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The iconic quarter-mile flat track has hosted speedway annually for the best part of a century but has faced the prospect of being closed for more than a decade.
In June, a tender was opened by Auckland Council’s economic development agency Tātaki Auckland Unlimited (formerly ATEED) including a registration of interest for the sole agency of performing arts, commercial sports, entertainment services, land and buildings and structures and thoroughfares. That tender closed in July.
The tender asked for “Expressions of interest from organisations and potential capital partners, outlining their ideas for how Western Springs Stadium could best contribute to meeting Auckland’s sports, entertainment and festival needs into the future.”
Western Springs is a multi-use facility with concerts and football codes among the primary users alongside speedway racing. The speedway season is limited from November to March and the 2024/25 calendar includes 10 events, pending approval. As it stands, the contract for speedway racing to continue at Western Springs expires at the end of 2025.
Multiple pitches have been made for Western Springs to be redeveloped, with the latest venture to turn the venue into the home of the newest A Leagues club Auckland FC.
The likelihood of Auckland FC being able to redevelop Western Springs has very little in the way of financial obstacles with club founder Bill Foley reportedly worth $2.1 billion. The move would have to be ratified by the Auckland Council.
Western Springs Speedway has come close to closing on multiple occasions and even announced it would move its racing to a new facility at Colin Dale Park near Auckland Airport more than five years ago. However, that ultimately never eventuated.
On Thursday, the Auckland Council will meet at Auckland Town Hall. Among the items to be discussed is the “transfer of budget to enable consolidation of speedway at Waikaraka Park.”
Thursday’s meeting will see Auckland Council consider whether to transfer $11 million of long-term capital funding to the local board “to implement part of the Waikaraka Park Masterplan, specifically the critical works required to enable the development of facilities and amenity for the consolidation of speedway.”
It could be the final nail in the coffin for Western Springs Speedway with the incumbent promoter stating they would not seek a lease extension if the funding is approved.
If the funding is approved, speedway racing at Western Springs will cease and be moved to Waikaraka Park in time for the 2025/26 season.
A letter of support from the Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board addressed to Tātaki Auckland Unlimited dated August 15 supports making Waikaraka Park the “premier venue for motorsports in Auckland” to stabilise the future of the Auckland Stock Car and Saloon Club (ASSCC).
As the name suggests, the ASSCC is responsible for stock car and saloon racing. Waikaraka Park has been home to tin-top racing in Auckland while Western Springs has been the home of open-wheel racing.
Although the letter does not explicitly mention open-wheel racing or Western Springs Speedway, it does mention “consolidating speedway activities in Auckland”.
Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell both had big flips at Western Springs Speedway in Auckland, New Zealand. pic.twitter.com/5pjOBiQpub
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) December 28, 2019
The Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board calls for Tātaki Auckland Unlimited Limited to assist in funding “critical works” required at Waikaraka Park under the reserve management plan and master plan.
Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board said necessary work to the facility would need to be completed in time for the 2025/26 speedway season.
In 2023, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited conducted its own Auckland Speedway Location Analysis that identified 13 options. Those options were narrowed down to eight realistic opportunities.
Option 4A was ultimately seen as being the best option, which aims to consolidate speedway racing onto two existing sites.
Option 4A would “move Western Springs operations and consolidate onto Waikaraka Park” and invest in upgrading facilities at Waikaraka Park. Rosebank Speedway would be maintained with minor improvements.
The cost of Option 4A is estimated at $36.76 million, with almost all funding going into Waikaraka Park. The circuit would be upgraded with capacity at 5787 spectators (3769 seated, 1724 terraced, 294 corporate).
“The logic of consolidating at Waikaraka Park leveraging existing tenure, favourable planning rules, and existing facilities (albeit basic) makes Option 4A the preferred option for the existing Western Springs and Waikaraka Park classes,” read the “preferred way forward” findings.
“Consolidation on a phased basis, aligned with obtaining support for associated funding is required to achieve this objective.
“Both Option 4A and 4B are supported by the key speedway stakeholders, on the understanding that an agreed funding strategy is required to meet all of the desired objectives and the Whau local board providing a decision on Rosebank Road.
“Stage 1 of Option 4A, to enable the key basic infrastructure to be developed (pit space, racetrack and stage 1 spectator facilities – indicatively $18.3M), will need to be phased based on securing funding from a range of sources once in place.
“Once key basic infrastructure is in place ASSCC and Western Springs classes would then be able to consolidate. Speedway stakeholders would subsequently need to source further funding to develop the remaining spectator, corporate and drivers club facilities ($16.99M) to be able to increase patronage and attract commercial partners to improve the developments economic sustainability.”
Letters of support to move racing activities from Western Springs to Waikaraka Park came from Speedway New Zealand general manager Aaron Kirby, Auckland TQ Midget Association president Michale Brough, New Zealand speedway commentator Graham Standring.
Custodians of Waikaraka Park, the Auckland Stock Car and Saloon Car Club also endorsed the arrival of open-wheel racing to the venue.
Perhaps the most important vote for the change came from Bruce Robertson, promoters of racing at Western Springs Speedway.
The letter read in part “Palmerston North Speedway Ltd., as speedway promoter at Western Springs, will support the consolidation of four wheeled speedway classes at Waikaraka Speedway from October 2025 as long as the agreed critical upgrades are undertaken ahead of the consolidation with further upgrades undertaken in the following off-season.
“Palmerston North Speedway Ltd. will promote open wheeled speedway racing at an upgraded Waikaraka Park Speedway. Once the above works are undertaken and completed on the above basis Palmerston North Speedway Limited will not seek any further renewal of its existing Venue Hire Agreement at Western Springs.”
Although several high-profile speedway personalities have supported the move to Waikaraka Park, there has been some consternation in the New Zealand speedway community given Western Springs Speedway’s historical significance.
