Sky Sports

[Gemini]

Tell me this is a wind up !

Either that or my calendar is wrong and it's April 1st.

[KevH]

Think I am right but seem to remember that a rule was brought in that riders HAD to wear helmets during the parade and also you couldn't slap there hands as they went pass you.

H&S crops up again.

[g13webb]

They were custom built, Neil Street conversions, 2 to 4 valve, they weren't production engines, were they?

 

They came soon after the Streety Mods...

 

Agreed; Yes, they were just a head conversion, but it highlighted the potential of the 4 valve design. Had the powers ,at that time banned this new design, engine suppliers like Jawa; GM ; Weslake wouldn't have jumped on the bandwagon.

 

I appreciate there are more meetings for the riders now, But Garry Middleton ( Aussie world stage rider) once said, 'a standard 2 valve Jawa would easily do a season of racing. Just hose it down and oil the chain and its ready to go'. That highlights the differences between them old machines and the modern day ones.....

[OveFundinFan]

I would be happy to see speedway going back to 2 valve engines, the racing was top class in those years and if it makes speedway cheaper for riders and fans....its the way to go.

And while I am at it..... make the bikes upright as well, just something about an engine upright in a speedway frame that makes it look good.

[New Science]

I would be happy to see speedway going back to 2 valve engines, the racing was top class in those years and if it makes speedway cheaper for riders and fans....its the way to go.

And while I am at it..... make the bikes upright as well, just something about an engine upright in a speedway frame that makes it look good.

Write to the F.I.M and tell them

[hyderd]

 

Yeah, your probably right. But it was Neil Street that brought the technology into the modern era and highlighted the difference it was to achieve.

 

That night in question, Kings Lynn Vs Newport , could have been a typical meeting had it not been for the performance of those two machines. The fact Phil Crump rode to a 15 max was not unusual, but the easy manner in how he achieved it was. 1/2 lap ahead in some races.... But the real indicator of the machine's capability, was that an ageing Neil Street only dropped one point all night, beating Terry Betts in the process....... They even came 1st and 2nd in the second half final, such were their dominance.......

 

Because of the supreme power of those 4 valvers, riders had to purchase the equivalent just to start races on equal terms. That signalled the start of costs being hiked up to meet the higher demands, which inturn coincided with the start of crowd numbers dwindling..,

 

I remember Peter Collins on a 2 valve Jawa getting the better of P Crump over 3 rides for the Golden Helmet.Those 3 races brought the house down.

I would be happy to see speedway going back to 2 valve engines, the racing was top class in those years and if it makes speedway cheaper for riders and fans....its the way to go.

And while I am at it..... make the bikes upright as well, just something about an engine upright in a speedway frame that makes it look good.

 

As much as I loved those days, if we had a 2 valve Jawa at the NSS, they would look very slow, technology moves forward, speedway has to move with it.

[g13webb]

 

I remember Peter Collins on a 2 valve Jawa getting the better of P Crump over 3 rides for the Golden Helmet.Those 3 races brought the house down.

 

As much as I loved those days, if we had a 2 valve Jawa at the NSS, they would look very slow, technology moves forward, speedway has to move with it.

 

I agree to a point , but not at a cost the sport can't afford.........

When the bikes were low tech the rider was the more important than the machinery, when the bike got more technical the rider was of a lesser importance.

 

Whereas now, a top man couldn't win on a slow bike .......

[Denis99]

It might take a brave promoter to try this sort of approach, but Apple make most of their money from the extras they provide, as opposed to the actual products.

 

Lower the entrance cost.

 

Hopefully more people attend, tempt them to spend more in the stadium with

 

Food, tea, coffee, cold drinks, bar etc

Proper track shop with memorabilia.

Buy proper race night programmes.

Offer to buy or subscribe to the meeting via DVD , or link to an upload. If it's a good meeting, many might be prepared to pay to watch the meeting again, or keep as a collectors item.

Good discount on season tickets etc , more people take up this offer and hopefully spend more at the meeting, see above.

Short term meeting discounts. Watch the next six meetings for the price of five?

Better entertainment, racing value. If we are to keep the interval for riders to rest, adjust machinery, then lets have some junior racing whilst this is going on.

 

Must be more ideas that people can think of? Have a suggestions box for better value, feedback on the team website.

 

Can't stop the engine technology, it's here to stay.

[marko]

Trouble is Dennis a lot of promotions do not own the retail elements of the stadiums so gain no money from them.

I also don't think it's too late to change the machinery aspect, they have in other motorsports, the current equipment is not sustainable and will lead to more clubs closing and the sport in this country dissolving into one small league with a few clubs who run one or two meetings a year much like grasstrack.

[OveFundinFan]

 

I remember Peter Collins on a 2 valve Jawa getting the better of P Crump over 3 rides for the Golden Helmet.Those 3 races brought the house down.

 

As much as I loved those days, if we had a 2 valve Jawa at the NSS, they would look very slow, technology moves forward, speedway has to move with it.

The 2 valve Jawa, and even the JAP engine before it, went very well at Hyde Road as can be testified by the brill races between Craven, Fundin, Knutsson, Briggs, Moore and many many others.

[Buttons]

This has to be decided before the parade.... Helmets, no helmets.

 

With helmets the riders can do practise starts and corner squirts..

 

Without helmets, they are not allowed to do practise starts, corner squirts or any race simulai....

 

 

Strict rules, fines for disobedience.....

Don't think you quite understood what I meant, When riders walk out to the starts they stand infront of the grandstand and each rider from each team is introduced individually to the crowd, once they have been introduced they then put their helmets on and get on their machines and do practice starts whatever .

[John Scrutton]

I have seen riders way back in the post war years when they were all on Japs have trouble, go back to the pits, take the engine out and replace it and take his next ride 2 to 3 races later today it would take 2 to 3 DAYS to do this. The bikes are so complicated. Has this improved the racing NO.

[sommelier]

 

I remember Peter Collins on a 2 valve Jawa getting the better of P Crump over 3 rides for the Golden Helmet.Those 3 races brought the house down.

 

As much as I loved those days, if we had a 2 valve Jawa at the NSS, they would look very slow, technology moves forward, speedway has to move with it.

I'm interested in what meeting you are referring to regarding Collins & Crump in the Golden Helmet. I remember watching the Golden Helmet at Leicester & that was the very first time I had seen a Weslake Engine that Collins was using. Crump won convincingly!

[hyderd]

I'm interested in what meeting you are referring to regarding Collins & Crump in the Golden Helmet. I remember watching the Golden Helmet at Leicester & that was the very first time I had seen a Weslake Engine that Collins was using. Crump won convincingly!

It was the Golden Helmet match races, the holder would race against the top scoring opposition over 3 races, no Belle Vue rider would of raced against Crump at Leicester. Crump was the holder of it when his team (not sure whether it was Newport or Bristol) played at Belle Vue in the British league match.

[sommelier]

It was the Golden Helmet match races, the holder would race against the top scoring opposition over 3 races, no Belle Vue rider would of raced against Crump at Leicester. Crump was the holder of it when his team (not sure whether it was Newport or Bristol) played at Belle Vue in the British league match.

Yes but this was at a neutral track after a tie at Newport & Hyde Road

[Shadders]

I would much rather watch a match on Sky than attend. I get commentary, a dozen angles, close up pictures, slow motion replays, rider and manager interviews... and it's included in my subscription.

Without the few spectators remaining there wouldn't be any speedway on Sky. What ya gonna do then smart arse?

[Paulco]

I would much rather watch a match on Sky than attend. I get commentary, a dozen angles, close up pictures, slow motion replays, rider and manager interviews... and it's included in my subscription.

That is just weird . I've never thought speedway comes across well on TV , the only true way to appreciate speedway is to be there to watch it unfold at the track .

[ray c]

I would much rather watch a match on Sky than attend. I get commentary, a dozen angles, close up pictures, slow motion replays, rider and manager interviews... and it's included in my subscription.

if everybody had you attitude the only speedway we will be watching is speedway gold

[Beowulf]

It was the Golden Helmet match races, the holder would race against the top scoring opposition over 3 races, no Belle Vue rider would of raced against Crump at Leicester. Crump was the holder of it when his team (not sure whether it was Newport or Bristol) played at Belle Vue in the British league match.

 

If my memory isn't playing tricks on me that's not quite right. Originally it was a competition called the Silver Sash. The holder of the Sash would ride against the highest scoring rider from the opposing team (league matches only). Whoever won the single race would be the holder of the Sash. For a fan the fun was trying to work out the fixtures to see if it could end up at your track. I remember one occasion at Monmore where John Louis riding for Newport scored a 15 point max but was not able to challenge because the scores were from programmed rides only and as a reserve Louis had 3 programmed. At some point this morphed into the Golden Helmet which was a monthly competition. The BSPA would choose the challenger and there would a leg (3 races) at the holders track and a leg (3 races) at the home track of the challenger. If it was level after 2 legs there would a be a deciding leg at a neutral track decided by the BSPA.

[sommelier]

 

If my memory isn't playing tricks on me that's not quite right. Originally it was a competition called the Silver Sash. The holder of the Sash would ride against the highest scoring rider from the opposing team (league matches only). Whoever won the single race would be the holder of the Sash. For a fan the fun was trying to work out the fixtures to see if it could end up at your track. I remember one occasion at Monmore where John Louis riding for Newport scored a 15 point max but was not able to challenge because the scores were from programmed rides only and as a reserve Louis had 3 programmed. At some point this morphed into the Golden Helmet which was a monthly competition. The BSPA would choose the challenger and there would a leg (3 races) at the holders track and a leg (3 races) at the home track of the challenger. If it was level after 2 legs there would a be a deciding leg at a neutral track decided by the BSPA.

Silver Sash was it not in the 2nd Division ? Regarding the Golden Helmet when I first started watching in 1968, it was against the top scoring rider, Olsen would ride like his life depended on it! But the years I'm talking about Collins & Crump, it was the best of 3 rides home & away. If there was a tie it would go to a neutral track. A rider would be chosen monthly as the challenger & if I remember correctly it was sponsored by MCN