The Australian Speedcar Grand Prix is an annual dirt track racing

Dirt track racing

Dirt track racing is a type of auto racing performed on oval tracks. It began in the United States before World War I and became widespread during the 1920s and 30s. Two different types of racecars predominated—open wheel racers in the Northeast and West and stock cars in the South...

 meeting held for Speedcars

Midget car racing

Midget cars, also Speedcars in Australia, are very small race cars with a very high power-to-weight ratio and typically use four-cylinder engines.-Cars:Typically, these cars have 300 to 400 horsepower and weigh...

. The meeting has traditionally been held in Sydney

Sydney

Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...

 but on occasions has been held on tracks in Victoria

Victoria (Australia)

Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

 and in 2000 the race was held at Perth

Perth, Western Australia

Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....

's Claremont Speedway

Claremont Showgrounds

The Claremont Showgrounds were built in 1905 in the Perth suburb of Claremont. The Showgrounds are home to the annual Perth Royal Show. They were also the original home of Claremont-Cottesloe in its first year in the WAFL before moving to Claremont Oval....

, not long before the 1/3 mile Showground track closed.

The fist Australian Speedcar Grand Prix was held on March 12th, 1938 at the Sydney Sports Ground

Sydney Sports Ground

The Sydney Sports Ground was a Stadium and Dirt track racing venue in Sydney, New South Wales. The ground was located where the car park of the Sydney Football Stadium currently sits. The ground had two main grandstands and was surrounded by a grass covered hill, giving it a capacity of more than...

 and was won by Sydney based driver Les Dillon. 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

Sydney Showground Speedway

Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996....

.

From 1975 until 1984 when it was held at the Liverpool Speedway

Liverpool Speedway

Liverpool Speedway was located in Green Valley, Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Liverpool was opened by Frank Oliveri, the mayor of Liverpool at the time, and ran until its sudden and unexpected closure in 1989...

 in Sydney the Grand Prix was run on asphalt

Asphalt

Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...

 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

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 bookend the asphalt Grand Prix years with legendary four time Indianapolis 500

Indianapolis 500

The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...

 winner A. J. Foyt

A. J. Foyt

Anthony Joseph Foyt, Jr., or as he is universally known as in motorsports circles, A. J. Foyt , is a retired American automobile racing driver. He raced in numerous genres of motorsports. His open wheel racing includes USAC Champ cars and midget cars. He raced stock cars in NASCAR and USAC. He won...

 winning in 1975 and 1976 in a Volkswagen

Volkswagen

Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...

 powered car while 1986 National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame

National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame

The National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame and museum for midget cars. The Hall of Fame is located at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, and can be accessed during weekly Sunday races during the summer.-A-C:...

 member Ron "Sleepy" Tripp

Sleepy Tripp

Ron "Sleepy" Tripp is an American Hall of Fame midget car driver. Tripp got his nickname as a youth when he would fall asleep in his quarter midget car while waiting for his next race to start. -Midget car career:...

 would win the last two asphalt Grand Prix's in 1983 and 1984, also using a VW powered car.

Winners since 1938

Year	Venue	Winner
1938	Sydney Sports Ground Sydney Sports Ground The Sydney Sports Ground was a Stadium and Dirt track racing venue in Sydney, New South Wales. The ground was located where the car park of the Sydney Football Stadium currently sits. The ground had two main grandstands and was surrounded by a grass covered hill, giving it a capacity of more than...	Les Dillon (NSW)
1947	Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996....	Ray Revell (NSW)
1948	Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996....	Cal Niday Cal Niday Cal Niday was an American racecar driver. He lost his leg in a motorcycle accident after high school, but it did not affect his race car driving career. Cal is also noted as the first racer to wear a modern style Bell helmet in the Indy 500...  ( )
1949	Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996....	Frank Brewer (/ )**
1950	Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996....	Ray Revell (NSW)
1951	Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996....	Ray Revell (NSW)
1952	Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996....	Ray Revell (NSW)
1953	Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996....	Ray Revell (NSW)
1954	Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996....	Andy McGavin (NSW)
1955	Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996....	Andy McGavin (NSW)
1956	Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996....	Bill Reynolds ( )
1957	Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996....	Andy McGavin (NSW)
1958	Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996....	Len Brock (NSW)
1959	Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996....	Andy McGavin (NSW)
1960	Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996....	Bob Tattersall ( )
1961	Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996....	Andy McGavin (NSW)
1962	Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996....	Bob Tattersall ( )
1963	Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996....	Jimmy Davies ( )
1964	Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996....	Ken Morton (NSW)
1965	Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996....	Jeff Freeman (NSW)
1966	Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996....	Bob Tattersall ( )
1967	Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996....	Len Brock (NSW)
1968	Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996....	Johnny Stewart (NSW)
1969	Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996....	Bob Tattersall ( )
1970	Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996....	Ray Oram (NSW)
1971	Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996....	Ronald Mackay (NSW)
1972	Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996....	Dave Strickland ( )
1973	Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996....	George Tatnell (NSW)
1974	Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996....	Danny Davidson (Qld)
1975	Liverpool Speedway Liverpool Speedway Liverpool Speedway was located in Green Valley, Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Liverpool was opened by Frank Oliveri, the mayor of Liverpool at the time, and ran until its sudden and unexpected closure in 1989...	A. J. Foyt A. J. Foyt Anthony Joseph Foyt, Jr., or as he is universally known as in motorsports circles, A. J. Foyt , is a retired American automobile racing driver. He raced in numerous genres of motorsports. His open wheel racing includes USAC Champ cars and midget cars. He raced stock cars in NASCAR and USAC. He won...  ( )
1976	Liverpool Speedway Liverpool Speedway Liverpool Speedway was located in Green Valley, Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Liverpool was opened by Frank Oliveri, the mayor of Liverpool at the time, and ran until its sudden and unexpected closure in 1989...	A. J. Foyt A. J. Foyt Anthony Joseph Foyt, Jr., or as he is universally known as in motorsports circles, A. J. Foyt , is a retired American automobile racing driver. He raced in numerous genres of motorsports. His open wheel racing includes USAC Champ cars and midget cars. He raced stock cars in NASCAR and USAC. He won...  ( )
1977	Liverpool Speedway Liverpool Speedway Liverpool Speedway was located in Green Valley, Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Liverpool was opened by Frank Oliveri, the mayor of Liverpool at the time, and ran until its sudden and unexpected closure in 1989...	Garry Rush (NSW)
1978♦	Liverpool Speedway Liverpool Speedway Liverpool Speedway was located in Green Valley, Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Liverpool was opened by Frank Oliveri, the mayor of Liverpool at the time, and ran until its sudden and unexpected closure in 1989...	Stan Lawrence (NSW)
1978♦	Liverpool Speedway Liverpool Speedway Liverpool Speedway was located in Green Valley, Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Liverpool was opened by Frank Oliveri, the mayor of Liverpool at the time, and ran until its sudden and unexpected closure in 1989...	Barry Pinchbeck (NSW)
1979	Liverpool Speedway Liverpool Speedway Liverpool Speedway was located in Green Valley, Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Liverpool was opened by Frank Oliveri, the mayor of Liverpool at the time, and ran until its sudden and unexpected closure in 1989...	Barry Graham (NSW)
1983	Liverpool Speedway Liverpool Speedway Liverpool Speedway was located in Green Valley, Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Liverpool was opened by Frank Oliveri, the mayor of Liverpool at the time, and ran until its sudden and unexpected closure in 1989...	Ron "Sleepy" Tripp Sleepy Tripp Ron "Sleepy" Tripp is an American Hall of Fame midget car driver. Tripp got his nickname as a youth when he would fall asleep in his quarter midget car while waiting for his next race to start. -Midget car career:...  ( )
1984	Liverpool Speedway Liverpool Speedway Liverpool Speedway was located in Green Valley, Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Liverpool was opened by Frank Oliveri, the mayor of Liverpool at the time, and ran until its sudden and unexpected closure in 1989...	Ron "Sleepy" Tripp Sleepy Tripp Ron "Sleepy" Tripp is an American Hall of Fame midget car driver. Tripp got his nickname as a youth when he would fall asleep in his quarter midget car while waiting for his next race to start. -Midget car career:...  ( )
1986	Liverpool Speedway Liverpool Speedway Liverpool Speedway was located in Green Valley, Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Liverpool was opened by Frank Oliveri, the mayor of Liverpool at the time, and ran until its sudden and unexpected closure in 1989...	Steve Kinser Steve Kinser Steve Kinser , is a professional sprint car racer. He has won 20 championships in the World of Outlaws series, and currently drives the #11 Bass Pro Shops car. Kinser left the World of Outlaws in 2006 to compete with the National Sprint Tour series, but returned to the World of Outlaws for the...  ( )
1987	Liverpool Speedway Liverpool Speedway Liverpool Speedway was located in Green Valley, Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Liverpool was opened by Frank Oliveri, the mayor of Liverpool at the time, and ran until its sudden and unexpected closure in 1989...	Ron Hutchinson (NSW)
1988	Liverpool Speedway Liverpool Speedway Liverpool Speedway was located in Green Valley, Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Liverpool was opened by Frank Oliveri, the mayor of Liverpool at the time, and ran until its sudden and unexpected closure in 1989...	Ian Saville (NSW)
1990	Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996....	Johnny Pearson ( )
1991	Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996....	Aaron Benny (NSW)
1992	Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996....	Max Dumesny Max Dumesny Max Dumesny is an Australian professional Sprintcar driver. Dumsney was born and raised in Victoria but has resided in Nelson, New South Wales since the mid-1990s, although his Sprintcar carries the number V5 that he has used throughout his career, although he has changed that to Australia 1 when...  (Vic)
1993	Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996....	Troy Jenkins (NSW)
1994	Wangaratta Speedway	Keith Giles (WA)
1995	Heathcote Speedway	Lealand McSpadden Lealand McSpadden Lealand McSpadden is a former dirt track racing driver who competed mostly in sprint and midget cars. He was nicknamed "The Tempe Tornado"....  ( )
1996	Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a dirt Dirt track racing venue at the old Sydney Showground used from 1926 until 1996....	Garry Rush (NSW)
1997	Parramatta City Raceway	Troy Jenkins (NSW)
1998	Parramatta City Raceway	Steven Graham (NSW)
1999	Newcastle Motordrome Newcastle Motordrome Newcastle Motordrome was a Dirt track racing venue located on the Old Punt Road in Tomago, New South Wales, just north of the Hunter River and north of the city of Newcastle. The ¼ Mile speedway operated from its opening in 1977 until it was sold in 2002...	Troy Jenkins (NSW)
2000	Claremont Speedway Claremont Showgrounds The Claremont Showgrounds were built in 1905 in the Perth suburb of Claremont. The Showgrounds are home to the annual Perth Royal Show. They were also the original home of Claremont-Cottesloe in its first year in the WAFL before moving to Claremont Oval....	Michael Figliomeni (WA)
2001	Parramatta City Raceway	Adam Clarke (NSW)
2003	Avalon Raceway Avalon Raceway Avalon Raceway is a Dirt track racing venue located in Lara, Victoria, Australia. The track is based a Clay Sand Mix, is oval shaped and is 390m in length.-History:...	Darren Jenkins (NSW)
2004	Avalon Raceway Avalon Raceway Avalon Raceway is a Dirt track racing venue located in Lara, Victoria, Australia. The track is based a Clay Sand Mix, is oval shaped and is 390m in length.-History:...	Mark Brown (NSW)
2005	Avalon Raceway Avalon Raceway Avalon Raceway is a Dirt track racing venue located in Lara, Victoria, Australia. The track is based a Clay Sand Mix, is oval shaped and is 390m in length.-History:...	Michael Pickens Michael Pickens Michael Pickens is a racecar driver from Birkenhead near Auckland, New Zealand. Michael is a part time auto racing driver part time auto electrician...
2006	Avalon Raceway Avalon Raceway Avalon Raceway is a Dirt track racing venue located in Lara, Victoria, Australia. The track is based a Clay Sand Mix, is oval shaped and is 390m in length.-History:...	Dene McAllan
2008	Avalon Raceway Avalon Raceway Avalon Raceway is a Dirt track racing venue located in Lara, Victoria, Australia. The track is based a Clay Sand Mix, is oval shaped and is 390m in length.-History:...	Ian Lewis (Vic)
2009	Avalon Raceway Avalon Raceway Avalon Raceway is a Dirt track racing venue located in Lara, Victoria, Australia. The track is based a Clay Sand Mix, is oval shaped and is 390m in length.-History:...	Mark Brown (NSW)
2010	Avalon Raceway Avalon Raceway Avalon Raceway is a Dirt track racing venue located in Lara, Victoria, Australia. The track is based a Clay Sand Mix, is oval shaped and is 390m in length.-History:...	Keith Giles (NSW)
2011	Sydney Speedway	Matt Smith (NSW)
2012		TBD

** 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 January 1 and the second on December 30

External Links

• Australian Speedcar Grand Prix honor roll