Jim Airey How Good Was He.

[stratton]

Started going in 1969 nipper then never see Jim Airey how good was he?Done me research was top class quick times over 10.50 average 1969 /70 / 71 retired early wondered was he as good as it seems.

[BigFatDave]

A master - especially of the ol' 'Teaspoon of Nitro in the Methanol' trick, and definitely one of my heroes.

[The White Knight]

He was a super Rider when he came to England in 1964 with Gordon Guasco to ride for the ill fated Sunderland 'Saints'. :approve: Finished the 1964 Season with Wolverhampton. :sad:

 

He went on to great things at Sheffield.

[liverpool chad]

I only ever saw him ride at Sheffield, Halifax and the old Belle Vue. But he was fantastic around all three tracks, Some of his races with Tommy Roper, Ivan Mauger and Sorren Sjosten at Belle Vue were worth the admission fee alone! and at Halifax he would have some right ding dongs with Boocock and Alan Jay. But Sheffield was his stomping ground and he took some beating round there.

[ljh]

Very good, in his final two years over here he was by far the best and most consistant trapper in the B.L., on a par with both his immediate Tiger's predecessor Charlie Monk and Ivan Mauger. The problem was that by then he rarely had to pass anyone, so he was thought of as just that - a fast starter - but believe me he could and did (pass) quite a number of surprised top liners on their own tracks. He overtook on the tight inside line around Owlerton just as Clive Featherby did during the previous decade there - albeit without many falling !. Anyone remember one warm night, in I think 1971, when he gated and demolished the track record, you could sense that he'd knocked a huge chunk off even before the official announcement. Mind you he must also have held the 'get back to Sheffield from Poole' record time as well !!.

Rod Haynes.

[miro]

Airey isn't remembered often enough, but he was a proper speedway rider and a real star of the BL in the late sixties and early seventies and in Sydney. He advertised Lewis Leathers on his sleeve and appeared in their adverts, which sticks in my mind for some reason. I believe I read that he knew he wasn't going to make the ultimate step to potential world champion level after the world final of 1971, gave up racing relatively young and went on to make a fortune in Australia.

[iris123]

The only time i am sure i saw him was when Australia got thrashed at Wimbledon by NZ in 73.Was obviously past his best or at least had an off night.But Plough Lane was pretty much a home fixture for NZ

[cityrebel]

i remember seeing him ride when i was a kid at the four 1st division london tracks in the early 1970s. he was a top class heat leader for the tigers in my favourite era for speedway.

[nw42]

i remember seeing him ride when i was a kid at the four 1st division london tracks in the early 1970s. he was a top class heat leader for the tigers in my favourite era for speedway.

 

Mine too.

 

Can remember many last minute trips over Woodhead on a Thursday night, always arrived just after the parade but I don't think we ever missed a race. The Tigers riders I remember were Airey, Haley, Valentine, Paulson, Dews, Wyer, Wilson, maybe Wyer and Wilson were after Airey had gone, unsure, was Dave Baugh another from that era, he or Paulson always wore a rugby shirt over their leathers, I think. Either way it was always a welcome change to stand on the 3rd bend, big difference to being up in the stands @ Hyde Rd, totally different perspective on the racing, seemd at least twice as fast.

 

Even though I was only a nipper I always used to think the presentation at Owlerton was more appealing than @ Belle Vue, not sure what it was, maybe the exotic accent of the announcer, our own Ken Wrench definitely spoke the Queens English.

 

Can also recall the smell of the bakery on arrival, the fact that the pits were more accessible for watching what went on there, almost like a show ring, very exciting as a youngster to be able to get so close. At Belle Vue the only way to see into the pits during a meeting was either through the gaps in the big concrete panels at the back of the stand or through the gaps in the floor of the stand above, such a narrow perspective either way.

 

Anyway, sorry for the ramble but the name Jim Airey conjours up many memories for me, if only for the mad trips over Woodhead, sometimes leaving Stockport less than an hour before the start of the meeting. It also meant a late night on a school night, maybe even a chippy supper on the way home, the racing was good too though, always seemd to be close affairs.

[stratton]

Mine too.

 

Can remember many last minute trips over Woodhead on a Thursday night, always arrived just after the parade but I don't think we ever missed a race. The Tigers riders I remember were Airey, Haley, Valentine, Paulson, Dews, Wyer, Wilson, maybe Wyer and Wilson were after Airey had gone, unsure, was Dave Baugh another from that era, he or Paulson always wore a rugby shirt over their leathers, I think. Either way it was always a welcome change to stand on the 3rd bend, big difference to being up in the stands @ Hyde Rd, totally different perspective on the racing, seemd at least twice as fast.

 

Even though I was only a nipper I always used to think the presentation at Owlerton was more appealing than @ Belle Vue, not sure what it was, maybe the exotic accent of the announcer, our own Ken Wrench definitely spoke the Queens English.

 

Can also recall the smell of the bakery on arrival, the fact that the pits were more accessible for watching what went on there, almost like a show ring, very exciting as a youngster to be able to get so close. At Belle Vue the only way to see into the pits during a meeting was either through the gaps in the big concrete panels at the back of the stand or through the gaps in the floor of the stand above, such a narrow perspective either way.

 

Anyway, sorry for the ramble but the name Jim Airey conjours up many memories for me, if only for the mad trips over Woodhead, sometimes leaving Stockport less than an hour before the start of the meeting. It also meant a late night on a school night, maybe even a chippy supper on the way home, the racing was good too though, always seemd to be close affairs.

[The Third Man]

One of best, if not the beast, rider i have seen ride for Sheffield, left the sport far too early

[The White Knight]

One of best, if not the beast, rider i have seen ride for Sheffield, left the sport far too early

 

[Andrew]

My Dad rates Jim as the best rider Sheffield have had since he started watching the Tigers back in 1960.To rate him above Shawn Moran gives a indication of how good he was.