TWO WELLS (SA)
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1965 - BROOKSFIELD DRAGWAY
Brooksfield Dragway was built by a group of hot rodders from all the clubs in the Adelaide area, The Crusaders Hot Rod Club, The Roadstars from Port Adelaide, The South Australian Rod and Custom Club and the Eastern Districts Hot Rod Club, This large extended family were the pioneers of Drag Racing in South Australia,The Dragstrip opened on the 21st of November 1965, Initial reports did indicate that the Highways Department laid down two parallel strips of experimental bitumen along side the public road, giving South Australia its first two lane dragstrip, However this has been challenged by the members of that initial construction team who did at the time enter into a time payment plan with a bitumen contractor by the name of Matson to lay the strips, The initial testing of the strips saw the start line area break up, so that section had to be re-layed, There were already one car at a time sprint meetings happening at "WRE" and Gawler Belt, but no other heads up racing events in the erea, The downside of Brooksfield was a sealed braking area was never laid so the potential for accidents was quite high.
Brooksfield closed in 1969 after the lease on the land ran out, This left Adelaide with no drag racing until such time as the new Adelaide International Raceway opened in 1972.
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Jim Hansen recalls: for those who weren't there in the earliest days of the dragstrip, here are a few Trevor Edmonds pics of how we put the place together.
With enthusiasm, ingenuity, sweat, donations of materials and equipment, a few strings pulled, some cash changing hands, job done.
Friends of Brooksfield Dragway facebook Pictorial feature
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Photos: Trevor Edmonds.
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Friends of Brooksfield Dragway facebook feature
(use controls to pause - forward or reverse 4 images)
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Friends of Brooksfield Dragway facebook Pictorial feature
21st November 1965 - The Grand opening of Brooksfield Dragway. Photo's: David Wehrman collection.
1965 - Serge DeLuca's Holden powered Dragstar. Photo's: David Wehrman collection.
1965 - John Collins. Photo: David Wehrman collection.
1965 - John Howell. Photo: David Wehrman collection.
1965 - Gary Price. Photo: David Wehrman collection.
1965 - Brian Hutchesson in the Altered lines up against the FJ Holden. Photo: David Wehrman collection.
1965 - Adrian Seaman. Photo: David Wehrman collection.
1965 - Craig Page. Photo: David Wehrman collection.
1965 - John English. Photo: David Wehrman collection.
1965 - Brett Pilkington. Photo: David Wehrman collection.
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1960's - BROOKSFIELD DRAGWAY HOT RODDING
Dean Donovan photo feature
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Dean Donovan recalls: racing my Cortina GT with a few go fast bits added at Brooksfield in the 1960's.
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1965 - BROOKSFIELD DRAGWAY 31st October 1965
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1960's - BROOKSFIELD DRAGWAY PICTORIAL FEATURE
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1967 - AUSTRALIAN HOT RODDING REVIEW REPORTED
Published October 1967
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1968 - AUSTRALIAN HOT RODDING REVIEW REPORTED May 1968
Published August 1968
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1968 - AUSTRALIAN HOT RODDING REVIEW MAGAZINE REPORTED 10th November 1968
Published March 1969
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1968 - AUSTRALIAN HOT RODDING REVIEW MAGAZINE REPORTED 1968
Published October 1968
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1968 - AUSTRALIAN HOT ROD MAGAZINE REPORTED
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1960's - BROOKSFIELD RACEWAY GALLERY
Friends of Brookfield Dragway Facebook Photo feature
Photo: Keith Burgan.
Photo: Keith Burgan.
Photo: Keith Burgan.
Photo: Keith Burgan.
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1960's - BRENTON PILKINGTON
Photo's: Todd Pilkington.
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1960's - JEFF DURING Dragster
Jeff During was a drag racing pioneer in South Australia, his early days at Brooksfield saw him racing this rail with a straight eight Buick engine.
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1968 - WATSON BROS Dragstar
Friends of Brooksfield Dragway facebook feature
1968 - Dave and Peter Watson were the team behind this Holden Powered Rail named El Manos. Photo: unknown.
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1968 - AUSTRALIAN HOT RODDING REVIEW MAGAZINE REPORTED 8th December 1968
Published April 1969
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1969 - AUSTRALIAN HOT RODDING REVIEW MAGAZINE REPORTED
Published August 1969
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1960's - KEVIN JOHNS
Aussie Custom Car History facebook Pictorial feature
1960's: - Kevin Johns custom FB Holden at the Brooksfield Dragway. Photo: Dean Donovan.
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1960's - BROOKSFIELD RACEWAY GALLERY
Friends of Brooksfield Dragway facebook Pictorial feature
Dragstars on the strips Zeke Agars lane 2 - Lane 1 unknown. Photo: Keith Burgan.
Tony Prentice verses Peter Hines both in 48 series Holdens. Photo: Keith Burgan.
Photo: Keith Burgan.
Photo: Keith Burgan.
Photo: Keith Burgan.
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Jerry French recalls: I have fond memories of the early drag racing days at Brooksfield, As a nine year old I was Rodger Keo's assistant, Rodger was the classifier, and my job was to write the racing numbers and class letters, on the window of the racecars with a white shoe paint pen.
As far as the strips location goes, I recall racing started at the Western end and raced in an Easterly direction.
During the early 1970's after the Drag Strip had closed, the area may have become one of Bullens Lion Parks, until that closed.
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1960's - BROOKSFIELD RACEWAY GALLERY
Friends of Brooksfield Dragway Pictorial feature
Photo: Keith Burgan.
Photo: Keith Burgan.
Photo: Keith Burgan.
Photo: Keith Burgan.
Photo: Keith Burgan.
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1960's - BRENTON PILKINGTON Altered
