PRATTEN PARK SPEEDWAY
Ashfield - NSW - Australia
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Pratten Park Speedway - also known as Ashfield Autodrome - in the Sydney suburb of Ashfield was created as a 1/4 mile motorcycle dirt track Speedway in 1930. Programme # 1 was dated Saturday October 18 1930. Solos and Sidecars ran at the venue. The cover shows Jack Patman on a Charlie Ogden bike. Jack was contracted to Ogden and test rode the track during construction for the promoters - Autodrome Super Speedway Ltd . Jack autographed the programme for me in 1995 when he was 91 years of age.
Team owner, guru motorcycle constructor and tuner Charlie Ogden with his two riders Bobby Blake ( real name Robert Coombes ) on the left and Jack Patman.
An aerial view of Pratten Park Ashfield in the '40s after the Speedway
had ceased operation due to noise & enviroment complaints.
(see bottom of page.)
Speedway only operated at Pratten Park for two seasons.
Crowd for 1st. meeting ( programme above ) was estimated at 6,000.
Three pioneer Speedway riders at a Re Union in 1998 - Jack Patman - Reg Challenger
Jim McCleod.- Reg rode at Penrith, Wentworth and the Royal - Jim a New Zealander rode at the Sydney Sports Ground, the Royal, Woolongong and rode for the American Putt Mossman in an American team in 1937.
'Whirlwind 'Webb was Bruce Webb and 'Cinderella' Moore, Jack Patman tells, used to have his crew come out and spray his face with cool water before a race. Les Roy was one of the Roy Bros who later ran a GMH Holden car dealership in the suburb of Croydon. Eddie Dark, a Sidecar rider in the day went on to be a very successful Speedcar owner in the 1940s - 50s & 60s.
The first 4 events at the new Speedway in 1930.
Prize money for 1st. place for the meeting was 25 pounds
( $50 in today's money). The average wage in 1930 was equiv. to $ 27 per week.
Characturetures of Bobby Blake and Eddie Dark and some facts on the track.
Council receives numerous complaints and petitions
from residents about noise, crowds and late finishing times.
Representations are also made to the Minister for
Local Government.
An application to Council by the Model Aeroplane
Association to fly model aeroplanes on Sunday
mornings is refused.
1931
Autodrome Super Speedways Ltd goes into liquidation.
Below from History of Pratten Park - link:
