RACING makes a long-awaited return to the Southern 500 Speedway this weekend with the Heathmere track roaring back into action with its first meet since February 2020.

The Southern 500 Speedway has been one of the hardest hit local sports clubs by the coronavirus pandemic, with the second half of the 2019-20 schedule, all of the 2020-21 schedule and the first half of this season lost.

Amid these challenges, the club’s volunteers have been hard at work giving the track’s facilities an extensive improvement and now the wait for racing comes to an end.

Saturday, the Formula 500 Speedweek touches down in Portland with the penultimate round of racing.

Alongside the Formula 500s will be the Standard Saloons King of the Ring event, street stocks and of course, the caravans.

The Anton Domburg Caravan Race is the club’s most well-loved annual feature, with 8-10 caravans heading out on the track for a race filled with demolition and carnage to cap off the evening.

Southern 500 Speedway president Darren Pumpa said tomorrow is going to be an important one in the history of the club.

“The club is looking awesome, everything looks fantastic and anyone keen should head on out to celebrate,” he said.

“The numbers are looking really good across the board, we’ve got plenty of racing ready to go ahead on our new track.

“The track has been extended to 22-metres wide (it was 12.5 metres) and the fencing has been completely updated and now stands six metres high.

“We’ve had a team of volunteers that have been out at the club each evening after work just about every night until after the sun goes down, for about a month and a half now.

“It’s been a huge amount of work for those people and the results speak for themselves, the facilities are looking excellent.

“Everyone should head on out to the club to see the new extended track and an exciting night of racing.”

• Gates open at 5pm Saturday with racing beginning at 6pm.

For more information head to the Southern 500 Speedway’s Facebook page.