Location | 65 Wilkins Road, Gillman, South Australia 5013 |
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Coordinates | 34°50′13″S 138°32′14″E / 34.83694°S 138.53722°ECoordinates: 34°50′13″S 138°32′14″E / 34.83694°S 138.53722°E |
Capacity | 8,000 |
Operator | Speedway Riders' Association of South Australia Inc. |
Broke ground | 1997 |
Opened | 16 May 1998 |
Major events |
Australian Solo Championship Australian Speedway Sidecar Championship Australian Under-21 Championship South Australian Solo Championship South Australian Sidecar Championship Jack Young Solo Cup Harry Denton Memorial Shield Gillman Solo Championship |
Speedway | |
Surface | Dolomite, crushed granite and clay mix |
Length | 0.186 mi (0.300 km) |
Lap record | 0:54.13 (4 laps clutch start) (Justin Sedgmen, , 2016, Motorcycle speedway) |
Junior Speedway Track | |
Surface | Dolomite, crushed granite and clay mix |
Length | 0.068 mi (0.111 km) |
Lap record | 0:41.55 (4 laps clutch start) (Max Fricke, , 2011, 125cc Junior Solo) |
Gillman Speedway (sometimes called Gillman Speedway Stadium) is a purpose built, 300 metres (330 yards) long motorcycle speedway located in the Adelaide suburb of Gillman in South Australia. The track opened in 1998 and runs approximately 13 meetings per season from October to March/April.
Gillman Speedway is currently managed and promoted by former Rowley Park Speedway Sidecar racer David Parker.
The sudden and forced closure of the North Arm Speedway at the end of the 1996-97 season left Adelaide without a weekly operating venue for motorcycle speedway for the first time in almost 80 years. North Arm was located on land owned by the Government of South Australia and the land was reclaimed in mid-1997. David Parker, the President of the Speedway Riders' Association of South Australia and Motorcycling SA President Ivan Golding inspected many sites for a new speedway before settling on the Heini Becker Park Motorsport Complex at Gillman, adjacent to the Heini Becker track and only 2 km from where North Arm was located. The only equipment they had to start building the new venue was an old water truck, an old Gallion Grader and a Massey Ferguson tractor (which is still going, whereas the other machinery has since died and been replaced).
Gillman Speedway, located on what was the car park of the motocross track, held its first official practice on Sunday, 19 October 1997 on a small 213 metres (233 yards) track formed using Dolomite from the old North Arm track. The track ran north-south with the start line located approximately where turns 1 and 2 for solos now stand, and held regular monthly practice meetings while a larger 400 metres (440 yards) dirt track was constructed (running east-west). The original safety fence of the 213 metre track consisted of used car tyres (painted white) stacked three high. After monthly practice meetings were held on the larger track, the first meeting was held on 16 May 1998.
Meetings were held at the circuit for the next two years while continued improvements were carried out. Temporary lights were installed in November 1999, and on 7 January 2000 the first meeting under lights was held which was the South Australian Solo Championship, won by Adelaide rider Nigel Sadler.