HYDEN (WA)
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1977 - HYDEN SPEEDWAY 01
Hyden's first attempt at a speedway was built on the edge of the salt lake at Wave Rock, in the Lake Gounter Reserve.
The Hyden Speedway track was never an official venue, it was simply a track that was created by Mick Unstead to give the local kids somewere to race around in there cars and get them off the districts roads.
Other people that were involved in the running of the speedway were Leon Shenton, a tq racer.
As often was the case 50 to 60 kids would front up on the sunday afternoon to race there old bangers around the salt flat race track.
The speedway racing that was held on the salt flat track that was born out of need was quite crude and the cars were very basic with a common sence approach to safety, this all worked well until the do gooders wanted the cars off the salt, so that was the end of speedway at Wave Rock.
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2013 - HYDEN SPEEDWAY 01 LOCATION
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1978 - HYDEN SPEEDWAY 02
With the closure of the Wave Rock track the locals set about building a new track on the outskirts of town that was more in line with a traditional speedway.
Mick Unstead who was a dozer operator that worked for Ben Mouritz a local farmer and bulldozing contractor, once again set about forming up the new track, ready for speedway to once again start up in Hyden.
By the time the track was ready for racing things had changed in the district, some of these kids had moved on and now had drivers liciences, left school and were working full time, Interest in full on speedway racing commitment was reserved to just a few, those racers took to the road racing at nearby tracks such as Merredin, Wylcachem, and Bencubbin.
For others the track would become a gathering point to drink a few beers and have a skid after the pub shut.
Traggerty struck in may of 1988 when Mick Unstead was killed in an accident, this was the final blow for the future of speedway in Hyden.
As time passed the local shire moved in and ripped up the track and planted trees through-out the area.
(Editorial John Billingham & Bernard Mouritz)
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John Bellingham recalls: My farther was one of those young blokes that used to get out there and tear around, then later on I would get out there with my mates for a bit of a party and a skid, I can remember a guy in a GTS Monaro loosing it one day and ploughing into the one and only tree in the whole area.
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2003 - HYDEN SPEEDWAY LOCATION
The race track is situated off the Hyden - Karlgarin Road and along Worland Hill Road on the right hand side.