Phoenix The Flaggie

19/07/2026

2025/2026 PTF SEASON

Ohh what a season it’s been!

Throughout the 2025/2026 season, I ventured to new venues, had new experiences and met so many amazing people. It’s been an honour to be on the flagstand this season. Here is a quick recap!

Throughout the season I had the opportunity to:

* Celebrate 5 years as an official at Lake Liddell Speedbowl.
* Flag my first ever Sprintcar event.
* Travel to Tailem Bend, South Australia.
* Complete additional safety training & Race secretary Training.
* Reach 500 followers on the Phoenix The Flaggie pages.
* Become an Motorcycling NSW official.
* Started training in speedway bike flagging, and flagged a event with DW Speedway Promotions

Quick Stats
Events Officiated: 29 Events across all venues
Slips,trips or falls: 1 (Aiming for zero next season!)
Locations:
* Lake Liddell Speedbowl
* Tailem Bend Speedway (SA)
* Western Sydney Speedway
* Moruya Speedway

Looking Ahead:
Next season is already coming around quickly! My goal is to continue learning and developing my skills in my focussed area. I can’t wait to see what opportunities come my way throughout the 2026/2027 season.

Phoenix The Flaggie Pages:
This season we reached our first major milestone 500 followers!
Thank you to every single one of you for following along. I spend a bit of time planning posts, thinking of new ideas, and working out what to post. I hope you’ve enjoyed following the page this season. If you have any feedback please reach out.

Next season, I have plenty more ideas planned, including new series, different styles of posts and more videos. I can’t wait to share it all with you!

Thank You:
I’m incredibly proud of how this season turned out. There were plenty of ups and downs, but I truly love what I do, and I couldn’t do it without the support of so many people.
A huge thank you to Mum, Dad, Mitch, Ged, my fellow officials, friends, family, and everyone who has supported me and the Phoenix The Flaggie pages throughout the season. Thanks to my sponsors KrankHouse & gnt_racewear. And media ZP Images, Real Deal Photography, What's On Speedway TV & Horsepower Media for their support.

I also hope you’ve enjoyed the different flagging styles, special effects from the flagstand that I introduced this season. Stay tuned for something new coming next season hopefully. It will be a whole new level!

It’s been an epic season, and I can’t wait to do it all again bigger and better in 2026/2027.

Until the next green flag!

𝓟𝓱𝓸𝓮𝓷𝓲𝔁 𝓦𝓪𝓵𝓽𝓸𝓷

17/07/2026

😱

It's The Bend... and we can't wait!!!

When Dragway at The Bend invited us back, we jumped at the opportunity.

Micros On The Murray returns to Shell V-Power Motorsport Park and Dragway at The Bend on September 11 and 12 for the Second Annual running of one of Australia's most exciting Microsprint events.

Last year we took a chance on a brand new concept, some things worked brilliantly, some things didn’t.

We listened, we learned and we've been working hard to make this year's event even better.

For 2026, the temporary race track returns wider and reshaped, with improvements designed to create even better racing while keeping the same challenges that made Micros On The Murray so unique.

We're also excited to welcome Outlaw Karts Australia back to the program, joining Australia's best Microsprint competitors for two huge days of racing alongside the AirTouch 500. As Outlaw Karts continue to grow right across the country, we're proud to have them back at The Bend.

There aren't many opportunities to race at Australia's premier motorsport facility during one of the country's biggest motorsport weekends.

The Bend has backed us once again. Now it's our time to fill the pits and show our support.

Driver nominations, spectator tickets and camping information will be live in the coming days.

We'll see you in September.

AASA - Australian Auto-Sport Alliance
POWRi
Dragway at The Bend
Shell V-Power Motorsport Park
Outlaw Karts Australia
Methanol Moonshine
Jettco Developments
ZP Images
Phoenix The Flaggie
Mansell Motorsport

14/07/2026

Dumb and dumber over here…..

Real Deal Photography

14/07/2026

What a season it’s been for the Lake Liddell Speedbowl Officials Team!

Throughout the 2025/2026 season, the officials team proudly completed over 20 race meetings in 2 states, working together to ensure every event was safe, professional, and ran smoothly.

From all of us, thank you. Thank you for the incredible race nights, thank you for your continued support and thank you to everyone who takes the time to thank the officials. Those simple words truly make our night and mean more than you know

We’re already looking forward to doing it all again next season bigger and better than ever!

From all of us, enjoy the off season, stay safe and we will see you again next season!

- Lake Liddell Speedbowl official’s team
(Mitch Biner, Rachel Biner, Ged Elphinstone, Lenny Edwards, Mitch Bootland, Phoenix Walton, Melaine Jones, Jason Summers, Teearn Summers, Shaun McDonald, Loretta Jackson, Darren Todd, Daniele Skinner, David Higgins, Nathan Walton, Cameron Jones, David James, Steve Jones, Luke Jamieson, Keith Kelly, Dave Murdoch, Gate staff & Crown Control.)

PTF Season Review coming soon…

10/07/2026

HATS IN STOCK NOW!

Thanks to KrankHouse for these awesome new hats

If you want any hats this weekend come and see me or order online on the PTF store.

$30 - While stocks last!

05/07/2026

😮

ONE GREAT VENUE. TWO GREAT TRACKS.

We're excited to release The Bowl's 2026/2027 racing calendar.

POWRi Microsprints, Speedway Karts and NSW Outlaw Karts once again take centre stage throughout the 2026/2027 season, highlighted by the 6th Annual Jettco Developments POWRi Nationals along with Multiple National and State Championship events.
The always entertaining Fender Benders have locked in 3 events, and not one, but two Demolition Derbies, including the all girls derby in December.

Whether it's 2, 3 or 4 wheels, there's something on this calendar for everyone.

The full 2026/2027 calendar can be found below and this post will remain pinned to the top of our page, making it easy to find throughout the season.

Before we turn our attention to the new season, we've still got one huge weekend to wrap up 2025/2026 with the Lees Fencing POWRi Speedway Kart National Open on Saturday July 11, followed by the Outlaw Kit Out NSW Outlaw Karts Championship and Speedway Kart Short Track Shootout on Sunday July 12.

We look forward to seeing plenty of familiar faces back at The Bowl, and hopefully welcoming a few new ones along the way.

OCTOBER 2026
Saturday October 3, 2026 - Opening Night / Track Championship Round 1
Senior Microsprints, Junior Microsprints, Sportsman Microsprints, Speedway Karts, GP Midgets

Saturday October 31, 2026 - Halloween Spectacular / Track Championship Round 2
Senior Microsprints, Junior Microsprints, Sportsman Microsprints, Lightning Sprints, Fender Benders


NOVEMBER 2026
Saturday November 21, 2026 - Short Track Arena
Speedway Karts, Bikes

Saturday November 28, 2026 - Track Championship Round 3(NSW Microsprint Championship)
Senior Microsprints, Junior Microsprints, Sportsman Microsprints, Outlaw Karts, Fender Benders


DECEMBER 2026
Saturday December 12, 2026 - Track Championship Round 4
Senior Microsprints, Junior Microsprints, Sportsman Microsprints, Speedway Karts, Female Demolition Derby


JANUARY 2027
Saturday January 16, 2027 - Short Track Arena
Speedway Karts, Bikes

Saturday January 23, 2027 - Winged F500 Event
Senior F500, Junior F500, Sportsman Microsprints, Outlaw Karts

Sunday January 24, 2027 - Winged F500 Event
Senior F500, Junior F500, Sportsman Microsprints, Speedway Karts


FEBRUARY 2027
Saturday February 20, 2027 - Track Championship Round 5
Senior Microsprints, Junior Microsprints, Sportsman Microsprints, Speedway Karts, Fender Benders


MARCH 2027
Saturday March 6, 2027 - Short Track Arena
Speedway Karts, Bikes

Saturday March 20, 2027 - Track Championship Round 6
Senior Microsprints, Junior Microsprints, Sportsman Microsprints, Outlaw Karts

Friday, Saturday, Sunday - March 26,27,28, 2027
Australian Outlaw Kart Championship
Beginner Box Stock, Box Stock, Intermediate, Open, SR Clone


APRIL 2027
Saturday April 10, 2027 - Short Track Arena
Speedway Karts, Bikes

Saturday April 24, 2027 - NSW Formula 500 Championship & Speedway Kart NSW Championship Night 1
Formula 500s Jr & Sr, Speedway Karts, Sportsman Microsprints

Sunday April 25, 2027
Track Championship Round 7 & Speedway Kart NSW Championship Night 2
Senior Microsprints, Junior Microsprints, Sportsman Microsprints, Speedway Karts


JUNE 2027
Friday June 11, 2027 - Jettco Developments POWRi Nationals
Saturday June 12, 2027 - Jettco Developments POWRi Nationals
Sunday June 13, 2027 - Jettco Developments POWRi Nationals, Demolition Derby, Fireworks


JULY 2027
Saturday July 10, 2027 - POWRi Speedway Kart National Open
Speedway Karts, Outlaw Karts

Sunday July 11, 2027 - 3rd Annual Speedway Kart Short Track Shootout
Speedway Karts, Outlaw Karts

**all dates and classes are subject to change**

POWRi Racing Australia
AASA - Australian Auto-Sport Alliance
Jettco Developments
The Plumber .Plumbing & Gas.
Muswellbrook Ford
Lancaster Ford
Syndicate Communications Pty Ltd
GNT Racewear
Brett's Maintenance and Welding
KrankHouse
Speedway Experience
DW Speedway Promotions
Motorcycling NSW
M5 Industrial Property Services
Phoenix The Flaggie
ZP Images
What's On Speedway TV
Upper Hunter Fireworks
NSW Formula 500
NSW GP Midgets
NSW Lightning & Litre Sprintcars
NSW Outlaw Karts
Fwordspeedshop

05/07/2026

FINAL – DAVID HIGGINS – THE MAESTRO MEDIC

Dave’s Story – Part 4 - The Final Part

During this time, I also worked as an Intensive Care and Rescue Paramedic aboard the Newcastle Westpac Rescue Helicopter. During these times I attended the Kempsey bus crash and also the Newcastle Earthquake, both of these occurred within 6 days of each other. In addition, I worked at both Newcastle and Parramatta Speedways, World Series Sprintcars, V8 Supercars, the Formula One Australian Grand Prix and Targa Tasmania as a rescue medic.

I have also been fortunate enough to travel to the United States on 10 occasions, working with NASCAR and at dirt tracks across the USA. One of the highlights was having the opportunity to work alongside the safety team at the Knoxville Nationals.

Furthermore, the training system I designed evolved from a Sprintcar crash at Newcastle Speedway… Rescuing driver John Cross from a burning Sprintcar whilst he was caught in the car incapacitated and unable to exit. I received numerous bravery awards for this incident.

So that brings us to today, as the Rescue Medic at Lake Liddell Speedbowl, alongside Scott, a retired Advanced Life Support Rescue Medic. Scott brings an abundance of knowledge and experience, and his skills complement our safety team immensely.

I commenced working at the Speedbowl in 2018 after meeting Mitch Biner at Kurri. Mitch had a dream, and I wanted to be a part of it.
To see the journey from a small track that began with go-karts on a makeshift circuit marked out by witches hats, to what we witnessed at the 2026 POWRi Nationals with a sell-out crowd, has been something truly special.

Since teaming up with Mitch and POWRi Racing Australia, our dedicated team of volunteers has travelled to Moruya, Darlington, Myrtleford and Tailem Bend, working alongside multiple organisations.

The dream, passion, drive and commitment remain unwavering, and who knows where this journey will lead next. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Recently, my passion, motivation and dedication were recognised when I reached the milestone of officiating 1,000 race meetings as a Rescue Medic.
This achievement means a great deal to me. It represents thousands of hours of sacrifice, training, travel and commitment over many years.

But it’s all been worth it. I’ve loved every minute of the journey.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way.

——-

Editor’s Note

Over the past four weeks, PTF pages have had the privilege of sharing Dave’s incredible story. While many people know him as the calm and familiar face on the infield, not many realise the decades of experience, dedication and innovation that have shaped not only his career but speedway safety across Australia.

On behalf of the entire officials team at lake Liddell Speedbowl - Thank you for your commitment in speedway racing Dave.

01/07/2026

Congratulations Michael Williams!

You are the winner of one of only two official 2025/2026 chequered flags used throughout the season!

Please send the page a message to claim your prize.

Flag Serial #0007

29/06/2026

4pm Wednesday! So get in and get a chance to win the official chequered flag from this season

2025/2026 SEASON OFFICIAL FLAG GIVEAWAY

With the end of the 2025/2026 season upon us, we thought we’d continue what we did last season…

WIN THE OFFICIAL CHEQUERED FLAG USED ON THE FLAGSTAND DURING THIS SEASON!

This official POWRi Racing Australia chequered flag was used throughout the season from 4 October 2025 to 26 April 2026, seeing countless moments on the stand.

HOW TO ENTER

You MUST:
- Like this post
- Follow Phoenix The Flaggie on at least one social media platform
- Tag 1–10 mates in the comments (1 entry per tag)

BONUS

- Share this post for 1 bonus entry
- Follow Phoenix The Flaggie on 2 social media platforms for 1 bonus entry

DETAILS

Winner will be drawn on 1st July 2026

The winner will receive the flag either:
At the 2026 Karting Nationals
Or Posted directly to them. (Postage costs may apply.)

Good luck, and just a quick thank you to everyone who has supported Phoenix The Flaggie throughout the 2025/2026 season!

Phoenix The Flaggie

28/06/2026

PART 3 – DAVID HIGGINS – THE MAESTRO MEDIC

Dave’s Story – Part 3

Whilst working at Newcastle Speedway, I designed, developed and implemented safety training and extraction procedures for drivers injured in racing accidents. The methods used were the same as those used in motor vehicle accidents. In simple terms, the equipment, techniques, skills and intentions I had already learned were simply adapted and implemented into the race car environment. I wasn’t trying to reinvent the wheel.

The success of the safety and extraction training was immediate. This became even more significant when I was approached by World Series Sprintcars to join them on tour as the travelling medic. I was exposed to many race tracks throughout Australia.

On one of my trips to Warrnambool, I met John Cooley from Cool Chassis. John saw my passion and wanted to help. He provided a race car chassis and seats to assist with the training.

Around the same time, I met Jeff Jackson. Jeff designed and developed a seat rib extraction tool, which allowed seat ribs on a race car to be bent during an extraction. It is a tool that I still use to this day.

Additionally, we utilised a Kendrick Extrication Device (K.E.D.) in conjunction with a neck collar to safely extricate a driver from a race car. The K.E.D. is essentially a device with a built-in backboard and straps, similar to an abseiling harness. It is placed between the driver and the seat before being securely fastened. The driver is then carefully extracted through the top of the car, placed onto a spine board and moved to safety.

Further to this, I was subsequently approached by NASR. They had witnessed my safety training seminars and asked me to become their National Safety Training Coordinator. My safety and extraction training was eventually delivered in every state across Australia.

I owe a deep gratitude to John Hughes and Tim McAvaney, both former CEOs of NASR, who believed in me and gave me the opportunity to share my knowledge on a national level.

⸻

Stay tuned for the final story, where Dave reflects on his career and the legacy of his work in speedway safety and his career.

📸 Real Deal Photography