Tsunami

Beaten also by John Poyser from Oxford, who's daughter Jackie was host to Lubos at Oxford, whilst we were his hosts at Newcastle.

Like everyone else Ivan had to learn how to ride Brough when he first came. With long straights and tight corners you have to have great skill to slide in with power and already be broadside ready for the drive out of the next bend. In those days it rode like a Diamond, and Ivan spent hours after the first meetings throwing in the bike from even just past the starting gate, which was one hell of a slide. He often filled his fuel tank full(bigger in those days I believe) and would on his own ride probably 20 laps flat out trying to get it right. He was of course physically very fit, and a lot of other riders at the time could only watch him as their fitness was no good for such durations, He experimented with bikes that he bought when he first arrived until he found the frame and setup that he preferred. Him and his then German mechanic would load up his Bedford snub nose van and head off to buy bikes, and go to other tracks to get extra rides. He was fanatical to get it right. I remember when Peter Kelly lived beside him in Manchester, he told me that if he met him say a Xmas time the conversation was always speedway nothing else, he was so driven. The track in those days was even narrower, with straights always about the legal minimum of 8 metres as it is now, and the corners were tight, possibly be about 10 to 12 metres wide. After we opened up in 1997, the corners were 10m on corners 1and 2 and about 12m on corners 3 and 4. In the late 90's we took 2 metres off the inside kerb of both ends, and that is the shape and sizes that we have now. The 3rd and 4 bends have always been 2 m wider that the 1st and second. The track probably got its 'rough' name over time by others that couldn't ride it, and because with a powered broadside hitting similar positions every lap, the wear must be considerably harder/more. Say a track like Somerest with a wide track. multiple race lines and constantly drifting rather sideways power, the condition of the track is going to be smoother for longer. Nowadays and in the recent past the track is nowhere near 'rough' as delusional Redcar fans would have you believe, but does have by choice more dirt on it to get better grip. That is the riders choice to give them more overtaking options. There must be something right about Brough with 4 world Champions to our claim, Mauger, Olsen, Michanek and Nicki. We'll not count Brian Anderson as we got him for 6 weeks after he won the U21 title.

Have you reached Australia yet ?

Part from Sheffield last year we did, and usually do most years. Not that you are going to accept that, but your fans I know acknowledge it.

I remember that, in about 64 i think. Fantastic performance as you had got teams in those days as well. In those days, Poole rode very similar to our Brough.

Quite agree and Ched was hardly innocent was he.

Yes I have just read about it in a post on Facebook from TAZ. So sad if true..

Ivan totally changed the fortunes of Newcastle Speedway in the early 60's. He burnt up the Aussies during the winter, and we could not believe that Mike Parker would go for him and get his signature. Not only that, but Ivan asked for and got passages to the UK for him, Raye and the 3 children for which Ivan was forever grateful for. He always respected Parker for it, money was never a problem between them, but his desire to reach the top split them apart. After his first WC with the Diamonds, there followed moves to Belle Vue, Exeter and of course Hull. He never forgot the Diamonds, getting his main mechanic Gordon Stobbs from us and his wife Margaret, who were with Ivan and Raye for the rest of his career and afterwards. He always showed his interest in fellow Kiwi's, visiting us every year especially when Mark Thorpe and David Bargh were riding for us. He usually came up unannounced when he came over for the WSRA dinners, appearing after the start and disappearing before our meeting finished after seeing everyone he knew. In 2010 he came up for his book signing, and I asked him and Gordon if it was possible for Ivan to visit my training school on the Sunday afternoon. He already had 4 events to attend but Gordon said he would do his best. Sure enough, halfway through the session in walks Ivan and Gordon, and he proceeded to give advice and take over the rest of the session. Photos are on the Newcastle Training group Facebook page, as well as some individuals who have posted their photos on their own Facebook pages. The early signs of his illness were there the previous evening, when Raye kept Ivan on script with his great stories. We will never see such a great rider as him again, although Tony Rickardsson came pretty close. RIP IVAN, the rider that changed speedway for the better

Difficulty last night was the track was hard compacted to make sure the track didn't mess up during the meeting. Rain was forecast so the track was moist, but not like normal. A slick track didn't allow much passing so gaters and blasters around the outside did not have a track they needed when they missed the gate.

To be fair Chewy, the opposite scenario last year didn't always work did it. We have what we have, and our strength should be before the heats 13 and 15, but you never know. Crowd was not bad considering the comments on here, and the freezing conditions and the car park was pretty full very early on. The track was as expected, given the water that had to removed from ontop, and squeezed out from within the shale. It actually had to be watered before the meeting, Jonny and his staff having been very successful in their efforts to get the surface under control. With the threat of rain for about 9.00pm, the track would have been slick to ensure it lasted the the meeting safely. It have a little grading early on but there was never any problem with it. Not the usual grip on the outside for the Ludde type passing but consistent and rideable. Two big crashes, first with Simon N when his bike seemed to slow very quickly coming out of he second bend. The other crash was when Danny dropped it between the 3rd /4th bends, and the following Lewis Rose went cartwheeling over Danny and his bike, so very lucky that all three were able to continue riding in the meeting, although Lewis seem very cautious in his next ride, finishing in third and last place. Obvious very rusty and machinery not at full pace at times, so I would expect better and more consistent scoring in our future meetings. A wins a win, just ask Raf after our win versus the Arse despite their 70 % possession. A few flyers last night, which would have been stopped last year, but at least it happened to both sides and they speeded the meeting up. Remember this was only our second meeting and Scunny had ridden more, so I would think things will improve as they all had good rides throughout the meeting. Glad to hear the comments of Bruno who paid his first visit to Brough and wondered why the club/stadium/track attracts some comments from out dearest neighbours the Smoggies. It's just part of their DNA I am afraid, a bit like the Mackems and football. Ah bless. Pity you didn't let me know you had managed to make, would have been pleased to meet you and show you around. Meeting saw a lot of good racing and fine performances from the dynamic duo Garrity and Auty. Best meetings they have had at our place, which Garrity is full of praise of(even when he was a smoggie). Decent meeting on a freezing night, and enough on display to know that things will get better as they solve mechanical issues and get a track they can let rip on with more grip. RIP Ivan, the Worlds greatest ever speedway rider

Anyone in doubt about the meeting, it has just got the red light to go ahead. So get your coat on and get yourself along to Brough for what should be a hugely competitive meeting.

I remember a team quoting a rider in their 1-7 knowing that the rider didn't qualify.

You can stop digging now I reckon.

So you agree with 4thbender about promoters calling off meetings too early, you conveniently think that promoters try to kid fans about the cost of falloffs, and then question when a promotion tries to run a wet meeting, a rider said later it looked rideable, but because of the serious crash and injuries it was then called off, No doubt that meeting cost or will Swindon a lot of money to pay for starting the meeting. So, Promotions in your eyes are wrong to call meetings off too early, lie about the cost of a call off and question it when a meeting is actually held but the track not safe and rideable. You called Victor Meldrew ?

Agreed, but it still doesn't make the promoters responsible for the calloff. That's the fault of the weather.

Or some fans have got it wrong, and forgot to look outside on speedway nights and blaming the wrong people for the rain.

I think if you think that, it's you that has been sniffing some dodgy stuff. Do you really think promotions can afford to continue to have these costly calloffs. Your way would seem to either blame the weather on the promotions or expect the Promoters to go ahead with a meeting on a dodgy surface, which could be dangerous to riders and would probably put many fans off because of the low standard of racing. Time for you to get a reality check.

UK Martin wouldn't have a clue how to solve the problems caused, as he is always too busy knocking anything to do with BSPA, SCB, Speedway in general and anybody that appreciates British Speedway. Not worth a read.

Quite correct. Seems to me to be a very amicable rearrangement. All those folks saying they couldn't go to Berwick cos it was too far away, now have a chance to go to Birmingham. Let's see them all flood the place out with their presence. Some of course wouldn't be able to get out of a box, never mind rearrange fixtures so quickly and so amicably.

Only if you put your specs on.

You've got the wrong Worrall Pinny. Stevie is squeaky clean and a brilliant rider. Richie is a good hard rider. What's this 'all the hangers on' lark ?

Agree but it was subtle, Look at JBA's line coming out of the previous 4th bend.

Strange you say other teams riders, when I was actually there and you were riding against MY team. Nothing ironic about that I can recall what happened, but others seem to put their slant on things. If you have had a climax of 11 from it , good for you. I don't agree with riders slagging and taunting anybody or a rider in the social media, cos it's bad for the sport, but it also sets them up for more scrutiny if a suspicious accident was to happen afterwards. I am ashamed to being a speedway fan sometimes when certain fans drag the sport down with their stupid and non sensical comments of events and aimed at certain local teams and their riders. Two of them fans have already starred on this thread and not for the first time. There are decent Redcar fans, and in fact I stand with some by invitation at STMP, but some of your fans have let your club down on their tours, and in fact other Redcar fans have laughed at their attempts/comments on your own fans forum. I suppose you will probably deny that. Then that will be irony.

Yes, the 4's incident was just a continuation of the bad riding/blood between them both at the time. Agree also with you about Richie. The snowflakes from Redcar have his card marked because he was involved in the Kus first bend bunching leaving Kus in the air fence, and they blamed Richie when Summers cut across his racing line going into the first bend, and I think both come down but Richie was excluded. Their misappropriate and disgusting comments from the bar terrace of 'hope you break your f....g leg/ neck' was a main subject of a thread on their forum, and I was ashamed to be a speedway fan by association, to the defence of their horrible comments. To top it off the same crowd shouted the same to Andrew Tulley at the same spot, which was quite inappropriate seeing he had returned from having a broken bone in his neck/back. At one time I thought Andrew was going to go onto the bar terrace to introduce himself to some of the yobs. Fortunately some of the guilty party do not frequent the Redcar ranks these days, but of course there is always the nutters like RedcarRacer and his oppo Bellers who still bring these things up.

Talking about senility and YOU turn up again.