MARGARET RIVER (WA)
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1964 - AUGUSTA MARGARET RIVER SPEEDWAY
The Augusta Margaret River Hot Rod Club inc, opened its track in March of 1964, The track was built in an old gravel pit on Wallcliffe Road near the Margaret River townsite, originally the race track was surounded with dirt embankments and no fences, it was simular in shape to today but because it was built in dence bushland non of the trees were removed from the infield so spectators would loose sight of the cars down the back straight.
Photo: Nifty Rodgers collection.
Over the years the club has grown strong and had to fight off many attempts to shut the place down, Today in 2011 the track is still situated in the same gravel pit, only now the venue would rival any other track in Australia, The club has put a priority on safety, Spectator comfort and catering along with a world class clay track surface.
The Augusta Margaret River Speedway Club has hosted many state titals for various divisions over the years and produced many local champions that have had huge success at a state and national level, Richard Nelson, Lester Minchin, Clint and Matt Noakes, Lee Watt, Kevin Bell and Sid Streetfield just to mention a few.
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1971 - BRIAN McRAE Stock Production's
1971 - Brian McRae from the Bunbury club paid a visit to Margaret River in the Honda Scamp. Photo's: Brian McRae.
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1972 - CLIFF LANGDRIDGE Stock Production's
1972 - Cliff Langdridge from the Donnybrook club at a Margaret River race meeting. Photo's: Cliff Langdridge.
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1975 - AUGUSTA MARGARET RIVER SPEEDWAY RE-OPENS
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1975 - AUGUSTA MARGARET RIVER SPEEDWAY SEDAN CAR ACTION
1975 - Photo's: Gavin Yates.
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1975 - GAVIN YATES Production Car's
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1975 - WESTERN FARMER NEWSPAPER REPORTED
Mike Bignell in the HQ Monaro (ex John Hudson) and Butch Thompson in the Datsun 1600 take on Johnny Nutley and the rest of the Augusta Margaret River locals. Photo: unknown.
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1976 - SOUTH WEST TIMES NEWSPAPER REPORTED
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1976 - WESTERN HERALD NEWSPAPER REPORTED
4th November 1976
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ROSS McKENZIE Production Car's
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1978 - ROBERT HARDING
1978 - Robert Harding from the Bunbury Club made a welcomed appearance at the Augusta Margaret River track in his GTR-XU1 Torana. Photographer: unknown.
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1978 - AUGUSTA MARGARET RIVER SPEEDWAY
This picture shows the keenness of the competition in evidence at last sunday,s Margaret River Speedway meeting.
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1978 - SOUTH WESTERN TIMES NEWSPAPER REPORTED
24th December 1978
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1983 - AUGUSTA MARGARET RIVER SPEEDWAY SEDAN CAR ACTION
West Coast Speedway News Pictorial feature
1983 - John Nuttley on the outside of Ross McKenzie, Peter Chinnary blue EH Holden, possibly Russell Chinnery green EH Holden and Hal McKenny 221 EH Holden. Photo: Mal Cooper.
1983 - Photo: Mal Cooper.
1983 - Mark Synnott turns his EJ Holden around in front of Richard Nelson in the AP6 Valiant. Photo: Mal Cooper.
1983 - Matt Lawson from the Manjimup club in a whole lot of trouble as Kingsley Mcswain drives on by. Photo: Mal Cooper.
1983 - Ross McKenzie in his Falcon leads the pack. Photo: Mal Cooper.
1983 - Greg Black leads in the number 3 EJ Holden at the Augusta Margaret River track. Photographer: Mal Cooper.
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1983 - GAVIN YATES
1983 - Stewie Yates with Gavin Yates at Augusta Margaret River Speedway. Photo Gavin Yates collection.
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1984 / 1985 - STEVE DUGGAN Supermodified's
1984 > 1985 - Steve Duggan in the Buick Wildcat. Photographer: unknown.
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1984 > 1985 - SOUTH WEST SPEEDCAR CHAMPIONSHIP
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1984 - ROSS McKENZIE
1984 - Ross McKenzie in the Toms Tyres XD Falcon leading the pack. Photo: Mal Cooper.
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1985 - AUGUSTA MARGARET RIVER SPEEDWAY February 1985
West Coast Speedway News Photo feature
February 1985 - Augusta Margaret River Speedway was always a popular track with Dirt Rod boys, here Mark Peel and Max Pilmer turn it on for the spectators. Photo: P Reed from the Mark Reed collection.
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1986 - BRAD BLAKE Street Sedan's
1986 - The Augusta Margaret River Speedway would be the launching pad for one of the most succesful drivers to come out of the state of Western Australia, Truth was that Brads farther Allen was completely over speedway and was interested in supporting Brads hobby.
So it was up to Brads uncle Ross McKenzie to step up and build Brad his first car and also mentor him, The choice of car was a Ford Cortina, that he ran in the Stockie division.
This was the year that the West Australian Saloon Car Federation started to introduce there new Street Sedan division (now known as Street Stocks)It would be the following year that Brad would shift his attension to Bunbury Speedway and enter a new phase in his racing, firstly in a new car built by Macca from Picton Steel with a new engine supplied by Brian Moyle from Bunbury Auto Machining, and the car prepared by Ivan Burke.It would be another year later that Allan would re enter the sport of speedway, only days before the |
Street sedan State title to be held at Bunbury City Speedway. Allan had to conceed to the fact that he had been impressed by Brads efforts.
ability on the track, also he was going to keep racing no matter what and he was knocking off all the Cortina spares in the wrecking yard anyway, As we all know the combination of Brad and Allan would grow from this point.
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1986 - GEOFF PILGRIM Speedcar's
Claremont Speedway facebook photo feature
1980 - A very happy Geoff Pilgrim with his Volkswagon speedcar enjoying the meeting win. Photo: Rick Yates.
Rick Yates recalls: the day meeting at the Augusta Margaret River track when this photo of me and Pillsy was taken. These country shows were great fun mixing with the local racers. Geoff was a one man comedy show on or off the track. But a dogmatic driver when required. RIP Geoffrey John (thanks for the photo Junior)
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1986 - STEVE DUGGAN Sprintcar's
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1987 - GEOFF PILGRIM Speedcar's
1987 - Geoff Pilgrim was always a big supporter of country tracks. Photo: Hilgy.
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1992 - MIKE COLES Dirt Hot Rod's
1992 - Mike Coles Holden 192 powered Mini.
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1993 - RYAN YATES Junior Sedan's
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1993 - AUGUSTA MARGARET RIVER SPEEDWAY
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1993 - RYAN YATES Junior Sedan's
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1993 - STUART YATES Junior Sedan's
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1993 - AUGUSTA MARGARET RIVER SPEEDWAY
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1997 - AUGUSTA MARGARET RIVER SPEEDWAY SLIDESHOW
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Brian Moyle recalls: This tittle snippet appeared at the end of Gavin Watts Presidents report in the meetings program.
The story behind the comment is myself, Jason. Gavin and Lee while staying at the farm one weekend, decided to go catch some Marron, So with 1 torch and a scoop net in hand, Me and Gavin three parts pissed and two sober kids to look after us, headed for the dam. After a brief attempt by me and Gavin to get the job done, it was soon decided that Lee would take control of the scoop with Gavin holding the torch.
Lee had stepped down onto a small ledge at the edge of the dam ready to scoop, Gavin had positioned himself directly behind with the torch shining onto the back of Lee's head, get down here next to me Lee shouted and shine the torch into the water.
So Gavin doing as was told stepped to the side onto the reeds and down to a shelf he believed was there, and there you go what we saw next was a stream of bubbles streaming to the surface in a light beam pointing up at us, The torch then went out and we were plunged into darkness, This was followed by a cough and several splutters, through the moon light we could see a very angry diver clambering up through the reeds and back onto dry land.
With that I asked Gavin did he see any marron in the dam, he replied NO and I had a good look, further to that he tried to pick me up and throw me in, Power to weight ratio was wrong, never happened.
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1999 - AUGUSTA MARGARET RIVER SPEEDWAY SLIDESHOW
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2001 - AUGUSTA MARGARET RIVER WASCF MODIFIED SEDAN CHAMPIONSHIP 3rd & 4th March 2001
The Augusta Margaret River speedway club hosted the 2000 - 2001 West Australian Modified Sedan Car Championship on the 3rd and 4th of March 2001, A drivers Calcutta was conducted for the event on the Friday night prior to racing, The Saturday saw scrutineering, practice and each driver contest three ten lap heats, With a support program, On the Sunday night each driver contested one more ten lap heat, After the points were tallied the top eighteen cars went straight into the A main, A twelve lap B main was run over twelve laps with the first two finishers going into positions nineteen and twenty.
The winner of the thirty lap feature was Ben Ellement in an XE Falcon followed by Local driver Lee Watt in a Sigma to Mick Ricetti from Carnarvon in a XF Falcon.
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2001 - CHASE KAPENKO
Chase Kapenko was a 16 year old Street Sedan driver from Darwin who was rapidly making a name for himshelf within the sedan car ranks, I had previously had the Kapenko family stay at my place during the Australian Street Sedan Championship at Collie Speedway in January, Chase impressed me so much during that event that I organized for him to fly in and race my car in the West Australian Modified Sedan Championship here at the Margaret River track in March.
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Chase entered into the final from 1st reserve |
Chase struggled initially with his hammer down driving style, and after a spin out or two he found himself as the 1st reserve for the feature after all the heats had been run.
As the field circled the track for the start of the feature Chase sat suited up and strapped in on the infield waiting for a miracle, The greens came on and the field made its ways through one and two, down the back straight were all hell had broken loose, This caused a red light stoppage so the carnage could be cleared from the track.
With the racetrack cleared the cars began to once again roll around, Then over the PA it was announced that Kim Jollys car from Carnarvon would not be restarting because of major damage, Chase was then ordered to join the field at the rear, The spectator erupted with clapping and cheering as he made his way around.
The Greens once again came on and field settled into a freight train procession with very little passing going, Chase started picking them off one at a time and made his way up into the top six at half race distance, Then an on track problem brought on the yellows, With the ruling from the chief steward that Chase was the primary cause of the stoppage he was sent to the rear.
With Chase gaining more and more confidence as the race went on he once again worked his way through the field to end the race in fifth place right on Greg Freeman's Bumper