Sport
Excitement revs up at Etihad Stadium for Speedway
People attending the Australian FIM Speedway Grand Prix will have the privilege of seeing Etihad Stadium like it has never been seen before!
The arena at Etihad Stadium is normally reserved for football stars, but this weekend the venue will be overhauled to get ready for athletes of a very different kind: Speedway motorcycle riders. Much of the pristine green turf remains, but there is a huge dirt track around the perimeter of the Etihad Stadium playing arena that will be used for the high-octane, thrilling sport of Speedway.
If you are not familiar with Speedway you soon will be. The sport sees four riders continually turn left around an oval track on 500cc motorbikes. Each race is over in less than a minute, which sounds simple enough. But there is a catch; the single-gear machines have no brakes.
Speedway is a truly international sport with competitors from around the world and Grand Prix events throughout Europe and the United Kingdom. Melbourne is a long way from the usual Speedway host cities, but Etihad Stadium is a perfect fit for the event. It has been 13 years since Speedway hosted a Grand Prix in Australia and this is the first time it has been hosted in Melbourne and at Etihad Stadium.
The stadium has the added benefit of the iconic retractable roof. The Speedway riders and fans can be assured that the event will take place in perfect, dry conditions regardless of the weather Melbourne throws its way on Saturday.
While Speedway features riders from all over the world, there’s three Australian riders who are well known on the big stage; Jason Doyle, Troy Batchelor and Chris Holder. The trio are big players on the international Speedway stage and each of them will be hoping to make a big statement on their home track.
But they face big competition from international Speedway stars such as Britain’s Tai Woffinden, the USA’s Greg Hancock and Krzysztof Kasprzak of Poland.
In addition to the amazing action on track, Speedway offers fans and ticket holders an awesome array of off-track entertainment as well. Starting from 12pm on Saturday October 24, the Fan Zone will open to allow people to start soaking up the energy and excitement of the event. The Fan Zone features live music, demonstrations, face painting, food and drinks and merchandise.
You can also take the opportunity to get a picture with the World Cup trophy! At 3pm there will be a live interview with Jason Crump on the main stage and autograph hunters will have access to riders between 5.10pm-5.30pm. As you can see, there is heaps of action to keep you entertained before a single engine is started!
But once inside, the action will really heat up. At 7pm there is a rider parade and the official Speedway action begins at 7.15pm.
If the atmosphere of Speedway sounds like your sort of thing, get in quick to get tickets. Click here to purchase tickets for Speedway on Saturday October 24.
