Where and when did speedway start?

Speedway culture began in Australia on January 1, 1901, at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) during an illuminated Night Cycling Carnival featuring motorized tricycles, followed by official motor bicycle races in 1902. While commercial promoters credit Maitland Showground in 1923, historical archives held by Nomad Dirt Culture prove track motor racing existed two decades prior across NSW showgrounds.

Did speedway start in Maitland in 1923?

No. The 1923 Maitland event was a grass-track novelty show where riders were disqualified for putting a foot down to slide. Speedway and illuminated night motor racing actually originated earlier, starting at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1901 and Newcastle Rugby Football Ground in 1905.

Latest News

SPOT 05 • FEATURED BRISBANE & QLD

SECTION 5 AD SPACE

Advertise your brand here. Prime trackside & online exposure for SEQ businesses.

HIRE SECTION 5 →

WORLDWIDE REACH GLOBAL AUDIENCE

SECTION 6 AD SPACE

Advertise your brand here. Connect directly with international motorsport & dirt fans.

HIRE SECTION 6 →

QUICK TAGS:

ALL SIDECARS SOLOS SPRINTCARS GOKARTS AUSTRALIA THE UK POLAND

FEATURE STORY

All Practice, No Home Pitch: SEQ Speedway Sidecars Face Infrastructure Crisis Ahead of 2032 Olympics

05 September 2026

LOCATION: BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND It’s the speedway equivalent of running brutal rugby sessions week in, week out, heavy contact, high risk, and total physical commitment, without ever getting to play a formal home fixture. Motorcycle speedway...

READ FULL ARTICLE →

LEGEND ON THREE WHEELS: PIONEER PARK PREPARES TO HONOUR SPEEDWAY SIDECAR GIANT GARY MOON

03 September 2026

AUSTRALIA North Queensland's speedway community will gather at Pioneer Park Speedway in Ayr on Saturday, September 26th, to...

50th Anniversary Gillman Classic: Solos & Sidecars Live at Gillman Speedway

01 September 2026

(50 Years of the 1976 World Team Cup | 125 Years of Sidecar Heritage) ADELAIDE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA ...

Chasing Gold on Dirt: Headland Hearne Racing Opens 2026/27 Partner Spotlights

26 August 2026

Fresh off a monumental 2025/26 campaign, Australian speedway sidecar outfit Headland Hearne Racing has officially opened corporate partnership...

WHERE PASSION RUNS DEEP: How Historian Walkabout With Rob Preserved the Sacred Legacy of the Ekka

23 August 2026

BRISBANE, QLD Preserving the foundation of Australian motorsport requires more than preserving race cars; it requires remembering the...

CONCRETE OVER DIRT: HOW WESTERN SPRINGS SPEEDWAY HERITAGE has been ERASED

06 August 2026

AUCKLAND, NZ / BRISBANE, AU For nearly a century, Auckland’s Western Springs Speedway was the sacred cathedral of...

Ka-Chow! Forget no headlights. On 3 wheels, it’s NO BRAKES! Meet Sidecar Speedway Team #95!

24 July 2026

Behind every sidecar outfit in Australian speedway is a story of grit, family, and community support. For Mordaunt...

NATE HEADLAND & HARRY HEARNE CROWNED ASRA’S MOST IMPROVED SIDECAR TEAM FOR 2025/26

10 July 2026

The Australian Speedway Riders Association (ASRA) has officially named the South Australian duo of Nate Headland and Harry...

How Moon & Lovell Racing Captured the 2026 QLD Title Carrying Three Generations of Speedway History on the Handles

01 July 2026

LOCATION: Pioneer Park Speedway Photo credits: Epic Pics (Rina Totorica) Grassroots speedway isn't won in a clean, sanitised...

THE THUNDER AND THE DAWN: The Night Lineage and Next-Gen Royalty Ruled Pioneer Park

28 June 2026

LOCATION: PIONEER PARK SPEEDWAY PHOTO CREDIT: Riley Stout Racing The air at Pioneer Park Speedway didn't just vibrate...

THE BLOODLINE OF THE DIRT: HEAVYWEIGHT LEGENDS AND NEXT-GEN PIONEERS SET TO IGNITE PIONEER PARK SPEEDWAY

26 June 2026

Photo Credit: Judy Mackay (Jim Urwin Cup, Gilman 24th Jan, 2026) BRANDON, QLD The raw, high-horsepower theatre...

THE AUSTRALIAN GLADIATORS OF OUR ARENA: THE 1000cc MACHINE SHOWMANSHIP THAT STILL LIVES AFTER 100 YEARS

13 June 2026

LOCATION: Olympic Park, Mildura MEDIA ATTRIBUTION NOTICE: Photography proudly credited to Robyn McIntosh. For more than a century,...

THE 1000cc & The Indigenous Teenage Sisters Who Broke Global Barriers in Australia’s grassroots motorsport.

12 June 2026

WESTERN AUSTRALIA Photo: Nomad Dirt Culture Archives from original newspaper around 1980s. Article stated “Photo courtesy of Nipper...

PROOF THE PASSION ALIVE: Burnt Rebels Racing defies the shrinking grids at Mildura

11 June 2026

MILDURA, VIC Photo Credits: Robyn McIntosh / Burnt Rebels Racing You can put all the money in the...

VINCENT KINGS: The Grandfathers of Speedway Heritage

08 June 2026

Photographer Credit: Thank you to Robyn McIntosh / Robmac's Archive Location: Olympic Park Speedway, Mildura What if I...

3 WHEELS, NO BRAKES, ZERO APOLOGIES: WELCOME TO THE 2026 CLASSIC SPEEDWAY

04 June 2026

Mildura, VICDetails found on Mildura Motorcycle Club Facebook Page. The heaviest hit on the dirt calendar is officially...

OFFICIAL MEDIA SUPPORTERS

SUPPORT THE BRANDS THAT FUEL NOMAD DIRT CULTURE

+ YOUR BRAND HERE OFFICIAL PARTNER + YOUR BRAND HERE JOIN THE GRID + YOUR BRAND HERE BACK THE MEDIA + YOUR BRAND HERE CLAIM THIS SPOT

SPOT 07 • FEATURED BRISBANE & QLD

SECTION 7 AD SPACE

Advertise your brand here. Prime trackside & online exposure for SEQ businesses.

HIRE SECTION 7 →

WORLDWIDE REACH GLOBAL AUDIENCE

SECTION 8 AD SPACE

Advertise your brand here. Connect directly with international motorsport & dirt fans.

HIRE SECTION 8 →

Get Your Brand Trackside

SECTION 5 AD SPACE

SECTION 6 AD SPACE

All Practice, No Home Pitch: SEQ Speedway Sidecars Face Infrastructure Crisis Ahead of 2032 Olympics

LEGEND ON THREE WHEELS: PIONEER PARK PREPARES TO HONOUR SPEEDWAY SIDECAR GIANT GARY MOON

50th Anniversary Gillman Classic: Solos & Sidecars Live at Gillman Speedway

Chasing Gold on Dirt: Headland Hearne Racing Opens 2026/27 Partner Spotlights

WHERE PASSION RUNS DEEP: How Historian Walkabout With Rob Preserved the Sacred Legacy of the Ekka

CONCRETE OVER DIRT: HOW WESTERN SPRINGS SPEEDWAY HERITAGE has been ERASED

Ka-Chow! Forget no headlights. On 3 wheels, it’s NO BRAKES! Meet Sidecar Speedway Team #95!

NATE HEADLAND & HARRY HEARNE CROWNED ASRA’S MOST IMPROVED SIDECAR TEAM FOR 2025/26

How Moon & Lovell Racing Captured the 2026 QLD Title Carrying Three Generations of Speedway History on the Handles

THE THUNDER AND THE DAWN: The Night Lineage and Next-Gen Royalty Ruled Pioneer Park

THE BLOODLINE OF THE DIRT: HEAVYWEIGHT LEGENDS AND NEXT-GEN PIONEERS SET TO IGNITE PIONEER PARK SPEEDWAY

THE AUSTRALIAN GLADIATORS OF OUR ARENA: THE 1000cc MACHINE SHOWMANSHIP THAT STILL LIVES AFTER 100 YEARS

THE 1000cc & The Indigenous Teenage Sisters Who Broke Global Barriers in Australia’s grassroots motorsport.

PROOF THE PASSION ALIVE: Burnt Rebels Racing defies the shrinking grids at Mildura

VINCENT KINGS: The Grandfathers of Speedway Heritage

3 WHEELS, NO BRAKES, ZERO APOLOGIES: WELCOME TO THE 2026 CLASSIC SPEEDWAY

All Practice, No Home Pitch: SEQ Speedway Sidecars Face Infrastructure Crisis Ahead of 2032 Olympics

LEGEND ON THREE WHEELS: PIONEER PARK PREPARES TO HONOUR SPEEDWAY SIDECAR GIANT GARY MOON

50th Anniversary Gillman Classic: Solos & Sidecars Live at Gillman Speedway

Chasing Gold on Dirt: Headland Hearne Racing Opens 2026/27 Partner Spotlights

WHERE PASSION RUNS DEEP: How Historian Walkabout With Rob Preserved the Sacred Legacy of the Ekka

NOMAD DIRT CULTURE

SUPPORT THE BRANDS THAT FUEL NOMAD DIRT CULTURE

SECTION 7 AD SPACE

SECTION 8 AD SPACE

FOLLOW OUR SOCIALS

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM