The Nepean legacy
A great long-awaited article on Nepean Raceway
(OBA 98), well worth the read. It is probably more than amazing Nepean has somehow survived since the first race meeting on the 1st July 1964 up until today, still providing for Dirt Track, Speedway and most importantly the Penrith Mini Bike Junior Training complex at the rear of the property.
Nepean Raceway over the years has survived numerous bushfires, continual flooding, closure of the track by the EPA in the late 1990s for some time due to the track no longer being able to be oiled, encroaching housing right up to the boundaries and continual usage restrictions attempts by the local council.
For the records the Sydney Associated Clubs was formed around 1957 in an attempt to find and purchase a legal racing venue somewhere in the Sydney basin. They became aware of an area used by the Penrith Motor Cycle Club at Rickards Road Castlereagh which was available for purchase but would require a considerable amount of work before something resembling a race track could be completed. After the boundary pegs were finally located the purchase was arranged and the Nepean Motor Sports Club Limited was born on the 11th August 1959 with Jack Byrnes as President and Geoff Coombes as Secretary.
The first member clubs noted in the Memorandum and Articles of Association were Bankstown Wiley Park MCC, East Parramatta MCC, Fairfield MCC, Homebush MCC, Merrylands and Districts MCC, Parramatta and Districts MCC, Penrith MCC, Western Suburbs MCC and Willoughby MCC. Since 1959 many of the original clubs have ceased to exist and other clubs have taken their place. The clubs that currently form NMSC Ltd are Bankstown Wiley Park MCC, City of Penrith MCC, St George MCC, Willoughby and Districts MCC, Northern Districts MCC and Manly Warringah MCC.
The member clubs are endeavouring to try and provide the best way ahead to keep this valuable unreplaceable racing complex available as long as possible under some very demanding circumstances.