Sydney Speedway was the brainchild of former driver Sid Hopping and rose out of the ground to host its first practise session in January 1977.
Sid was no newcomer to the sport and rode sidecars to great success in the sixties before trading in his leathers for a 16 mm movie camera. He shot all the classics for television news and sports before taking up modified racing at which he truly excelled.
From the Marshall Sargent modified to his Jim Culbert CAE special, the dices between Garry Rush in the ex Johnny Anderson sprinter and Sid Hopping were just superb.
Sid and his partner Bert Wilder operated Parramatta City Raceway as a Friday night venue for a decade. The first event for modified sprintcars was won by Bob Blacklaw, but the writing was on the wall for sprinters – they were the emerging category!
Sid and Bert sold their interests to Bob Ruttley who made major improvements to the venue before selling out to Garry Rush who took on David Lander as a partner six months later.
Back in 1989 Lander took over as a sole trader.
The former modified driver sold out to International Speedway Pty Limited on 15 May 2001 and the Directors of the new company have invested over $2 million dollars in facility improvements over the past four years. That investment will continue in the coming years.
The 460 metre banked oval is known as Australia's top Speedway venue and is one of the fastest in Australia with West Australian Ryan Farrell setting a new outright record of 11. 615 seconds on the 9th of September, 2007.
Australian Tyre giant, Tyrepower signed a three year agreement in July 2005 for the naming rights of 'Tyrepower Parramatta City Raceway'.
Tyrepower Sydney Speedway has hosted the Australian championship and many Nationals since 1988, but the jewel in the crown was announced in 2003 when International Speedway announced it's intentions to bring the 'World of Outlaws', America's leading Sprintcar series to Australia.
The best in the world finally arrived at Australia's home of Sprintcar racing in the year 2004 when Sydney Speedway hosted the first ever 'Outlaws Downunder', the World famous World of Outlaws troupe including legends Steve Kinser and Sammy Swindell as well as thirteen other American superstars.
Parramatta Superstar Kerry Madsen took it up to the world's best when he won both preliminary nights before 'The King of the Outlaws' Steve Kinser, won the Inaugural Outlaws Downunder.
The second Outlaws Downunder event was held at Sydney Speedway on January the 13th, 14th and 15th 2005 in which a record 24 American and some 46 Australian Sprintcars were entered.
In 2008 the 5th version of the 'East Coast Pipeline Outlaws Downunder' was run with the final night being won by Sydney's own Robbie Farr.
A new partnership was then forged with Valvoline becoming the major naming sponsor of the venue. Along with a new name, Valvoline Raceway, came a host of significant new improvements, the likes of which the track had never seen before. A completely concreted and turfed pit area. Permanent kid's play area.
New adult refreshment area. And a giant interactive screen. The list goes on and on. All set to run rings around your average Saturday night!