PORT HEDLAND (WA)
*********************************************************************************************************************************
1968 - PORT HEDLAND HOT ROD TRACKPrior to the building of Pippingarra Speedway, Hot Rod racing events were held on a very crude undulating track next to where the current track track is today, This early track was located on Pippingarra Station, which was owned by the Richardson family.
The Port Hedland Hot Rod track was formed by two local traffic inspectors, Roy Mitchell and Kevin Whiteford in 1968 with a D7 Bulldozer and a 950 Cat loader loaned to them by Bill Francis who was the manager of Bell Bros at the time.
|
Roy Mitchell |
This track only operated for a short period, up until the early months of 1970 when a cyclone flooded the track an destroyed it.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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, He was a great horseman in his day. I used to ride around with him in the patrol car when he was a traffic cop.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1968 - AUSTRALASIAN SPEEDWAY WORLD REPORTED
*********************************************************************************************************************************
1968 - BILL (THE MULE) FRANCIS
The Mule as he was known, Bill started racing speedway in this 1950's model Plymouth sedan, nick named Old Smokie at the old track, as well as the new Pippingarra Speedway. Photo's: Kevin Cotterell.
*********************************************************************************************************************************
1969 - AUSTRALASIAN SPEEDWAY WORLD REPORTED
*********************************************************************************************************************************
1970 - PORT HEDLAND HOT ROD TRACK CLOSES
The club and all its members put in a major effort in 1970 and built a new speedway right next to the exzisting one
*********************************************************************************************************************************
2004 - PORT HEDLAND HOT ROD TRACK. Location.
