BLACKTOWN CITY INDEPENDENT BCI 52 July 2025 | Page 21

Sydney International Speedway wraps up thrilling 2024 / 25 season

with Matt“ Duck Man” Austin
Sydney International Speedway has officially concluded its most action-packed season to date, with the 2024 / 25 schedule delivering 25 nights of thrilling racing and high octane entertainment from September 2024 through to May 2025. The season marked a full return to form for the Eastern Creek venue, showcasing a strong line-up of Sprintcars, Speedcars, Late Models, and a variety of support divisions— much to the delight of fans and competitors alike.
It’ s heartening to see speedway racing so revered once again in Sydney, echoing the glory days of the Liverpool
Jay Waugh, Speedcar champion. Credit: Sydney International Speedway.
City Speedway, which operated off Wilson Road in Green Valley from 1967 until 1989. That iconic track made way for urban development, including the Green Valley Plaza and Winnall Reserve, now home to the Hinchinbrook Hornets Rugby League Club. Speedway also thrived at the Parramatta City Raceway, which opened with a clay track in 1977 and ran until its closure on 10 April 2021.
One of the standout features of this season was the American Tire and Racing Services( ATRS) Track Championship, which crowned champions across three divisions. In the Sprintcar division, Michael Stewart, driving for Bohud Racing, dominated the 410 Sprintcar field with six feature race victories, securing the top spot in the ATRS championship.
In the Speedcars, Jay Waugh claimed victory after a hard-fought points battle, edging out Alan Day and Daniel Paterson in a thrilling finale. The Late Models title was clinched by Daniel Cassidy of Telarah, NSW, who delivered a consistent season with multiple podium finishes.
The racing calendar was also peppered with signature events, including the Summer of Speed, the Sydney Showdown( a two-night January spectacular), and
the return of the prestigious Speedcar 50-Lap Classic, which brought the season to a dramatic close on 10 May. March also saw a special tribute on the Steve Caunt Appreciation Night, drawing a huge crowd and strong participation across four divisions.
Among the key results from the final night of the season:
Dash Winner – Speedcar 50-Lap Classic: Sam Walsh claimed top honours, finishing ahead of Michael Stewart in second and Lachlan Caunt in third.
Fender Bender A-Main Event: Adrian Clark took out the champion’ s trophy, with Jesse Campbell and Peter Hocking finishing second and third respectively.
Speedcar 50-Lap Winner: Kaidon Brown secured victory, with Nick Parker in second and Matt Geering in third.
Sprintcar A-Main: Ian Madsen came out on top, followed by Sam Walsh in second and Michael Stewart in third.
It’ s been a smash-hit season for the Eastern Creek venue, which now stands as the premier dirt racing track in NSW. The circuit features a 489-metre-long, 19-metre-wide track and boasts seating for 7,000 spectators— a major upgrade complemented by modern facilities
Michael Stewart, Sprintcar champion. Credit: Sydney International Speedway.
designed to attract new fans while keeping long-time speedway enthusiasts well catered for.
With momentum building and the standard of racing continuously rising, all signs point to an even bigger and better 2025 / 26 season. Sydney International Speedway is well on its way to solidifying its place as a world-class hub for dirt racing— drawing top-tier drivers from across Australia and beyond, and thrilling crowds in Western Sydney for years to come.

Mt Druitt Town Rangers Women set the benchmark

with Matt“ Duck Man” Austin
Elite women’ s football in NSW has grown exponentially in recent years and is now fiercely competitive. The Matildas’ historic run to the semi-finals at the 2023 Women’ s World Cup— where they faced off against England— raised the bar for what women in football can achieve.
Many of those trailblazing players hail from Western Sydney, including Kyah Simon( Quakers Hill Juniors), Courtney Nevin( Oakville Ravens), and Alanna Kennedy( Campbelltown Cobras).
In 2024, Mt Druitt Town Rangers Women’ s team, under the guidance of coach Ben Gough, claimed the NSW Women’ s League One Premiership, securing their promotion to the elite Football NSW Women’ s NPL1, the top tier just below the A-League Women’ s( formerly A-League Ninja). Their return to the top flight turned heads, but what has
Rangers players celebrate scoring against Gladesville. Credit: Football NSW.

in Football NSW Women’ s NPL1 for 2025

been even more impressive is how the Rangers have not only maintained their momentum but also set the gold standard in the competition as the 2025 season hits its halfway mark.
The Rangers have been in red-hot form, outperforming well-established clubs such as Illawarra Stingrays, Northern Tigers FC, Manly United, and NWS Spirit, all of whom boast deep squads with A-League experience.
Mt Druitt began their campaign with a confident home win against the talented Bulls FC Academy at Popondetta Park, giving fans more reason to celebrate following last season’ s grand final and championship success. Tough tests followed with back-to-back 0-0 draws against Illawarra Stingrays and Manly United— both premiership heavyweights— but the newly promoted side showed great character and resolve. Leading from the front is veteran striker Leena Khamis, who boasts an impressive 60 career goals in 82 matches.
The Rangers bounced back in style with a 2-0 win over 2023 champions Apia Leichhardt, igniting a six-match winning streak. The so-called“ giant killers” went on to defeat UNSW( 2-1 away), Gladesville Ravens( 1-0 at home), Sydney Uni FC( 2-1 at Popondetta), Macarthur FC( 2-1 at Lynwood Park), and Northern Tigers( 3-1 at home), with Rosaria Galea netting a brace to take her season tally to six and her career tally to 20 goals in 65 matches.
Mt Druitt Town Rangers Women’ s team. Credit: Mt Druitt Town Rangers.
However, the competition reminded them of its intensity during a tough away fixture against Newcastle Jets, where they fell 5-2. They responded with a statement performance, routing local rivals Western Sydney Wanderers 5-1. Captain Leena Khamis led the charge with a brace, while Erin Leah Tavares, Rosaria Galea, and Isabella Preston also got on the scoresheet— showing that this Rangers side are far from a flash in the pan.
In recent weeks, Mt Druitt have continued their strong form with a 2-0 away win over NWS Spirit and a 2-0 loss to a formidable Bulls FC Academy side,
stacked with talent from the Macarthur Bulls A-League Women’ s squad.
Looking ahead, the Rangers face a challenging month with key clashes against Illawarra Stingrays, Manly United, Apia Leichhardt, UNSW, and a resurgent Sydney Olympic. These fixtures will be crucial in determining how far this high-performing Mt Druitt side can go in one of the most elite women’ s football competitions in the country.
As the season intensifies, Mt Druitt Town Rangers Women may well continue their rise— and emerge as the 2025 Football NSW Women’ s NPL1 champions.
BLACKTOWN CITY INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine. com. au ISSUE 52 // JULY 2025 21