dukes Posted June 25, 2012 Report Share Posted June 25, 2012 Yes Ronnie Greene was one of the brains behind a project that never really took off and Cyril `Salty` Brine was the driver, but which track is it? Is this Wimbledon of old? http://www.britishpathe.com/video/atom-racer/query/wildcard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The White Knight Posted June 25, 2012 Report Share Posted June 25, 2012 Very interesting footage. First time I have seen one of those Racing Cars apart from in Books. Great to see one in action. :approve: Thank you very much for Posting this. Sadly - I have no idea which Track is involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunky Posted June 25, 2012 Report Share Posted June 25, 2012 Not sure, but I wonder if it is Rayleigh? There was a trial at an "Essex" track, and Rayleigh would seem the logical choice. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grachan Posted June 25, 2012 Report Share Posted June 25, 2012 (edited) It looks like Swindon pre-homestraight Grandstand. So many things remind me of Swindon. The shop after the stand. The shed looks like the old pits. grass banks. I'm sure that's Swindon. Edit - Dunno. It looks like Swindon but the banking looks low and the grandstand is after the pits which would put it on the wrong side as it looks like the stand on the other side. Dunnooooooooo.... Edited June 25, 2012 by Grachan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunky Posted June 25, 2012 Report Share Posted June 25, 2012 There was another thread on here before, asking the same question, and speedyguy even suggested Aldershot, which was another I had considered. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beckford Boy Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 As Grachan says it does look like Swindon,but could it be Shelbourne Park bearing in mind Ronnie Greene's association with it in the early 50's.Anyone know what that stadium looked like at that time? The man pouring the fuel is Ted Brine,for many years the Dons team manager and the other bloke is a Richard Wattis lookalike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I like Slant Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 I originally thought this rural site must be somewhere like Brafield [where they did run midget cars in the early 50's] or Rye House but if you visit the Defunct Speedway tracks site you can see the exact same grandstand in a picture on the St Austell Cornish Stadium page. However there are tress behind this stand but not that on the pathe news film given that the film is early 50's and the picture 1963 maybe the trees have grown or maybe the stand moved from somewhere else Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cityrebel Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 i've been to stock car racing at both aldershot and st.austell. aldershot was a compact stadium in a built up area with houses nearby. st. austell did have a grandstand on one side apart from that i can't remember too much about it. it's not rayleigh because the weir had stands on both straights with strange lamp standards that leaned over the track. it does look a lot like swindon with it's rural location, as for shelbourne park, i've never seen any photos of that stadium in the mid 1950's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldace Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 Not got a clue as to which track but that contraption isn't doing anywhere near "116 mph on the straights". 40 or 50 mph tops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parsloes 1928 nearly Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 Not got a clue as to which track but that contraption isn't doing anywhere near "116 mph on the straights". 40 or 50 mph tops Yes I thought it did look disappointingly pedestrian.. Maybe this is why the 'midgets' never took off in the UK..? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 Shelbourne Park 1950s http://www.fionnbarcallanan.com/archive-speedway.html 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beckford Boy Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 Many thanks Iris123 for unearthing the photos of racing in Ireland all those years ago,a real dose of nostalgia for all us over(well over)21's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 (edited) You would really expect this film to be in Surrey or surrounding areas.Quick bit of research on Sydney Allard shows his company to be based in Clapham.So not far from Wimbledon Speedway and he seemed to have tested cars at Brands Hatch for instance and then got involved in Drag racing at Blackbushe nr Camberley(now there is a speedway link of sorts) and died in Surrey.So would be reasonable to expect this car to have been tested in that area rather than Ireland for example None too flattering, to speedway,piece on the car by someone involved.Although they are saying the film was done at Plough lane http://www.allardreg...r_Spring10c.pdf Edited June 27, 2012 by iris123 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cityrebel Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 thanks to those excellent photos you can see it's not shelbourne park. with the dog track on the outside of the speedway circuit it's looking more like swindon (pre grandstand) to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithC Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 In Ronnie Greene's Diary (Wimbledon programme 1st August 1955), there was an explanation of how Ronnie Moore suffered a broken collarbone. The two Ronnies 'got their heads together' earlier in the season 'over the issue of small-car racing on speedway'. Ronnie G explained that they saw the problem as getting the right type of car and called in Sydney Allard, 'famous racing car designer'. The prototype was tried out the previous week, behind locked doors, ending with a crash in which Ronnie M and the car somersaulted twice. The programme notes reported that times were as fast as those for speedway bikes. In the Wimbledon programme for 15th August 1955 Ronnie G described Ronnie M as the chief tester and advised that further tests would take place soon. There was no mention of where the tests were carried out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I like Slant Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 I looked at the St Sustell picture again and although the stand is similar I don't believe it is the same one as in the pathe news film however this picture of Swindon in 1949 or the early 50's shows a stand which could be the one although the lamp standards don't look the same Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dukes Posted July 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2012 After a simple e mail to Allard Turbo Sport a much appreciated reply:- Hello Geoffrey, According to our records, the track was Wimbledon Speedway Track 1955 - tested by Ronnie Moore 1954 - World Speedway Champion. Hope helpful. Regards, Alan Allard. Just shows that in these days their are people out their who like to help with any research. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parsloes 1928 nearly Posted July 3, 2012 Report Share Posted July 3, 2012 After a simple e mail to Allard Turbo Sport a much appreciated reply:- Hello Geoffrey, According to our records, the track was Wimbledon Speedway Track 1955 - tested by Ronnie Moore 1954 - World Speedway Champion. Hope helpful. Regards, Alan Allard. Just shows that in these days their are people out their who like to help with any research. Except that this is absolutely 100% NOT Plough Lane, Wimbledon. Couldn't be a more different looking place than Wimbledon Stadium!! And also certainly is NOT Ronnie Moore in that midget car..! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The White Knight Posted July 4, 2012 Report Share Posted July 4, 2012 Except that this is absolutely 100% NOT Plough Lane, Wimbledon. Couldn't be a more different looking place than Wimbledon Stadium!! And also certainly is NOT Ronnie Moore in that midget car..! Apart from that it's OK then. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted July 4, 2012 Report Share Posted July 4, 2012 Clearly a case of incomplete records and those that were involved are now no longer with us or their memories have faded.That isn't Wimbledon,but Maitland-like the mistake gets repeated.Seems from discussions elsewhere the likelyhood is this was filmed at Rayleigh.I was never there nor have i seen any photos from that period so have to wait for evidence Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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