THE Borderline Speedway is undergoing major changes leading up to the Australian Open Sprintcar Championships set down for January 25-27, 2018.
The works on site include a new injection of clay on the racing surface, reworked banks for the spectators and new corporate boxes around the perimeter, along with fencing and other sundries.
For club member Bill Barrows it has been a busy time, but something he said was necessary, especially for the track itself.
“We haven’t put any volume of clay in here for about 10 years,” he said.
“We have added little bits, but nothing like the quantity we have put in now.
“The old clay was getting very hard to work and manage, so hopefully it will be more manageable now when we get it mixed in.”
Around 2000 metres of clay has been added to the track, with the old base removed and used as filler on the banks around the circuit.
Barrows said he expected the clay to hold up better on race day, needing less water to maintain it across a meeting.
With the Australian titles approaching, it should ensure the three days of racing will run smoothly, but it was a major job.
“It was well overdue, but it is creating a lot more work,” he said.
“What we have done is not a day’s work, it is a week’s work with a lot of equipment.
“If it was going to happen, this year makes it a little bit more important to get right with the Australian titles, but that is just one weekend at the end of January.
“We want to be racing here in a month’s time.”
The banks on the southern side of the track have been cut down and extended back, providing extra space for spectators and souvenir vans.
The area around the booth has received new steps and a large area on the western boundary is being prepared for the big screen, along with the steel works required for the new corporate boxes on the eastern boundary.
“We have taken the angle off the spectator mound a bit, but it is a lot wider,” Barrows said.
“A lot of work has gone into that.
“The area around the booth has been improved and we still have a bit more steel work to do on the boxes.
“Hopefully we will have some of the boxes in over the next couple of weeks, but they might not be ready for the start of the season.
“There have been a massive amount of changes, but there is a lot of work to do yet.”
With the season set to start on November 25 for Round 3 of the SRA Sprintcars series, the deadline is tight.
“By Christmas we should have the grounds looking as good as they could look, but there is a lot of work to happen before then,” Barrows said.
“I think they will be pretty tidy for the Australian title.”
