AUSTRALIAN SPEEDWAY’S IMPRESSIVE GROWTH AS NEW SEASON BEGINS

Feature photo by: Richard Hathaway Photography… Late Model racing at the Perth Motorplex. 

Speedway racing in Australia is on an impressive growth trajectory with overall license figures up by 25% on pre-covid numbers.

 Speedway Australia CEO Darren Tindal was buoyant about the figures and affirmed that the increase isn’t just based on the expected reduction over the covid effected seasons, but overall since the 2018-19 season.

“Obviously Covid was a very destabilising time for everyone, so this season’s numbers are certainly up on the statistics on the previous two seasons, however looking at the curve from the 2018-19 period when the sport was in great health, to the close of the 2022-23 main season in July shows the sport has not just bounced back but is on a very healthy upward curve.”

While annual competitor numbers have remained steady, the main areas of growth have come in officials and mechanics, which is a much-needed boost for the sport.

“For a while now the competitor figures have far outweighed the number of officials, but after 17% growth since 2018-19, the ratio has increased to one official for every five competitors, which is vital for a sport like ours, and really bucks the trend throughout Australia where many sectors are struggling to find volunteers.”

Annual mechanic (pit crew) licenses have also grown, with an impressive 28% increase since 2018-19 demonstrating that teams are getting larger and more people are enjoying a more hands-on experience with racing, even if they aren’t a driver.

“Our officials and crew numbers are heading in the right direction and demonstrating an increase in the overall practical experience of the sport, but our competitor numbers have remained steady, so our staff are already meeting with national and state division presidents to discuss strategies for growing their divisions and getting more cars on speedways more often!”

Strategies around competitor growth is just one of the areas that will receive attention, with an increased focus on junior development also high on the agenda.

“This growth enables us to invest back into the sport, and gives us the head-room to be more creative around our junior development and other programs, while still keeping up with the escalating costs of insurance and administration. But we have some pretty cool projects in the pipeline that aim to take speedway from being motorsport’s best kept secret to a widely recognised and credible sport on the wider stage, so our board and staff are working hard at thinking outside the box so we can step into a new era of expansion.”