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Lakeside Park owner John Tetley has called for the value racing circuits bring to the community to be recognised, following the closure of Wakefield Park Raceway.
Tetley’s call for support comes follows confirmation from the Benalla Auto Club (BAC) that Wakefield Park Raceway is closed until further notice.
It also follows the formation of a new group to drive greater support for motorsport in parliament.
Tetley told Speedcafe.com that the closure of Wakefield Park is a tragedy for the industry.
“It’s unfortunate, I sympathise for the industry as a whole,” he said.
“There’s a lot of very selfish people in this world and people who don’t like to see other people having fun.
“The trouble is the people who support you can’t speak up, only the people who are against you.”
The circuit operator said motorsport has made an immeasurable contribution to society.
“No other sport contributes as much to the community as motorsport,” he claimed.
“The number of lives it has saved by giving brakes that work, engines that keep running, as well as secondary safety features such as the halo, those things have never been contributed to by other sports.
“The development of suits that can withstand flames that get used in industry, those sorts of contributions never get counted.
“There needs to be some recognition about just what a great job we do in supporting the economy and skill levels of our workforce.”
Motorsport makes a significant economic contribution, with a study released last year putting the estimated total gross annual output of Australian motorsport at $8.6 billion.
Tetley believes governments could be doing more to support permanent circuits around the country.
“The greater sin in motorsport in my opinion is that the combined governments of Australia have spent about $2.5 billion on street circuits,” he continued.
“For that amount of money, every capital city in Australia could have a world-class venue and just about every major regional centre would have a circuit that is more than capable of supporting club motorsport.
“If they did that, just think how many mechanics and engineers would have jobs.
“You put up the street circuit and it’s gone three weeks later.
“There’s no enduring commitment to it.”
Tetley has had his fair share of struggles since re-opening Lakeside in 2008 for track days and smaller-scale motor racing events.
In 2019, racing was temporarily suspended at the circuit due to reported noise breaches.
The circuit has also been inundated by floodwaters on several occasions, most recently during the South East Queensland Flood earlier this year.
Despite the struggles, Tetley is committed to the future of Lakeside.
“There have been a lot of times where it would have been so easy to give up, but I’m a very persistent little s**t,” he declared.
“It’s a community asset, it has to continue to be a community asset, but it can’t send me broke in the process.”
Since becoming a mono-track owner, Tetley has focused his efforts on restoring Lakeside, undertaking projects such as re-surfacing the driver training centre and rejuvenating the track surface.
He continues to work on securing added protection for Lakeside from noise complaints via a Ministerial Infrastructure Designation, while he also has ambitions to build a motorsport museum and restaurant.
Focused on retaining Lakeside’s reputation as a grassroots venue, Tetley is focused on hosting a balance of recreational activities, as well as racing events.
“Our calendar is starting to take shape for next year,” he stated.
“We are looking at least 20 motorcycle days, 10 themed days, as well as six meetings as part of our Grass Roots Racing Series.
“It’ll be a place where families come to have fun and to enjoy themselves.”
