Ray Stadia

The 1983 World Final venue, I really enjoyed that World Final on TV and the birth of the GM engine!

My dad was going to have a go at speedway at Rye House, for it was called a nursery track apparently, but he couldn't get the time off work! I reckon it would have been late 40s!

I think viewing always was difficult there. The last time I went, I was watching speedway through a lattice wire fence, unless things altered later on?

Blimey! The Doctor being 'brotherly' towards Gustix! Whatever next? Boris and Jeremy going to a nightclub together?

Even Sunday afternoon will be busy on the roads. Since Sunday trading was allowed, the roads are very busy during the shopping hours.

Actually, I wonder if that is true. The riders pay you, not the other way round. Most tracks make a loss, running team speedway. Running as a training only track has to be less of a financial risk for the promoter, I would have thought.

Trouble is, if they had moved to Rawreth Lane, they would probably have been kicked out by now, as a massive new housing estate is being built there, as we speak!

Didn't they used to run on Sunday afternoons?

Young and perhaps lacking a bit of SOH?

If you are asking what I'm on about, you must be fairly young. Before oil catchers and the recycling oil systems in modern speedway engines, the spent oil used to drip out the bottom of the engine. To be honest, I was never too sure what the issue was about changing the rules to catch the oil, especially if the rider was using castor oil, as the oil is a vegetable based oil and is not as toxic as mineral based oils.

Are they back to total loss?

I went on the website. Nice gear, but nice prices too. I don't know how the sport can support these costs.

I know, but what I was saying is it was a venture in a town where speedway was already established. But hey ho, the promoters have done a great job! I think I agree with an earlier posting that the best chance for any further new tracks is out in the sticks somewhere. However, the survival of speedway is a big subject and has been discussed on the forum many times. Cost for the riders, promoters and fans is probably one of the biggest issues.

Even Kent is not so much of a new venture. Iwade, which is virtually in Sittingbourne has been there for years and was a conference league track for a while.

With respect, how would you know what psychological effect being spayed/neutered has on an animal? My mum had many female dogs, all un-spayed. She just ensured they kept away from males when on heat. Simples! I think it would have an effect on me, as a male! And after all, many dog owners claim dogs are more important than humans!

The truth is, probably not many sports aren't bent, one way or another!

You have got the wrong end of the stick, (certainly my stick), as usual! I'm saying that those people, probably dog owners (mostly), who will bang the drum that greyhound racing and horse racing (those associated with it) are cruel, while they believe they are anything but cruel to their dogs. How does a dog owner know whether their dog or indeed cat, being forcibly neutered/spayed, has a psychological effect on the animal? How would like your knackers or any other bits cut off (as we don't know if you are male or female)? Some owners leave their dogs 'home alone' when they go to work, for hours on end. The dogs get highly stressed, as the animal doesn't have much of a sense of time. Also, one hour to a dog is longer than it is for us. But of course greyhound racing and horse racing for the 'rent a protest' are easy pickings!

I agree that any animal should never be cruelly treated, however, if the sport of greyhound and horse racing disappeared, there would be no need to breed the animals.Therefore, the animals would not even be given the chance of life. Which is worse, given a chance or never be born at all, obviously assuming that any necessary end of life is humane. How do we know if 'normal' domestic dog owners are not being cruel to their pets. Soon after a puppy or kitten is acquired, invariably they are spayed/neutered. The most natural thing in any animal's instinct is to procreate, but what do we do, immediately put a stop to that, because it suits us as pet 'owners'. The relationship between man and animals is massive and using animals in sport, in my opinion, is not the main issue.

I thought they eat dog in Finland?

Sorry, I thought you were saying it's Vojens in Germany. Lost in translation, as they say!

As it's known in Britain too!

Vic Eastwood, the very successful scrambles/moto X rider passed away on Sunday. You may say what has Vic's passing got to do with speedway, well, probably not much, but he did race machines which had Hagon frames. I did buy a bike from him once, at his shop and was a gentleman to deal with. RIP.

And when he's done with auto racing, he can move onto sumo wrestling!

I found the following link on Youtube. Seems it is a challenge between flat track, roadracing and auto racing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEYEn_fpv-4

Very good film, Empire of the Sun. I only found out recently that he was the little boy in the film!