ECHOES OF THE EKKA: When Pure Grit, Offenhausers and Bill Goode Shook Brisbane

EKKA SHOWGROUNDS, QLD

In our Nomad Dirt Culture Archives, we hold the merits of when grassroots Motorsport was created on Australian Soil. 
Did you know Speedway was called the “Motor Cycle Carnival” before it was classed as “Speedway” in 1901? Promoters called our racers “Madmen” as they showed pure showmanship and courage to entertain the crowd! There was no safety cage like there is today.

As the carnival lights dim and the gates close on the final day of the Ekka, a quiet calm settles over the Exhibition grounds. But beneath the dirt lies a century of thunderous history—an era when thousands of screaming fans packed the grandstands to watch open-wheel midgets slide sideways through the dust.

Speedway at the Ekka wasn't just entertainment; it was a battleground where international champions tested their mettle against Australia's toughest racers.

The 1964 International Invasion

In 1964, the Brisbane Ekka hosted one of the most legendary international lineups in speedway history. American icons Jimmy Davies, Bob Tattersall,m and Johnnie Tolan brought their fire-breathing Offenhauser midgets (#23, #3 and #29) to Queensland dirt.

Sitting in open cockpits with open face helmets and bandanas tied over their mouths, these drivers pushed lightweight machines with massive horsepower to the absolute limit around the tight Exhibition oval.

"It was an era of raw horsepower and zero room for error. You either had the grit to throw it sideways 
into the fence or you stayed in the pits."

Bill Goode: The Queensland Big Honker

Standing toe-to-toe with the one of the world's best was Queensland speedway royalty Bill Goode. Behind the wheel of his famous Golden Fleece-sponsored #5 Offy ("Big Honker"), Goode represented the heart and soul of Australian grassroots motorsport.

Goode didn't just race history—he preserved it. He secured the famous Jimmy Davies Offenhauser, ensuring that one of the most significant open-wheel race cars in world speedway remained restored and preserved on Australian soil for generations to come.

High Stakes & Unfiltered History

The raw nature of 1960s speedway carried immense stakes. That same 1964 tour saw the brutal reality of the sport when Johnnie Tolan suffered a career-ending back injury after crashing sideways into the pit gate at the Sydney Showground.

The machines themselves lived multiple lives:

• The Davies Offy (#23): Brought to Australia by Bill Goode, remaining fully restored locally.

• The Tattersall Mattoon Offy (#3): Returned to the United States for full historical restoration.

• The Tolan/Kischel Offy (#29): Returned to Australia in 1968 with Tattersall back at the wheel, eventually landing under the care of Bob Morgan in its iconic Queensland #2 livery.

Carrying the Flame Forward

As another Ekka comes to a close, Nomad Dirt Culture stands firm in its mission: to ensure the legends, the machines and the bloodlines of Australian grassroots Motorsport are never forgotten. Because if it wasn’t for these legends, many of our machines today wouldn’t have been built. Someone at some point was inspired to create and vision new machines from the golden years. 

The main ring at the Ekka may hold different events today, but the soul of Exhibition Speedway will always echo through the dirt for generations. 

ABOUT NOMAD DIRT CULTURE

Nomad Dirt Culture Pty Ltd (NDC) is an independent motorsport media platform dedicated to raw, real and transparent storytelling. Championing grassroots racing, historical preservation and the next generation of competitors, NDC brings the true narrative of motorsport straight to the fans.

Media Contact:

Email: info@nomaddirtculture.com

Jocelyn Dare, Founder & Editor of Nomad Dirt Culture.

MEDIA CREDITS & PHOTO ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

• Cover Image (Bill Goode in Offy #5 "Big Honker"): Courtesy of Speedway Past Australia (Historical Archive / Photographer Unidentified).

• 1964 International Offenhauser Trio (Davies #23, Tattersall #3, Tolan #29): Courtesy of the Historic Speedway Association of Australia (HSAA).

• Historical Archival Text & Research: Sourced via the Historic Speedway Association of Australia (HSAA)community archives.