1 million Australian readers every month list your event

Perth Motorplex

Home > Perth > Automotive | Family | Motorsports | Outdoor | Sport

by Shev Daly (subscribe)

Perth enthusiast originally from the UK.

Published April 16th 2017

Rev yourself up for a night at the speedway

Not interested in motorsport? Then you may be surprised to learn that since it actually has the fourth highest attendance rate of spectator sports in Australia, following AFL, horse racing and rugby league (ABS 2011). That's right – motorsport attendance ranks higher than spending a day at the cricket! So if you haven't been to Perth Motorplex to see what all the fuss is about, you are quite possibly missing out!

Racing underway beneath the bright stadium lights

Perth Motorplex opened its gates in December 2000. When it was built late in the last millennium the primary objective was to provide a modern, world-class facility for drag racing and dirt track speedway drivers and fans alike.

Perth was arguably overdue for an upgrade from the ageing, and not purpose built, facilities at Claremont Showgrounds. It's likely the secondary reason for building the multi-million dollar complex was to move all that noise a little further away from the residents of Claremont!

Located in Kwinana Beach, Perth Motorplex is now a draw card for motorsport enthusiasts from all over Australia and even the USA, whose guest drivers are very complimentary of the quality of the tracks.

First time demo derby driver ready to head out on to the track

The facility hosts several different competitions from a variety of motorsport divisions including drag racing and dirt track speedway such as speed cars, sprint cars and late model sedans.

It also showcases the more novel events such as burn out competitions, caravan and dunny races, demolition derbies and monster trucks.

However, it is a multi-purpose venue for more than just automotive pursuits. The likes of Guns n Roses, ZZ Top, Korn and Rose Tattoo have performed at the multi-million dollar facility, which illustrates the sheer size of the mostly outdoor venue.

Preparations begin for the day in the pit area

The venue features plenty of parking, modern and clean bathroom facilities and a wide range of food and beverages, including a selection of beers, wines and spirits.

Most of the seating is outdoor stadium-style and the vast majority of regular attendees bring their own picnic blankets and folding chairs to set up camp in comfort for the evening.

No matter the time of year, it can get surprisingly chilly at the Perth Motorplex as the night wears on so bring some layers and even a blanket during the winter months. Just make sure it's a nice one as race meetings are often televised on Channel 7 Mate's "Night Thunder" series.

If braving the elements is not your thing, there are indoor and outdoor corporate suites available with air conditioning, closed circuit television, an individual speaker system and tiered seating inside and out. Packages start from $99 per person with VIP parking, pit area access and food and beverages available to order through a butler service for groups of at least 10 people. If that still isn't enough style for you, then for groups of 20 or more you can have all of the above plus a full beverage package and platter style food service for at $199 a head.

Pit area access is well worth the extra cost

Those of us who are content to "rough it" outside can expect to pay between $25 to $43 for an adult ticket ranging from general entry to gold seats with pit area access.

Although there's no butler service with these tickets, the options are plentiful ranging from fast food chains to local businesses cooking up traditional Aussie trackside fare and even an ice cream truck for the kids (big and small). And yes, there is a bar.