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Golden Helmet Memories


TonyMac

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The helmet was devalued towards the end, it had lived its life and was just a nonsense that got in the way of some riders, put out in the heat only because they had top scored for their team, gone were the monthly challenges of riders on form. You lost track of who actually held it toward the end of the competition.

 

My memory was of Peter Collins perhaps being the longest-ever holder in the 70s, when you actually felt it a title worthy of holding. He retained it for two years or thereabouts.

 

In 1979, a week before the Polish World Final, PC flew at the Shay and broke Eric Boocock's six year track record. He looked the bizz... but, alas, the bike he used and was set to use in the WF, well, it blew on big day warm-up and PC endured one of his worst finals of the eight (i think it was) he rode.

 

Can't see there being a place for even a monthly Golden Helmet competition in modern day.

Edited by moxey63
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  • 3 weeks later...

The 'Golden Helmet" was at its peak when Jack Parker dominated it in the immediate post-war seasons. So much so that the National Press tagged his grip and the accompanying weekly cash award as Parker's Pension. :approve:

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  • 2 weeks later...

Does anyone remember the drama of the Jack Parker-Graham Warren clash in 1949? That attracted a record crowd of 41,000 to Perry Barr.

 

 

My father was at that meeting, i have the programme

He was standing in a near local crowd of 41,000 which virtually outstrips the semi-international appeal of the Cardiff-staged GP these days. :rolleyes:

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Does any member recall when Jack Parker's 'best' bike would fail when he approached the start area for a match race defence? Then a rather 'sad looking' bike would be rushed from the pits for him to use and Parker would then go on to win his title defence heats on 'the old cronk'.

Edited by Guest
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Does any member recall when Jack Parker's 'best' bike would fail when he approached the start area for a match race defence? Then a rather 'sad looking' bike would be rushed from the pits for him to use and Parker would then go on to win his title defence heats on 'the old cronk'. :icon_smile_clown:

an interesting anecdote, but I don't understand the clown smiley at the end?
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Jack Parker was the 'Golden Helmet' match race champion on and off between 1946 and 1947, holding the title through 1948, 1949 and most of 1950, only losing the title at the end of the 1950 season to Aub Lawson. He regained the title in 1951 before losing it to Split Waterman.

 

With acknowledgments: - http://www.speedwaychampions.com/br-match-race-champs.php

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