BORDERLINE SPEEDWAY’S IMPRESSIVE FACELIFT

By Lechelle Earl, owner/editor: SE Voice (digital publication)

Borderline Speedway has been at the forefront of the South Australian racing scene and that position will only be strengthened as a long-awaited facelift brings it into a new era.
Since the chequered flag fell at the end of a successful 2025/26 season, work has not stopped at the “Bullring”.
The small, but passionate team of volunteers have been hard at work, improving the historic facility with numerous upgrades.
The SA Government pumped $450,000 into upgrades including LED floodlights, new catch-fencing, corporate boxes and amenities.
Whilst Borderline Speedway has been a leader in SA, hosting the national Sprintcar title this year, some areas were getting tired with the barriers around 50 years old.
The catch-fencing will be as modern as they come, bolted together, as opposed to the old one which was welded.
Unfortunately many of the old barriers were damaged during the removal process, but the material will be recycled into road base, while some will be repurposed in the pit area and also across the road at the Mount Gambier Go Kart Club.
Borderline Speedway President Cary Jennings offered a positive update.
“It is progressing reasonably well and the boys have done an excellent job with their productivity,” he said.
“The day after Easter we pulled the old safety fence down and looked at what we had to do.
“During the season Bill Barrows and his team of volunteers did some work to get ready for the upgrades in the off season.
“They constructed and built two new corporate boxes with TVs and pulled the old fence down.
“We had to remove the clay off the track and installed that on the infield so we could work on it in the wet.
“Gambier Earth Movers laid it level with their machines so we could then drill some holes and put in our new fence posts.
“They are all up and it looks really good. Over the last 10 days our concrete panels are being made and set in a kind person’s shed.
“Hopefully by the end of this month we should have a lot of our concrete panels in place.
“It is looking good.”
A big focus has been the continual growth of the corporate boxes, plus the improvement of fan and competitor facilities with male and female change rooms, plus further wheelchair access.
Mr Jennings said the progression of corporate boxes will be a new milestone as these timely and long-awaited upgrades bring Borderline Speedway to the top.
“To have 30 individual corporate boxes in addition to a main one will be a great achievement since 1995,” he said.
“We are trying to make Borderline Speedway grow up the ranks in the eyes of Speedway Australia.
“Not that we were not in the top group, but this will give us more clarity.
“It was 50-odd years since the previous fence upgrade.
“Everything deteriorates and you have to look and say ‘yes it is still workable, but the safety side of things have lifted and we need to rise with it’ to make sure we have a great complex for the future generations.
“We want the competitor and patron happy.
“It is a great thing that is happening.”