“DAD’S ASHES ARE ON THE TRACK” BRISBANE EXHIBITION SPEEDWAY

BRISBANE EXHIBITION GROUNDS, QLD

As thousands gather under the carnival lights of the Brisbane Exhibition Grounds for the annual Ekka Show, a different kind of history echoes beneath the grandstands. To the casual visitor, the main arena is a space for livestock parades and showbags. But to generations of Queenslanders, that dirt is sacred ground—consecrated by the roar of 1,000cc/500cc engines, the scent of methanol, the sacrifice of fallen racers and the literal remains of the fans who built the culture.

Responding to a recent reflection on the site's ongoing urban redevelopment and changing identity, local spectator Mr. Menzies captured the visceral weight of what the main arena truly represents to working-class Queensland: "Dad’s ashes are on the track."

Menzies’ words are not an anomaly. They represent the beating heart of a grassroots motorsport movement that populated and sustained the Brisbane Exhibition Speedway for nearly a century—a heritage that fans and former competitors fear is being quietly pushed aside in favor of modernized commercial narratives.

VOICES FROM THE DIRT: THE ARCHIVED TESTAMENTS

To understand why the Brisbane Ekka speedway remains sacred to Queensland’s racing identity, one needs only to look at the living memory of its people. Archived and compiled by Nomad Dirt Culture founder Jocelyn Dare ahead of her 2025 Motorsport Exhibition, these fifteen (out of hundreds) testaments reflect the raw noise, tragedy and unyielding brotherhood of Saturday nights on the dirt:

Darryl Mclean:

“I will never see it again it was home for many years on Saturday nights.”

Dennis Newlyn (Speedway Historian & Commentator):

“A famous speedway ground like the Brisbane Ekka should never be forgotten or lost in history down the time tunnel—and especially those who paid the ultimate price competing at the venue.”

Robert Mcculloc (Lifelong Fan):

“Please don't let them pull down an Ekka Speedway heritage. Signed, an old speedway fan.”

Andrew Wakeling:

“My father took me to the Ekka speedway for many years when I was a kid. I remember watching the bikes and the sprint cars, and walking around in the pit areas. My father talked to the riders and drivers. They were all so friendly and accessible then.”

Bradley Muirhead:

“Ron on the mighty Vincent was a master.”

Nicole Penman:

“My Dad and his litre sprints.”

Trevor Kassulke:

“Sitting in the 'Earnest Baynes' stand with my late Father at the young age of 7 watching all types of racing... get covered in granite from the bikes and cars. The smell of 'Castrol R' used to stir the excitement.”

Simon Wright:

“The noise, the smell, the lights. The great racing. Loved the bikes, sidecars, saloons, super mods, speedcars. The programs, the pits, lots more.”

James Patfield:

“I remember your dad racing against Sandy McCray—it was always a close race. I was there the night Des Simons passed away. I think he hit the fence near the pits, and another night I went, Kev Jefferson lost his life. I love solos, the sidecars, and the speedcars... I wish it was still going.”

Graham Bingham:

“My father, Bill Bingham, won the 1962 Australian Sidecar Championship at the Ekka with his passenger Bob Levy, completing 4 laps in 75.8 seconds.”

Serina Cox:

“My Pa Keith Cox doing the Guinness records there in the 2000s—God I miss him.”

Dave Hodgson:

“Vincents all, remember well the roar of these monsters and smell of the burnt racing fuel, riders hardly mortal to my young eyes!”

Fay Jeppesen:

“Yes, as a young person it was the family night out in the 50s and 60s.”

Jennifer Russell:

“My dad would take me every Saturday night as a young teenager. Loved it.”

Mike Kent (Rider):

“Winning the only 6 bike, 6 lap, rolling start handicap race at the Ekka in 1990. The joint was packed and really enjoyed what we did.”

Trevor Scarborough:

“Used to go every Saturday night to the speedway... My brother and I would sell the telegraph paper by the dozens as people would buy them to shield themselves from the gravel as the bikes screamed around the track. Great times.”

Dave Hodgson:

“Vincents all, remember well the roar of these monsters and smell of the burnt racing fuel, riders hardly mortal to my young eyes!”

Trev Gordon:

“Used to go every Saturday night to the speedway. Keith Gurtiner. Little boy in blue. My brother and I would sell the telegraph paper by the dozens as people would buy them to shield themselves from the gravel as the bikes screamed around the track. Great times. Cheers.”

Perry Humphrey Anderson:

“My neighbours would kindly take me there as a kid from the sixties it was so good, after each race we would jump the fence and pick up the riders discarded goggles. We had a ton of fun! How good would it be to have the speedway back for one night for its 100th birthday?”

HONOURING THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE

Brisbane Exhibition Speedway was never sanitized entertainment—it was an uncompromising arena where drivers pushed mechanical limits, and where some made the ultimate sacrifice.

As historian Dennis Newlyn notes, the reality of the sport cannot be edited out of the history books: "A famous speedway ground like the Brisbane Ekka should never be forgotten... especially those who paid the ultimate price competing at the venue."

Names like Kev Jefferson and Des Simons remain permanently etched into the memory of those who sat in the Earnest Baynes stand. From Australian Sidecar Champions like Bill Bingham in 1962, to record breakers like Keith Cox, to legends like 'Angry Bob' Kelly, Ray Revell, Blair Shepherd, Bill Goode and Big Ron Johnson “King of the Ekka”—the Exhibition Grounds were built on the backs of local working-class heroes.

THE NDC LEDGER: PRESERVING HISTORY BEFORE IT IS OVERWRITTEN

As physical infrastructure changes and official retellings prioritize modern commercial ventures, Nomad Dirt Culture Pty Ltd (NDC) is issuing an urgent call to the motorsport community: document your history before someone else writes it for you.

History is not defined by corporate press releases or sanitised policy documents—it is defined by the people who lived it, bled for it and spent their Saturdays on the terraces.

We are calling on every driver, mechanic, pusher, official and spectator who spent their nights at the Brisbane Exhibition Speedway to archive their memories. Share your stories, names and photos in the comments below. Tell us who you went with, who you cheered for and what that quarter-mile oval meant to your family.

Email your photos and records to info@nomaddirtculture.com to be permanently enshrined in the NDC Ledger, ensuring the true spirit of Queensland grassroots motorsport is protected for the next 100 years.

Editorial & Media Enquiries:

Nomad Dirt Culture Pty Ltd (NDC) - Independent Motorsport Journalism Media.

Email: info@nomaddirtculture.com

Photo Credit: Darryl Mclean 

(Legal Notice: Nomad Dirt Culture Pty Ltd is an independent media platform dedicated to archiving public motorsport history. This release reflects documented public commentary and community historical accounts. NDC is not affiliated with, endorsed by or representative of the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland (RNA) or the official Ekka Show).