PETERBOROUGH (SA)
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1940 - PETERBOROUGH FOOTBALL GROUND
Peterborough Football Ground was the first of many speedway tracks in this small rural town, The football ground or as it is currently known, Soldiers Memorial Park, hosted motorcycle racing from 1940. A carnival organized by some local South Australian Railway worker and the Peterborough Motor Cycle Club in 1940 is recognized as being the towns first speedway racing event.
The racing was conducted within the perimeter of the arena, possibly as grass track events.
(Research and Editorial Allan Baker)
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2003 - PETERBOROUGH FOOTBALL GROUND LOCATION
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1950's - KENNEDY BROTHERS
West Coast Speedway News facebook feature
Bills racing was limited to days off work only as he was a train driver for South Australia Railways, fitted into his P6 TQ was a JAP engine that Bill purchased from England for 140 pounds.
Bills 1st meeting was at Spalding, a not bad effort, He came home with the winners trophy for the South Australian Northern Championship, He also came 3rd in the Australian Championship at Point Pass Speedway.
Bill and brother Bob were members of the Peterborough Car Club and were instrumental in the construction of the last speedway in Peterborough at Koch's Paddock.
After the closure of Peterborough they were both actively involved in creating tracks at Nackara and Coburn.
Bill Kennedy raced at tracks such as Rowley Park, Peterborough, Spalding, Point Pass, Crystal Brook, Renmark, Mount Gambier, Mannahill, Nackara, Coburn, Broken Hill Half Mile, Jamestown, Apilla, Garfield, Black Rock Flat track (before current Dirt Circuit track)
The TQ was eventually sold to Bob White and the Kennedy brothers converted to motorcycle racing, Bill still ows his 1948 Matchless G80 sidecar.
(Research and Editorial Allan Baker)
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1940s - SIMMONDS BROTHERS
The Simmonds Brothers were a prominent name in sporting events around Peterborough with Clarke Simmonds successful in motorcycle events, Brothers Bill and Alf assisted and Sponsored Clark.
(Research and Editorial Allan Baker)
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1940s - JUBILEE PARK OVAL SPEEDWAY
In later years there was also a small track near the Golf and Pony Clubs, research continues as its not known the exact location of the track, Bob Kennedy recalls it was just inside the gates of the Golf Club and named Jubilee Park Oval.
This was a club members only venue for bikes and tq's, no visitors or spectators.
Another driver at this venue is beleived to be Graham Frost.
(Research and Editorial Allan Baker)
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2003 - JUBILEE PARK OVAL LOCATION
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JIM DAVIES
Jim Davies was another competitor who drove tq number 10 and at on time was the owner of the local Ford dealership.
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(Editorial and Photo's Ghost Speedway Tracks of South Australia facebook)
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1950 - VICTORIA PARK SPEEDWAY
Victoria Park speedway initially opened as a flat track, that encircled the man made lake in Victoria Park. The park now just a tranquil park land, a far cry from the period when it hosted Motorcycle and Tg race meetings.
At some point the track was turned into a banked vellodrome track for the pushbike boys.
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Allan Baker asked the question, did the Tq's race on the banked track. Bob Kennedy recalls: "Ha Ha" Allan, a few of us turned up one day and had a play, but we didn't tell anyone about that. Unofficially the Motor Cycle boys did some laps on the vellodrome as well. From Victoria Park the racing was shifted to the High School Oval.
(Research and Editorial Allan Baker)
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2003 - VICTORIA PARK LOCATION
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1950 - PETERBOROUGH HIGH SCHOOL OVAL
The next speedway track was built on the High School oval, On the 14th of January 1950 the Peterborough Car and Motorcycle Club held an impromptu practice meeting at there new speedway track in Peterborough.
An all powers handicap motorcycle race was held which resulted in a win for M Miller, second was L Simmonds and third was P Dowd, W Taylor was forth.
(Research and Editorial Allan Baker)
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2003 - PETERBOROUGH HIGH SCHOOL OVAL SPEEDWAY LOCATION
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1950 - KOCH'S PADDOCK SPEEDWAY
The owners of the site, The Koch family, At the time had opened the paddock up for Horse Racing and Gymkhana's as well as giving permission to the Peterborough Car Club to build a speedway track. The Shire had also come on board by providing a grader to cut out the track.
It is said that the preist from St Jude's Catholic High School was looking for someware for the students to ride bicycles and it just so happened the Peterborough Car Club was also looking for somewhere to race, A deal was struck and both groups raced together.
Brothers Bill and Bob Kennedy were very active members of the Car Club and were instrumental in the construction.
The shape of the track was originally based on the shape of the old Calperum Speedway at Renmark.
The South Australian Government Railways provided drums of used sump oil to mix into the track surface to bond it together and stop any dust issues. Local garages donated used tyres to be used as fences and mark out the track.
The lamb leg shaped track was around a quarter mile in circumference. The pits were located between the track and the rear fences of the houses. The track had a starters podium made of timber and the pit area enclosed with a star picket and wire fence. As time passed the track would boast their own toilets.
(Research and editorial Allan Baker)
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PETERBOROUGH KOCH'S PADDOCK SPEEDWAY WALKABOUT
Photos: Allan Baker |
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2003 - KOCH'S PADDOCK SPEEDWAY LOCATION
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BLACK ROCK FLAT TRACK
Black Rock Flat track was the just what the name indicates, A flat track speedway, the track unlike all the other Peterborough tracks was not in the centre of town.
The track has been built over and is currently the site of the Black Rock Dirt Circuit.
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2003 - BLACK ROCK FLAT TRACK LOCATION
