Speedway thrills at Etihad

Speedway thrills at Etihad

By Eva Garnes

After an intense set of rounds, the 2015 FIM Speedway World Champion was crowned in Docklands on October 24.

US rider and three-time world champion Greg Hancock won the Australian GP.

But it was UK rider Tai Woffinden, who was crowned world champion, beating the scores of the 15 other riders.

In motorcycle speedway racing, the riders compete against each other’s time on bikes with one gear and no brakes, racing around an oval track. It has been 13 years since Sydney hosted Australia’s last Speedway Grand Prix event, and the excitement within the walls of the Etihad Stadium was running high.

In the week leading up to October 24 event, Etihad Stadium had undergone a transformation like never before. The normal turf was covered with 5000 tonnes of dirt. The result was the biggest indoor track for the 2015 season.

The stadium’s chief executive officer Paul Sergeant was thrilled before the weekend, with the promise of over 25,000 visitors.

“Big events is in the DNA of Melbourne, and hopefully bringing this event back to Australia will benefit the grassroots speedway clubs across the country,” he told the press two days before the race.

Being the first time that Etihad Stadium has hosted a motorsport event, it was only right that retired Australian speedway racer, and three-time world champion, Jason Crump rode the first lap around the newly laid track in front of the press while a group of dedicated fans cheered him on.

Etihad Stadium has a futher four year deal with speedway, so we'll see the competition back at the stadium next year.

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