What closed Tralee Speedway?

aceofspades said :

So strange to see how it looks in more recent times. So many memories…

http://fotenx.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Speedway/Fraser-Park-Speedway/15846252_x6Cgzk#!i=1188231842&k=Db4BLJM

Great pics. I hope someone has sent them to the Canberra Heritage Library.

So strange to see how it looks in more recent times. So many memories…

http://fotenx.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Speedway/Fraser-Park-Speedway/15846252_x6Cgzk#!i=1188231842&k=Db4BLJM

JC said :

My recolection is a tad different. If I recall the owner died, the owners wife wanted to invest money in upgrading the place but the kids who also had a say didn’t. End result was a drawn out legal battle during which time the place got even more ran down and eventually closed.

Sounds familiar. Did the children sell to VBC?

Meetings at Tralee became legendary for attracting wet weather. Many, many evenings were washed out.

As an aside, have heard that when the mounds around the track are dug up, there is a real possibility that a number of long ago stolen vehicles will turn up 🙂

My recolection is a tad different. If I recall the owner died, the owners wife wanted to invest money in upgrading the place but the kids who also had a say didn’t. End result was a drawn out legal battle during which time the place got even more ran down and eventually closed.

RadioVK has most of it summed up.

There was also a string of promotors at the end, and if I remember correctly, a wet season which washed out a number of meetings that was the final straw.

The facility needed a significant amount of work, and nobody could justify the investment with the ever growing Jerrabomberra development becoming visible from the grandstand.

The Speedway fraternity is trying to kick start itself with the National Capital Motorsports club and their unique uphill downhill track at Fairburn. After the repercussions of the meeting held there last weekend, they still have some work to do to go from a club event to a decent promotable show that will attract 1000 paying fans rather than just friends and family.

Excellent point, well made Solidarity. 😛

Maybe a few planes tried to land on the straight…

From what I undestand, there were a number of factors that led to the closure of Tralee Speedway, but the main factor was noise complaints received from the residents of Jerrabomberra.

Tralee Speedway had been in that location for more than 20 years when Jerrabomberra was built, and of course, as soon as residents started to move in, the complaints started.

Ultimately, the government imposed such tight regulations restricting not only noise levels, but the number and duration of events that were permitted on the site, that it was no longer commercially viable to continue to operate. Jerrabomberra residents association, and the property developers win, motor sport loses.

There’s a lesson in there somewhere for those following the Tralee development. Something about it not mattering who was there first, but who can whinge the loudest…

I’m only surmising that due to rising costs, lower gate takings and possibly some govt bureaucracy thrown in it was deemed to not viable anymore. Possibly Jerrabomberra residents upset by the noise (couldn’t hear the planes over the cars…).