Western Springs Speedway

Western Springs Speedway was New Zealand's most iconic and longest-running speedway, operating for 96 years in a natural amphitheatre in central Auckland beside the zoo. Motorcycle racing began on 30 November 1929. Midget car racing started on Christmas Day 1937 when American promoter Roscoe Turner brought five US drivers. The track hosted an extraordinary parade of international talent including AJ Foyt, Ron 'Sleepy' Tripp (34 feature wins), and a teenage Jeff Gordon who toured in 1988. In its heyday during the 1980s and 90s, single-event attendance reached 36,369 spectators. The FIM Speedway Grand Prix was held here 2012-2014 — the first SGP in NZ and only the second outside Europe. On the two-wheel side, Ivan Mauger (6x World Champion), Barry Briggs (4x World Champion), and Ronnie Moore (2x World Champion) all raced here. The closure in 2025 was bitterly contested after Auckland Council voted 11-8 to repurpose the site. The Western Springs Speedway Association filed for judicial review at the High Court.

This track was active from 1929–2025. SpeedwayHub preserves the history and records of all New Zealand speedway venues, past and present.