PERTH (WA)
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1952 - CLONTARF SPEEDWAYClontarf Speedway officially opened on the 16th of November 1952 under the direction of the West Australian Speedcar Drivers Club and in conjunction with Clontarf Boys Town.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------1952 - SUNDAY TIMES NEWSPAPER REPORTEDSpeedcar racing will be held on Clontarf's new track this afternoon.Also on the Clontarf gymkhana will be novelty horse events and log chopping.Buses leave the old GPO at 1.45 and 2.15 pm.21st September 1952************************************************************** |
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1953 - WA SPEEDCAR CLUB AT CLONTARF TRACK
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1956 - PERTH TQ CAR CLUB INCEPTION
The Perth tq Car Club was formed in 1956 the inaugural committee consisted of Col Phillipson as President, Ed Pilkington as secretary and Peter Huitinga as treasurer with Wally Higgs taking on the social directors position.
The club initially ran around the houses events in conjuction with the Coastal Motorcycle Club at Halls Head Mandurah, this led to more meetings being held in many country towns such as Beverley, Burracoppin, Kellerberrin, Katanning, Kojonup, Narrogin, northam, Merredin and Wagin.
It was in 1958 that the club took over the running of a track that was originally built in 1953 by the WA Speedcar Club and set up its first purpose built dirt speedway track in Manning opposite the Clontarf boys home,
In 1963 the club phurchased land near Jandakot airport and built another track but this area was prone to continues flooding and in 1967 the site was flooded beyond repair so a new track was built in Bibra Lake, this being the venue that the club opperated from June of 1969 up untill 2004 when the track was closed to make way for mining.
The club initially ran around the houses events in conjuction with the Coastal Motorcycle Club at Halls Head Mandurah, this led to more meetings being held in many country towns such as Beverley, Burracoppin, Kellerberrin, Katanning, Kojonup, Narrogin, northam, Merredin and Wagin.
It was in 1958 that the club took over the running of a track that was originally built in 1953 by the WA Speedcar Club and set up its first purpose built dirt speedway track in Manning opposite the Clontarf boys home,
In 1963 the club phurchased land near Jandakot airport and built another track but this area was prone to continues flooding and in 1967 the site was flooded beyond repair so a new track was built in Bibra Lake, this being the venue that the club opperated from June of 1969 up untill 2004 when the track was closed to make way for mining.
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1957 - TQ RACING CAR CONSTRUCTION COMES TO WA
W.A Vogue for TQ
( A MIDGET CAR WITH MOTORCYCLE ENGINE )
TQ racing is likely to become a popular car sport in WA in the near future (TQ stands for three quarter midgets.TQ's are basically three quarters the size of the American midget or Australian speedcar, they are powered by 500cc overhead valve motorcycle engine, Many speedway stars are becoming enthusiasts, among them are solo champion "Chum" Taylor, sidecar stars Tom McQuade and Arthur Hurst, road racing champions Peter Nicol and Dave Fletcher, American speedcar driver Bob Lichtenberger and unlucky Mobilgas trial competitor Don Plunkett, In Adelaide where TQ racing was first introduced by the Racing Drivers Association of SA, there are now more than a dozen machines already built, at least six have been appearing in race programs for over a year. |
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First one: A small group of enthusiasts is building the first TQ in Perth, Cost of building a TQ is very low as most of the work can be done by anyone with rudimentary mechanical knowledge, Parts most commonly used are Austin seven front and rear axels and springs, both axels are within the specifications laid down, Wheels and tyres must be no larger than 16 by 4.50, or simular to the wheelbarrow pneumatic version of16 by 4.40 dimension, Brakes are essential on rear wheels only but four wheel brakes can be fitted by using Austin parts, Choice of front or rear engine positioning is left to the constructors discretion, The orthodox motorcycle features including chain drive may be followed, so leaving the driver's compartment free of a propeller shaft tunnel.
Roll over bar: Body shapes vary both in type and shape and construction but most give reasonable protection to the driver and a roll over bar is an essential, A well constructed model could quite easily be used as a duel role as demonstrated recently at Collingrove Hill, SA, WHERE a TQ despite being very much over geared and with only one gear anyway, made faster time than most saloons which had much greater capacity and gears to choose at will, Interested enthusiasts who require plans can get in touch with the TQ club at 37 Aberdare Rd Shenton Park.
(Editorial: Col Philippson)
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1957 - WEST AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER REPORTED
(Editorial Frank Platell)
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1957 - SUNDAY TIMES NEWSPAPER REPORTED
Top Right : Peter Nicol who won his fifth Harley Scramble last Sunday tries out the TQ car, at left is Clem Dwyer who holds five Australian motorcycle records, Ted Murphy who built the car is standing at the rear.
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1957 - DOUG WHITEHEAD
1957 - Doug Whitehead in the number 4 car ripping up the dirt at the new Clontarf Speedway. Photos: Nola Whitehead.
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1957 - JOHN ANDERSON
Claremont Speedway facebook photo feature
1957 - and John Anderson sits in his car waiting for the next race. Photo Shane Ando collection.
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1957 - THE VISOR MAGAZINE REPORTED
Published 30th September 1957
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1957 - THE VISOR MAGAZINE REPORTED
Published 31st December 1957
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1958 - THE VISOR MAGAZINE REPORTED
Published 31st January 1958
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1958 - THE VISOR MAGAZINE REPORTED
Published 31st March 1958
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1958 - THE VISOR MAGAZINE REPORTED
Published 30th April 1958
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1958 - THE VISOR MAGAZINE REPORTED
Published 30th June 1958
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1958 - THE VISOR MAGAZINE REPORTED
Published 30th September 1958
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1958 - THE VISOR MAGAZINE REPORTED
Published 30th November 1958
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1958 - PERTH TQ CAR CLUB TAKES OVER CLONTARF TRACK
Wally Higgs photo feature
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1959 - THE VISOR MAGAZINE REPORTED
Published 31st January 1959
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1959 - CLONTARF SPEEDWAY TQ DRIVERS
Les Sharpe recalls: In the drivers photo above I picked out Bill Broadwood, centre of the front row just behind the driver lying down,He was a great driver and owned a Neptune Service Station in the Canning area just over the Canning Bridge, A man who enjoyed a beer as much as anyone did.
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1959 - THE VISOR MAGAZINE REPORTED
Published 31st August 1959
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1959 - THE VISOR MAGAZINE REPORTED
Published 31st October 1959
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1959 - THE VISOR MAGAZINE REPORTED
Published 30th November 1959
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1959 - HARRY TAYLOR Sidecar's
1959 - Bill Brown builder - Harry Taylor rider - Graeme Harris passenger - photo taken behind BP Oceanway Perth
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1961 - CLONTARF WEST AUSTRALIA TQ CHAMPIONSHIP 19th November 1961
1961 - Ossie Wolf's sitting in his number 8 car. Photo: Adrian Clements.
1961 - Adrian Clements sits in State Champion Noel Potts number 23 car. Photo: Adrian Clements.
1961 - Ossie Wolf sitting in Noel Potts machine. Photo: Adrian Clements.
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19th November 1961 - Doug Whitehead - Wally Higgs - Noel Potts life long mates
1961 - Doug Whitehead finished 3rd then Wally Higgs for 2nd and Noel Potts was the winner of the 61 Championship Photo: Nola Whitehead collection.
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Ken Devine Clontarf track Feature.
?Photographer: unknown.Photo's - Brian Moyle collection. |
Raceday at Clontarf. |
Charlie West. |
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1960's - SECOND SPEEDWAY MEETING at the 2nd track
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1960 - WALLY HIGGS WA TQ CHAMPION 1957-1958 / 1958-1959 / 1959-1960
Photo: Nola Whitehead collection.
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1961 - ALAN "Ronald" HAIR Go Karts
1961 - The Hurrican Go Kart Club were often part of the race program at Clontarf. Photo: Glenn Hair collection.
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1963 - GEORGE HIGGS - TQ's
1963 - George Higgs leads Hilton McGee in a race for line honours. Photo: unknown.
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2015 - CLONTARF SPEEDWAY. Walkabout.
If you stand in the gateway at Clontarf College and look straight across the road, you are looking at the former Speedway location.
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(Editorial and photo's: Ken Devine)
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2003 - CLONTARF SPEEDWAY. Location.
(use controls to pause - forward or reverse 2 images)
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1963 - JANDAKOT CIRCUIT 6th October 1963 |
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next years www.speedwayandroadracehistory.com/1964--1970-bibra-lake-speedway.html
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1960's George Higgs and passenger Les Sharp turn in some laps around the Bibra Lake circuit
Les Sharpe recalls: George Higgs built and only raced this outfit for a short time and handed over the riding duties to my uncle Charlie Johnston who painted it in all white colours, I Also swung for Charlie on many occasions.
1969 AUSTRALASIAN SPEEDWAY WORLD REPORTED
Solo's ToRun AtBibra LakeBy Glen PerrottOnce again the smell of methanol, (Wot No Nitro) the crackle of Japs and Eso's the helmeted leather clad figures with steel boot soles sending sparks flying from the contact with iron pyrites embedded in the dirt is the picture for the next meeting at Bibra Lake Speedway, This will be on June 29, almost two years to the day when they were last in action on the seaside track.
To scotch all rumours as to why it has been
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so long since this was so a little past history must be explained, Two years ago the old Bibra Lake track was flooded beyond raceworthiness and the programme for that year continued, by kind permission of the RDA on the Wattle Grove circuit on Saturday afternoons. The present headquarters of the Perth TQ Car Club was opened in June of this year and great were the plans for this site, Hovever resumption by the C of A for the extensions of Jandakot Airport swept plans aside.
To put money into fencing would be lost money under this set-up but a new international has made it possible for the Speedway Control Board to view the the circuit in a differant light and so a trial day has been arranged in order to bring the solo's back to winter speedway as so many of the competitors in this branch would want.
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The last Claremont season ended with five A and seven B grade riders with one C grader off 50 yards and the remainder off 10 yards to scratch,
If last years solo brigade increases for this season it may be neccesary to run 2 novice events at the beginning of the programme.
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