You only have to drive around Warrnambool to get an insight into the sport’s popularity and impact on the region – especially at this time of the year.

Organisers of this weekend’s Lucas Oil Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic estimate 25,000 spectators will have filed through the gates of Allansford’s Premier Speedway by the time a new champion is crowned on Sunday night.

The economic benefits of the Classic are considerable. Warrnambool City Council estimates the three-night event pumps more than $3 million into the local economy. That estimate is based on a 2011 study and could be even more.

With Premier Speedway hosting the national sprintcar title next weekend, officials have scheduled a lead-up race meeting next Tuesday, giving teams plenty of reasons to stay in the city for more than 10 nights.

The council says this fortnight of high-speed action is worth more than $6 million.

Just like horse racing’s May carnival, sprintcar racing’s Classic are key features on Warrnambool’s tourism and events calendar. The economic injection from those attending is huge but advantages of hosting such an event extend significantly further.

Media coverage and interest across the country and in America – the home of sprintcar racing – help promote Warrnambool to the world. It is coverage money can’t buy.

The Classic is more than just a sprintcar race. It has grown from humble beginnings in 1973 to a world-class event.

While the action is compelling for speedway fans, those who put on the show are rarely celebrated. The Classic and indeed the Premier Speedway Club are triumphs for volunteerism.

What you see at the speedway has all been funded by the club – there have been no handouts. That’s not to say it wouldn’t accept a help from government or council to fast-track long-talked-about improvements.

The reason it has been self-sufficient is the strength of its volunteers.

Everywhere you look – in the pits, the canteens, the car parks, the safety crew and upstairs in the control tower – everyone involved is a volunteer. They give up tens of hours each year because they have pride in the event and its standing.

As a community, we should be proud of the club and its hard-working volunteers. Without them, our city would be poorer.