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ETA STOCKCAR RACEWAY (1978/79 season)
Was just one of the titles Waikaraka Park has been promoted under over the many years it has provided race fans with the thrill of Saturday night speedway. We often comment on the good old days but how good was it really? . Certainly it was good enough to get and keep me hooked on the sport . Remember this was before the days of Modifieds and Streetstocks . Saloons wre saloons and Stockcars were Stockcars , none of the modern day Supers and Ltds or Stds and Agraders . The program pictured here from memory cost $1.50 or $2.00 and was a mere 15 pages . Gate entry I think was approx $6.00 and entitled you to the excitement of 12 races with this particular night being finished off with a Demolition Derby paying $900 for the last car moving. Today we tend to feel cheated if we don't see 20 plus races for our money . It would be interesting to know how many old road cars have met their end at Waikaraka over the years in derbies |
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The printed program provided one page of current
news and comment amongst the advertising and drivers listings . there was
also just one non-colour picture of a saloon in pit bend .
Click on the text images to the left to read full size then use the Back Button to return here . |
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There were thirty stockcars listed and they
were split into two groups for the first round with the first five home
qualifying for the invition later in the night .
Non qualifyiers ran in a consolation event . Naturally not all cars listed actually raced on the night . The Stockcar feature paid $50 to win Look at the list of engines , not too many Dodges or Crestas still out there doing it today and most of today's young fans probably don't know what a Supersnipe was . God I feel old . Most of the names have gone now too . In fact I think I'm correct in saying the last one in the list to race recently was 26 Kevin Jamieson who ran a few meetings of the 2000 season as 13a . 10a Frank Irvine is the immediate past president of the ASSCC and Gary Harris is well known as a race car constructor . By contrast the year 2000 saw stockcar numbers listed up around the 90 mark and par for the course not all turned up to race on any given night . Some things never change. |
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17 Saloons listed as compared to the Supersaloon
and Ltd Saloon combo of 58 cars that graced Waikaraka's printed program
last season .
Saloons were lucky in 1978 in that they got to run 5 races over the night . Saloon feature paid $60 to win Food for thought though in the fact that the saloons of today are far more powerful and running on much larger tyres . Is it any wonder that the dirt track turns slick and one laned . |
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Top dogs of '78
It's amazing how long some of the stockcar drivers stayed at the front of the pack . Kevin Free the most outstanding in my mind as the greatest ambassador the sport has ever had and still fielding innovative cars to this day . Graham Mitchell was still running strong in Std Stocks until the season before last and may not be finished yet . And how about the Production (saloons) Cars . Did you need reminding that Jim Richards is really ours ? , same for Steve Millan . Both drivers that went overseas and proved themselves world class . And why don't we see the Yanks here anymore? |
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Which ever way you look at it we get better value for our dollar today than we ever did in 1978 . The $6 at the gate in 1978 is probably worth four times that and instead of 12 races we nearly always better 20 races per night . Instead of 47 cars divided over two classes we now have the potential to see 180 cars spread over 6 classes . It's only when I look back at old programs and videos that I am reminded that if speedway had stayed stagnant with regards classes and performance then todays speedway would not exist . Have no fear the good old days were pretty good alright and left some long lasting memories but that was then and this is now . We don't drive Series E Morrie Eights anymore Thank the innovators and money spenders that have moved speedway with the times and don't let the sport fall behind . |
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