This year will mark its seventy-second running . . . the AGP stands proudly alongside the Australian Speedcar Championship, Victorian Speedcar Championship, NSW Speedcar Championship, America’s Turkey Night GP and the “Nite Before the 500” race held in Indianapolis as one of the most famous – and longest running – Speedcar races in the world.
In more recent years the Australian Speedcar Grand Prix has found its home at Castrol Lismore Speedway. Current day Lismore promoters Mick and Kim Sauer are delighted to again this year host such a famous event.
“The Australian Speedcar Grand Prix means so much in the history of Australian Speedway,” co-promoter Kim Sauer said.
“Its history traces way back to almost the recognised beginning of the sport in Australia, and that really means something for what this race stands for and it also means so much for us to once again host the event.”
The AGP was first held in 1938.
Ten times Australian Sprintcar Champion Garry Rush is a two time AGP Champion – at Liverpool Speedway (1977) on the pavement and on April 20, 1996 in the closing era two week “Final Salute” to the 70 year Sydney Showground Speedway history.
Triple Australian Sprintcar Champion and seven times World Series Sprintcar titleholder Max Dumesny took out the 1992 Australian Speedcar Grand Prix at the Sydney Showground.
The American winning influence commenced in 1948 – with only its third running when Cal Niday won. A driver from Streator, Illinois, the late Bob Tattersall, gained legendary status with his four wins, while arguably the greatest American open wheel racer of all time, four times Indianapolis 500 winner AJ Foyt, won in consecutive years (1975 and 1976) at Sydney’s Liverpool Speedway. Tough talking Texan Foyt made only two AGP appearances and came away unbeaten!
Then there’s a Bloomington, Indiana resident known as the “King” – 20 times World of Outlaws National Sprintcar Champion Steve Kinser – who commands a similar strike rate of success after he won at Liverpool in 1986, standing proud amongst a number of Americans who commanded AGP honours.
New Zealand has two very distinguished winners **Frank Brewer (1949) and Michael Pickens (2005).
A popular driver representing England, Bill Reynolds, is a 1956 AGP winner.
Last year at Lismore Sydney’s Kaidon Brown joined his father, Mark, as a winner of the Australian Speedcar Grand Prix and became part of a unique honour the family enjoys with this race.
Kaidon’s dad Mark in 2015, with his sixth career victory, broke the long standing AGP winning record of five wins established in 1953 by the late, great Ray Revell. Along the way, Mark also equalled Revell’s four consecutive AGP victories (1950, 1951, 1952, 1953). Kaidon also joined an exclusive club as a winner of the Australian Speedcar Grand Prix and the National Speedcar Championship.
Another father and son, Barry and Steve Graham, are AGP winners, brothers Troy and Darren Jenkins, a brother-in-law combination (Ray Revell and Andy McGavin), a grand father and grandson (Ron Mackay and Reid Mackay) also have their names etched in AGP history adding to the mystique and AGP character – with such a heavy emphasis on high profile racing families who are included on the Roll of Honour.
With this strong family participation, it’s just one of so many reasons why the AGP carries such prestige and means so much to so many over a multitude of decades.
Time gives us tradition . . . time has given us the AGP heritage with its own accolade, acclaim and adulation.
BY DENNIS NEWLYN