The Birth Of Speedway

[Guest Jim Blanchard]

Plenty of discussion about when speedway started. Good articles on the History of New Zealand Speedway web site, with articles by Ian Hoskins.

 

New Zealand Speedway

 

Its generally excepted that 'speedway' was going before Johnnie Hoskins got hold of it and he turned it into a promotional organised sport.

 

As soon as motorcycles were invented - I guess they were trying to race them around something.

 

The noted Speedway historians (UK; Norman Jacobs and Australia Ross Gariggan) both accept that Mr. Hoskins was not solely responsible for the very first dirt track races. I accept their views on known facts. Though if Speedway was defined as in four blokes riding around, a dirt track, steel shoes, broad sliding, parades, showmanship, surely JH was the guy that put it on the map as it were.

 

Respect your views on the subject.

Edited March 28, 2006 by Jim Blanchard

[shazzybird]

History books can say what they like Johnnie Hoskins Gentleman and a scholar "Godfather" of speedway If it hadn't been for this wonderful man I may never have been able to go to speedway, he brought it to Kingsmead, my dad became involved through work and encouraged my Uncle to "have a go" he was then given the nickname "Hurricane" by JH and the rest as they say is history

[norbold]

As you know, Jim, my view is that the reason the West Maitland meeting is accepted as the first speedway meeting, in spite of there being others before, and High Beech the first in Great Britain, although there had been others before, is that because it was from those two meetings that speedway "took off" in their respective countries.

[speedyguy]

Quite agree. There are references to alternative forms of track motorcycling - on dirt and boards - in the USA and South Africa, going back to around 1905.

 

An often mentioned meeting was at Pietermaritzburg in South Africa in 1905. And there was certainly some influence by USA board racers in Australia during the early 1920s. Lloyd 'Sprouts" Elder, Ray Tauser and Art Pechar probably graduated from this type of racing to speedway.

 

Besides Aussie speedway, in the early 1920 there was other forms of track motorcycle racing like grass track racing taking place there.

 

The photos of riders, bikes and tracks for this racing are mind-boggling.

[norbold]

Don't forget the one at Ipswich in 1904.

[Jeff.]

As you know, Jim, my view is that the reason the West Maitland meeting is accepted as the first speedway meeting, in spite of there being others before, and High Beech the first in Great Britain, although there had been others before, is that because it was from those two meetings that speedway "took off" in their respective countries.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Thats a matter of opinion. One school of thought is of Droylsden being the first recognised speedway meeting, and their is certainly merit in it

[norbold]

That is exactly the point I am making, Jeff.

 

Droylsden was certainly before High Beech, but nothing happened afterwards. It was with the High Beech meeting that speedway took off in this country.

[speedyguy]

There was an article in the VSM on this some years ago. I believe one of the riders was Charlie 'Ginger' Pashley, later well known at Belle Vue. Thimk the meeting date may have been November 1927 - not certain.

Edited March 28, 2006 by speedyguy

[norbold]

The Droyslden meeting was on 25 June 1927. 800 spectators attended. The first race was won by Fred Fearnley and Charlie Pashley won the "Experts" Race.

 

It was a 440 yard circuit with cinders supplied by the nearby East Manchester Corporation Power Station. However, the cinders were packed down hard leaving no loose cinders to enable any sliding to take place. Was that speedway?

[Topcat]

Argentinea, peedway, oh dear! oh dear! old age setting in

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

But aren't you from Gibrovia???

[SCB]

The Droyslden meeting was on 25 June 1927. 800 spectators attended. The first race was won by Fred Fearnley and Charlie Pashley won the "Experts" Race.

800 was not enough for the sport to be considered "born", surely the sport is all but dead in this country then! I'd imagine the average UK attendance is around that figure!

 

It was a 440 yard circuit with cinders supplied by the nearby East Manchester Corporation Power Station. However, the cinders were packed down hard leaving no loose cinders to enable any sliding to take place. Was that speedway?

You've not been to Reading lately?

 

The way I see it, 1928 speedway is so different to 2006 speedway that you could argue it's a different sport, in much the same way you would argue 1908 "dirt track racing" was not. Surely the sport has just evolved over time.

 

In 1929 didn't the rider ride to the track, strip the bike down, race, put the bike back together and ride home? I'd love to see someone try that these days!

[miro]

There was a race between four riders on a one mile horse racing track in Los Angeles in May 1901, won by Ralph Hamlin riding an Orient.

 

The first motorcycle track race was at Sheen House in Richmond, Surrey, on November 29 1897, won by Charles Jarrett riding a Fournier. The Sheen House bicycle track was a 536 metre cinder oval ...

[Jeff.]

800 was not enough for the sport to be considered "born", surely the sport is all but dead in this country then!  I'd imagine the average UK attendance is around that figure!

 

You've not been to Reading lately?

 

The way I see it, 1928 speedway is so different to 2006 speedway that you could argue it's a different sport, in much the same way you would argue 1908 "dirt track racing" was not.  Surely the sport has just evolved over time.

 

In 1929 didn't the rider ride to the track, strip the bike down, race, put the bike back together and ride home?  I'd love to see someone try that these days!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Well of course the sport evolved, no one is trying to say that High Beech or Droysden were the first time men had raced bikes round a track, but it was the first time they raced round a licensed track under specific rules and in front of paying spectators.

 

Norbold Wrote

 

Droylsden was certainly before High Beech, but nothing happened afterwards. It was with the High Beech meeting that speedway took off in this country.

 

Nothing happened afterwards? High Beech did

[norbold]

800 was not enough for the sport to be considered "born", surely the sport is all but dead in this country then!  I'd imagine the average UK attendance is around that figure!

 

I don't think anyone has said that 800 was not enough for the sport to be considered "born". If you read what I said above that's not the reason at all.

 

 

Norbold Wrote

Nothing happened afterwards?

 

High Beech did

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Yes, but it wasn't directly linked to Droyslden. I don't know if the organisers of High Beech even knew that a meeting had taken place in Manchester. After High Beech, the sport suddenly took off with many tracks in London and the South East opening with the riders that had been at High Beech and then spread throughout the country.

 

Of course, talking of firsts, there was the meeting at Camberley held on 7 May 1927, before Droylsden...

[Ian]

I suspect that what speedway owes to Johnnie Hoskins is based on something other that which way round the riders went, whether they broadsided or whether they wore steel shoes etc.

 

I think that what makes Johnnie's efforts different from those who went before is that he set out to popularise speedway not only amongst the motorcycling fraternity but to the wider public. In doing so he laid down the marker that speedway is a balance of sport and entertainment, and to some degree that is the legacy which has endured ever since (despite some promoters not always being aware of it).

 

The title of an old speedway book comes to mind: "Thrilling the Millions". Speedway is certainly the only branch of motorcycle sport that ever achieved such a goal, and much of the credit for that belongs to the one and only Johnnie.

[norbold]

I'd go along with that, Ian.

[Ross Garrigan]

Plenty of discussion about when speedway started. Good articles on the History of New Zealand Speedway web site, with articles by Ian Hoskins.

 

New Zealand Speedway

 

Its generally excepted that 'speedway' was going before Johnnie Hoskins got hold of it and he turned it into a promotional organised sport.

 

As soon as motorcycles were invented - I guess they were trying to race them around something.

 

The noted Speedway historians (UK; Norman Jacobs and Australia Ross Gariggan) both accept that Mr. Hoskins was not solely responsible for the very first dirt track races. I accept their views on known facts. Though if Speedway was defined as in four blokes riding around, a dirt track, steel shoes, broad sliding, parades, showmanship, surely JH was the guy that put it on the map as it were.

 

Respect your views on the subject.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Jim,

 

One can go around in circles when trying to define when "speedway" actually started. It is not until someone comes up with the definition of what "speedway" actually is that the question of when it commenced can be addressed.

 

When writing of the early two-wheeled motorised racing in Australia, I never use the word "speedway" but use terms such as "motorcycle racing".

 

Johnnie Hoskins deserves credit (along with A.J. Hunting, and to a lesser extent Keith McKay) for their contributions to the advancement of the sport of speedway in Australia and overseas.

 

Re the first Maitland season: -

 

All bar one of the meetings staged at Maitland during the first season featured motorcycle racing as just one part of the attractions on offer.

 

It is a misconception that Hoskins staged all the meetings at Maitland that season. There was only one meeting that first season which featured only motorcycles - Hoskins had nothing to do with it at all.

[Ross Garrigan]

Re the first Maitland season: -

 

All bar one of the meetings staged at Maitland during the first season featured motorcycle racing as just one part of the attractions on offer.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

What I should have added is that there were also two occasions that 1923-24 season that programmes were staged on the Maitland Showground at which motorcycle racing wasn't included.

[iris123]

There is also an interesting (although i haven't seen any proof) suggestion that in 1924 "Ice speedway" was held in Russia.If true it might be reasonable to believe they also held similar racing during the summer on dirt/grass.

[Bavarian]

As was the case all over Europe in the early 20's. Certainly Germany and Austria saw motorcycle races on horse trotting tracks form the early 1920's on. These were the origins of today's longtrack racing.

 

Ice racing on motorcycles (and cars) had also been done in Bavaria around 1930.

 

It will have been the same in many other countries at the same time.