ESPERANCE (WA)
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1974 - ESPERANCE SPEEDWAY
Early 1974 the basic groundwork for the speedway was started by four keen young men Kerry (Casper) Castledine, Marcus Gray, Gavan Jones, Eddie Cartlegde and local clergyman Farther Kevin Glover. (Father had the guidance and know how to go through official channels)
An application was made to the Esperance Shire Council for land, They offered a limestone pit on Norseman Road adjasent to the Esperance Golf Club, However the golf club strongly objected to this, Council then granted land 14km North of Esperance in a gravel pit east of Shark Lake.
At the inaugural Annual General Meeting, John O'Donnell was elected President, Secretary Jeff Bain and Gavan Jones, Treasurer Danny Dunn, Vic President John Goodlad and their committee.
The foundation members started the hard task of building the speedway track, giving up many hours of their free time from dawn to dusk seven days a week, They carved out the circuit with machinery they had begged and borrowed from local supporters. Earthworks went ahead quickly with Brian Bradley, John O'Donnell, Allan Walters, Tony Lorretta, Stan Polmear and the Dickerson boys from D&D Pavers, the brush was cleared with a 4 cylinder Caterpillar dozer.
The earth backed safety fence was constructed with 2000 railway sleepers, wired together horizontal and perpendicular trenched in with the use of a digger, Second hand sleepers were obtained from the nearby railway line that was being upgraded at the time, sometimes the sleepers had to be carted at night when trucks were available, The boundry perimeter fence was erected with chain mesh, trees were planted around the boundary, The club was granted permission to use the water from Shark Lake to water the track, until a dam could be sunk on site.
After only four months, of hard work by the dedicated volunteers the Esperance Speedway Association inc ran their first race meeting at the 365 metre track on Sunday afternoon the 28th of December 1974, with 2000 spectators in attendance, Officials used the back of a truck with a tarp over a frame to shelter from the hot sun.
The men building the track had to still find time to their own race cars for the first meeting.
Divisions racing were A and B class Productions, Supermodifieds, Formula 500's, A and B grade Solo's, Stock Bikes and Tq's, Go Kart enthusiasts also graded a track on the infield.
Visiting drivers from Norseman, Kalgoorlie, and Balladonia make up the fields for this opening meeting.
(editorial Lorraine Bale and Liz Plecas)
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1970's - PRODUCTION SEDAN ACTION
West Coast Speedway News feature
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1970's - SUPERMODIFIED SPRINTCAR ACTION
West Coast Speedway News Pictorial feature
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1978 - ESPERANCE SPEEDWAY DIVISION 2 WEST AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP 1st January 1978 |
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1984 - ESPERANCE SPEEDWAY WEST AUSTRALIAN SUPER SEDAN CHAMPIONSHIP 28th & 29th January 1984 |
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1986 - ESPERANCE SPEEDWAY 15th February 1986 |
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1986 / 1987 ESPERANCE SPEEDWAY WEST AUSTRALIAN STREET SEDAN CHAMPIONSHIP
1986 1987 - Wayne Watson from the Albany club has taken out the first ever West Australian Street Sedan Championship at the Esperance Speedway. Photo: Wayne Wattson collection.
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1988 1989 - WEST AUSTRALIAN DIVISON 2 CHAMPIONSHIP
Esperance Speedway hosted the 1988 1989 Division 2 Production Sedan State Championship.
1988 1989 - IVAN'S ADVENTURE
Bunbury racer Ivan Burke had a bit of a mishap on the way to Esperance, while sky larking around he managed to flip the Mini of the trailer and scattered all his gear down the road. Photo: Ivan Burke collection.
The starting line up for one of the heats. Photo: Ivan Burke collection.
Ivan Burke and a bunch of officials change a right front wheel on the Mini, on the far left is Geoff Green, Ivan was later omitted from the results by Steward Alan Blake as it was not in the rules. Photo: Ivan Burke collection.
Photo: Ivan Burke collection.
Wizz Cochran and Burkee on the Export and getting smashed after the race meeting. Photo: Ivan Burke collection.
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1990 - ESPERANCE SPEEDWAY WEST AUSTRALIAN STREET STOCK CHAMPIONSHIP
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1990 - Trevor Freeman from Bunbury loaded up and ready to head off to the title at Esperance.
1990 - SOUTH WEST TIMES NEWSPAPER Reported.
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1991 - ESPERANCE SPEEDWAY AUSTRALIAN STREET STOCK CHAMPIONSHIP
Esperance Speedway hosted the second ever Australian Street Sedan Championship at it home track in 1991, The field was boosted with the appearance of two visiting South Australian drivers in, Current Australian Champion Neil Hoffman and Pat Ross, both in Chrysler Centura's and both from the Waikerie club.
The winner of the event was Kevin Pulls from the Albany club in a Mitsubishi Sigma.
Photo: Leanne Cullen.
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1995 - ESPERANCE SPEEDWAY TURNS 21
West Coast Speedway News feature
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1995 - ESPERANCE SPEEDWAY TURNS 21
West Coast Speedway News feature
FAST FRIENDS: Darryl Baldwin - John Dohnt - Jock Murray and Eddie Cartledge enjoyed themselves at the 21st anniversary celebrations.
REMEMBERING: Bill Bale - Kevin Casey and Bob Swiggs took the opportunity to check out Trevor Bales car that was on display for the day.
JUST LOOKING: How many drivers have been drawn to the sport by just looking at one of the many displays put on by visiting drivers ????.
Members and ex members gathered to reminisce on Esperance Speedway Association's 21 year history.
STEAMING AHEAD: Junior driver Dion Hand has a go at commanding a different vehicle with a bit of help from a friend and many smiley passengers.
SPEEDWAY LIFE: Speedways first gate lady, Grace Castledine does the cake cutting honours at Esperance Speedway's 21st birthday celebrations, while the members, Doug Bishop, Jim Kolman, Jock Murray, John Goodlad Eddie Kendall and Des Plecas look on.
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1995 - LORRAINE BALE Historian
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2004 - ESPERANCE SPEEDWAY WEST AUSTRALIAN STREET STOCK CHAMPIONSHIP 10th & 11th January 2004The Esperance Speedway Association was chosen by the West Australian Sedan Car Federation to hold the 2003 2004 WASCF Street Sedan State Championship on the weekend of the 10th and 11th of January 2004.
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Noninations
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2009 - ESPERANCE SPEEDWAY WEST AUSTRALIAN MODIFIED SEDAN CHAMPIONSHIP 2nd & 3rd January 2009
On Friday the 2nd and Saturday the 3rd of January the Esperance Speedway Association hosted the 2008 - 2009 West Australian Modified Sedan Championship at there venue, Current champion Brendan Selleck was there to defend his crown with 23 drivers including 2 local boys in Neville Manstead and Ben Strautins.
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2015 - ESPERANCE SPEEDWAY WEST AUSTRALIAN STREET STOCK CHAMPIONSHIP
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2016 - ESPERANCE SPEEDWAY WILD WEST TOUR GRAND FINAL24th January 2016Billed as the wild west tour, the Late Model sedans were back in town, The Tour consisted of the Australian Late Model Championship held at the Perth Motorplex, Then one week later the West Australian Championship at Attwell Park Speedway in Albany and the final night here in Esperance.
Numbers were down at Esperance as some of the Eastern staters hurt engines on the big demanding Perth circuit and many of the West Australians had already endured a torrid season of racing.
Feature results
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1st Paul Stubber West Australia |
2nd Brad Blake West Australia |
3rd Ben Nicastri New South Wales |
4th Stuey Hill South Australia |
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2019 - ESPERANCE SPEEDWAY 360 SPRINTCAR POWER SERIES 26th & 27th January 2019
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Current Australian 360 Sprintcar Champion Kaiden Manders has won the Esperence round of the 360 Power Series.
The meeting was a two night affair, being held on the Australia Day long weekend on the 26th and 27th of January 2019.
Kaiden dominated the Sprintcar racing on the night, finishing 1st and 2nd in his two heats, Won the Gold Shootout and all 25 laps of the feature, finishing 3.256 seconds ahead of Ben Butcher and Taylor Milling in third.
360 Sprintcar night 1 Bronze Shootout results
360 Sprintcars night 1 Silver Shootout results
360 Sprintcar night 1 Gold Shootout results
360 Sprintcar night 1 Heat Winners
360 Sprintcar night 1 Feature Results
**************************************************************360 Sprintcar night 2 Bronze Shootout
360 Sprintcar night 2 Silver Shootout
360 Sprintcar night 2 Gold Shootout
360 Sprintcar night 2 Heat Winners
360 Sprintcar night 2 Feature Results
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RBJ Photography feature
2019 - Photo's: RBJ Photography |