ADELAIDE (SA)
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1968 - VIRGINIA FAIRGROUNDS SPEEDWAY
Construction on the dirt oval Speedway started in 1968 by the Bevan family and on the 4th of May of 1969 the first race meeting had been held, the concept of the speedway was to be a winter track that would compliment the near-by Rowley Park summer time venue.
By 1971 the promotion of the venue had changed and Doug Sunstrom had taken over, the name of the venue was changed to Thunderbird Speedway and the main focus was on car racing only, Dougs farther Arn Sunstrom was killed at Rowley Park Speedway during the 1958 - 1959 season.
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Ian Gear 56 - Leon Hall 9 and Peter Glassenberry. |
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1969 - GEOFF MEINERS Production Car's
1969 - Geoff Meiners winner of the Winter Production Car Championship. Research and Photo: Carolyn Webb.
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1969 - PRODUCTION CARS
1969 - Jim Baker and Adrian Airde in the pits at Virginia. Photo: unknown.
1969 - Photo: unknown.
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1969 - 1970 - BILL WIGZELL Supermodified's
1969 - 1970 - Bill Wigzell South Australian champion. Photo: Lindsay Newton.
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Brian Smart Sedan car feature
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1969 - Sedan Car action from Virginia Speedway. Photo's Brian Smart Rowley Park Speedway facebook.
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Brian Smart TQ feature
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1969 - TQ action at Virginia Speedway with SA1 Viv Wilks. Photo's: Brian Smart.
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1969 - DEAN HOGARTH Speedcar's
1969 - Photo: Dean Donovan.
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Brian Smart Supermodified feature
1969 - John Moyle 69 - . Photo: Brian Smart. Rowley Park facebook.
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1969 - VIRGINIA FAIRGROUND SPEEDWAY 25th May 1969Sadley this was the race meeting that Ray Foot was to loose his life in a racing accident.
Ray was a true champion in the world of tq racing and traveled extensivley.
He gained a reputation as a take no prisoners type of driver and enjoyed many championship wins.
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26th May 1969
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1970 - AUSTRALIAN SPEEDWAY WORLD MAGAZINE REPORTED
1970 - Sidecar Racing was first introduced to the Virginia Fairgrounds in 1970. Photo: unknown.
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1970's - SEDAN CAR ACTION
Sedan action Tony Orlando 99 - Norm Moore 31 - Alan Kempster 15 - Jim Baker 42 - Photo: Jim Baker.
Gary Hoffman in his VF Valiant Production Car at the Virginia Fairgrounds. Photo: unknown.
Ivor Benneche leads his brother Graham in a Production Car race at the Fairgrounds. Photo: unknown.
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1970 - VIV WILKES TQ's
1970 - South Australia 1 Viv Wilkes runs under Graham Shuttleworth at the Virginia Fairgrounds. Photo: unknown.
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1970 - BILL CURNOW Speedcar's
1970 - Bill Curnow in his number 4 Speedcar in action at the Virginia Fairgrounds. Photo: unknown.
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1970 - JIM JOBSON & COL HENNIG Speedcar's
1970 - Jim Jobson is leading Col Hennig in a Speedcar race at the Virginia Fairgrounds. Photo: unknown.
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1970 - DOUG SUNSTROM Supermodified's
Doug Sunstrom crosses the line ahead of Spike Jones at the Virginia Fairgrounds. Photo: unknown.
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1971 - THUNDERBIRD RACEWAY VIRGINIA
In 1971 the Virginia Fairgrounds Speedway under the direction of new promotor Doug Sunstrom moved away from bike racing to concentrate on car racing and changed its name to Thunderbird Raceway.
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1971 - THUNDERBIRD RACEWAY VIRGINIA OPENING MEETING 2nd June 1971 |
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1971 - AUSTRALIAN SPEEDWAY NEWS REPORTED
2nd July 1971
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1971 - THUNDERBIRD RACEWAY VIRGINIA 20th June 1971
The second meeting under the leadership of Doug Sunstrom promised to be a block buster but it didn't quite turn out that way.
1971 - AUSTRALIAN SPEEDWAY NEWS REPORTED
VETERAN Adelaide competitor Rocky Wright punches his immaculate Holden powered racer around Doug Sunstrom's Thunderbird Raceway.
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Published: 16th July 1971 |
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1971 / 1972 - THUNDERBIRD RACEWAY
Aussie Speedway Memories Photo feature
