PREMIER Speedway is investing in its long-term future with plans to replace the dirt track at its Allansford venue.
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General manager David Mills said the rejuvenation was the largest circuit upgrade undertaken in his 14 years with the club.
The club has sourced clay and will complete the project after its season finishes in mid-April.
Mills said it was a "complete change" which would help maintain drivers' equipment.
"If you come past here (Premier Speedway) at the minute, there's about 3000 metres of clay sitting in the Allansford car park," he told The Standard.
"What we've got now is basically worn out and it's very hard on tyres. We top it up semi-regularly, every few seasons. As far as a complete change, I don't think it's happened in my time.
"We've done significant top ups in that period but nothing to this extent."
Mills said the coronavirus pandemic, which forced Premier Speedway to condense its season and apply a crowd cap for meetings, had hit the club financially.
But he hopes the positives of re-doing the track will outweigh any short-term pain.
"Ideally in COVID, is it a great cost to bare? Probably not," he said.
"But as far as securing our future and wanting competitors to come here and race, it's something we need to do."
Mills said the club was grateful for its supporters.
"Fortunately we were able to source the clay through a very generous speedway family," he said.
"They've been able to supply us with the dirt at a suitable location that's logistically feasible for us.
"Just the cartage side of it and the changeover (means it will cost) in the tens of thousands."
The redevelopment will require work post-installation and "the unknown is how it will react to being a race track".
"It will be a couple of days to remove what's there and then a couple of days to get the new lot in and then it will all be about shaping it, packing it and getting it right again," Mills said.
"We'll intend to have some practice on it at some different points.
"Whether it's at the end of this season when it freshly goes in or before next season starts here.
"We'll look to get a handle on how it's going to react to cars being on it.
"It's been sitting in the ground, so it's natural surface and anything can happen but we're fairly confident with what we've found that it's free of the evils we come across - the gravels and the buckshot.
"Hopefully it does lend itself to being a decent track surface and that will excite the competitors more so than having them fearing it becoming too expensive because of tyre wear."
Mills said the club had spoken to drivers about the circuit's current state and stressed it was working to ensure "everyone can have a smile on their face" next season.
Premier Speedway will host the Victorian sprintcar title on March 13 and the final night of the three-show Easter Sprintcar Trail on Sunday, April 4.
"Hopefully we can get it in and do the fireworks that everyone associates with Easter as a bit of a celebration for the season we have managed to get in," Mills said.
Avalon and Mount Gambier will host the Easter trail's first two nights.
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