Olympic Speedway / Sarawai Park           Return to NZ Speedways

 Bottom of Sarawia St in Parnell,    Auckland. (Note spelling of Sarawai in the street address)

Surface was sand and clay mixture saturated with used oil.

The first 1948-49 season they opened on October 22nd and ran just motor bikes.
The next season, 1949-50, the track was re-named Olympic Speedway and the Sarawai Park part was dropped. During this season they ran only midgets.    The following season of 1950-51, they ran about 4 meetings at the beginning of the season and then Jack (Cocky) Cormack, who built Olympic and was the promoter, took over the running of Western Springs and closed Olympic down.   
Now days the park where the speedway was is called Newmarket Park.

The first official midget race was won by Max Hughes in a car owned by Merv Hardy. Other drivers at the first meetings were Ken Rogerson (#50 in photo below), Beau Thornton, Keith Anderson and Colin McKay. The photo in the centre shows Max Hughes exiting the pits.

The other photo is a general view of the pits. Below on the solo bike is Henry Falls practicing at the track.