterKenny CarterKenneth 'Kenny' Malcolm Carter , was a world class speedway rider. He rode for Newcastle Diamonds , Halifax Dukes and Bradford Dukes ....
( ) (solo) † - Steve KinserSteve KinserSteve Kinser , is a professional sprint car racer. He has won 20 championships in the World of Outlaws series, and currently drives the #11 Bass Pro Shops car. Kinser left the World of Outlaws in 2006 to compete with the National Sprint Tour series, but returned to the World of Outlaws for the...
( ) (sprintcar/speedcar) - Bobby SchwartzBobby SchwartzRobert Benjamin 'Bobby' Schwartz is a professional speedway rider in the United States. He became World Pairs Champion with Bruce Penhall in 1981 and Dennis Sigalos in 1982....
( ) (solo) - Randy Kinser ( ) (sprintcar)
- Karl Kinser ( ) (sprintcar)
- Ron "Sleepy" TrippSleepy TrippRon "Sleepy" Tripp is an American Hall of Fame midget car driver. Tripp got his nickname as a youth when he would fall asleep in his quarter midget car while waiting for his next race to start. -Midget car career:...
( ) (speedcar) - Sid Middlemass ( ) (speedcar)
- Kevin Kinser ( ) (sprintcar)
- Billy SandersBilly SandersWilliam Robert Sanders 'Billy Sanders' was an Australian international Speedway rider who won six Australian Championships and was a five time Speedway World Championship finalist with a career best second place in Germany 1983.-Australian Speedway:Billy Sanders bought his first speedway bike from...
( ) (solo) † - Max DumesnyMax DumesnyMax Dumesny is an Australian professional Sprintcar driver. Dumsney was born and raised in Victoria but has resided in Nelson, New South Wales since the mid-1990s, although his Sprintcar carries the number V5 that he has used throughout his career, although he has changed that to Australia 1 when...
( ) (sprintcar) - Gordon GuascoGordon GuascoGordon Guasco is a former Australian Motorcycle speedway rider who was a favourite at both the Sydney Showground Speedway and Liverpool Speedway...
( ) (Solo) † - Dennis SigalosDennis SigalosArthur Dennis Sigalos is a professional speedway rider in the United States. He became World Pairs Champion with Bobby Schwartz in 1982 and appeared in the 1982 and 1983 Speedway World Finals, finishing in third place in 1982 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum...
( ) (solo) - A. J. FoytA. J. FoytAnthony Joseph Foyt, Jr., or as he is universally known as in motorsports circles, A. J. Foyt , is a retired American automobile racing driver. He raced in numerous genres of motorsports. His open wheel racing includes USAC Champ cars and midget cars. He raced stock cars in NASCAR and USAC. He won...
( ) (speedcar) - Larry Moore ( ) (sedan)
- Phil CrumpPhil CrumpPhilip John "Phil" Crump in Mildura, Victoria is a retired Australian Motorcycle speedway rider who attained 3rd place in the 1976 World Championship...
( ) (solo) - Ove FundinOve FundinOve Fundin is a former speedway rider who won the Speedway World Championship five times...
(
) (Solo) - Ray Godsey ( ) (sedan)
- Mitch ShirraMitch ShirraMitchell Owen Shirra is a former motorcycle speedway rider who rode with the Coventry Bees, Reading Racers, Swindon Robins and Ipswich Witches in the British League.-Career summary:...
(solo) - Steve Brazier ( ) (sprintcar)
- Jim AireyJim AireyJames Sydney "Jim" Airey is a former international motorcycle speedway rider who rode in the 1971 World Final in Göteborg, Sweden and was a member of the Great Britain team that won the 1971 Speedway World Team Cup in Wrocław, Poland.-Australia:Jim Airey started racing Speedway in the early-1960s,...
( ) (Solo) - Brian Callaghan ( ) (sedan/speedcar)
- Ole Olsen (
) (solo) - Mel KenyonMel KenyonMel Kenyon is a former midget car driver. He is known as the "King of the Midgets", "Miraculous Mel", and "Champion of Midget Auto Racing." The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America says "Many consider him to be midget car racing's greatest driver ever." -Racing career:He attended his first auto...
( ) (speedcar) - Johnny RutherfordJohnny RutherfordFor the Major League Baseball pitcher, see Johnny Rutherford . For other people with a similar name, see John RutherfordJohn Sherman Rutherford III , better known as Johnny Rutherford, and also known as "Lone Star JR" is a former U.S...
( ) (speedcar) - Johnny Anderson ( ) (sprintcar)
- Barry Graham ( ) (grand national)
- Peter Crick ( ) (grand national)
- Ivan MaugerIvan MaugerIvan Mauger, OBE, MBE, is a retired motorcycle speedway rider. He won a record six World Championships, a feat only equalled by Tony Rickardsson of Sweden...
(solo) - Hans NielsenHans Nielsen (speedway rider)Hans Hollen Nielsen - a prominent speedway rider active from the 1970s to the late 1990s; a former World Champion....
( ) (solo)
† - Deceaced