Speedway: the best kept secret in motorsport.

A nice action shot from MDR Photography QLD

Apart from a few meets in the top-end during winter, speedway is a dry sport, a summer thing. Every Saturday night in practically every small town throughout the country some form of speedway is happening. I know several years ago I heard that speedway was the most attended spectator sport in the country. Perhaps they forgot the footy in that but it may well have the biggest motorsport patronage.
If we think bitumen racing has a heap of classes then speedway literally has dozens. Some classes only run at their one little home town track. So tonight I thought I would spread the love to include a class of cars we haven't touched before. In fact I have never seen these cars race in the flesh. It's the AMCA Nationals.

I have looked everywhere but have been unable to find what the AMCA acronym actually stands for but I should think there is an Australian in there somewhere. Nationals, I figure is because they run these things Australia wide.
So about the cars. They may look similar to the Concept Modified's they run on the east coast of America but I think looks can be deceiving. Ripped from their website..

All chassis feature a HQ-WB Holden front clip and drivers have the choice of running either a Holden V8 253ci engine, which produces around 340 horsepower, or a Chevrolet V8 350ci crate engine, which produces around 350 horsepower. Drivers also have the option of running a standard Commodore BorgWarner differential or quick-change differential.

Not exactly a huge grunter or an all-tube chassis like the American beasts but this doesn't mean they can't put on a good show.

Tonight the AMCA Nationals ran at the big half miler at Moama on the Vic/NSW boarder, no doubt to a packed house as this was the AMCA Nationals Victorian Title event.

Two groups of ten cars rolled out for hotlaps, not the massive turnout the sprintcars enjoy but certainly enough to provide good racing and that's what the fans pay to see. Tim Reidy won heat one with Queensland driver Matt Hardy taking heat two. Russ Hardy, also from Queensland won the third. And just to be different Jason Robinson out of South Australia took heat four. Much passing and much mishaps followed in the fourth heat with another SA driver Kelsey Allen making it through. There was more carnage in the final heat where the win went to Darren McCarthy in the V24.
Twenty two cars lined up for the big one, the thirty lap Victorian title. mmm? twenty two cars, did we loose two in hotlaps? Tassie driver Daniel Brooks shot out of the blocks from his outside row two start to take the lead on the first lap but it was short lived as pole man Tim Reidy stole the lead back on lap six to show the way home and take the chequered on lap 30 along with the Victorian title for the AMCA Nationals for 2018/19.

If you're totally bored with F1 and the Supercars that have finally both finished their marathon seasons then have a look at dirt track speedway. No matter what division you get to see or what track you go to, dirt is dirt and racing is racing, Fun, exciting and great entertainment for the friendly price of admission. Support speedway.