AJ

Your Grandad was a legend Ben. Len was involved helping the promotion in 2000 when they had the temporary track to lay every week. He took on the stadium lease the same year but didn't take on sole promotion until 2001.....I think. Others would now better than me.

Not sure if it's been mentioned on the forum but I came across a 5 part Free Speedway Podcast on Audible by Jennie Gow. An interesting listen about how speedway started her love of motor racing and about the sports heyday in the UK to where we are at now. Interesting hearing what Barry Hearn thinks in contrast to Buster Chapman's all is rosy view. Well worth a listen. It's interesting that they say about people drift out from the sport often due to starting families and work progression and then coming back to the sport at a later point. This is where I am. Since 2009 I drifted away from Rye House attending sporadically but back in 2018 with the kids older showing more interest we tried to attend but the midweek meetings put a stop to that with school and their after school commitments. Since the Rockets disappeared I've been itching to get back to speedway. Over the past year I have bumped into many old faces from Rye at some very random places none of them at speedway. In the years I was a regular week in week out I had an amazing time with some great people travelling up and down the country. It's sad how many tracks I had visited are no more in a relatively short space of time. Fingers crossed the Rockets get back on track and if it's a weekend race night/afternoon then me and my Johnson clan will be there.

Funnily enough Ben the way I found out the Rockets were back in 2000 was by a couple of big signs stuck on the roundabout at the Tesco A414/A1 interchange in Hatfield and then a few weeks later there was a display outside the Howard Centre in Welwyn Garden City. Can't remember which riders were there but guessing Russell Paine being local at the time, may have been there. After the 2000 season I never saw anything round my area (Welwyn/Hatfield) again.

And the story that the club itself is still owed money still seems to be rumbling on.

Both sites are owned by BMR with the Kart side being leased to Motorsport World.

Worth keeping an eye out for a change of use with the council as the area is a designated motorsports site. Remember back in the early 00's with the clubs resurrection the locals in the flats and houses opposite, which were built after the Rockets 90's closure put complaints about the noise. The complaints were thrown out because the residents should have been aware they were moving next to a designated motorsports site.

Rob Mear's site: www.RobMearRacing.co.uk