Issue 69

[TonyMac]

ISSUE 69 (JULY - AUGUST 2015) OUT NOW!

 

If you haven't already got your copy of issue 69, here's a glimpse of what you can expect to find. To order this issue or subscribe for as little as £22 a year (UK), phone Susie on 01708 734 502 or visit www.retro-speedway.com

 

LANCE KING INTERVIEW

When Lance King suffered a neck injury in the same race that ended the career – and almost the life – of his friend and former team-mate, and then had another fortunate escape in Australia a few months later, he knew it was time to quit speedway. The Californian reveals to Rob Peasley the background to all the major moments and decisions that saw him move British League clubs (Cradley Heath, Bradford, King's Lynn) and go so close to fulfilling his World Championship dream.

 

PLACES & FACES with MARTIN ROGERS

In the first of his series of stopping off points across the landscape of British speedway, our new columnist begins his long tour not too far from his Essex roots, in East Anglia, at Boston, Peterborough and Norwich . . .

 

BRYAN SEERY INTERVIEW

Bryan Seery managed the BSPA office for four years during the sport's last golden era. Tony McDonald went to rural Kent for a rare interview with the sport's first leading statistician and the man behind one of the most popular, important and enduring columns to feature in Speedway Star.

 

LOU SANSOM INTERVIEW

Lou Sansom almost ever joined Workington, where he became a legend, and the woman he met my chance in a pub knew nothing about him or speedway. Andrew Skeels reveals how a fateful meeting changed both their lives.

 

KING'S LYNN: 50 MEMORABLE MOMENTS

As the Norfolk venue celebrates its 50th season of speedway, we look back at how one of the greatest racetracks in the world evolved from little acorns in a near-deserted field and produced all-time Stars favourites such as Terry Betts, Malcolm Simmons, Ian Turner, Michael Lee and Henka Gustafssson.

 

STEVE BASTABLE INTERVIEW

Stevie Bastable had his fair share of clubs in a good career that spanned 15 seasons. The 1981 British Champion began and ended his career with Stoke and in between he had spells with five other teams: Cradley Heath, Birmingham, Swindon, Coventry and Bradford. But as Backtrack discovered, 'Stevie B' would happily have spent all his racing days in the green-and-white of the Heathens, where his father Harry had ridden in the 50s and 60s.

 

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO . . . GEOFF CABLE?

Martin Neal tracked down once promising Hackney junior Geoff Cable, who also had loan spells with Rye House and Crayford, but who now teaches photography and numbers calendars for some of the world’s most famous classic car marques and being the official snapper on the X Factor Live tour among his high profile commissions.

 

ON TWO MINUTES WITH . . . JOHN ROBSON

We catch up with former Sunderland and Teesside rider John Robson, who spent eight seasons in the 70s racing for two North-East clubs.

 

OPENING TIMES - Bristol, 1977

Bristol was all too briefly one of the best supported venues of the sport's last golden era. We recall that eventful first night in 1977 when a huge crowd packed Eastville Stadium and interview former Bulldogs No.1 Phil Crump and Peter Thorogood, who had the unenviable task of preparing the much-maligned racing surface.

 

STEEN MASTRUP INTERVIEW

Steen Mastrup knows he was not among the most dynamic Danes to grace the BL scene but as Vitek Formanek reports, he still has fond memories of his time in England with Swindon and Leicester.

 

PETR VANDIREK INTERVIEW

The 1989 Czech champion Petr Vandirek tells VITEK FORMANEK about his acrimonious exit from Red Star Prague and why he loved Exeter.

 

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

Doug Nicolson, known as 'Nicky' during his announcing days at Glasgow’s Blantyre tracks, looks at riders' nicknames and asks: What's in a name?'

 

AUSSIE LEGENDS

John Chaplin reviews Peter White’s latest book, 100 More Aussie Legends Of the Speedways, featuring former British-based riders Steve Regeling, Troy Butler, Mick McKeon, Dave Mills and Glenn Doyle.