BUNBURY (WA)
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BUNBURY SPEEDWAY 1972
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previous year www.speedwayandroadracehistory.com/bunbury-blicks-raceway-1971.html
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1972 - SOUTH WESTERN TIMES NEWSPAPER REPORTED
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5th October 1972 |
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1972 - BUNBURY SPEEDWAY
Brian Moyle recalls: All was prepared, The venue was ready to roll, a very exhausted team of volunteers and contractors were all getting ready to take there families out for a night of World Class racing, The nominations list was star studded, many compared our new venue to the best in Australia, and then the rains came and a massive feeling of loss drifted across Bunbury, The club acted fast and a new opening was planned for the 11th of November 1972.
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1972 - SOUTH WESTERN TIMES NEWSPAPER REPORTED
November 1972
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1972 - BUNBURY SPEEDWAY Opening Meeting 11th November 1972 |
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Peter Roebuck Photo feature
1972 - A freshly prepared track surface awaits the C Grade Solos for the 1st ever race at the new bunbury Speedway. Photographer: Peter Roebuck.
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1972 - PETER ECCLESTONE Solo's
1972 - Peter Ecclestone in full flight at Bunbury Speedway in its opening year. Photo: South West Times newspaper.
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1972 - SOUTH WESTERN TIMES NEWSPAPER REPORTED
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14th November 1972 |
Published 14th November 1972 |
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11th November 1972 - Les Sharpe fresh back from an English series riding for the Hallifax Team swept all before him at Bunbury's opening night. Photographer: unknown.
Solos
1972 - Bob O'Leary |
Junior Rods
Jenny Turnor
Robert Turnor |
11th November 1972 - Glyn & Chum Taylor
Supermodifieds
11th November 1972 - Alf Barbagallo
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11th November 1972 - Graham Wheat
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11th November 1972 - Colin Resta
Production Cars
11th November 1972 - Richard Hartzer.
11th November 1972 - Rod Watson |
Robbie Harding
Robbie Nicholson |
11th November 1972 - Rod Watson
11th November 1972 - Allan Nylander.
Sidecars
11th November 1972 - Graeme Harris and Murray Grant
11th November 1972 - Dennis Nash and Ray Barber
Speedcar's
11th November 1972 - Graeme Werner in his Holden grey powered Speedcar. Photographer: unknown.
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BUNBURY SPEEDWAY 2nd Meeting 25th November 1972 |
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1972 - JUNIOR ROD RACING
Junior Rod racing had already taken of in Collie by the time the new Bunbury Speedway circuit had opened in 1972, big fields flocked to the new speedway under light venue at Bunbury.
Phil receives one of his many trophy's from juniors |
Phil BakerBunbury Car clubPhil had already started racing juniors at the new Collie Speedway track that had just opened in the previous year, his first car an Austin A40 was discarded for the more favourable Ford 100E Prefect.
Some older cars were racing at the time such as Jim Liddle and Greg Jones sharing an old grasshopper Ford Prefect and Peter May in an Austin A50, They struggled against the more modern 100E Prefects,
The 100E Prefect would domininate the results until the Triumph Herold arrived later,
Phil would later move into a Triumph Herald with success.
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1972 - JENNY TURNOR Junior Rod's
25th November 1973 - Jenny Turnor's choice of car a Ford Prefect. Photographer: unknown.
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1973 - JIM WILLIAMS Junior Rod's
25th November 1973 - Jim Williams from the Donnybrook Club in the Ford Prefect. Photographer: unknown.
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1972 - BILL BARR Stock Production
1972 - Bill Barr was a champion stock production driver from the blicks Raceway days who continued onto the Bunbury Speedway, Bills choice was a FC Holden ute, station wagons and utes' were quite popular up until the 1973 1974 season when they were banned. Photo: unknown.
1972 - Bills ute hooked up behind Lloyd Bickertons ute. Photo: Barr family collection.
1972 - Off to the race track on a saturday afternoon. A very young Suzi and Peter Barr with unknown. Photo Barr family collection.
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1972 - COLIN HARPER Stock Production
1972 - Colin hailed from the Donnybrook club a club that boasted a lot of very competitive drivers, Colin won a lot of races in his S Series Valiant. Photo: unknown.
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1972 - ALF BARBAGALLO Supermodified's
1972 - Alf Barbagallo leading Martin Laughton during the feature event. Photographer: unknown.
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1972 - BRYAN SHUGG Speedcar's
1972 - Brian Shugg, A speedcar driver from Claremont Speedway in the pits at Bunbury Speedway. Photo: Speedway and Road Race History collection.
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1972 - BUNBURY SPEEDWAY SUPERMODIFIED ACTION
1972 - Ken Marks in the Wagin number 20 car. Ben Ludlow Junior in number 9 and Graham Wheat with a broken front end. Photo: South Western Times.
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1972 - BUNBURY SPEEDWAY 3rd Meeting 12th December 1972 |
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1972 - LEN BOWES & BOB SIERP Sidecar's
1972 - South Australian Sidecar Champion Len Bowes in the Claremont pits the night before Bunbury with his Mechanic Kevin, Tom Dillon from Bunbury Speedway and Lens swinger Bob Sierp. Photo: unknown.
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1972 - RON JOHNSON Sidecar's
1972 - South Australian rider Ron Johnson suits up while his swinger David Rose fills up the sidecars fuel tank in the Bunbury pits. Photo: South West Times.
1972 - Ron Johnson and David Rose on the high line while B Payne runs the curb. Photo: Speedway and Road Race History collection.
Harold Thomas recalls: Ron visited Bunbury Speedway in 1972 its opening season. After easily winning a heat i found him sitting on his outfit in the pits, i spoke with him and he asked me to get a large screwdriver from his tool roll. He had his trailing foot run over, and the steel cap was just about severing his toes. A quick twist with the driver, his toes were free. It looked like he had done this many times before. What a Legend. RIP.
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1972 - SOUTH WESTERN TIMES NEWSPAPER REPORTED
Ron Johnson (left) and Neil Munro who with Len Bowes form Australia's three greatest sidecar drivers. On Saturday night they will be taking on the cream of WA sidecar stars in a series of five match races at the Bunbury Speedway. Aspecial weekend of entertainment has been arranged for the Australian aces by the Bunbury Car Club Inc. The visiting drivers and their sidecar passengers will be guests of honour at a party, will sample some of Bunbur's tasty crabs and will go water skiing, that will be something to see, for Johnson is 6ft 4ins tall and weighs 17 stone.
Track manager Tom Dillon said yesterday, We promised Bunbury enthusiasts the best in speedway entertainment, but to bring over stars of the calibre of Johnson Munro and Bowes is an expensive venture. It would not of been possible but for the generous gesture of many Bunbury business firms, too numerous to mention, who together have subscribed $700 towards expenses and prize money, A local car dealer is providing cars for the convenience of our star guests. On behalf of the club I offer sincere appreciation to all these good hearted people.
Neil Munroe on the curb under Dennis Nash.
Ron Johnson heads down the back straight at Bunbury.
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1972 - PETER MAY Junior Rod's
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1972 - BILL BARR Stock Production
1972 - Bill Barr in his FC ute took many checker flags in this number 56 ute, Season 2 would see the banning of utes, panel vans and station wagons in all classes. Photo: Speedway and Road Race History collection.
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1972 - ROBBIE HARDING A Production
1972 - Rob Harding makes a move under John Hudson in the VC Valiant V8. Photo: South Western Times.
1972 - Originally built for drag racing in a 48 series Holden. This engine built by Bill Lydiate was fitted into Rob Hardings EH Holden. Photo: Bill Lydiate collection.
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1972 - STAN STARCEVICH A Production
1972 - Stan the Man Starcevich did run number 1 on the car for a reason. Photographer: unknown.
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1972 - LAURIE MALONEY A Production.
1972 - Laurie Maloney from the Collie would often run both Division 1 & 2 Sedan's. Photographer: unknown.
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1975 - BUNBURY SPEEDWAY 4th Meeting 26th December 1972 |
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1972 - JEFF ELLIOT Junior Rod's
Peter Roebuck Photo feature
26th December 1972 - Jeff Elliot of Bunbury leads Frank Figliomeni from Harvey in a tight Junior event. Photographer: Peter Roebuck.
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1972 - MURRAY JONES Stock Production
26th December 1972 - Local Bunbury driver Murray Jones on the pole line, while Chas Thompson runs the high line in his FC Holden ute. Photo: Speedway and Road Race History collection.
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1972 - Dennis Lamp Supermodified's
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1972 - BUNBURY SPEEDWAY 5th Meeting 30th December 1972 |
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1972 - ROD CHESSELL SOLOS
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1972 - Bunbury Speedway manager Tom Dillon presents Rod Chessell with his Golden Helmet Award along side Malcolm Simmons from England. right: Harold Brauhe take Rod for a victory lap in the Harlington King Dick with the wicker basket sidecar. Photos: South West Times newspaper.
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1972 - BUNBURY SPEEDWAY SOLO SLIDESHOW
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1972 - BARRY BLAKE Production Car's
30th December 1972 - Barry Blake would become a regular at Bunbury Speedway. Photographer: unknown.
Brian Moyle recalls: The 1972 / 1973 season was an absolute ripper for Barry Blake in the Girlock Brakes Torana, He only starting racing at Bunbury after missing the first few meetings, this didn't stop him from winning the Bunbury Car Clubs Top Overall Points tally for all divisions, as well as Top points in all of the heat race and feature tallies.
The club did in fact invite Barry and Cindy down for it annual end of year presentation night which was held in the Rowing Club venue.
What the club neglected to tell Barry that he would not winning the awards, as he was not a Bunbury Car Club financial member, so Barry left with nothing.
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1972 - ROBBIE HARDING Production Car's
30th December 1972 - Robbie Harding in his number 6 EH Holden on the highline would drift between A & B Production, always keen to take part in team challenges with other clubs, here he takes on a challange from Allan Blake in his Turbo Charged Torana. Photographer: unknown.
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1972 - RAY GLENN
1972 - Ray Glenn in his 48 series Holden Division 2 sedan at Bunbury Speedway. Photographer: unknown.
1972 - VERN BAKER Division 2 Sedan's
1972 - Vern Baker in his EK Holden Division 2 Sedan at Bunbury Speedway. Photographer: unknown.
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1972 - TREVOR BLYTHE Division Two Sedan's
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1972 - LAURIE MALONEY Open Production
1972 - Laurie Maloney the gun from Collie, very fast on his night. Photographer: unknown.
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1972 - BUNBURY SPEEDWAY PRODUCTION SEDAN SLIDESHOW and others
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1972 - BRIAN BECKINGHAM Supermodified's
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1972 - BUNBURY SPEEDWAY SUPERMODIFIED SLIDESHOW
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1972 - KEVIN HORNBY B Modified
1972 - Kevin Hornby leads Eddie Laing. Photo: Speedway and Road Race History collection.
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1972 - BUNBURY SPEEDWAY TV SHOW
Community interest in Speedway was at a all time high after Bunbury Speedway opened in 1972, no longer did family's have to pack up the car at lunch time Friday's to make it to Claremont Speedway in time to watch the best the sport had to offer and then make the three and a half hour journey home, Bunbury embrased its new found attraction and everyone wanted to be apart of it, so why not Television, Bunbury's Channel 3 put a weekley show to air hosted by Brian Kennedy, a past President of the Bunbury Club, the show was all about last week, next week and interviews etc
1972 - Brian Kennedy - Kim Jeffery and Bob Cav on our telivisions on a weekly basis. Photo: unknown.
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1972 - PAUL MOTORS Bunbury Speedway Sponsor
1972 - Paul Motors the local Chrysler Dealer was a major sponsor of the Bunbury Speedway when it opened, providing cars for visiting competitors to move around in while on stay in the South West, As a feature at interville on race nights, Pauls would parade a selection of there used cars around the track, while the commentator would spread the word about these top of the line used cars. Photo: Speedway and Road Race History collection.
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1972 - GENE WELCH Open Production
1972 - USA driver Gene Welch moves under Mick Triplett. Photograrher unknown.
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1973 - SOUTH WESTERN TIMES NEWSPAPER REPORTED
W o r l d Champion here on Saturday
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Bunbury Speedway officials are confidently excepting a record crowd of more than 12,000 people at the North Boyanup Road track on Saturday night when four time world solo champion and current titleholder Ivan Mauger will compete in six match races against the top riders in WA.
Track manager Tom Dillon said yesterday, This will be World class racing never seen before in the South West.
Every effort has been made to ensure that spectators will see the stars in the best possible conditions, So that the riders will not be hindered by the setting sun, and to ensure latecomers will not miss Mauger in action the programme will start at 7.30pm
The opening minutes will be taken up with an official welcome and the presentation to speedway fans of Mauger and the other track aces The first race will be at 7.45pm
It will be an unforgetable night. Presenting a star of Mauger's calibre to Bunbury sport fans is the equivalent of a boxing promoter bringing Cassius Clay or George Forman here.
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Malcolm Simmons the British star is expectedto be Mauger's toughest opponent |
The New Zealand born Mauger (pronounced Major) is known as the Galloping Major because of his tremendous speed and skill on the track. He has a spectacular list of successes behind him. He first won the World Title at Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1968, again at Wembley, England in 1969 and once more the following year at Wroclan, Poland, to become the first rider to win the title three years in a a row.
In 1971, at Gothenburg, he finished 2nd to Denmark's Ole Olsen but regained the tital last year at Wembley when he beat Sweden's Bernt Perssen in a run off before a crowd of more than 80,000 people.
Mauger also was the European Champion in 1966, 1970 and 1971, The British titleholder in 1968, 1970, 1971 and 1972, with his partner won the World Championship pair for New Zealand in 1969 and 1970, and has captained his club, Belle-Vue, Manchester, to British league success for the last three years.
Because most of his work is in Europe, Mauger lives with his wife Rae and three children in a luxury $70,000 home in Cheshire, England, drives a Mercedies Benz, is a director of a merchandising company, the author of 2 books on speedway, and is a regular columnist for magazines and newspapers in England, the USA, Australia and New Zealand.
On Saturday afternoon Mauger and his wife will be givern a reception by the Mayor of Bunbury Mr PJ Usher.
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1972 / 1973 - BUNBURY SPEEDWAY MANAGER Tom Dillon
Tom Dillon was one of the massive influences in steering the Bunbury Car Club from building a day time hot rod track, to building a world class night time speedway that would host some of the best competitors that the world had to offer.
Tom managed Bunbury Speedway through its opening 1972 1973 season with a massive amount of success, and at the end of his one year contract, Tom was made an offer by Rowley Park Speedway to relocate the family to Adelaide and run the Rowley Park Speedway, The offer was way to good to refuse so Tom moved east.
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Brian Moyle recalls: as the speedway was so far out of town the Car Club orginised for Coopers to run a bus service from Central Arcade in Bunbury to the track each night and return, other services also ran, I think for the Harvey area stopping at the Roelands mission, the problem with the service was it worked to a timetable and often on the big nights the race meeting would finish late, this meant leave before the features or walk, because of this the patronage fell away and the service ceased. as mad keen speedway fans in those day we would often walk.
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Memories of Bunbury facebook photo feature
Photo: Jim Bond / Dave Urquhart collection. from Memories of Bunbury Facebook. |
On a good night we sometimes could hitch a ride home on the the back of S&R Wreckers tow truck or Fred Beauglehole would cram a heap of us in the back of the McKenzie Motors ute, other nights when we had to walk all the way the traffic was so heavy leaving the Speedway that the we could make it to the Ring Road turn off before we ran out of car headlight to light up the road home.
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Shane McKenzie recalls: i was only five years old when all this was going on, on the opening night of Bunbury Speedway Mum and Dad bundled us all up in the wagon with Dads number 8 EH Holden on the trailer we headed off to the new Bunbury Speedway. We lived in Manjimup in those days.