It has been 60 years since Tracey’s Speedway Maribyrnong closed and to mark the occasion a reunion is being held at the original site.
Organiser and old club member Malcolm Berg said the event will be a family fun day filled with all the old show stopping cars and hot rods, bringing back a taste of the good old days.
The reunion will celebrate Fred Tracey and the solo speedway rider’s legacy within the industry.
It is said Tracey helped breathe new life into Australian Speedway by making safer and more popular cars.
“It opened in 1946 and closed in 1964 following complaints to council about the noise and dust coming from the speedway,” Mr Berg said
“He would always raise money for the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal.”
To commemorate this tradition, gold coins will be collected on the day of the reunion to donate to the Royal Children’s Hospital.
“It was something different and new at the time, it was a place to go on Saturday night,” Mr Berg continued.
“More than 7000 people would come to a quarter mile track and people would bring their cars, hot rods, midgets and more.”
Mr Berg said every year since the closure, Tracey’s Speedway has been remembered with a fundraising reunion.
“We’ve had a reunion every year besides last year because we thought the 60th would be more appropriate,” he said.
“Every year we hold one and it is very popular, so this year we have involved Maribyrnong council.”
The event will be held on Sunday, April 14, at Maribyrnong Reserve on Raleigh Road.
