South Australian Speedcar Championship

The South Australian Speedcar Championship is a Speedcar championship held in the state of South Australia on an annual basis during the Australian speedway season.

South Australia was the third Australian state behind Victoria and New South Wales to race speedcars when races began at the Camden Motordrome on 28 December 1935. Two years later saw the formation of the states first governing body, South Australian Speedways Limited.[1]

The first State Championship was run at the Kilburn Speedway in Adelaide in 1946/47 and was won by Victorian driver Jack O'Dea.[2]

Adelaide based drivers Murray Hoffman, and former Speedcar and Sprintcar national champion Phil March jointly hold the record with four wins each. The now defunct Rowley Park Speedway in Adelaide hosted the championship on 29 occasions between 1959/50 and 1978/79. Speedway Park/City is next hosting on 20 occasions between 1979/80 and 1999/2000.

Of the state titles held since 1946/47, there have been 6 won by overseas visitors. They have been Bob Tattersall (1958/59, 1967/68), Jimmy Davies (1962/63, 1963/64) and Mark Passerrelli (1987/88) from the United States, and New Zealand speedway star Barry Butterworth (1964/65).

One family has made the SA Title record books in recent times with four members of the same family winning the event. Garry Dillon took the win in 1993/94; his son Luke Dillon driving for his Uncle Stephen Dillon won in 2006/07; son Lee Dillon won in 2008/09 driving for fellow SA Speedcar racer Mark Harrington; and cousin Ben Dillon who won the event in 2010/11 driving for his father Stephen.

The reigning SA Champion is WA's Tom Payet, until a new winner is crowned at Murray Bridge Speedway (Riverview Speedway), Murray Bridge in March 2024.

REF: www.SAspeedcars.com

## Winners since 1946/47

[edit]

All drivers are from South Australia (SA) unless otherwise stated.

Year  | Venue  | City  | Winner

|
|
|

1946/47  | Kilburn Speedway | Adelaide | Jack O'Dea (Vic)
1947/48  | Kilburn Speedway | Adelaide  | Harley Hammond
1948/49  | Kilburn Speedway | Adelaide  | Jack O'Dea (Vic)
1949/50  | Rowley Park Speedway | Adelaide  | Alf Beasley (Vic)
Year  | Venue  | City  | Winner
1950/51  | Rowley Park Speedway | Adelaide  | Harry Neale
1951/52  | Not Held
1952/53  | Rowley Park Speedway | Adelaide  | Rick Harvey
1953/54  | Rowley Park Speedway | Adelaide  | Dave Cooper
1954/55  | Rowley Park Speedway | Adelaide  | Len Golding
1955/56  | Rowley Park Speedway | Adelaide  | Arn Sunstrom
1956/57  | Rowley Park Speedway | Adelaide  | Harry Neale
1957/58  | Rowley Park Speedway | Adelaide  | Murray Hoffman
1958/59  | Rowley Park Speedway | Adelaide  | Bob Tattersall ()
1959/60  | Rowley Park Speedway | Adelaide  | Kym Bonython
Year  | Venue  | City  | Winner
1960/61  | Rowley Park Speedway | Adelaide  | Murray Hoffman
1961/62  | Rowley Park Speedway | Adelaide  | Ron Wood
1962/63  | Rowley Park Speedway | Adelaide  | Jimmy Davies ()
1963/64  | Rowley Park Speedway | Adelaide  | Jimmy Davies ()
1964/65  | Rowley Park Speedway | Adelaide  | Barry Butterworth ()
1965/66  | Rowley Park Speedway | Adelaide  | Murray Hoffman
1966/67  | Rowley Park Speedway | Adelaide  | Murray Hoffman
1967/68  | Rowley Park Speedway | Adelaide  | Bob Tattersall ()
1968/69  | Rowley Park Speedway | Adelaide  | Peter Maltby
1969/70  | Rowley Park Speedway | Adelaide  | Ray Oram (NSW)
Year  | Venue  | City  | Winner
1970/71  | Rowley Park Speedway | Adelaide  | Peter Maltby
1971/72  | Rowley Park Speedway | Adelaide  | Ronald Mackay (NSW)
1972/73  | Rowley Park Speedway | Adelaide  | Doug Sunstrom
1973/74  | Rowley Park Speedway | Adelaide  | Greg Anderson
1974/75  | Rowley Park Speedway | Adelaide  | Bob McMillan
1975/76  | Rowley Park Speedway | Adelaide  | Phil Herreen
1976/77  | Rowley Park Speedway | Adelaide  | Howard Marks (NT)
1977/78  | Rowley Park Speedway | Adelaide  | Rex Hodgson
1978/79  | Rowley Park Speedway | Adelaide  | Greg Anderson
1979/80  | Speedway Park | Virginia | Steve Stewart
Year  | Venue  | City  | Winner
1980/81  | Speedway Park | Virginia  | Bill Wigzell
1981/82  | Speedway Park | Virginia  | Phil March
1982/83  | Speedway Park | Virginia  | Peter Maltby
1983/84  | Speedway Park | Virginia  | Phil March
1984/85  | Speedway Park | Virginia  | Phil March
1985/86  | Speedway Park | Virginia  | Phil March
1986/87  | Speedway Park | Virginia  | Phil Herreen
1987/88  | Speedway Park | Virginia  | Mark Passerrelli ()
1988/89  | Speedway Park | Virginia  | Trevor Green*
1989/90  | Speedway Park | Virginia  | Trevor Green
Year  | Venue  | City  | Winner
1990/91  | Speedway Park | Virginia  | Jeff Blake (NT)
1991/92  | Speedway Park | Virginia  | Neville Lance (WA)
1992/93  | Speedway Park | Virginia  | Mark Reuter
1993/94  | Speedway Park | Virginia  | Gary Dillon
1994/95  | Speedway Park | Virginia  | Chas Calandro
1995/96  | Not Held
1996/97  | Speedway City | Virginia  | Warrenne Ekins (NT)
1997/98  | Speedway City | Virginia  | Wayne Cover (WA)
1998/99  | Not Held
1999/2000  | Speedway City | Virginia  | Mark Brown (NSW)
Year  | Venue  | City  | Winner
2000/01  | Not Held
2001/02  | Wayville Showground | Adelaide  | Warrenne Ekins (NT)
2002/03  | Riverview Speedway | Murray Bridge | Peter Ghent Jnr (VIC)
2003/04  | Riverview Speedway | Murray Bridge  | Peter Ghent Jnr (VIC)
2004/05  | Riverview Speedway | Murray Bridge  | Steven Graham (NSW)
2005/06  | Borderline Speedway | Mount Gambier | Troy Jordan (VIC)
2006/07  | Sunline Speedway | Waikerie | Luke Dillon
2007/08  | Riverview Speedway | Murray Bridge  | Mark Brown (NSW)
2008/09  | Riverview Speedway | Murray Bridge  | Lee Dillon
2009/10  | Tolmer Speedway | Bordertown | Brendan Palmer (QLD)
Year  | Venue  | City  | Winner
2010/11  | Riverview Speedway | Murray Bridge  | Ben Dillon
2011/12  | Riverview Speedway | Murray Bridge  | Travis Mills (VIC)
2012/13  | Riverview Speedway | Murray Bridge  | Adam Clarke (NSW)
2013/14  | Riverview Speedway | Murray Bridge  | Mark Brown (NSW)
2014/15  | Riverview Speedway | Murray Bridge  | Anthony Chaffey (QLD)
2015/16  | Westline Speedway | Whyalla  | Nick Rowe (WA)
2016/17  | Riverview Speedway | Murray Bridge  | Nathan Smee (NSW)
2017/18  | Riverview Speedway | Murray Bridge  | Dayne Kingshott (WA)
2018/19  | Borderline Speedway | Mount Gambier  | Matt Jackson (NSW)
2019/20  | Borderline Speedway | Mount Gambier  | Nathan Smee (NSW)
2020/21  | Not Held - COVID
2021/22  | Not Held - Washed out
2022/23  | Borderline Speedway | Mount Gambier  | Tom Payet (WA)
2023/24  | Riverview Speedway | Murray Bridge  | TBD - March 2024

* Trevor Green, the 1988/89 champion, became the first rookie to win the SA title. He backed it up with his second title in 1989/90.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ South Australian Speedcars - History
2. ^ SA Speedcar Championship honor roll