FRANKIE DeGROOT | News | CONTACT
With the devastating news in October that Valvoline Raceway, formerly known as Parramatta Speedway, would be compulsorily acquired for demolition and developed into a light rail stabling yard, it may not be long until the noisy, fast and exciting cars are replaced by light rail trains which are none of those things.
And whilst the NSW Government has promised to provide a new venue for the speedway, the only suggestion it has provided so far is too small, too far away and too unlikely to ever be built.
However, dedicated speedway fans have been working on their own alternative and have come up with some new tracks which may lack the camber of the old dirt track, but which are big enough, relatively close to the CBD and best of all, already built.
“Smeaton Grange has some good straights, but Milperra has some interesting chicanes. There’s also a few places out near Bankstown airport that could be alright,” said race fan Russell Halfy.
“Plus, none of those places have seating or protection from the elements, so it will be just like the original track.”
Fellow enthusiast Kent Jeffry produces a crumpled printout of a GoogleEarth image with potential tracks drawn over some of the streets.
“I checked out this area at Guildford the other night. Looks pretty good; plus there are already heaps of abandoned cars there which could be really useful on nights which include fender benders or demo derbys.”
When asked about the inevitable police intervention, Russell and Kent don’t seem concerned.
“You can’t arrest what you can’t catch” said Kent.
“Besides, if they shut down our new circuits we’ll just use a new one on the North Shore for our Saturday Night fixtures. Reckon we’ll have a new track real quick after that”.
