Motorcycle Racing Club of WA
The Motorcycle Racing Club of WA (Inc) is the major promoter of motorcycle road racing in Western Australia.
The Club was founded in 1955 by a group of motorcycle enthusiasts who wanted to race their motorcycles on a bitumen surface. In 1958 the Club was incorporated , becoming affiliated with Motorcycling Australia WA, the governing body for motorcycle sport in Western Australia. Some of these enthusiasts went on to be International, Australian and State Champions.
Over the years the Club has grown from strength to strength into a semi professional organisation conducting and promoting both motorcycle road race meetings, practice days and rider training courses known as “Racecraft” then to now RidedaysWA.
Home track has been the Wanneroo Racetrack – formerly Barbagallo Raceway and now Carco.com.au (2024), a bitumen track of 2.4 kms undulating distance. In the early 1950s prior to Caversham Circuit (part of an old airstrip- which was replaced by the Wanneroo Track in the late 1960s), competitors competed at Mooliabeenie and the well-known Yanchep Park.
The circuit is much more complicated than the map makes out. It is quite a drop down into turn six, the ‘bowl’ or ‘basin’, before a long climb out and over the hump before the run down to the final turn, which then switches back to an uphill at the maximum point of braking.
From the fifties to the early nineties’ events were also conducted at various round-the-street circuits in country centres – Kellerberrin, Gnowangerup, Mingenew, Collie, Bunbury and Albany, to name a few. As speeds increased and safety became a major concern, these “street” circuits were phased out with the final round-the-streets race held at Collie in 1997. Events were still being conducted at the Wanneroo Racetrack and in later years at the Collie Motorplex.
In 1970, the Kings of Wanneroo Title commenced, with Graeme Sigley being the inaugural winner.
In 1987 the Kings of the Country Series commenced with Rick Gill taking out the Kings solo title, Stuart Adams the Prince Title and Harry Hibbert and passenger Nick Alain taking out the Sidecar Title.
The Endurance racing (3- and 4-Hour Production series) also commenced in the early ’70s and remained popular up until the early nineties, with a number of interstate competitors competing on a regular basis. Brian Cartwright and Peter Senior were the winners of the Unlimited solo 3 Hour Production race in 1972. Brian Cull and Barry Stormont took the 500cc class and Steve Wilkinson and Brian Ralston were winners of the 250cc Production class.
The first international event to visit WA and Wanneroo was in 1972 with the Club hosting a round of the Pan Pacific Championships with competitors from the UK, USA, Malaysia and New Zealand. This was followed for many years by WA rounds of the Australian Road Racing Championships, then the Australian Superbike Championships.
In the late 80’s due to the Club’s growth the Club established a permanent office and clubrooms at the Stolarski Motorcycles business in Murray Street, Perth after a generous offer from Ted and Dulcie Stolarski. General day to day operations of the club’s events was run from here with the adjacent top floor being used as Clubrooms with a bar area. Another office was set up alongside the governing body Motorcycling WA in Stirling Street Perth, following which the Club purchased a permanent unit in Wangara establishing the Clubrooms as they are now. In 2007 a mezzanine floor was built to accommodate office space and a meeting room for the organisation and administration of the “International Kings of Wanneroo”.
In 2008 the Club held its first successful “International Kings of Wanneroo” event.
This event ran for two years with over 10 international riders from Ireland and the UK competing.
The Club continues to run six rounds of the WA State Championship series each year and in 2023 re-introduced the Endurance 3 Hour race back to its calendar at Wanneroo Raceway.
The MCRC of WA caters for a wide variety of motorcycles in the categories of – Production Road bikes (street bikes) from 250cc to 1300cc, Superbikes, 125 and 250cc Grand Prix bikes, Supersport (600cc) and the three-wheeled action of Sidecars. Junior road racing was introduced on 150cc bikes.
Age groups vary from 16 years to 50 plus years. Followed by 15 year olds becoming eligible to compete in road racing on 125cc GP machines followed a few years later with Junior riders from 11 years of age completing on 150cc machines.
Racecraft courses were introduced as an introduction to road racing, giving the street riders the opportunity to test their ability and go fast in a safe environment and also upgrading the skills of novice racers at the time. Riders are also given instruction on bike and rider preparation. These courses have proved quite popular and are requirements to obtain a road racing licence in W.A. The Club renamed the courses – RidedaysWA which proved very successful for a number of years.
With the closure of Barbagallo Raceway (now Carco.com.au Raceway) in 2017 and 2018, the club lost two years of track time before being unable to return due to the circuit being deemed unsafe.
When the track re-opened in 2019 with a “chicane” of sorts through the esses, the club struggled to rebuild member and competitor numbers and to this day has never achieved the strong competitor numbers they enjoyed prior to the track closure (110 competitors to 70 competitors), but they continue to strive and deliver competition racing for modern bikes in in the state.
Endurance racing in Western Australia
The Endurance racing (3 – and 4-Hour Production series) commenced in the early 70’s and remained a popular event up until the early nineties with a number of interstate competitors competing on a regular basis.
Locals Brian Cartwright and Peter Senior were the winners of the Unlimited solo 3 Hour Production race in 1972. Brian Cull and Barry Stormont took the 500cc class and Steve Wilkinson and Brian Ralston were winners of the 250cc Production class.
The return of Endurance Racing to WA came back in 2022 with 2025 being the 4th consecutive year. Team are not to be made up of two A and B graders, with riders of different qualifications urged to team up for the event so as to try and ensure that no one team completely dominates.
2022 RESULTS
- Adam Senior and Stephen Kelley
- Keith harrison and Lachey Hickey
- Reece and Connor Southern
2023 RESULTS
- Jack Langley and Josh Cook
- Cameron Stronach and George Moorhead
- Lino Mazzali and Paul Joshua
2024 RESULTS
- Ben Stronach and Warren French
- Jack Langley and Josh Cook
- Cameron Stronach and George Moorhead
The 2025 Endurance 3 Hour will be held on Sunday March 2nd at Carco.com.au Raceway Wanneroo. Support events include Production GP race of 24 laps plus sidecar races. This event will coincide with the Motorcycling Racing Club of Western Australia’s 70th Year celebrations to be held on the day, complete with stacks of memorabilia and bikes from all era’s on display.
The Wanneroo Circuit
For those of you that are wondering about the layout of Wanneroo Raceway. Here is a good lap of the circuit with Rick Kelly from 2014, albeit on four wheels.
