Participants in a special online forum meeting last night came away from the event with a collective belief that there were plenty of positives to take and alternately still plenty of work to do as potential contracted teams and promoters of the 2024/2025 Sprintcar Speedweek Series met on Zoom.

Over twenty people representing team ownership, drivers and promoters met for over an hour and a half to discuss a wide range of topics designed to streamline the Speedweek Series and make it more appealing to fans, teams and venues collectively.

“I think it was something that was long overdue,” said Mount Gambier’s Glen Sutherland (a man racing in the sport and Speedweek/WSS for around two decades), “the idea of getting a few teams to sit down with the venue promoters and managers and thrash out the pros and cons ahead of the series is the best thing that’s happened in a while I think. I don’t think anyone thought we’d come away from it with everything or anything set in concrete but it was good to share points of view and realise that most of us want the same thing. Now we just need to work on making some of these things a reality.”

The focus was on many items throughout the ninety-minute session but the immediate takeaways were that teams and promoters alike believe that increasing fan appeal for the race night experience, condensing the entertainment window (to bring the sport more into line with mainstream sporting and entertainment options) and attempting to keep racing costs stabilised for teams are three specific pressing items.

“It was an eye opener for us to be part of this,” says Tolmer Speedway representative Andrew Rowett, “we could see that whilst there are many different opinions there’s a common point of view that we all want what’s best for the sport. There are some middle grounds to be reached yet but I think in time these things are achievable. It was time well spent last night in my opinion.”

Discussion centred around but were not limited to the racing format, start times, conclusion times, fan zones and pit parties, live streaming, prizemoney, series incentives and much more.

Parties who attended last night’s Zoom all agreed that a follow up meeting again soon to discuss findings is the next best step.

“I think everyone’s come away from last night with plenty to consider,” says Sutherland “there’s a lot to work through but just the fact that we’re talking has to be a major positive in itself. I’m excited to be honest.”

Ends release…

Photo courtesy The Art of Speedway