daylesford is at the center of an urgent push to refurbish its speedway after a fatal crash in February 2023 (ET), with local volunteers racing to complete a safety wall so the track can host elite events. Paul Cleveland, club safety director, says US-affiliated financial interest and a chassis maker tied to a NASCAR supplier are preparing to back a world sprint car series and a factory that could inject millions. The plan would pair the refurbished track with Buninyong’s Redline Speedway, with events beginning in December (ET) and organisers projecting major crowds and local economic uplift.
Daylesford upgrades and the $30 million pitch
Locals pursuing the project describe a self-financed, multi-year effort to build a continuous safety barrier around the circuit so daylesford can meet the standards needed to host international touring events. Paul Cleveland said, “We’ve got plans for a 305 sprint car series. We’ll probably be importing about 300 of them. ” He added, “Kyle Larson’s (NASCAR driver) chassis maker wants to set up a factory here, and it would probably be worth $30 million to Ballarat and Daylesford. We’ll be running this with our own insurance. “
Cleveland outlined the proposed financing structure, saying the chassis maker would likely come in as half-owners for the event and “put in $8 million to $10 million. ” The refurbishment is intended to align with a five-year plan to deliver a world-level touring event, with the refurbished daylesford track sharing hosting duties with Buninyong’s Redline Speedway. He said the first event would be at Redline and “it would bring massive crowds into Ballarat, and the football ground up at Daylesford would become the car park for night events here. “
Immediate reactions from organisers and local officials
Cleveland laid out the frustration the group has faced when seeking public funds, saying, “We tried Hepburn [Shire Council] heaps of times, but got told they didn’t have money to do those things. I’ve been pushing so hard for Daylesford to try and attach it all to this so we can build speedway in Australia. ” He described a partial, volunteer-built wall: “We had to go build the wall ourselves. We need to build a big proper speedway, and now I’ve got all this in the works, which might force some hands. “
On safety and urgency, Cleveland was blunt: “We got people to donate, but the wall is only halfway around. The issue is, it’s been putting all the drivers’ lives at risk because of the wall not being there. ” He also noted support that helped the petition progress, saying the minister in Shepparton helped put the petition through.
What’s next for daylesford
The immediate priorities are finishing the continuous wall and finalising the chassis-maker partnership so the organisers can move from plan to permit to event staging. Cleveland says the club has invested in facilities already — including a cafe and hundreds of volunteer hours — but the wall’s completion remains the gating item for daylesford to host higher-profile meetings. If the chassis-maker investment and event agreements proceed as Cleveland describes, organisers expect the factory and touring series to follow, with the potential to transform local event capacity and visitor numbers.
The timeline now hinges on finishing construction of the barrier and formalising the private investment pledges, with the first partnered events slated to begin in December (ET) if arrangements are finalised. Locals and organisers say finishing the wall is the make-or-break step that will determine whether daylesford can safely reopen to national and international competition and unlock the projected economic benefits.
