Jim Blanchard

I would imagine they are like car seat belts. In most incidents they will assist in saving the wearer from more serious injuries but on the odd occasion due to their design they could create greater injuries than without, so I guess like seat belts they are a calculated risks which is usually more beneficial than not. But I am only surmising generally. BTW Chris, its said that Barry Sheene 'invented' the back protector as we know it in conjunction with Dainese..

Your a genius Snyper. Catching 'Banksy' letting go with a spray can like that on the tier above him on the left is very worthy and great photojournalism at its best….

I thought that there was a real practical reason for it tbh. My daughter mentioned it a couple of times and I said it was most likely a routine where he does a clutch start with the rear tyre under weight pressure on the track and not on the stand, and they just making sure in taking up any slack on the chain. He does not feature in most of the pre- starts on TV on Saturday until only once in the semi, I think. So all the opinions with posts in the thread about getting in the spotlight from a TV coverage for his sponsors, by re-checking the slack in the rear chain are not looking very strong at all really chaps at this stage.

Its Jack. I sometimes get confused between the two as they had similar styles and both used in their careers Mattingley trombone style front forks and both rode for Leicester. Also, I am not sure if the zips on the sleeves on his leathers were broken (they do look it at times, including the front cover shot) or he just preferred to race with them folded back which is evident in many action photo‘s of him, and which I'm sure Ken never did. Another rider that tucked his sleeves back on his leathers frequently was Mike Broadbanks. Nice edition Tony. Liked the articles on both Jack & Jimmy . (Is the picture on page 24 with Briggo ‘Miss Diane’ from Crossroads?) Have renewed my subscription in the past few days.

Yes Norman. Just found a programme New Cross v. Wimbledon - Wednesday May the 18th 1960. Event 2 'New Cross Trophy'. (First in heat to Final) Split Waterman replaced by G. Goldfinch in Red. Bob Andrews Blue. Leo McAuliffe White. Ron Johnson Yellow. Result: Blue, Red, White. Yellow it says 'off'. Event 3. Junior Handicap. Jimmy Chalkley Red 10yrds. Keith Vale Blue 10yrds. Ron Johnson White Scratch.. Bill Wainwright Yellow Scratch. Result: Blue, Yellow, Red. Time: 62secs. How Sad....

That is amazing Doug, I was not aware of that. Was you Norman? Most certainly near the top if that is the case.

Bob, I also think there should be an article on Arne in the Classic Speedway magazine. He, if I remember correctly was a very good speedway rider and excellent team man for Oxford. In fact, I think that he only rode for them. I am not 100% sure also but I think he resides fit and well in this country near 'Fundin country' at Norwich....

I think they all look really smart and at least some thought has gone into it.

But of course Shazz. Its the only way to do it with a little 'Castrol R' wafting away in the back ground. I came across this little cartoon I did, the other day Shazz for a thread on the forum. Do you remember it? If I still had the original - I guess I could have changed it to Cardiff. Shazzy on the lose with Nicki P's van. Seriously, I hope you all that are attending Cardiff have a great time.

Toothill Towers. They supply from 4pm a bar-b-que, Castrol R burning away in the background on the patio, we all have little cards to raise that says; 'Boo', 'Holta is a Spoiler', 'Hope I do not get excruded', 'all four back' - during the meeting. We do not miss any of the action either. Its great fun.... Plus, before the meeting, we get to watch the Dutch TT, MotoGP from Assen live on TV.

How interesting. Thanks for that falkirkbandit. Last year at a race meeting at Scarborough we were trading at, a nice old chap seeing our speedway prints, was telling me that Louis was either a neighbour or friend (can't remember which now) of his, and he was still quite an active sort of bloke and he still had a full head of red hair. That was an interesting comment to : 'Incidentally, Wilkinson is credited with introducing curved handlebars to speedway' I thought they were always curved from the very beginning - downwards originally, but still curved.

Hello dear readers! I have not had much interest in the Speedway G.P.'s the last few years, but now I can hardly wait for the next round (even that I have to watch on tv) The answer is EMIL SAYFUTDINOV, the young Russian who has given speedway a much needed injection. What a speedway rider.... I don't know of anyone before that has had such an impact on the sport. Right from the first of this years G.P.'s ( and Emil's first ever ) has he been the man to watch. That opening meeting, in Prague, would have been quick forgotten had it not been for Emil Sayfutdinov and Fredrik Lindgren. It was boring speedway, kind of "follow John", no passing .... The track was much too slick and easy to ride with just one line. The next two G.P.'s were much the same, Emil still shinning, but I don't know what happened to Fredrik, one meeting the young Swede is very good and then riding like a novice in the next. Then came Ullevi, Gothenburg, at last some good racing with lots of overtaking, I think that you need more dirt on the track to provide for better racing, that plus one or two bumps in it opens up for passing and for riders mistake, that is what we need and what the crowd comes to see. Not just seeing riders finishing the way thay start. Parken, the stadium in Chopenhagen, again Sayfutdinov looked, to me, as the winner, in spite of yet another clash with local favorite and last years World Champ, Nicki Pedersen. The two had a dramatic crash at Gothenburg and now again here in Copenhagen, Pedersen both times being excluded.Unlucky for Emil he was excluded for touching the tapes in the semifinal. I still thing that Ioana's favorite, Jason Crump will be crowned Champ at the end of the season, but for sure Sayfutdinov is going to win the title in the near future. Everyone who has read my earlier letters knows my point regarding the system with riders being seeded in to the G.P. series; Next round is The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and I understand that without any rider from the U.K. that meeting will not be the success it has proven to be since speedway was first run here. But none of the two English riders at present in the G.P.'s belong there; It's sad, but something has to be done regarding finding new speedway stars in the worlds finest speedway country. And please come back to the qualifying of riders if it is to be World Championship, not just a business. Our trip to Sweden last week for the 50th birthday of my oldest son, Michael, was a great success and I got to see all my 8 children plus their families and friends. Of course it's always nice to come back to your "home town" the place you were born and brought up, and that's where Michael now lives, in "my" Tranas. For this summer I plan, among other things, a motor bike ride to Bucharest, Romania, Ioana will, as always, travel by airplane. I also hope to be in Leszno, Poland, for the World Team Cup and maybe see one G.P. live. Hope you will all enjoy your speedway and we wish everyone a nice summer. Ove and Ioana. Web site here

well....I do not know what you getting at spook about Ole in a another thread...I think I am entitled to my opinion... And that it is all it is……as I am sure you will appreciate...and respect... the only thing... that I could comment on................................................ is that Ole is a three times world champion....and not a double... plus.... he was close to winning two more...but I guess luck was not on his side... on those occasions... did you really mean......Keith Huewen?

Hope Eric recovers Ross from this latest setback with his illness. He is a fighter for sure, I am sure all of us wish him well at this time. Eric Williams - The Seventeenth Collection - The Great Adventure of 1952/3 by Ross Garrigan can be read: Here

Fair enough Steve. I guess I may have got the wrong end of the stick, so I apologise if that is the case to the thread starter and posters. It might help a little though if the originator of the thread could spell, and make it clear what it was about though, if your going to be so pedantic about it all.

Sorry, but to me irrespective of the title of the thread Peter Craven, Ron Johnston, Dick Fisher and even Peter Collins would have had a testimonial if they had them in those days, for as in this case all with Belle Vue. I mean, a rider has to start somewhere to learn his trade which would usually be in a lower league if he was going all the way to the top surely?

I think I was winding him up a bit to be fair, but I do get a bit cheesed off with all the negativity and the 'blame' culture especially on this forum of our sport. According to some that have an opinion on just about everything, the 'BEL' has gone down the tubes, everyone involved in the GP's are about to jump on their swords, we are going to get thrashed in SWC, the tracks are all crap, our best riders are rubbish etc and Ole Olsen is to blame. To answer your question Trees, I do not know the answer but its easy to get Ole's address so why not write to him and ask him for yourself?

I think you maybe wrong on that too.

Surprised? Apparently? With respect. You don't really know as much as you profess do you?

Guess?

Meaning?

Merv; Can I assist here? Ron Johnson was the New Cross man and Ron Johnston was the Belle Vue rider. Two different riders. I think that Steve was refering to the Belle Vue rider Johnston. Can be confusing - speedway racing - at the best of times.

I always thought that actually. If you dig into the FIM handbook you can come up with an email address for Ole Olsen himself. You could always try writing to the man himself by snail mail though. From the FIM web site: http://www.fim-live.com/en/fim/fim-organis...n/track-racing/ Jim McMillan is also a technical director and whose address is also listed.

Though he rode for Liverpool 'Chads' early on, Peter Craven doubled up with Belle Vue in 1952 and rode for them until his untimely death in 1963 - anyone in speedway will still regard him as a Belle Vue man. http://www.peter-craven.co.uk

No need Nick to get stressed about it all mate, just laugh about it. Its Speedway as we know it. Just say to yourself tomorrow: 'I could have won the re-run, if I had not been excruded' [sic] and you will laugh to.