SEVEN DECADES OF PASSION, ONE FAMILY DREAM At pioneer park speedway

Great-grandmother Barbara Richards has been following Australian speedway since 1954. For 70 years, the roar of engines and the smell of clay have been in her blood, passing down through the generations at Pioneer Park Speedway.

Now, seven decades later, that lineage has come full circle. Her great-grandson, young gun Ezekiel "Zeek the Freak" Tapim (#701), made his second official speedway appearance at the historic Gary Moon Memorial, proving that speedway is far more than a sport—it is a living, breathing family legacy.

"Grandma has been following speedway from about 1954-1958! Grandma would take us down to Pioneer Park as kids to watch and we absolutely loved it! Ezekiel has always loved motorbikes... he would say 'Mum I want to be out on that track'."

— Jess Richards, Mother of Ezekiel

FROM THE SALT PANS TO THE STARTING TAPE

Ezekiel’s obsession with bikes started at just three years old, riding out on local salt pans and hanging off his CRF50 while pretending to be his sidecar idol, Tyler Moon. But taking the leap into competitive speedway meant building a program from scratch.

After finding an old, secondhand solo bike in Ayr, the family faced immediate grassroots challenges. During the initial build, a mistake fried the bike's battery box. Family friend Mr. Mal stepped in, donating countless hours in the shed to overhaul the ignition system and get the bike track-ready.

To get Ezekiel's official rider endorsement, the team packed up the car and made the long drive from Townsville down to Bundaberg for a coaching clinic run by Zane Keleher.

A BLESSING ON THE CLAY

Joining the Ayr Club, Ezekiel made his competitive debut before taking on the prestigious Gary Moon Memorial for only his second race meeting ever. Standing trackside alongside his great-grandmother holding the Junior Solo Shield, Ezekiel's custom #701 machine stood proudly with a striking Indigenous art rear disc wheel—a tribute to family, culture, and grass-roots grit.

"We are still learning so much on this journey and it was an absolute blessing to see a real dream come true."

— Jess Richards

THE NOMAD DIRT CULTURE PERSPECTIVE

Stories like Ezekiel’s are the heart and soul of Australian motorsport. Nomad Dirt Culture (NDC) exists to give these raw, multi-generational journeys the high-production, stadium-level spotlight they deserve inspiring the next generation of racers to chase their dreams on the dirt.

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• Source Reference: Jess Richards / Barbara Richards / Pioneer Park Speedway