Claremont Speedway was big, colourful and above all else loud. It created a unique atmosphere dazzling huge crowds every Friday night during Perth summers for decades on end before its closure in 2000.
While Claremont catered for two, three and four wheel categories. it was during the 1960s and 1970s that Speedway bikes (or ‘Solos') were in a golden era.
Locals stars Chum Taylor, the O’Leary brothers and Mick McKeon et al battled on the world’s biggest bike speedway track against each other along with the greats of the sport like Ove Fundin, Nigel Boocock and the greatest of them all Ivan Maugher.
There were also the classic test matches between Australia and Great Britain that made cricket's ashes look like a literal walk in the park.
Dennis Gedling will be looking at this period of time when Claremont was ‘the grand old lady’ revered around the world and will look in to why this was such a special time in Perth’s sporting history that needs to be remembered.
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