martinmauger

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....

The power characteristics will be interesting though, less of a throttle or voltage controller - more of an on / off switch. I 'like', in one sense, the Formula E series: when it comes to pit stops they simply change cars. Electric vehicles may, just may, be the future but there is still a very long way to go. It would take 3 days and many re-charges to get from Hull to, say, Scotland or Cornwall by electric vehicle. No thanks....

Point taken, assuming Swindon's new staduim - with speedway track - is built. Wonder why they didn't decide to just re-build and modify the existing stadium in the first place....

STOP PRESS, though admittedly of limited relevance, 135 house to built next to Craven Park. The current residents, some rare spieces of newts, will apparenetly be transferred to nearby ponds. Poor newts....

Happens in Hull too, problems which prevent the building projects like shops are somehow quickly and easily solved when it comes to housing. And some of the existing traffic nightmare bottlenecks / 'snaking carparks' where new house building is taking place have to be seen to be believed....

Disagree, speedway in the UK has its issues but think it will continue for a good few more years yet....

Adding my 2p's worth the Speedway Museum is defo worth a visit. Been a few years since I last went but seem to recall admission to the Paradise Wildlife Park was £16-ish or so with free entry to the speedway bit included, so £10 is a bit of a saving. We took in all the zoo but spent 75% of our timr in the speedway museum....

Pretty sure that Sweeney episode was from 1976, the year it didn't rain for a good few weeks, or months even. Seem to recall reading the likes of Ivan & Olsen stuck with open face helmets was due to their lighter weight than full-face lids, there was much less chance of a neck / wiplash injury in the event of a bad crash. Big Alan Grahame also stuck with his open face lid til full-face helmets became compulsory in 2000 or so...

I was usually allowed to watch The Sweeney before going to bed, was on Monday nites at 9pm so school the next day. My eyes popped out of my head at the title sequence of that episode, pretty sure the 2 riders were Trevor Geer (blue & white leathers) & Paul Gachet, both White City riders of course. Think it was filmed on the day Ivan Mauger got his MBE at Buck House, he turned up at the track still in top hat and tails and got to meet one of his heroes John Shaw.....

Forgot about that track, an absolute beaut....