General News
2 December, 2020
Speedway officials await first meeting
SIMPSON Speedway officials are hopeful crowd restrictions ease this month as they prepare to host the club’s first meeting of the 2020/21 racing season.
SIMPSON Speedway officials are hopeful crowd restrictions ease this month as they prepare to host the club’s first meeting of the 2020/21 racing season.
President Tim Rankin said the club was currently allowed to have crowds of 500 for the first meeting which is set for Sunday, December 27.
However, he said officials are hopeful the crowd limits will be eased closer to starting as the club readies itself for a bumper night of racing.
“At this stage we’re opening with SRA Sprintcars, Formula 500 seniors, Formula 500 juniors and we’ll have an invitational wingless class so it’ll be 20 of the best coming,” Rankin said.
“We’re looking forward to kicking off our season and getting back to racing because there’s been all the unknown of not getting going.
“We’re hoping restrictions by then will allow us to have up to 1000 and we hope to have some good name sprintcar drivers coming.
“All-in-all we should have a good night’s racing hopefully.”
Rankin said the club had finalised its schedule of race dates but was still waiting to determine what class of racing will be staged at each meeting.
Currently the club plans to stage its regular fixture, including its marquee events such as the Victorian Formula 500 Title, 360 All Star Sprintcar Challenge, Victorian Wingless Sprint Title and Victoria 360 Sprintcar Title.
Rankin said while the club was hoping for a normal season, crowds will play a major role as bigger crowd limits will assist the club with the allocation of prize money.
If the club is allowed to have more spectators through the gate, the president believes the events at Simpson will become more attractive to drivers.
“We’re going to go to what crowd capacity we can have and what sort of meeting we put on will be determined by what we can do because there is still a bit of the unknown,” Rankin said.
The club got its first look at racing action last weekend, with more than 60 cars on course for a practice day.
“It was really well attended and it was a bit overwhelming actually because from Wednesday when entries closed we had pretty close to 78 cars (coming),” Rankin said.
“Due to the weather we dropped a few, they were some that weren’t really ready but we ended up around the 60 mark whichwas good.
“A lot of kids got to have a go which was good and it was really good to get going again and get familiar faces back aroundthe club.
“It was a really good for the club.”
To view the full schedule, visit Simpson Speedway’s Facebook page.