martinmauger

Ipswich always look professional, like the pre-season studio photo session = quality team pics....

I hear that. And rugby too, to a lesser extent....

Sadly I never made it to Wimbledon, mind neither did 3 of the Hull team in 1979, but the stadium track looked good from what I saw on TV & DVDs with an interesting start / finish line arrangement. Harping on about oldish events aside, another iconic venue with loads of speedway history is gone....

And kinda baffles me the BSPA can't get the Prem League sponsored. "Your name included in league name description 'Whatever Pramiership League' with 14 riders + (potentially) 2 team managers + (potentially) 4 start girls wearing your logo, front and back on riders' suits / bibs, match programme, fence, centre and pit area advertising possibilities, with live TV coverage (approx) 20 times per season, also logos and name included in televised (potenial) Champs League meetings". Don't seem too bad a package to me...

'I was also there' for The Wilkie 4's, big turn out of fans on a freezing cold & wet day with many top riders riding for the 4 teams: Ivan Mauger, Bruce Penhall, PC, etc, etc which showed the high esteem people had, and still have, for Alan. Ivan won the World Individual Championship & tunned around the fortunes of, and won the league with, every team he rode for. Except Hull. The 3-no shows at Wimbledon + 1 non-arrival at Swindon in 1979 which did for Hull's title challenge were entered into the annulls of speedway history. Though Ivan did win the then World Team Cup with New Zealand in that year. Think the only 'major' (no pun intended) national trophy Hull won during Ivan's time (1978-81) was the Interleague 4TT - and ironcially Ivan didn't ride in the IL 4TT Final at Sheffeild. Many riders, didn't make it back from the postponed for 24 hours World Pairs at Vojens the previous day, though Zenon Plech did, but Ivan wasn't scheduled to ride at Sheffield on that day in any case. ...

And there we have the main criticism of team suits, he same goes equally for matching fork covers, mudguards, wheel spoilers, etc. They look cool & professional when all the same, less so when some don't match up mentioned to above ^^. I'm less than keen on some club logos but that's a slightly different topic. And while still on the subject, I'm convinced not a complete change of team colours is a good idea either....

To continue 'Coventry Wulfsport-gate', yeah those 'suits' are what I remember, p'raps not the Wulfsport brand as such, but Moto-X style seperate shirt & pants. Not ideal riding atire for speedway....

I could be wrong on that one maybe Coventry never used Wulfsport stuff, genuinely thought they did, but they defo were used by 'Lynn Oxford (Silver Machine & also Cheetahs at one time) & Wolves. I meant the gear with Wulfsport & sometimes Speedway Star logos: separate shirts & pants, you'll know it when you see it, not the one piece suits with Buildbase, etc on them. Not a Bees fan but their suits have looked good in the past....

To clairify; those lycra suits of 1998 (l think) were like slightly baggy and a bit thicker material that are used for aerobics, dancercise, etc. The idea was to be worn over leathers but were too small and made leathers much too tight. The Wulfsport gear, used at various times by Coventry, King's Lynn (Knights), Oxford (Silver Machine) & Wolves was basically for Moto-X. I.e. a silk / nylon shirt - literally just a sweat shirt - and the Wulfsport pants / jeans were slightly reinforced nylon-like material. This stuff was less than ideal but ok-ish with body armour worn underneath , though I know at least rider who didn't (!), but didn't offer a huge amount of protection in the event of a sliding-off spill. 'Kevlars', that is the 'heavy reinforced' material with sewn-on logos is ok also when worn with body armour, but there is also the thinner material (not sure what it's called) with printed logos which looks not the unlike tracksuits used by football players & athletes to keep warm. Leathers offer the best protection of course but are both hot and heavy to wear, in comparison to the 'heavy' kevlar-type material.. Me ? It'd be leathers + body armour, bit hot 'n' heavy but feeling protected....

I'm 60-40 in favour of team suits, but quite a few didn't match anyway so maybe race bibs is the garment of choice long as the riders' own suits are in the team colours....

Speaking personally, if it weren't so far away I'd swing by the storage facility for my own interest to look at the stadium sections for comparison with the rendered picture graphics ....

Indeed it is, happy to stand corrected....

No.4 is Alan Ciowland, the rider Wilkie originally had the on-track (racing) difference of opinion with, No.1 is probably Ray Wilson, I believe one of the guys (rider) holding Wilkie back is Malcolm Mackay, John Boulger can be seen in the background looking amazed at the unexpected action and I think the rider dealing out a left hook in the style of a gentleman is either Graham Plant or probably Tom Leadbitter. The Belle Vue no.1 on the night in question still in the pits, and therefore missing out on the fun, was Ronnie Moore guesting for Ivan Mauger. I read about the episode in an old 'Star and if my information wrong, happy to be proved so if the case....

I wish, but sadly no. Len is still super keen about his sport, as Martin Rogers says in this week's 'Star "the promoter needs to be biggest fan in the stadium"....

Happens from time to time was same in Hull last week, mine arrived Friday other copies were delivered on Saturday....

Oh yes, and the rest. Also don't agree with everything Len says but he does, and always has, promoted his tracks and gets people in watching and talking about them. Dunno about his online presence but he writes regular-ish letters to the 'Star ....

"Brrr, who says the season starts too early ?" ....

Saw that, think it was from April last year, not been able to find link again in order to show to others, but he actually got up to 68MPH just before peeling off into the turns. Impressive. Not taking into account track surface, before seeing the link if asked about the top speeds of speedway in UK I'd have replied "about 70MPH on a big, 'roundish' track like, say, Belle Vue, Peterbrough or Sheffield" if conditions were right. So while King's Lynn is a medium-sized track, albeit reknown for being grippy, what are riders reaching at the likes Belle Vue, Peterbrough or Sheffield; 70-75MPH ? Guess that touches on the 'speedway is too fast' argument'....

Seen it a good few times and also have it on DVD, but still watched it again tonite....

I remember it well, bunking off from school early and zooming home (as fast as I could pedal) to catch it, often getting into detention the next day but it was worth it. Hope more of it becomes available....

Going to speedway has helped me forget about for a short while and deal with many a tough time during my life. Sometimes it seems you just keep getting kicked and you gotta find your own way to deal with it. But, life goes on....

Ivan had an exeptional year in 1979 personally, but don't get me started on the league ^^, ....

Maybe, but races often continued with a rider laid on the track in those days . Kennett & Olsen were effectivley 'ganging up' on Ivan from behind and were going to get by sooner or later and, no, he never blamed Kennett for his fall. Whilst on the deck, conveniently near the pit gate, Ivan began planning for his 1979 assault on the title. Incedentally, I read somehere that Olsen had a 'special' JAWA prepared for that 1978 Final and the engine blew up in the next meeting....

Yeah, reckon hydrogen cells could be one excellent solution....

Yeah, Ivan's bike was slowing the entire race, the engine was gradually seizing up, though he did well to block the track for as long as he did. The following Ole Olsen & Gordon Kennett went past either side going into turn 3, by this time Ivan's bike had pretty much stopped, Olsen went outside but Kennett clipped him whilst going past in the inside, causing him to fall. I wasn't there unfortunately but saw the highlights on TV soon after the meet had ended....