There isn’t much in the world of speedway Tasmania’s Peter Aylett hasn’t been involved in.

From pit mechanic to promoter, race commentator and Australian champion sedan driver, he did it all in more than four decades of involvement in the sport.

Legend is an often over-used word and while it didn’t sit comfortably with “the old silver fox”, it’s a word fittingly describing Peter Aylett.

Peter started his speedway career as a spectator at one of the very first race meetings at the Latrobe Speedway.

An announcement at the track called for a passenger for a sidecar unit, and Peter was quick to hop the fence and don a helmet for what was the start of a long racing career.

He raced sidecars, Formula 500s, and eventually sedans when they were introduced to Tasmanian tracks in the late 1960s.

Peter went on to win a number of regional titles and major events before eventually taking out his first State title in 1986, later going a step bigger and also winning the Australian title in the same season.

This was followed by two more Tasmanian titles in succession in 1987 and 1988.

In 1996, despite being aged 58, he won Australia’s richest super sedan event at the time, the Cascade Apple Isle Grand Prix at his home track at Latrobe against many of the top V8 super sedan drivers in the country.

Topping off a remarkable season, he was awarded the most prestigious accolade for speedway drivers in Australia - the Australian Saloon Car Federation’s Phil Jackson Memorial Award, commonly referred to as the Jacko Award.

 Peter also loved to get his car out and about.

It was not unusual to see it on TV, parked in the middle of a shopping centre, or slotted in behind Santa at local Christmas parades.

During his racing career Peter competed in every Australian state, sometimes winning, sometimes not, but always entertaining with a spectacular night filled with clean, consistent and exciting racing.

During the late 1970s, Peter also competed in circuit racing and hillclimbs, meeting with some success and later dabbled in off-road racing as well, where, naturally, he was also a very competitive driver.

However, his involvement in racing, and in particular speedway, did not finish with the race car.

Peter was an active member of the Latrobe Speedway Sedan Drivers Association, achieving his Life Membership in 1984 and represented the association as a delegate to the State speedway body, the Tasmanian Saloon Car Federation.

At the time of induction Peter was still a director of Latrobe Speedway Pty Ltd, which owns and operates speedway tracks at Latrobe and Hobart.

 Peter’s support for the other speedway divisions, not just the elite V8 ranks, has always been appreciated by those involved.

To the ever growing list of new drivers, he has offered support, encouragement and advice with setting up their race car, building an engine or advice on driving from his wealth of knowledge.

Written by Martin Agatyn, with assistance from Sue Morgan and John Wilson