Etihad Stadium roars up for Grand Prix speedway

Moving from one sporting code to another with a concert or two thrown in for good measure has provided challenges for managers at Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium, but the recent demand for the construction of a Grand Prix speedway track almost seemed an event too far.

While variety is the common denominator for the Docklands venue’s events calendar, sourcing and laying 5,500 tonnes of dirt had not previously been part of the daily routine for the Etihad Stadium’s crew.

However, with some international guidance, a series of trips to Europe and over a year’s planning, it took less than four days to prepare the venue for last Saturday’s Grand Prix speedway.

The parameters were tight – on Saturday 17th October, 40,000 A-League fans vacated the venue around 11pm giving the arena team just over four days before a track trial was scheduled to occur, early on Thursday afternoon.

This was achieved and Saturday’s 2015 DON Smallgoods Australian FIM Speedway Grand Prix proved to be a major success with more than 26,000 fans turning up for the action, giving the race and Etihad Stadium a big seal of approval.

It had some regulars asking whether there had ever been a night of greater thrills, spills and drama in the 15 year history of the venue.

US rider and three time world champion Greg Hancock eventually clinched the Australian GP after an action packed final while, as expected, UK rider Tai Woffinden was crowned world champion, due to a big points lead going into the Melbourne race.

The final needed to be re-run after leading Australian rider, Jason Doyle clipped the wheels of a rival, causing him to catapult across the track, leaving him temporarily unconscious, and out of the final.

Doyle was immediately taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital for treatment where he was diagnosed with chest and internal injuries- his condition was later described as stable and doctors say his prognosis is good.

16 riders compete in the Federation of International Motorsport (FIM) Grand Prix.

They race 500cc single-geared machines with no brakes. Even the experts concede it’s hectic, dangerous and exciting!

Of the 16 riders – 15 are regulars and a wild card nomination is accepted for each of the events.

The annual series traverses a number of European countries including Latvia, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Poland as well as Scandinavian countries and Wales.

While Australia has remained a powerful international global player, distance has been seen as the obstacle, leaving the nation off the international circuit for a number of years, a last event having been held in Sydney in 2002.

Now, largely due to Etihad Stadium Chief Executive Paul Sergeant, international speedway has been re-routed to Melbourne.

Sergeant oversaw the event when he managed Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium – and upon arrival in Melbourne in 2012, one of his first manoeuvres was to commence negotiations, in order to bring the event to Australia.

And the event will not just be a one-off – Sergeant’s speedway deal has at least another four years to run. 

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