Strange, But True

[tarabanko]

Old stories is great to read, let em coming.

[sandman]

seem to remember a story of a russian ice racer, early 80's? in a world championship round, he went into turn one got out of shape, spiked himself, went from first to last then back to first which is where he finished.. got back into the pits and passed out from loss of blood.

[lawman]

I remember back in 1974 Long Eaton did all the distance matches in a coach. A local firm called Boydens took the front 10 pairs of seats out and bolted rings to the seat brackets to fasten the bikes to. When we went to the old Weymouth we stopped at a services on the way back and the driver could not restart the coach so we all bailed out and pushed it 200yrds plus to bump start it. On another trip we went to one of the Glasgow tracks and the driver parked it on the top of the banking as it was raining and the Long Eaton supporters watched from the coach. When the meeting was over everyone was loaded into the bus with the bikes when suddenly the bus started to sink into the bank and if it wasn't for a quick thinking tractor driver we would have ended up like the coach in the Italian Job. Happy Days. (We lost)

Edited January 9, 2006 by lawman

[father jack]

I'm not sure about this one, but I think I can remember in a match at Newports old Somerton Park track, circumstances prevailed that a rider was excluded from the same race twice ! Cant recall who it was , who he rode for or how it happend. Maybe some one can shed some light.

Edited January 10, 2006 by father jack

[rusky]

Remember being at Newcastle in the very early eighties with Getingarna, in an early season challenge match (Getingarna being Anders Michanek, Tommy Nilsson, Rickard Hellsen, P.O. Gudmundsson, a very Young Jimmy Nilsen, a very young Per Jonsson amongst others, at that time). The match was going quite well, but it was a little cold, and then it started to snow. Needless to they stopped the racing whilst it was snowing. After a while it stopped, but there was now a fair covering of snow. There was a bit of a discussion, and Mich decided that the answer was to get a track rake (remember them anybody ? ) and scrape a line the width of the rake, around the white line, and at the bottom of the boards. This left a strip of snow in the middle of 2, 1M wide brown strips. Racing started again and the remaining heats were completed.

The snow started coming down again shortly after the end, and the visitors had a real interesting drive back to their UK base in King's Lynn, and from what I remember the rest of their meetings went OK, as did all of their pre-(Swedish) season training at King's Lynn

[ajh]

That would be in 1983 then Rusky.

 

Certainly remember Getingarna coming over. If I recall correctly they also visited Lynn in the season opener in 1988 and they had a young reserve by the name of Tony Rickardsson who failed to score in his two rides (from memory). Wonder whatever happened to him?

[rusky]

That would be in 1983 then Rusky.

 

Certainly remember Getingarna coming over. If I recall correctly they also visited Lynn in the season opener in 1988 and they had a young reserve by the name of Tony Rickardsson who failed to score in his two rides (from memory). Wonder whatever happened to him?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I put it at 82 -83, but couldn't just remember which.......I can't remember where else we went, other than Lynn, but the Newcastle match was the one that stood out for me. There was also Tommy Nilssons immaculate Bertil Andersson tuned Twin Cam Jawa. He used to pull 'silly' gears compared to everybody else, but boy, did it go, and it sounded so good, especially on a big track like Lynn

[bulldog 77 / 78]

Does anyone remember Steve Gresham punching John Davis off his bike at Eastville (Bristol) back in 78?

[Ashby forever]

The Reading team, under Geoff Mudge, used to do their Northern tour in an adapted bus in the early 60's.

 

In about 1961, a rider called Jimmy Cox(the Buckskin Kid), was riding at Old Meadowbank, Edinburgh and after the finish rode to the backstraight fence. In a lightening single move he stopped the bike and then punched a supporter in the face who had been barracking him during the race.

 

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Erm actually Reading opened in1968 and Geoff Mudge didn't join them till '71 for two seasons....

Dont worry its called alzheimers

[sjw ministerofport]

I can remember one of the world finals at Wembley we went to, there was a bomb scare. It was announced that we could leave if we wanted to, but to do so calmly. It was at a time of high security, the ira were bombing England. Everyone had been searched on the way into the stadium, and strict security had been in force on the stadium for many weeks. I could not see anyone trying to leave, and it made me feel good to know that it was one hoax that was ignored.

[Parkstone Pirate]

Many memories from my early spectating days at Wolves in the '60's. Such as when Colin McKee fell off and was badly shaken but then accepted a lift back to the pits from teammate Gordon Guasco who promptly looped the bike sending both of them sprawling on the track. The night Wolves created the highest score defeating Newport 64-14 and hardly anyone saw anything because of dense fog. The memorable evening when the PL met the NL in a challenge and the Wolves fans were highly delighted when Cradley 'enemy' Ivor Brown got clouted by an irate Ron Mountford at the pit gate. The photo was a best seller for weeks at Monmore. Chris Julian very much needing a police escort out of Cradley after some of his characteristic hard riding. Lyn Brown, the first coloured rider, waving to the Cradley crowd at the end of a race in which he was lapped!

[rusky]

Another one from the seventies......King's Lynn had Adi Funk, Austrian champion riding for them. He had been having a rough time machinery wise, and his riding partner, Michael Lee lent him a bike for a meeting. The stars had recorded a 5-1 with Adi being superbly team riden by Michael. After the race Michael did a practice start on the back straight - just as Adi was turning round.

End result was a big crash, and 2 completely totalled Weslake machines, and lots of shiny blue fibreglass all over the place....Shortly after this, I think Michael started to use the plastic Preston Petty mudguards that were to be come a bit of a trademark for him

[BobC]

I remember going to Poland in the early 70's,to watch the World Team Cup Final.

 

Ray 'World Cup Willy' Wilson was the star,with a maximum(I think!)

 

Anyway,we arrived in Poland,and found ourselves being very hungry.No such 'luxuries' as BK or MacD's in those days!

 

We met up with Ray at the practice and he introduced us to the latest flavour of baked beans........Methanol!!!!!

 

Rather than eat them cold,he suggested we heat them with methanol.How? Easy,open the tin and poke the screwdriver(that had just been delving in and around the chain!),down the middle and pour in some methanol.Stand well back,and throw a match at it!

 

After a couple minutes,we gingerly tried them,direct from the tin.Heaven!We were so hungry,almost anything would have tasted good.

 

Not so sure I would try them again now,but at the time they were delicious!

 

PLEASE DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!

 

ps: not because of the above missive,but I still regard Ray as the best EVER Captain of GB/England

[sjw ministerofport]

On the way back from Swindon years ago we got the coach driver to stop so we could have a p .He stopped on this long country road and half the blokes got off to relieve themselves. Some saw the ditch under the long grass others didn't, no one stopped p--ing.