Australian Speedcar Grand Prix

The Australian Speedcar Grand Prix is an annual dirt track racing meeting held in Australia for Speedcars. The meeting has traditionally been held in Sydney, but on occasions has been held on tracks in Victoria and in 2000 the race was held at Perth's Claremont Speedway, not long before the 1/3-mile Showground track closed.

2005 winner Michael Pickens

The first Australian Speedcar Grand Prix was held on 12 March 1938 at the Sydney Sports Ground and was won by Sydney-based driver Les Dillon (Dillon would tragically become the first competitor killed in a crash at the Sports Ground just two months later). The next Speedcar Grand Prix wasn't held until 1947 and was the first of 33 times the race was held at the Sydney Showground until its closure in 1996.[1]

The magical Sydney Showground held the event for 33 times where it was won the first time in 1947 by Ray Revell and the last by Garry Rush in 1996.

Along the way winners included five-time winner Ray Revell, American superstar Bob "Two-Gun" Tattersall (three times winner) five-time winner Andy McGavin, 'Leadfoot' Lenny Brock, Jeff Freeman, Johnny Stewart, Ray Oram, Ken Morton, Englishman Bill Reynolds, Ronald Mackay, Americans Dave Strickland and Jimmy Davies, 'Gorgeous' George Tatnell and Queenslander Danny Davidson.

From 1975 until 1984 when it was held at the Liverpool Speedway in Sydney the Grand Prix was run on asphalt due to Liverpool being a semi-banked 1/4-mile paved track during that time. Liverpool reverted to having a clay surface in 1985 and since 1986 the race has been run on the more traditional dirt track speedways. Drivers from the United States bookend the asphalt Grand Prix years with legendary four time Indianapolis 500 winner A. J. Foyt winning in 1975 and 1976 in a Volkswagen powered car while 1986 National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame member Ron "Sleepy" Tripp would win the last two asphalt Grand Prix's in 1983 and 1984, also using a VW powered car.

Of the eleven times the race was held at Liverpool City Raceway the winner's list sees names like Garry Rush, Barry Graham, Stan Lawrence, Barry Pinchbeck, Ron Hutchinson, Ian Saville and American giants Ron 'Sleepy' Tripp and AJ Foyt.

One of the greatest Sprintcar drivers of all time Steve Kinser even won the event in 1986.

In 1990 'the Grand Prix' returned to the Sydney Showground where American Johnny Pearson, Sydney's Aaron Benny and Troy Jenkins and even Victorian Sprintcar hero Max Dumesny drove to victory lane.

In 1994 and 1995 it was held in Wangaratta (Keith Giles WA won) and Heathcote where American Lealand McSpadden was victorious.

As a one off the Sydney Showground closed for the final time in 1996 and fittingly Garry Rush was the victor.

For the next three years NSW drivers had a mortgage on the event as it was held at Parramatta City Raceway and Newcastle Motordrome where Troy Jenkins won twice and Steven Graham once.

In 2000 the final season at Perth's Claremont Speedway saw the only appearance of the AGP outside the East Coast of Australia and Perth supremo Michael Figliomeni was the victor standing alongside Keith Giles as the only West Aussies to win to that point.

Newcastle's Adam Clarke won in 2001 at "PCR" and then the event went to Victoria's Avalon Raceway near Geelong for the next seven years where victors included Darren Jenkins, West Aussie Dene McAllan, Victorian veteran Ian "Fly" Lewis, and West Aussie Keith Giles for the second time.

Victorian star Mark Brown won the first two of his eventual six AGP victories at Avalon before winning the next four of his win-list at Nowra Speedway in NSW.

New Zealand stand out Michael Pickens is the only driver from New Zealand to win the AGP – a feat he achieved at Avalon in 2005.

Newcastle's Matt Smith won at Valvoline Raceway in 2011, Queenslander Anthony Chaffey won at Nowra in 2016, Nathan Smee won in 2017 at Valvoline Raceway, fourth generation racer Reid Mackay won at Gunnedah in 2018 and Matt Smith recorded his second win at Lismore in 2019.

On 1 January 2020 Carson Macedo from California USA racing for the Sean Dyson Complete Racing team won the race making this his 3rd win in Speedcars at Valvoline Raceway during his Speedweek campaign.

Winners since 1938

Year Venue City/State Winner
1938 Sydney Sports Ground Sydney, NSW Les Dillon (NSW)
Year Venue City/State Winner
1947 Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney, NSW Ray Revell (NSW)
1948 Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney, NSW Cal Niday ()
1949 Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney, NSW Frank Brewer (/)**
Year Venue City/State Winner
1950 Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney, NSW Ray Revell (NSW)
1951 Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney, NSW Ray Revell (NSW)
1952 Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney, NSW Ray Revell (NSW)
1953 Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney, NSW Ray Revell (NSW)
1954 Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney, NSW Andy McGavin (NSW)
1955 Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney, NSW Andy McGavin (NSW)
1956 Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney, NSW Bill Reynolds ()
1957 Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney, NSW Andy McGavin (NSW)
1958 Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney, NSW Len Brock (NSW)
1959 Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney, NSW Andy McGavin (NSW)
Year Venue City/State Winner
1960 Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney, NSW Bob Tattersall ()
1961 Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney, NSW Andy McGavin (NSW)
1962 Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney, NSW Bob Tattersall ()
1963 Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney, NSW Jimmy Davies ()
1964 Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney, NSW Ken Morton (NSW)
1965 Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney, NSW Jeff Freeman (NSW)
1966 Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney, NSW Bob Tattersall ()
1967 Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney, NSW Len Brock (NSW)
1968 Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney, NSW Johnny Stewart (NSW)
1969 Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney, NSW Bob Tattersall ()
Year Venue City/State Winner
1970 Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney, NSW Ray Oram (NSW)
1971 Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney, NSW Ronald Mackay (NSW)
1972 Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney, NSW Dave Strickland ()
1973 Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney, NSW George Tatnell (NSW)
1974 Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney, NSW Danny Davidson (Qld)
1975 Liverpool Speedway Sydney, NSW A. J. Foyt ()
1976 Liverpool Speedway Sydney, NSW A. J. Foyt ()
1977 Liverpool Speedway Sydney, NSW Garry Rush (NSW)
1978♦ Liverpool Speedway Sydney, NSW Stan Lawrence (NSW)
1978♦ Liverpool Speedway Sydney, NSW Barry Pinchbeck (NSW)
1979 Liverpool Speedway Sydney, NSW Barry Graham (NSW)
Year Venue City/State Winner
1983 Liverpool Speedway Sydney, NSW Ron "Sleepy" Tripp ()
1984 Liverpool Speedway Sydney, NSW Ron "Sleepy" Tripp ()
1986 Liverpool Speedway Sydney, NSW Steve Kinser ()
1987 Liverpool Speedway Sydney, NSW Ron Hutchinson (NSW)
1988 Liverpool Speedway Sydney, NSW Ian Saville (NSW)
Year Venue City/State Winner
1990 Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney, NSW Johnny Pearson ()
1991 Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney, NSW Aaron Benny (NSW)
1992 Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney, NSW Max Dumesny (Vic)
1993 Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney, NSW Troy Jenkins (NSW)
1994 Wangaratta Speedway Wangaratta, Vic Keith Giles (WA)
1995 Heathcote Speedway Heathcote, Vic Lealand McSpadden ()
1996 Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney, NSW Garry Rush (NSW)
1997 Parramatta City Raceway Sydney, NSW Troy Jenkins (NSW)
1998 Parramatta City Raceway Sydney, NSW Steven Graham (NSW)
1999 Newcastle Motordrome Newcastle, NSW Troy Jenkins (NSW)
Year Venue City/State Winner
2000 Claremont Speedway Perth, WA Michael Figliomeni (WA)
2001 Parramatta City Raceway Sydney, NSW Adam Clarke (NSW)
2003 Avalon Raceway Lara, Vic Darren Jenkins (NSW)
2004 Avalon Raceway Lara, Vic Mark Brown (NSW)
2005 Avalon Raceway Lara, Vic Michael Pickens ()
2006 Avalon Raceway Lara, Vic Dene McAllan (WA)
2008 Avalon Raceway Lara, Vic Ian Lewis (VIC)
2009 Avalon Raceway Lara, Vic Mark Brown (NSW)
Year Venue City/State Winner
2010 Avalon Raceway Lara, Vic Keith Giles (NSW)
2011 Parramatta City Raceway Granville, NSW Matt Smith (NSW)
2012 Nowra Speedway Nowra, NSW Mark Brown (NSW)
2013 Nowra Speedway Nowra, NSW Mark Brown (NSW)
2014 Nowra Speedway Nowra, NSW Mark Brown (NSW)
2015 Nowra Speedway Nowra, NSW Mark Brown (NSW)
2016 Nowra Speedway Nowra, NSW Anthony Chaffey (QLD)
2017 Valvoline Raceway Parramatta, NSW Nathan Smee (NSW)
2018 Gunnedah Speedway Gunnedah, NSW Reid Mackay (QLD)
2019 Lismore Speedway Lismore, NSW Matt Smith (NSW)
Year Venue City/State Winner
2020 Valvoline Raceway Granville, NSW Carson Macedo

** Frank "Satan" Brewer was from New Zealand but promoters billed him as being from the USA to bring in larger crowds
Two races held in 1978. The first on 1 January and the second on 30 December

See also

References

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