The Ringwood Raceway (formerly known as Matchams Park Stadium) was a motorsport venue in Ringwood, Hampshire, England. The site was located in St Leonards, Dorset off the Hurn Road and Matchams Lane.
 Banger racing at the Raceway | |
| Location | St Leonards, Ringwood, Hampshire, BH24 2BT |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 50°48′27″N 1°49′12″W / 50.80750°N 1.82000°W |
| Opened | 1946 |
| Closed | 2022 |
History
editAfter World War II, a motorcycle speedway circuit was constructed on the site.[1] During the 1946 and 1947 seasons the site known as Matchams Park Stadium and operated on an open speedway licence.[2] The track was referred to as a training school in 1950[3] and the stadium was also used for cars in 1950.[4][5]
Open speedway licence meetings were once again held at the venue from 1951 to 1953 but on a different circuit within the site.[2][1] A team called the Ringwood Turfs entered league competition for the first time in 1954.[6][7] The following season in 1955, the team withdrew in late June and had their results expunged.[8]
Further open meetings and training took place sporadically with a last recorded training and long track meetings in 1993.[1] The site continued banger racing, until its closure in 2022.[9]
Future
edit
Future development of the site is pending council approval.[10] A retirement community is planned to be built.[11] Consultation for redevelopment began in October 2021.[12]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Ringwood Speedway". Defunct Speedway. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
- ^ a b "Ringwood". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
- ^ "Motor Cycling". Daily Mirror. 27 July 1950. Retrieved 2 March 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Matchams Park Stadium". Western Gazette. 25 August 1950. Retrieved 2 March 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ ""Truly saddened": raceway to host final events this summer amid plans for site". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
- ^ "BRITISH LEAGUE TABLES - POST-WAR ERA (1946-1964)". Official British Speedway website. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
- ^ "Year by Year". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
- ^ Rogers, Martin (1978). The Illustrated History of Speedway. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. p. 129. ISBN 0-904584-45-3.
- ^ "Cars shown chequered flag for the last time as Ringwood Raceway closes its doors". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
- ^ "'They'll have nowhere to go': Raceway director saddened by expected closure". Salisbury Journal. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
- ^ "Future of Ringwood raceway hangs in the balance as officers review plans". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
- ^ "Public consultation draws polarising response on major retirement village plans". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 26 April 2023.