| No 44 Hawkesbury Historical Society Newsletter - June 2001 | ||
| Windsor RSL Speedway | ||
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The Windsor RSL Speedway was the creation of the Sub-Branch under the President W. T. Startin. The circuit was built on the block of land owned by the council which was bordered by the railway line on the north, Mileham Street on the west, Argyle Street on the South and Fairey Road. Construction commenced in 1949, and the circuit was opened in time for the inaugural meeting to be held on the Monday afternoon of the October long weekend. [The initial meeting was officially opened by the Mayor of Windsor, Ald. W J. Ross and even though there was unpredictable weather that weekend, there was an estimated crowd of 2000 enthusiasts.] Three other meetings were held during the inaugural season - one on New Years Day, another on the Australia Day public holiday and the final meeting on the Anzac Day holiday.The track was large, being a half mile oval, with two long straights and very wide turns. Spectators had the option of sitting in their cars on the embankments or turns 1 and 3 or else standing behind the wooden safety fence. The pits were located behind turn 2. Food & drinks were provided on the site, with RSL members and their families manning the stalls. The circuit-hosted solo motorcycle, sidecar and speed-car races in this first season. To give variety, "Handicap" races were held, along with races where all competitors started together.Prize money was awarded on a set amount per start, along with "bonuses" for finishing well. The Speedway hoped to draw majornational and international competitors.Australian & English bike riders competed, while interstate and New Zealand competitors competed in the Australasian Speedcar Champion-ships held on the Anzac Day holiday. Of these competitors, the most famous was Jack Brabham, who after finishing his speedway career, went on to win 3 x Formula 1 World Championships. Unfortunately the circuit closed after the 1949/50 season, possibly due to the fact that the crowds were not large, possibly due to Windsor's isolation from the metropolitan Sydney. The circuit was then abandoned until 1955 when it was reopened as a venue for stock-car racing, which had been introduced into Sydney for the 1954/55 season. The circuit was opened again in March 1955, with meetings being held on a fortnightly basis on a Sunday afternoon. Click on the images to see a larger version |
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Windsor & Richmond Gazette The large track and wide turns were ideal for the stock-car racing, and the spectacular crashes soon started to draw good crowds. The half-mile track was too large for the speed-cars and bikes, so a "short" track was created, with a new turn 3 & 4 located two thirds along the back and main straight. As in 1949/50, scratch and handicap races were held. The highlights of the meetings were the "butcher's picnic", in which every speed-car and stockcar would compete in the one race. With 40 stock and cars on the track in the "butcher's picnic" the action was always fast and furious.The largest crowd at the track's history was the 15,000 to 20,000 who attended the Australian Stock-Car Championship race in August 1955, with Mayor V. W. Gillespie on hand to present the trophy to race winner, Eric Morton, who outlasted 40 other competitors in the 50-lap race.By the early 1960s other categories had been introduced to the track. These were hot rods, TQ (three quarter size) speed-cars and rear-engined micro-midgets. By the end of the 1960s, the circuit was struggling to survive, due to direct competition from Westmead Speedway. Also the state of the track had steadily deteriorated over the years.By the end of 1967, Windsor Speedway had finished, with all competitors either racing at Westmead or the newly opened Liverpool Speedway. The site was allowed to crumble and deteriorate until the land was rezoned and developed for light industry. Up to a couple of years ago there were remnants of the old track, but the whole area is now covered by the new Windsor & District RSL Club and light industry. |
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| Postscript : Graham Clayton is researching the history of the Windsor Speedway and if anyone has any information, contacts or photographs, please, contact him. His details are phone at home (02) 4572 5339, work (02) 9557 1455 or E-mail Graham |
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