The track is often referred to as "The Home of Champions'.
History
The Speedway at its current location at Lismore Showground was founded on 22 November 1969 by Dutton Stibbard and Neil Mansell.[5] The Showground is used for non-racing events such as markets and the regional show. It hosted a baseball game in 1972 and a cricket match in 1994. It was severely impacted by Cyclone Debbie which caused extensive flooding across the region, including flooding the Speedway track and buildings.[6] The facility celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2018.[5]
The track has previously run both motorcycles and sidecars.[7]
The track suffered from major flooding during the 2022 Lismore floods resulting in the remainder of the 2021/2022 season being cancelled.[11] New promoters, Mick and Kim Sauer, who took over the track from David Lander one week prior to the 2022 Lismore floods, set about restoring and revamping the Speedway with it reopening for the 2022/2023 season on November 5 2022.[12]
In a first for the region, Lismore Speedway ended the 2022/2023 season with a concert by Country Music Star Adam Brand on Sunday June 11 2023.[13] The meeting, held over the 2023 June Long weekend, saw the running of the NSW SSA Junior title on Saturday June 10 and four 50 lap feature races on Sunday June 11 for Production Sedans, Wingless Sprints, AMCA Nationals and RSA Street Stockers in what was possibly a first in Australia.
Lismore Speedway won the Speedway Australia Award for the Most Improved Speedway in Australia for the 2022/2023 season.[14]
Lismore Speedway regularly hosts the prestigious East Coast Grand National (ECGN) sedan race.
The East Coast Grand National is a sedan event steeped in wonderful history at the Lismore Speedway. The heritage of the race traces back to the mid-seventies.[15] In 2010, Tania Smith took honours in a race that season which honoured the late, great Lismore national titleholder and former ECGN winner, Grenville Anderson.[16] Darren Kane won the 2011 East Coast Grand National from start to finish in a race that went without interruption.[17] Production Sedans contested the 2021 ECGN in 2021.[18] In 2023, Australian Super Sedan Champion Matt Pascoe was crowned the East Coast Grand National Champion at Lismore Speedway.[19]
The AGP is an annual dirt track racing meeting for Speedcars, also known as Midgets. The AGP has a rich history dating back to 1938, when it was first held at the Sydney Sports Ground. The AGP is one of the most prestigious and coveted titles in Australian speedway racing, attracting some of the best drivers from Australia and overseas. Past winners include legends such as Ray Revell, Bob Tattersall, Andy McGavin, Johnny Stewart, A.J. Foyt, Steve Kinser, Lealand McSpadden, Garry Rush and Max Dumesny.
The winner of the 2023 AGP held at Castrol Edge Lismore Speedway was Rusty Whittaker.[20]
Title Events
The track regularly hosts State and National titles including:
The 2004/2005 NSW V8 Dirt Modified Title won by Stuart Herne.[21]
The 2005/2006 Australian V8 Dirt Modified title won by Tim Morse (Vic).[22][23]
The 2007/2008 Australian Formula 500 Championship won by Michael Pronger (QLD).[24]
The 2022/2023 NSW Late Model Title won by Lachlan Onley.[29]
The 2022/2023 Australian V8 Dirt Modified Title won by Mitch Randall.[30]
The 2022/2023 NSW Super Sedan Title won by Matt Pascoe.[31]
The 2022/2023 NSW Modified Sedan Title won by Nathan Macdonald.[32]
The 2022/2023 NSW Junior Sedan Title won by Jaiden Santin.[33]
Track
The track is 400 metres long on the pole.[1] It is predominantly circular and constructed with a clay and sand mix.[1] The track is 15 metres wide which is designed to provide room for side-by-side racing.
The track boasts two major covered grandstands, a number of uncovered grandstands and catering facilities.
