PORT HEDLAND (WA)
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1968 - PORT HEDLAND HOT ROD TRACK
Prior to the building of the Pippingarra Speedway, Hot Rod racing events were held on a very crude undulating track near to where the Pippingarra track is today, This early track was located on Pippingarra Station which was owned by the Richardson family.
The Hot Rod track was formed by two local traffic cops, Roy Mitchell and Kevin Whitefofd in 1968, with a D7 Bulldozer and a 950 Cat loader loaned to them by Bill Francis who was the manager at Bell Bros at the time.
The track only operated for a short period, up until the early months of 1970, when a cyclone flooded the track and destroyed it.
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Bill Temperton recalls: I Knew Roy Mitchell quite well in my younger days
He drove taxi's for my farther in Port Hedland for a while.
Roy was a traffic cop and well respected in the town, I used to ride around with him in the Patrol car after school.
He was also well known throughout the North West for his Horsemanship skills and knowledge, fond memories.
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1968 - PORT HEDLAND HOT ROD TRACK
1968 - BILL (The Mule) FRANCIS
1968 - The Mule as he was known, Bill Francis started racing speedway in a 1950's model Plymouth sedan nick named Old Smokie. Photo: Kevin Cotterell.
1970 - Bill went on to race Old Smokie at the new Pippingarra Speedway as well as the old track. Photo: Kevin Cotterell.
1969 - AUSTRALASIAN SPEEDWAY WORLD REPORTED
1970 - PORT HEDLAND HOT ROD TRACK CLOSES
After the cyclone hit a destroyed the hot rod track a new track had to be constructed, this was already underway but the cyclone just hurried thing along. The Port Hedland Speedway Club was well established by now and had a lot of resources behind it.