Premier Speedway could lose traditional date for Classic event

With accommodation already booked in Warrnambool for the 2025 event, a forced change of date could throw a spanner in the works for the city's summer economy which relies on the $7 million the Classic injects into the region.

Allansford's Premier Speedway will host the Australian Sprintcar Championship in 2024 along with the Classic on back-to-back weekends in January but the title in 2025 moves to Sydney as part of its annual rotation between states.

The date recently announced for Sydney's Eastern Creek Speedway to host the championships falls on the long weekend in January - the same date Premier Speedway had banked on running the Classic like it has always done.

Premier Speedway president Richard Parkinson said the club was in communication with the two governing bodies - Speedway Australia and Sprintcar Control Council of Australia - about resolving the issue.

Mr Parkinson said it was unclear if they were able to get the date changed back to their traditional Australia Day long weekend, or if it would be forced to run the Classic a week earlier than normal.

"We're going to be working very hard to make sure we retain that date," Mr Parkinson said.

"We've got to have some more dialogue with them yet before this is all said and done. It is a date we want to work on for sure."

Premier Speedway has already set its dates right through until 2030 so it can forward plan.

Mr Parkinson said the club hoped to soon meet with the governing bodies about the 2025 long weekend.

"We've been running that weekend for many, many years - 50 years basically," Mr Parkinson said.

This year, the club celebrated the staging of the 50^th Classic. "It's always been in and around that weekend," Mr Parkinson said.

"We have moved it forward a couple of times in the past to work in with running the Australian Sprintcar Championship ourselves to make it a big long week like we are actually doing next year."

Because Australia Day falls mid-week in 2024, Premier Speedway decided to host the championship on the actual long weekend and shift the Classic to the preceding weekend as a once-off.

"Traditionally there used to be a long weekend but it's not a long weekend anymore unless it falls on the weekend," Mr Parkinson said.

It is the first time the club had been faced with being forced to shift the weekend of the Classic so another venue could run an event.

"It's always been that Classic week when Avalon run on the Wednesday night, Mount Gambier run on the Thursday night then we run Friday, Saturday, Sunday, that's how it's always been," he said.

The Standard has contacted Speedway Australia, Sprintcar Control Council of Australia and Sydney speedway for comment.

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