MOUNT Gambier speedway identity Bill Barrows has been honoured for his tireless work at the Borderline Speedway, named official of the year at the Australian Speedway Awards on the weekend.
Barrows was judged to be the track or racing division official who made the worthiest contribution to the sport in the past 12 months.
The 2017-18 speedway season was highlighted by the Australian Sprintcar Championships held at the Borderline Speedway, with the upgraded venue and racing surface living up to expectations.
While Barrows is reluctant to receive praise for the work he does, he said it was nice to be recognised.
“That award is something I definitely do not look for,” he said.
“It is nice that people could see some value in what I have done, but I have done it because I want to.”
Barrows spends countless hours at the venue during and leading up to the racing season, with the last year taken to another level as the Australian Championships approached.
“Normally I am not there all the time, but basically from the middle of July to the Australian title I was there every day,” he said.
“There were four or five guys who were there every day.
“Some other guys would be there five days a week.
“The group we have now has not done a lot of that kind of work over the years, but stepped up this year.
“If you add up all the hours it would be phenomenal.”
Barrows spends countless hours working the track to ensure a good racing surface, which was made more difficult this season due to the new clay that had been brought in.
He said he soon worked out how to approach the surface and was pleased with the way it was presented.
“Personally I think the track is the most important part of the speedway,” he said.
“I try to get it as right as I can, but it does not always happen.
“The biggest problem this year was understanding the surface.
“We could not grade it and we had to get it into the position we wanted before we watered it.
“After the first night it was easier, but we blundered a few times.
“You can try as hard as you like but it does not always get there.
“Also, my opinion of the track is different to other people.
“In the end I was pretty happy with the way the track was presented this season.”
However, that preparation did not just extend to drivers.
“My biggest hate is dust,” he said.
“We do get dust on the crowd some nights, but we try not to hose them down with it.”
Overall Barrows said he was pleased for the volunteers who worked behind the scenes to achieve two awards this season, which included track of the year for the whole venue.
