THE CENTENARY DISCONNECT: WHY WAS THE 100 YEARS OF BRISBANE SPEEDWAY FORCED UNDERGROUND?

EKKA SHOWGROUNDS, QLD 

Nomad Dirt Culture has published a dedicated feature reporting concerns from within the community following an intense wave of public backlash regarding a major motorsport heritage milestone held at the Brisbane Showgrounds (RNA).

While massive motoring clubs like the RACQ routinely secure expansive public footprints at the historic venue for generalised automotive exhibitions, the actual caretakers of Queensland’s dirt track legacy were forced into strict operational secrecy to celebrate an irreplaceable, once-in-a-century milestone.

Figure 1.0 – Verifiable social media documentation from the Queensland Oldtime Speedway network, exposing the restrictive mandates, public exclusion notices and social media blackouts enforced for the centenary celebration.

Four Generations Heartbroken: A Stolen Celebration

Centenary milestones are traditionally a time of immense pride, open gates and vibrant public celebration a moment where families, drivers and fans gather to pass the torch of history down the line. Instead, this forced isolation has left four generations of the grassroots motorsport community entirely heartbroken.

Pioneers who raced the original dirt, veterans who kept the clubs alive and mid-generation mechanics who built the heritage machinery have expressed deep disappointment over the restriction. Worst of all, the current generation of young drivers and kids has been completely cut off from experiencing the raw sound, sight and culture of this 100-year legacy in a true public setting. A milestone that should have been an inclusive, historic festival was instead shrunk down to a hushed, restricted gathering behind closed gates.

Institutional Gatekeeping & Social Media Blackouts

Primary-source documentation obtained by $NDC$ in above photo reveals the extreme friction grassroots clubs face when dealing with institutional venue operators. An official statement issued by the Vintage Speedcar Assn (Qld) Incexplicitly highlights a culture of severe restriction, noting that the historic gathering had to be run as an entirely private, low-key event strictly closed to the general public.

Most alarmingly for modern media platforms, the document details a strict social media gag order, warning participants that advertising was to be kept to an "absolute minimum" and stating that "if anyone is found posting any 'unauthorised' content to social media... your nomination will not be accepted."

This forced media blackout left lifelong fans, former competitors and the broader speedway community completely shattered, disappointed and locked out of a milestone they spent decades building.

Figure 2.0 – Photographic evidence captured at the main arena, showcasing priceless Vintage Speedcar Assn (Qld) Inc machinery operating under strict venue limitations, while major club-backed automotive events simultaneously enjoy unrestricted public access.

The Erasure of Social License

The contrast visible on the ground creates a painful double standard for grassroots enthusiasts. As verified in Figure 2.0, the vintage club and its historic assets are highly welcomed when serving as a static display backdrop for major corporate-backed initiatives like RACQ MotorFest.

Yet, when celebrating the definitive centenary of Brisbane Exhibition Speedway, the very bedrock of the region's motorsport identity, the community was subjected to strict cost-recovery guidelines, alongside rules prohibiting public spectators, catering and engine starts.

This triggers a vital question regarding institutional responsibility: The RNA is an organisation explicitly trusted to protect and preserve Queensland’s social and cultural heritage. When that very institution prices out local heritage groups with a reported $40,000 paywall, it actively damages its own social license. Why do institutional venues happily utilise vintage machinery to add flavour to commercial motoring gatherings, while forcing an irreplaceable 100-year sporting heritage milestone underground when the clubs want to host it themselves?

Figure 3.0 – Archival documentation showing RNA President Sir Wally Burnett addressing 21,400 people at the Ekka in 1986, reinforcing the venue's deep-rooted historical commitment to speedway culture. WATCH SIR WALLY BURNETT SPEECH.   

"Speedway Belongs at the Ekka" The Institutional Contradiction

The decision to impose a heavy commercial barrier stands in direct contradiction to the historic mandate of the RNA's own leadership. As rediscovered in archival footage highlighted by local historians in Figure 3.0, former RNA President Sir Wally Burnett stood before a crowd of over 21,000 people at the Ekka in 1986 and clearly stated: "Speedway belongs at the Ekka." 

For over a century, speedway was tightly woven into the fabric of the Brisbane Exhibition Grounds. Burnett’s historical declaration recognized that the sport wasn't just a tenant renting dirt; it was a foundational pillar of the venue's social license and community heritage. By replacing this historic open-door philosophy with a reported $40,000 commercial paywall, the modern institution has effectively locked out the very community its past leaders vowed to protect.

The Powerhouse Archivist’s Uncompromising Role

This institutional gatekeeping is precisely why Nomad Dirt Culture refuses to align, partner or compromise with private committees or traditional promotional bodies. When organisations choose to censor history and threaten participants with exclusion for simply sharing their passion online, the role of an independent archivist becomes a vital line of defence.

$NDC$ exists to ensure that history cannot be hidden behind closed gates, taken down on request or erased by institutional bureaucracy. Through our independent Grassroots Heritage & Documentation portal, we ensure the records, the imagery and the triumphs of our sport remain permanently public, completely uncensored and entirely free from corporate gatekeeping.

Community Voice: Have Your Say

The history of our sport belongs to the generations who built it, not the institutions that lease the dirt.

What are your thoughts on historic venues enforcing social media blackouts on grassroots clubs?