Late Model Racing Western Australia
Late Model Racing Western Australia

Late Model Racing Western Australia

Series Information

The Late Models in Australia commenced with the formation of Late Model Racing Australia (Inc) in the 1997-1998 season in Western Australia where the LMRA was based.

After initially racing only at country tracks around Western Australia, the division made it to the bright lights of Claremont Speedway, the premier track in the State at the time.

When Claremont closed in 2000, the Perth Motorplex opened: a state of the art facility that boasted everything that Late Models needed to put on a show.

As the division began to grow, the Pro Dirt Series began in the 2002/03 season and has been the pinnacle of Late Model racing in Western Australia ever sunce.

Welcome to Late Model Racing Western Australia

Late Model Sedan Division, in Australia, commenced with the formation of Late Model Racing Australia (Inc) in the 1997-1998 season in Western Australia where the LMRA was based. The new Late Model division adopted identical car specifications to the popular United Dirt Track Racing Association (UDTRA) series in the USA.

The benefits of this quickly became obvious, with fully imported cars being able to compete without… modifications to suit local (Australian) rulings.

During their debut season the Late Models only competed at WA country tracks (the first ever Australian Late Model Feature was held at Geraldton Speedway). During the Late Models second season 1998-1999 they competed in the states major speedway venue (which is now closed) at Claremont Speedway during that season, US racer Ray Godsey was brought to Perth for several meetings to run with the West Australian Late Model drivers.

Since the LMRA began in Australia back in 1997 the Late Model division has continued to grow throughout Western Australia and has now become one of the biggest and best sedan divisions.

The Late Model division expanded across Australia gaining more and more competitors each year. In 2010 the Australian Late Model Championship was held in Victoria, it was the first time the title had been out of Western Australia.

Late Models now race in all over Australia with clubs forming in each state.

  • South Australia – South Australian Late Model Association (SALMA)
  • New South Wales – NSW Late Models
  • Queensland – Late Model Racing Queensland (LMRQ)
  • Victoria - Late Model Racing Victoria

In 2011 a new national body was formed for the Late Model division, called Late Model Australia (LMA) the new national body was formed with delegates from each club to encourage each state to work together to help promote the continuation of growth.

What is a late model?

A Late Model is a rolling anachronism; a noisy, powerful, fragile, ill- tempered beast that’s a handful to drive. Modern Late Models are simple and brutally powerful. There is no dead weight on the car if a part doesn’t contribute to the car’s performance, it is left off.

With a power-to-weight ratio comparable to a Formula 1 racer’s, and a short, tippy frame, a Late Model spends most of its time scrabbling for traction, broadsliding around the corners, wheel standing on the straights, and throwing clay into the stands, while the driver wrestles frantically with the steering wheel.