The Ringwood Raceway (formerly known as Matchams Park Stadium) was a motorsport venue in Ringwood, Hampshire, England. The site was located in St Leonards, Dorset off the Hurn Road and Matchams Lane.

History

After World War II, a

motorcycle speedway Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to simply as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. The motorcycles are specialist machines that use only ...

circuit was constructed on the site. During the 1946 and 1947 seasons the site known as Matchams Park Stadium and operated on an open speedway licence. The track was referred to as a training school in 1950 and the stadium was also used for cars in 1950. Open speedway licence meetings were once again held at the venue from 1951 to 1953 but on a different circuit within the site. A team called the Ringwood Turfs entered league competition for the first time in 1954. The following season in 1955, the team withdrew in late June and had their results expunged. Further open meetings and training took place sporadically with a last recorded training and long track meetings in 1993. The site continued banger racing, until its closure in 2022.

Future

Future development of the site is pending council approval. A retirement community is planned to be built. Consultation for redevelopment began in October 2021.

References

{{Reflist Ringwood, Hampshire 2022 disestablishments in England Defunct motorsport venues in England Defunct speedway venues in England Sport in Hampshire