CORRIGIN (WA)
*********************************************************************************************************************************
1920's - WALDEN PARK
Prior to being a speedway track, the site was developed in the 1920's as the original Corrigin Showgrounds, after the Corrigin Agriculture Society took over from the George Rock Society, and moved the annual Agriculture Show in 1923 to this venue many other community events took place on the site.
The grounds were used for football, Cricket, and hockey. In 1929 a motorcycle speedway meeting was held as part of the annual show.
1929 - THE WICKEPIN ARGUS NEWSPAPER REPORTED
10th October 1929
1928 - CORRIGIN MOTORCYCLE CLUB
The local Speedway was within the same proximity and in 1928 the local motorcycle club was formed.
Some very skilled riders emerged from the Corrigin clubs ranks in the very short time the club was in existence.
Eric and Heaward Abe, along with PJ Lings, were among those riders that went on to compete at the Claremont Showgrounds Speedway in Perth in the early 1930's.
1956 - NARROGIN 1400 MILE RELIABILITY TRIAL
This gruelling event through scrub and sandhills as far as Balladonia and Israelite Bay attracted 3 Corrigin entrants in 1956, J Graham in a 1953 Holden, George Waldon in a 1953 Holden and P Dillon in a 1951 Holden Ute.
|
|
CORRIGIN SPEEDWAYWhen the inception and construction of Corrigin Speedway is looked into the two leading names that stand out are that of Danny Lahore, a former tq racer, and George Walden, propietor of Walden Motors in Corrigin.
Walden Park is noted under the state heritage listing as a tq racing track. #8409
|
****************************************************************************************************************************
**************************************************************************************************************************** |
1980 - CORRIGIN SPEEDWAY
1980 - J George in the number 71 Supermodified. Photo: unknown.
1981 - CORRIGIN NEWS REPORTED
1981 - HOT ROD RACING ACTION
1981 - Jim Kirkwood does not remember the Hot Rods holding an official meeting at Corrigin, he feels this maybe a practice run for Max Pilmer and Rod Betts at the wheatbelt track. Photo: John Lange collection.
1982 - CORRIGIN SPEEDWAY
1982 - M Minors 4 - G Hamston 43 - Martin Laughton 60 - R Tyler 49 - M Iwanow 20. Photo: unknown.
1982 - Perth based driver Martin Laughton take a ride on the wild side. Photo: unknown.
1983 - CORRIGIN SPEEDWAY
1983 - Trevor Bell 33 leads Larry Reed 15 then Keith Bradford in the Torana and Bob Stewart for Lake Grace in the Commodore. Photo: Larry Reed.
1984 - DARREL HAYTHORNTHWAITE Super Sedan
West Coast Speedway News facebook photo feature
1984 - Darrel Haythornthwaite from the Quairading club tearing up the Corrigin Surface. Photo: Darrel Haythornthwaite.
1984 - UNKNOWN DRIVER Stock Production
1985 - CORRIGIN NEWS REPORTED
1985 - WAYNE BIRD Super Sedan
1985 - Wayne Bird from the Narrogin Speedway club in the Torana leads Larry Reid in the Corvette and Ray Lindroth from Lake Grace in the Grand National bodied car. Photo: Larry Reid.
1985 - LARRY REID Super Sedan
1985 - Larry Reid powers the Corvette through the corners of the Corrigin Speedway. Photo: Larry Reid.
1987 - HANK WILLIAMS
2011 - CORRIGIN SPEEDWAY WALKABOUT
The race track and catch fence are in fairly good condition, all the perimeter fences and internal public fences are still standing but in a state of dis-repair, The canteen, club rooms and the toilet buildings are sound but the vandals have destroyed the inner walls and fixtures.
2011 - CORRIGIN SPEEDWAY WALKABOUT SLIDESHOW
(use controls to pause - forward or reverse 13 images)
Mr . GEORGE W . WALDEN
1947 - Waldens Garage on Goyder Street. Photo: Lorinda Knox. Lost Corrigin facebook.
|
1988 - Joan and Graham Walden attend the dedication at Walden Park. Photo: unknown.
|
The canteen clubrooms, originaly an old farm house that was dismantled and re-erected at the speedway. The small house also had the brick section added on at the same time.
|
Information is required on George Walden. Can you help?
|
2013 - WEST COAST SPEEDWAY IS BORN
With the Lease on Walden Park being entered into between the Australian Speedway Drivers and Riders Association, The Shire of Corrigin and the Lands Department, all that was required then from The Department of Sport and Recreation was to ensure West Coast was affiliated with West Australia's Peak body the West Australian Speedway Commission. With all the boxes being ticked, restoration on the Corrigin venue has commenced after 3 years of tireless work by the ASDRA under the leadership of Alan and Christine Meakins.
2013 - THE GROUND IS BROKEN
The restoration work commenced in 2013 but it was not until 2015 that the lease would be finalised by the lands department.
(use controls to pause - forward or reverse 11 images)
2013 - THE TRACK RESHAPE STARTS
(use controls to pause - forward or reverse 6 images)
2013 - WEST COAST SPEEDWAY RESTORATION
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
main straight spectator area: many healthy trees have been trimmed but area still remains very shaded.
Kevin & Mal Myles installing the infield drainage,A sudden downpour at knock off time tested the plumbing works a treat. |
|
|
|
resident chippie Alan Meakins working on the club house - canteen bar
|
|
|
|
|
|
2016 - CORRIGIN SPEEDWAY RESTORATION
The award for the hardest working volunteer over the weekend goes to this vintage grader, with its owner Barney at the controls the machine worked non stop widening the racetrack to 22metres, leveling and cambering the surface to close to its final size, Barney also set about laying down the tractor pull strip.
(use controls to pause - forward or reverse 6 images)
3rd & 4th June 2016
2016 - CORRIGIN SPEEDWAY RESTORATION
The following weekend and the ASDRA work party returned to the speedway venue, As this was a long weekend several members made just that of it, Kevin and Mal Myles along with Dougie arrived on the Friday and finished of all the plumbing and leach drains at the toilet
Saturday, Sunday and Monday Barney returned with this vintage grader to clean up the scrub of the infield and contour the area to the infield drainage soak well, finish of the tractor pull strip and clear up the public area, free from scrub and weeds,
Over the period since inception many locals have assisted in the restoration work like John Janson with fencing etc, Ron Poultney with his hours on his tractor shifter the track gate entrances and the clean ups, Two more locals turned out this weekend, Terry Randel with a large loader and Neil Roebuck with a semi side tipper to clear up the green waste and back-fill a section of the front straight to build the control tower on, The pre-fab control tower is currently under construction also.
|
There is no shortage of small jobs to be done on site, here Christine Meakins is raking and burning.
|
(use controls to pause - forward or reverse 6 images)
2016 - CORRIGIN SPEEDWAY RESTORATION
When the sun goes down over West Coast Speedway at Corrigin after a days work
(use controls to pause - forward or reverse 5 images)
2016 - CORRIGIN SPEEDWAY RESTORATION
(use controls to pause - forward or reverse 16 images)
2016 - WEST COAST SPEEDWAY TRACK TESTING
Christine Meakins pushes away Alan to do a lap on the freshly graded base at West Coast Speedway in Corrigin. Photo: Brian Moyle.
Alan Meakins in the Vintage Formula 500 turns in a few laps on the re-shaped 22 metre wide base that will later accept the top soil that will be the race surface, Alan commented, that track is going to be fast with those big flowing corners and that camber on the turns. Photo: Brian Moyle.
2017 - WEST COAST SPEEDWAY TRACK TESTING
Alan and Michael go over the car prior to an engine start with the Vintage Speedway. Photo: Brian Moyle.
Michael is pushed onto the track prior to suiting up an belting in for an engine start, this was a good opportunity to put the latest West Coast Speedway push ute through its paces. Photo: Brian Moyle.
2017 - WEST COAST OUTLAW WINGED KART TRACK WALKABOUT
|
|
Work has commenced on the construction of the Winged Outlaw kart track at Corrigin. Photos: Trevor Reynolds.
2018 - WEST COAST OUTLAW WINGED KART TRACK WALKABOUT
(use controls to pause - forward or reverse 6 images)
2018 - WEST COAST OUTLAW WINGED KARTS TRACK TESTING
|
|
2018 - WEST COAST WINGED OUTLAW KART TRACK WALKABOUT
The race track is raceable and the plastic track fence is making its way around the outside thanks to all the volunteers that have made the project possible, when finished the banked track will measure 185 metres on the curb and 16 metres wide, and sits on the inside of the 450 metre by 25 metre main race track. Photo's: Trevor Reynolds.
2019 - WEST COAST AUTO CROSS TRACK
2013 - WEST COAST MOTORSPORT PARK
2020 - WEST COAST MOTORSPORT PARK
