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Motor racing on Sellicks Beach was first run in the early years of the 20th Century.

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Several groups made use of the beach and the hills behind the beach, to race not just bikes, but cars as

well. All trying to set new speed records.

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Established in 1922, The Levis Social Club organised social outings and simple trials for owners of the

Levis (pron. lev-iss) two-stroke motorcycle.

 

However, driven by the wishes of its’ members, the focus of the Club soon changed and from 1924 the Levis Social Club Speed Trials became an annual summer event at Sellicks Beach, generally on the Australia Day weekend.

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Speed was new and exciting, there were records to be had in cars, on bikes, with aeroplanes and trains, any number of early year machines were trying to be the fastest.

When our great grandparents were looking for somewhere to go fast and break records, the beaches south of Adelaide, Sellicks and Silver Sands made the perfect track.

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The beach with its pebble base and covering of sand made a hard, compact surface that was flattened and renewed at every tide change.

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If you think back to those times, roads were not the paved highways that we have today. They were generally more like dirt tracks and the idea of road maintenance had yet to reach government consciousness.

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For many families in the first half of the 20th Century, motorcycles were their main mode of transport. More affordable than a car, it was not unusual to see a family heading off to the shops, work, church, or the beach loaded on and in a motorcycle with sidecar.

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There would be very few of us who do not have someone in the family tree who rode a motor bike.

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Many of those early racers would ride their bikes to the beach, strip them down to the bare minimum, race for a couple of days, then put the bike back together and ride home. Those with a bit more money bought their racing bikes to the beach in their sidecar.

​Because general travel was a lot slower, the 50 km drive to Sellicks Beach meant it became a weekend event.

 

Naturally, the “Levis Social Club” encouraged the social side of Motorcycle Racing (as it still does today).

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With some time off during the Second World War, the Club ran the event through to 1957.

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Apart from re-enactments in 1986 and 1992, there had been no competitive racing at Sellicks in 60 years. 

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Then in February 2017, we came back...

Racing Returns to Sellicks Beach 2017

Racing Returns to Sellicks Beach 2017

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That weekend in February 2017 was three years in the making and many people put in a lot of hard work to make it happen.

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In 2014 Sellicks Beach resident, Michael Madeley (That's him on the right), approached Motorcycling SA (MSA) for support to re-stage the historic motorcycle races. MSA President and Levis MCC Member, Brenton Matters (second pic down) knew the Levis MCC had a long-held interest in doing just that, so he brought the parties together.

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Michael joined the Levis MCC, and the Club, with the full and active support of MSA, set about the task of securing permission to once again race on the iconic beach.

 

The Levis MCC established a Sellicks Beach Historic Motorcycle Races Committee comprising thirteen members (all unpaid volunteers).

 

The Committee was Chaired by Brenton Matters and had two tasks to achieve. First they had to negotiate with relevant authorities and interested groups to get permission to stage the event, then they had to plan and run the event.

 

A Race Committee was established, Chaired by Murray "Muzz" Tune (That's him with the beard, the other one is Carole "Crouch" Tune, Assistant Race Secretary)

 

With the help of Jock Shanks and members of the Historic Motor Cycle Racing Register, the Committee was tasked with setting the rules, race categories, organise the pit area, and all things to do with the actual racing.

A lot had changed in the 60 years since our Club last raced at Sellicks Beach.

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The area around Sellicks Beach has a rich cultural and environmental history and there are a lot more people living there than there were in 1957. We couldn't just throw the swag down on the beach and race our motorbikes.

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Over the next two years the Committee worked with the Onkaparinga Council, various State Government Agencies, Traditional Owners, Residents, Local Traders, and Environmental Groups to find a way forward and ensure all concerns were addressed in the planning.

 

By early 2016 the Committee had developed a detailed budget, as well as a comprehensive Risk Management Plan that addressed the many unique issues that the event raised.

 

In May 2016, Brenton Matters presented the proposal to a crowded Council Meeting. The Council approved the proposal and noted that it "was one of the most professional presentations to come before Council". 

 

MSA was awarded the licence for the event. The Levis MCC was assigned the right to actually stage the event.