SYDNEY (NSW)
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1924 - PENRITH SPEEDWAY
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The Western Suburbs Motor Cycle Club approached their local member of parliament, Mr Sydney Smith for the loan of some of his paddocks to hold a race meeting, The official opening was over the Easter weekend of 1924, the two race dates were the 19th and the 21st of April, the first big carnaval attracted over 6,000 people and the meetings continued to be very popular for several years, initialy the racing was for motorcycles only, Car racing would be seen at the track for the first time on the 17th of May 1924, The initial length of the track was 1mile and 80 yards until after the second meeting when the length was reduced to 1 mile, then in April 1925 Penrith Speedway Ltd was formed.
Sprinklers were obtained in 1925 to help control the dust, and in 1926 the track closed for a while to enable it to be re-conditioned, but it was not long before rumours were appearing in the local press that the speedway was about to be wound up, This eventually happened in October 1930, because of flooding of the track from the towns water supply.
Sydney Smith took the local council to court but proceedings draged on and Smith died before the judgement in 1935.
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As a result of the court case however, the council moved the drains in early 1936 and the track was repaired, the speedway then reopened by Frank Arthur of Empire Speedways in June 1936, Empire Speedways was the company that was also promoting the Sydney Sports ground venue, the venue was in regular use until May of 1941, The speedway then closed and the Army took over the land during the war.
Tragerty struck at the one mile D shaped circuit in 1938, when a woman and her two grand children died and 10 onlookers injured after a car lost control and skidded into the spectators.
The company was completely exonerated at the inquest that followed the accident as the spectators had not been behind the safety fence, despite signs advertising spectators to do so.
Published: 15th November 1925.
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1925 - PENRITH SPEEDWAY
1925 - Penrith Speedway. Photo: unknown.
Penrith Speedway. Photo: unknown.
Penrith Speedway. Photo: unknown.
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1928 - PENRITH SPEEDWAY
This 1928 photo at Penrith shows the popularity of speedway at the time, focusing on the spectator car park. Photo: John Campbell collection.
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1938 - PENRITH SPEEDWAY 25th April 1938 |
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