All hands on deck at speedway

THE roar of engines might no longer be providing the soundtrack to the Borderline Speedway with the 2025/26 season wrapping up over the Easter weekend but the Glenburnie facility is still a hive of activity.

Less than 24 hours after the Borderline season ended, volunteers were back on track as a raft of redevelopments get underway, courtesy in no small part to funding from the South Australian Government, as well as ongoing generous support from local businesses.

Reflecting on the recently wrapped season, Borderline Speedway president Cary Jennings said it had been a extraordinary few months.

“We hosted a couple of national titles, the sprintcars and Formula 500, and they were great shows that went off really well,” Jennings said.

“When you add Speed Week to that and the other great racing we have seen, it has been a really successful season.”

But there is no time to wrest on their laurels with significant works now underway at the track and surrounding facilities.

Fencing and concrete barriers are being removed and replaced and that’s just the start of the works which have attracted $450,000 over the next two years from the newly elected South Australian Government.

“We have a great team of volunteers out at the track managing that work over the next six months,” Jennings said. “We had a lot of these works on the books but to be able to get them underway and keep working on improving what we offer for drivers and spectators is so important.

“The government funding is great and the rest of the money comes from groups and individuals that have long supported the speedway, as well as companies and Gambier Earth Movers are top of that list with all the work they do at the track.

“And so many others come out and help – engineers, electricians and all kinds of people helping make the Borderline the best facility it can be.”

Jennings is also thrilled that while many of the volunteers have been involved for decades, there is a new generation emerging and rolling up their sleeves and contributing with the many behind-the-scenes jobs that need doing.

In the past three months, six corporate boxes were added to the Borderline offering and there are three more to come between now and the start of the 2026/27 season.

“There’s a waiting list for corporate boxes,” Jennings said. “Our infrastructure is getting bigger and bigger and people can clearly see where we are spending money.”

The $450,000 from the government was promised to help ensure the venue continues to attract major national events while providing a safe and welcoming experience for visitors, families and fans.

The upgrades also include installing new high-efficiency LED floodlights, constructing new catch-fencing and a new judges box, incorporating a new canteen facility.

Given the events hosted by the Borderline Speedway deliver significant economic benefits to the Limestone Coast by supporting local accommodation providers, restaurants, retailers and tourism operators, Premier Peter Malinauskas said the government could see the value in committing the funds.

“This investment reflects Labor’s strong commitment to the Limestone Coast and to supporting regional communities to grow and thrive,” he said. “Borderline Speedway is one of the great motorsport venues in regional South Australia and an important part of the Limestone Coast community.

“Major events held at Borderline Speedway bring visitors from across Australia to Mount Gambier, supporting local businesses and creating real economic benefits for the region.

“This investment will help ensure Borderline Speedway continues to thrive as a world-class motorsport venue while remaining a fantastic family-friendly destination for local communities.”