Outback Town Revives Motocross Club for Its Young Riders

Twelve-year-old Lennox Connelly used to wake up before dawn and travel 12 hours just to race his dirt bike. Now, he might finally get to eat bacon and eggs at home before hitting the track in his backyard.

Newman, a remote mining town 1,170 kilometers from Perth, is bringing its motocross club back to life. The Echo Park circuit, famous for its sweeping turns and bowl jumps across spinifex-covered hills, has sat empty since the club collapsed in 2021.

COVID-19 financial pressures and soaring insurance costs forced the club into insolvency. The lease reverted to the local shire, and vandals moved in quickly.

Thieves stripped copper from the electrical switchboard and stole trophies from dusty cases. Windows were smashed, fridges damaged, and the once-vibrant clubhouse where hundreds of racing fans gathered became what new club president Michael Heard calls "a hidden eyesore."

But in February 2026, the shire council voted to return the lease to a reformed committee. Heard and fellow volunteers now face roughly $100,000 in repair costs before they can host races again.

For kids like Lennox, Harley Ross (11), and Marley Jackson (14), the wait has meant expensive travel to distant competitions. "Having a track right there is going to be the best thing ever," Lennox said.

The Ripple Effect

This revival means more than racing for Newman. The town struggles with one of Western Australia's highest youth offending rates, making safe activities for young people critical.

Blaine Tucker, who joined the club in 2015, remembers when riders traveled from Broome, Karratha, and Port Hedland for race days. "It's not just about the racing, it's also having another club in town where people can come down and be part of it and make friends, friends for life."

Newman's identity as a mining community makes the mechanical sport especially meaningful. "We are a mining town, so it does attract a lot of trades and people that like raw horsepower," Tucker explained.

The committee is committed to fundraising and recruiting volunteers to restore what was once a Pilbara social hub. Shire President Anthony Middleton invited them to apply for community grants to help reach their goal.

Soon, young riders might race those big bends and step-downs without leaving home.