How good was the racing at the Shay.?

[Fromafar]

Went there few times,loved it,it was a great racing track with the banking,saw the late Vaclav Verner visiting with Exeter he was sensational in action ,back wheel bouncing of the 3rd / 4 bend fence every lap a shooting him down the strait heart in mouth stuff every lap ,didn't seem too bother him though.Sadly Missed.

[steve roberts]

On 1 April 2018 at 10:07 PM, racers and royals said:

I went to the shay 3 times- once was the weekend of a Bradford world final and they had a meeting I think the day after or the night before.  The other times I watched the Racers there who couldn`t get round the place and always lost heavily- the last time I went I remember that I was a passenger in the car and we picked up Colin Ackroyd(plus bike)whose car had broken down on the M1

...Colin Ackroyd! Now there's a blast from the past!

Have spoken to Ian Cartwright a number of times when visiting 'The Mouseman' works in Kilburn and he mentioned how he felt confident beating most visiting riders at The Shay as he knew every inch of the track and its various lines and where best to attempt a pass.

[martinmauger]

How good was the racing at the Shay.?

 

Mostly it was good.  But also kinda irrelevant - it was worth going just to watch riders sweep up and down that banking.  Being (slightly) serious though I loved my Saturday trips to Halifax, and Bradford after the Shay closed to speedway, a relatively near trip on the supporter's club coach meaning I didn't arrive back home too late to annoy / worry my parents, one of many venues which gave enjoyment & pleasure to 1,000's now sadly missed....

Edited April 3, 2018 by martinmauger
added info

[Sidney the robin]

3 hours ago, chunky said:

Reading drew 39-all at the Shay on 8 September, 1980. Kelly Moran guested and scored 10+1. The Racers also won there that year in the KOC 57-50.

Steve

Thanks Steve can remember Tony Briggs having one of his best away  meetings there in his debut season.Before  and after that year Carter,Cartwright, Langli,Mckeon,Janke,Baker,Evitts (etc) were all good homesters.

Edited April 3, 2018 by Sidney the robin

[nw42]

I visited The Shay many times during late 60's to late 70's, usually we stood on the first 2 bends, if I remember rightly the riders used to arrive via the back of that area, can recall seeing Kenny Carters posh motorhome parked up there, not sure any other riders had them back then, it was massive too, more like a coach.

Belle Vue fared ok at Halifax as I recall, someone mentioned PC, he definitely had the measure of the track and was one of the few who could show Carter the way round on plenty of occasions, got a vague memory of a Golden Helmet win for PC, pretty sure the Aces weren't riding but we travelled over for the match race,  maybe not, all too distant.

No idea who the announcer was but I can shut my eyes and hear him clear as day, proper broad Yorkshire accent, funny how things stick with you.

 

A lad I grew up with had a short spell with the Dukes, Ian Westwell, a year or 2 older than me, he had a relatively short unremarkable career but I was so jealous of him doing what I dreamt of doing.

 

Another good thought provoking thread Sid, keep em coming fella.

 

 

[waiheke1]

Im pretty sure i saw every Aces meeting at the shay from 81-85. Racing was decent though not as good as hyde rd, the banking is what stands out for me.

From memory i only saw kenny carter beaten once at the Shay in that period in league matches, that was by PC (and on another occassion PC beat him only to be contriversially excluded).

Aces had a decent record at the shay in that period, including a number of last heat victories. I also have on dvd a fixture from 85, after my all time favourite rider had changed sides, and the Aces copped a hefty beating on that occasion. 

Pc never met Carter in the golden helmet, though he did beat ian catrwight there in 78. Mort was beaten 2-0 by KC in 82. The only rider to beat KC at the shay in the golden helmet in the best of three format was Mike Lee. 

[waiheke1]

21 hours ago, Sidney the robin said:

Thanks Steve can remember Tony Briggs having one of his best away  meetings there in his debut season.Before  and after that year Carter,Cartwright, Langli,Mckeon,Janke,Baker,Evitts (etc) were all good homesters.

Steve Finch was always impressive at the shay (and hyde rd). Remember a bunch of juniors who always looked decent in the 2nd halves (david clay?) but only gordon whittaker and michael graves from memory went on to much of a career. 

Gianni Famari i recall having one storming win and very little else

[nw42]

18 minutes ago, waiheke1 said:

Im pretty sure i saw every Aces meeting at the shay from 81-85. Racing was decent though not as good as hyde rd, the banking is what stands out for me.

From memory i only saw kenny carter beaten once at the Shay in that period in league matches, that was by PC (and on another occassion PC beat him only to be contriversially excluded).

Aces had a decent record at the shay in that period, including a number of last heat victories. I also have on dvd a fixture from 85, after my all time favourite rider had changed sides, and the Aces copped a hefty beating on that occasion. 

Pc never met Carter in the golden helmet, though he did beat ian catrwight there in 78. Mort was beaten 2-0 by KC in 82. The only rider to beat KC at the shay in the golden helmet in the best of three format was Mike Lee. 

No flies on you mate, wish my memory was half as good, everything blends into one.  Maybe we travelled over to see PC guesting for another team, definitely remember it wasn't to see the Aces.

Strange move for Larry at the time I think, regardless of reasons for leaving the Aces I wouldn't have expected him to go there, if only because Carter was king and Larry was an experienced old pro by then,  can't remember how he did there but his gating prowess would have stood him in good stead no doubt.

 

[Sidney the robin]

1 hour ago, waiheke1 said:

Im pretty sure i saw every Aces meeting at the shay from 81-85. Racing was decent though not as good as hyde rd, the banking is what stands out for me.

From memory i only saw kenny carter beaten once at the Shay in that period in league matches, that was by PC (and on another occassion PC beat him only to be contriversially excluded).

Aces had a decent record at the shay in that period, including a number of last heat victories. I also have on dvd a fixture from 85, after my all time favourite rider had changed sides, and the Aces copped a hefty beating on that occasion. 

Pc never met Carter in the golden helmet, though he did beat ian catrwight there in 78. Mort was beaten 2-0 by KC in 82. The only rider to beat KC at the shay in the golden helmet in the best of three format was Mike Lee. 

Thinking back to the 81/85 period there were not to many riders who beat Carter around the Shay i actually thought he was better at Hyde Rd . PC, Lee ( in helmet and pairs meeting) and Poole , Crump, Olsen,Knudsen( who was very good at the Shay) were only a few. Going  back to the junior riders at Halifax who got a go Mick Newton, Alan Stansfield,David Clay, Ian Westwell, Michael Graves, Gordon Whittaker come to mind.

Edited April 4, 2018 by Sidney the robin

[fatface]

On 4/4/2018 at 2:35 PM, waiheke1 said:

Im pretty sure i saw every Aces meeting at the shay from 81-85. Racing was decent though not as good as hyde rd, the banking is what stands out for me.

From memory i only saw kenny carter beaten once at the Shay in that period in league matches, that was by PC (and on another occassion PC beat him only to be contriversially excluded).

Aces had a decent record at the shay in that period, including a number of last heat victories. I also have on dvd a fixture from 85, after my all time favourite rider had changed sides, and the Aces copped a hefty beating on that occasion. 

Pc never met Carter in the golden helmet, though he did beat ian catrwight there in 78. Mort was beaten 2-0 by KC in 82. The only rider to beat KC at the shay in the golden helmet in the best of three format was Mike Lee. 

Again an almost identical experience to me. We must have crossed paths in those days.

Beating Kenny at the Shay was a really big deal. I know my favourite - Mort - never managed it and I do recall PC getting the better of him once. The move to the Shay made sense for Larry Ross. He was past his best when he left the Aces, but he always went well at the Shay and I think he gave them 2-3 years of decent service. I have fond memories of the place, though it's probably quite rose-tinted as I don't think I rated the track at the time anywhere near Hyde Road and Sheffield for pure racing. But it was certainly a unique place.

Other memories for me are Mort bouncing off the fence and shooting past Ian Cartwright, PC winning the Norther nRiders there on a sunny Sunday afternoon in 84 and a great end of season firework display with an illuminated elephant at the end of the 81 season.

 

[Paulco]

On ‎31‎/‎03‎/‎2018 at 10:50 PM, RobMcCaffery said:

I only managed to see a few meetings at The Shay but certainly remember the very high banking at both ends, rather like Coatbridge. 

 

Possibly a reason why Mick McKeon ended up there 

[Trotter65]

Went to the shay lots of times following Belle Vue in the 70's and 80's and can't say I enjoyed many visits there...you got absolutely showered with Shale on the bends..much more than anywhere else...the loose grey stuff they used...the racing was fast but I cannot remember much passing there in my visits although Peter Collins was invincible there for a long time...

I used to go regularly away locally  to see Belle Vue back then and loved Sheffield, Cradley and Coventry but The Shay was never a favourite track for me

[Tigerblade]

On 4/7/2018 at 11:25 PM, falcace said:

Again an almost identical experience to me. We must have crossed paths in those days.

Beating Kenny at the Shay was a really big deal. I know my favourite - Mort - never managed it and I do recall PC getting the better of him once. The move to the Shay made sense for Larry Ross. He was past his best when he left the Aces, but he always went well at the Shay and I think he gave them 2-3 years of decent service. I have fond memories of the place, though it's probably quite rose-tinted as I don't think I rated the track at the time anywhere near Hyde Road and Sheffield for pure racing. But it was certainly a unique place.

Other memories for me are Mort bouncing off the fence and shooting past Ian Cartwright, PC winning the Norther nRiders there on a sunny Sunday afternoon in 84 and a great end of season firework display with an illuminated elephant at the end of the 81 season.

 

I was at that meeting as well, I think we have a photo somewhere of PC watching the racing from a small way up the football floodlight racking next to the pits!! I wasn't there in 1981, but I definitely remember the illuminated elephant from the last meetings of 1977 and 1978!  The 1977 one was my first ever away meeting, it was a 4TT, but not in the usual format, it featured 2 riders from 2 teams eg Sheffield v Halifax in one, BV v Hull in another, but they all raced each other in the end, if that makes sense.  My novice brain thought that was the way all 4TT worked!!

I seemed to go to more individual meetings there eg Dews Trophy,  than anything else, and went more times when Kenny Carter wasn't world class, so to speak, but a youngster making his way up.  So him being beaten there wasn't the big thing for me that it was in his later seasons there. 

On 4/4/2018 at 12:18 PM, nw42 said:

 

No idea who the announcer was but I can shut my eyes and hear him clear as day, proper broad Yorkshire accent, funny how things stick with you.

 

 

 

The late, great, Doug Adams. 

[Thornaby48]

I visited the shay a few times and seem to remember Eric boothroyd ,the promoter doing a cartwheels at the starting gate

[The White Knight]

2 hours ago, Thornaby48 said:

I visited the shay a few times and seem to remember Eric boothroyd ,the promoter doing a cartwheels at the starting gate

That must have been a sight to behold. 

[OveFundinFan]

Went to the Shay a few times during mid 60's to early 70's. When you walk into the stadium and take your first look at the steeped bend s it was a "whooo! look at that" and when you saw the races is what another "Whoo, look at that".  I remember seeing a Polish team (cant remember whether a national team or a league team)  Can remember Pogozelski and Edmund Migos. Pogo was a very tall rider whilst Edmund was a lot shorter.  They loved the track, cant remember who won, but the Poles gave it a good go.

[chunky]

3 hours ago, OveFundinFan said:

Went to the Shay a few times during mid 60's to early 70's. When you walk into the stadium and take your first look at the steeped bend s it was a "whooo! look at that" and when you saw the races is what another "Whoo, look at that".  I remember seeing a Polish team (cant remember whether a national team or a league team)  Can remember Pogozelski and Edmund Migos. Pogo was a very tall rider whilst Edmund was a lot shorter.  They loved the track, cant remember who won, but the Poles gave it a good go.

Probably the 4th Test in 1967, which the Poles won 55-53.  Eric Boocock scored an 18 point max, Pogo was joint top scorer for Poland with 14 (as was Toni Woryna), and Migos picked up 6+4 from the reserve berth.

Steve

[OveFundinFan]

2 hours ago, chunky said:

Probably the 4th Test in 1967, which the Poles won 55-53.  Eric Boocock scored an 18 point max, Pogo was joint top scorer for Poland with 14 (as was Toni Woryna), and Migos picked up 6+4 from the reserve berth.

Steve

You either have a very good memory, or you keep all the programs.  Well done

[chunky]

20 hours ago, OveFundinFan said:

You either have a very good memory, or you keep all the programs.  Well done

I do have a good memory, but it's a lot easier than that!  We all know about the Speedway Researcher website, but for things like things, Brian Collins' International Speedway site is also incredible.  For those who aren't familiar with the site, it is based on official international competitions, which includes Test Matches!

Steve

[WRDukes]

Not sure if this is the correct thread or if it's been posted elsewhree but found this on facebook........

 

"Positive negotiations are currently well advanced to bring speedway back to West Yorkshire for the first time since 1997.
Issues such as the track, perimeter fencing and intended pit area have been scrutinised and agreed upon, with professional guidance and no structural limitations remain preventing the sport being re-born locally.
Though the track will be to FIM standard, the new team is envisaged to compete initially at National League level and race as the YORKSHIRE DUKES!"