chunky

While Ray Cresp may be the only Australian speedway rider to drive in F1, there was plenty of other speedway interest in these events. Doug Serrurier, Syd Van der Vyver, and Trevor Blokdyk all competed. Steve

Have to agree with you there! Of course, it also mentions speedway, so we are protected from the "OT Brigade"!!! Of course, all the books listed on the SpeedwayPlus website are relatively recent issues. I have plenty of other books that aren't listed there, including Tom Stenner's fabulous "Thrilling the Million". Steve

Why have you simply reposted the link that iris posted less than an hour and a half ago (post 51)??? Steve

There were some great looking bikes around back then! In fact, there are quite a few board-racers tucked away in numerous motorcycle museums around the United States, and I am going to try to visit some of them. The first museum I want to visit is the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, and that's only a couple of hours from me. Of course, that also includes some speedway stuff. Hope I can get some good pics, Steve

Absolutely true. The actual "boom" years for motorcycle board racing was in the early-to-mid-teens, with tracks actually being one of two types; the circular, short (usually less than half a mile long) motordromes, and the much bigger (one to two miles) ovals, The first of the great tracks was the Playa del Rey (one mile motordrome) in Los Angeles, which was opened in 1910, although owner Jack Prince had previously built the quarter-mile Los Angeles Coliseum. While these board tracks captured the imagination of participants and spectators alike, it would be foolish to think that most of the riders weren't already engaged in "dirt-track" action, most notably on horse-trotting tracks. It was on such a track (Hawthorne in Chicago) that Charles Balke lost his life when he ran into a horse-drawn roller that was obscured by clouds of dust. That was in June 1914. One particular incident that I am currently researching is the double fatality of Bill Goudy and Frank Montgomery in January 3, 1916. The legendary board-racer Otto Walker was also injured in that incident. It took place in Bakersfield, California, and from what I can see, there are no official records of a board-track in Bakersfield (despite owner Paul Derkum stating that he had previously advised riders to "stay off the boards"). It does appear that it too was a dirt track, so make of that what you will. In addition, the Dodge City 300 (first held in July 1914) was the biggest motorcycle race in the US, and was held on a two-mile oval dirt track just outside the town. That attracted many of the top board racers. Clearly the two disciplines ran side-by-side - or perhaps hand-in-hand - but dirt-tracks certainly came first. The larger oval board-tracks outlasted the motordromes as car racing was becoming more popular, and of course, these tracks were far more suited to cars than the steeply-banked circular tracks. Plus, these tracks were much safer for spectators, as they could watch from the relative safety of the grandstands, rather than peering over the edge of the track and getting hit by machines or splintered wood. One other thing... There is a remarkable similarity between traditional board-racing bikes and the modern speedway machine - no brakes. It was actually considered too dangerous to brake on a rough board track! Steve

I agree with grachan - no need to hide it. If you think we should hide everything that has errors and inaccuracies, then we wouldn't have ANY historical speedway sites! Or books for that matter... Unfortunately, when dealing with historical matters, it's not always easy to find information, and sometimes mistakes will creep in. There are often discrepancies with the fantastic Speedway Researcher website, and the same with the proboards database, and even my own In Memoriam website - despite many hours of research - is not safe from incorrect information. All we can do is the best we can, and hope that any errors are brought to our attention. Steve

It had been covered in several speedway books over the years, most notably Cyril May's Ride It : The Complete Book of Speedway. That was where I first stumbled upon it, and although very different from speedway, I am fascinated by the sport. In fact, I have included a number of board track racing fatalities on my In Memoriam website, and more than any other motor sport, board track racing was robbed of so many of its really top stars. Here in the US, it was a hugely popular - but short-lived - motorcycle discipline. The main reason for that - as cited on the wikipedia article - was the danger. Not only were riders at risk, but the spectators too. Unlike the beautiful little cement track pic posted by iris123, most of the tracks were monsters of over a mile in length, and with the spectators peering down on the track from above, it was asking for trouble. While Eddie Hasha's fatal accident at Newark (where four spectators were killed, in addition to Hasha and Johnny Albright) was well publicised, how about this one in Ludlow, Kentucky - just over the river from where I now live? In July 1913 Odin Johnson lost his life when he crashed, but his fuel tank ruptured and ignited, and seven spectators were burned to death. Instead of "Velodromes", these tracks became known as "Murderdromes". Yeah, no wonder they didn't last long... Check out these links: http://dlmracing.blogspot.com/2013/11/motordrome-racings-darkest-days-newark.html http://imgur.com/gallery/LER6e Steve

I was getting ready to go to school that Friday morning, when the papers were delivered. I picked up the Mirror, and saw the headline on the front page - "Speed Star Killed". It was all over the back page. I will never forget that day... I was at the Laurels that night; it was the last time I saw Tommy. I didn't go to Plough Lane at all in early '76, and my first meeting back was the challenge against Swindon the week after the tragedy. I know some people drifted away from speedway as a result of losing Tommy, but it actually got me going again. Not sure why, but it could have been the fact that I was devastated at not having seen him since the previous season, and felt guilty and/or disloyal. Steve

I can't say that it was the worst performance overall - as we did fight back to get a draw - but watching the Dons go 16 points down after 4 heats in the 1989 KOC semi against Poole was pretty horrifying! Funny thing is, we - the "Pit Bend Loonies" - never lost faith, and kept behind the team 110%; we even had a neutral send a letter to the SS the following week commending the Wimbledon team AND fans on the fighting spirit we showed! A particularly depressing performance I witnessed was at Halifax in 1982 (I think), when we showed absolutely no fight (we held an emergency meeting of the supporters' club in the Shay Hotel afterwards!)... Steve

Well, it's just that we've seen Gollob do things on a bike that we've never seen anyone else do! Steve

I wouldn't necessarily say it's my FAVOURITE race (I think the Penhall clashes with Olsen and Knudsen at Wembley are actually better), but the Gollob/Nilsen race is the ONE race that always takes my breath away whenever I watch it - which is very frequently! I have never ever seen a pass even remotely close to that. Steve

Ah, but what if Red Bull started their own helmet line? That would be okay, wouldn't it? Of course, who would want to admit to having a Monster helmet??? Steve

Unfortunately - and it disgusts me to say this, being the anorak I am - I can't remember the details, but I did see one a few weeks ago on the Speedway Researcher website. The winner scored 10 points!!! Steve

Nobody mentioned David Cheshire... Steve

Now, if we can get back to the subject, how about this? I think that this will probably prove conclusive with regard to the following : 1) That the West Ham Barry Lee (of the early 1960's) went on to a successful career in autocross and hot rods. 2) That there were TWO riders called Barry Lee. 3) The other Barry Lee (Canterbury and Rayleigh) was not a champion on four wheels. The following quote is taken from Barry Lee's own website, and the full article can be viewed at http://www.barrylee.co.uk/history.aspx "Born in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, England, in 1944. At the age of 9 he began horse riding and won may rosettes for show jumping and gymkhana. In 1962 at the age of 18 he took up speedway riding, achieving good results until an accident at the West Ham speedway stadium in 1964. When recovered, Barry decided to give four wheels a try and, after buying a 105E Anglia, he entered the world of Autocross, racing in the Players No.6 for three years and won every year. In 1967 Fords competition manager - Henry Taylor, and Bill Mead - Fords chief engineer, took the talented young Lee to their headquarters at Boreham in Essex and signed him up in a new project. His mission was to prepare and race a brand new car, code named J25, in the first ever-televised race at Croft Autodrome. The car was the Mk1 Escort Twin Cam. In 1968 the planned route for the International Rally was through Wales, but due to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease the stage could not be run. A substitute for this section involved setting a track over various types of surface: mud, wet chalk, gravel, etc. Rallycross was born and Barry entered the fray, eventually winning the British championship. Although Barry was doing very well in the world of Rallycross, around 1971 he decided to enter Hot-Rod racing as well. In his first year he won the British National, South African, Northern Transvaal and Danish championships." Steve

Surprised nobody has mentioned Graham Miles!!! Or Newcastle's Harry Huntly (6'8")... Steve

In all seriousness, I don't really care WHERE tracks appear or reappear - as long as they do. Aside from geographical specifics, there are two things I would love to see. Firstly, to see tracks re-emerging in urban areas, and not being forced out into the country away from potential spectators. However, with the modern-day NIMBY population, I can't see that happening. Secondly, as much as I am a small-track fan (Plough Lane was my track, obviously), I would love to see some BIG tracks out there. It was the variety that made speedway so special, and I do long for the old Belle Vue, Halifax, and of course, Exeter. Oh, and West Ham. If we could just get some tracks like that again... Steve

I can't personally vouch for anything, but I have been led to believe that it was the West Ham Barry Lee who went on to find fame on four wheels, and not the later Barry Lee at Canterbury and Rayleigh. Steve

I remember him going straight through the pit bend fence at Plough Lane... Steve

Okay, this is meant to be fun, so... 1) Three Cocks, Powys 2) Ugley, Essex 3) Titty Hill, Sussex 4) Willey, Warks Just trying to work out what the team nicknames of these would be? No 4 could be the "Warmers", and No 2 could obviously be the Ugley "F...ers:... 5) Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, Gwynedd Forget the team name, I'd love to hear a warcry; "Give us an L..." !!! Steve PS The forum wouldn't let me use one real place name in Dorset...

Of course they did; they were under the same promotion as Harrubgay! Steve

Of course, looking at the post-war situation, how many of the speedway tracks were actually controlled by the GRA? Obviously, the speedway decline has - certainly in some ways - mirrored the decline in dog racing... Steve

I can confirm prodons' post about the the two individuals being the driving force behind the revival... It's mentioned on another thread; some legal issue... Steve

My mum used to go FIVE nights a week - in London! Wimbledon (Monday), West Ham (Tuesday), New Cross (Wednesday), Wembley (Thursday), and Harringay (Friday). Sigh... Steve

When studying results from that time period, you have to remember that: 1) Formats were very different from today, and 2) Records may not be complete. Taking the meeting on Monday, June 16, what I would glean from the information given is that there were FOUR separate events; the Stadium Open Handicap (7 races, including two semis and a final), a Junior Knockout Scratch Race, two Star Match Races (between Ginger Lees and Harold Stevens), and the Stadium Scratch Races (7 heats including two semis and a final). The details of these events and heat numbers are self-explanatory, but may appear confusing as results are clearly incomplete. As far as Pat Biddle, he clearly rode in the Stadium Scratch Races, finishing second to Ginger Lees in his heat, and his semi-final, then finishing last in the final. It is quite possible that he rode in the Handicap event also, but did not make it out of his heat. Steve