Press Releases
Oct 26, 2010
RIP Peter Dodd
The National Association of Speedway Racing is deeply saddened by the news that former General Manager and Insurance Manager Peter Dodd, passed away after a long illness on Saturday.
The entire Australian speedway industry is indebted to Dodd, who was responsible for establishing the industry insurance schemes under the Federation of Australian Speedway (FAS) banner in 1987.
At a time where tracks found it difficult to source competitive insurance cover, Dodd forged a partnership and friendship with Colin Dawson from Sedgwick’s (Marsh) Insurance Brokers, and together were able to place a deal on behalf of a group of tracks for one-million dollars cover, comprising twelve different insurers.
A key part of the strategy was to form a risk management arm for FAS, conducting track inspections and offering risk advice to tracks.
A loyal group of volunteers including Bruce Howle, Jeff Alexander and Les & Laura Hinks to name a few, supported Peter in his efforts to establish the self regulatory, industry support body.
The track inspection process saw Dodd visit almost every one of the one-hundred plus tracks around the country, covering thousands of kilometres by road, for almost twenty years.
During that process, Dodd formed many friendships around the country.
Dodd and Dawson were also responsible for establishing the person accident insurance scheme for drivers, officials and crews, putting an end to the ‘blanket brigade’ of walking through the crowd raising money for injured drivers.
In 1997, Dodd was instrumental along with World Series Sprintcars Manager John Hughes in forming NASR.
While Hughes stepped into the General Manager’s role, Dodd continued his great work as NASR Insurance Manager.
Dodd then stepped into the General Manager’s role in 2001, prior to his professional retirement in 2002.
Dodd experienced many challenges in his five years at NASR, including saving the public liability insurance scheme when the nine-eleven disaster tipped the insurance markets and threatened the speedway industry.
Dodd’s time in speedway stretched more than fifty years, beginning back in the early fifties, where as a sixteen year old mechanic, he started working on Jeff Rodger’s speedcar.
Dodd then continued as a mechanic and sponsor of many other speedway greats over the next two decades, including Peter Maltby, Ron Woods and Alex Rowe.
Joining the Racing Drivers Association of South Australia (RDA) in 1952, Dodd was the speedcar machine examiner from 1959, and Secretary from 1960 to 1962 and then again from 1986 to 1989.
Dodd was President of the RDA from 1977 to 1979 and Vice President from 1990 to 1992. He became a life member in 1973.
At national level, Dodd was also Secretary of the Australian Speedcar Control Council for a number of years in the late eighties.
In his role with the RDA, Dodd found himself promoting the RDA owned Speedway Park on two accessions when promoting arrangements fell over part way through the season.
Dodd was formally recognised for his outstanding achievements and contributions to Australian Speedway with his induction into the Australian Speedway Hall of Fame in 2009.
The NASR Board and Management salute Dodd and credit his contributions which form the backbone of NASR today.
NASR expresses its deepest condolences to Dodd’s wife Jan, Children Brooke & Stacey and their families including five grand-children.
Dodd was aged 73, with his 74th birthday less than three weeks away.
The funeral service for Peter Dodd will be held on Thursday 28 October at 1.30pm, at the Heysen Chapel, Centennial Park, Adelaide.
RIP Peter.
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