New Cross 1963

[iris123]

2 hours ago, norbold said:

Yes, Sidney, it was the scratch race final at New Cross. Ron Johnson ran into the fence on the back straight and fell. With less than two yards separating him and Tom, the latter had little time to take avoiding action, though those that were there that night say that Tom deliberately tried his best to turn away from his fallen skipper, choosing instead to plough into his machine. Tom and his bike were thrown into the air and flung a considerable distance before Tom landed on his head. Both riders were rushed to hospital, where Tom sadly died.

Missed your chance there. You should have told him there is a good book that tells the story.....

[E I Addio]

7 hours ago, Sidney the robin said:

I was doing some memorabilia the other week Norbold,  and it struck me that four major talents died between 1935/ 57.  Tom Farndon 1935 . Ken le Breton 1951. Ernie Roccio 1952.  Alan Hunt 1957 may they all RIP.

A bit off topic Sid but in the period you mention we lost two major talents in off track accidents, World Champion Bluey Wilkinson ( road accident ) and Gerry Hussey ( midget car racing ) . Terribly sad.

Wasnt someone else killed in the same crash as Ken le Breton . Was it Norman Clay or am I thinking of something else?.

[andout]

30 minutes ago, E I Addio said:

A bit off topic Sid but in the period you mention we lost two major talents in off track accidents, World Champion Bluey Wilkinson ( road accident ) and Gerry Hussey ( midget car racing ) . Terribly sad.

Wasnt someone else killed in the same crash as Ken le Breton . Was it Norman Clay or am I thinking of something else?.

Ray Duggan was killed along with Norman Clay in the same race in 1950 in Sydney.

Eddie Rigg was in the same crash that took Ken's life but Eddie died much later....not sure what year.

Edited December 10, 2019 by andout
change

[Sidney the robin]

56 minutes ago, andout said:

Ray Duggan was killed along with Norman Clay in the same race in 1950 in Sydney.

Eddie Rigg was in the same crash that took Ken's life but Eddie died much later....not sure what year.

Eddie died in 1991 aged 71.

[norbold]

And don't forget Dusty Haigh in 1936 at Hackney.

[Sidney the robin]

8 hours ago, norbold said:

And don't forget Dusty Haigh in 1936 at Hackney.

The real downside of speedway Norbold when you look back at these terrible events.For me personally Teo at Swindon was before my time but he is still fondly remembered and is laid to rest at a local Swindon graveyard.I suppose Geoff Curtis, Gary Petersen, Tommy Jansson, Vic Harding, Denny Pyeatt  were the ones that stick in my mind as i was young then and i suppose it leaves a mark makes you appreciate that life is precious.

[Bavarian]

This website may be of interest IN MEMORIAM it does not only list the fatal accidents in speedway, but in any form of motorcycle oval track racing since the beginning of the sport. 

[norbold]

1 hour ago, Sidney the robin said:

The real downside of speedway Norbold when you look back at these terrible events.For me personally Teo at Swindon was before my time but he is still fondly remembered and is laid to rest at a local Swindon graveyard.I suppose Geoff Curtis, Gary Petersen, Tommy Jansson, Vic Harding, Denny Pyeatt  were the ones that stick in my mind as i was young then and i suppose it leaves a mark makes you appreciate that life is precious.

I saw the crash that killed Teo. 

[Sidney the robin]

39 minutes ago, norbold said:

I saw the crash that killed Teo. 

A real tragedy  aged only 33 he had qualified for the 1963 World championship final as a British  reserve and in 1964  had  qualified for the British Final.September 1st 1964 it was reported that he did a overslide and hit the fence he died on the 22nd of January in 65.My uncle told me he was very popular and was a bit harum scarum at first but made real progress he married a British girl and had a successful garage business.

Edited December 11, 2019 by Sidney the robin

[norbold]

2 hours ago, Bavarian said:

This website may be of interest IN MEMORIAM it does not only list the fatal accidents in speedway, but in any form of motorcycle oval track racing since the beginning of the sport. 

A very interesting but very sad site, Bavarian.

Do you have any information on Hans-Peter Finn, who was killed in 1920?

[Bavarian]

35 minutes ago, norbold said:

A very interesting but very sad site, Bavarian.

Do you have any information on Hans-Peter Finn, who was killed in 1920?

NO, not at all. I see he was killed in a grass track accident in New Zealand. His name certainly sounds very German, but I have never come across this name before. 1920 was very early for motorcycle track racing though.

[norbold]

2 hours ago, Bavarian said:

NO, not at all. I see he was killed in a grass track accident in New Zealand. His name certainly sounds very German, but I have never come across this name before. 1920 was very early for motorcycle track racing though.

Thank you for that bit of extra info. I'll see if I can find out any more. The date is the reason I am interested in him. 

[iris123]

What is interesting is the Finn brothers from Split Enz,Crowded House, Fleetwood Mac and The Finn Brothers, come from that area as well. Maybe related ?

Edited December 11, 2019 by iris123

[chunky]

8 hours ago, norbold said:

Thank you for that bit of extra info. I'll see if I can find out any more. The date is the reason I am interested in him. 

Not sure where I got his name from, but I will check and see what information I can find.

[Bavarian]

8 hours ago, norbold said:

Thank you for that bit of extra info. I'll see if I can find out any more. The date is the reason I am interested in him. 

The following report was published in the Auckland Star on Tuesday, March 30, 1920 :

 

  MOTOR SPORTS FATALITY.

  INJURED CYCLIST DIES.

  AFTERMATH OF COLLISION.

  An untoward incident, resulting in the death of one of the competitors, Mr. Hans Finn, marred the motor cycle sports held at the Takapuna Racecourse yesterday afternoon. The unfortunate man was contesting the President's Handicap, and when a few laps had been covered was observed to come to grief. An ambulance was soon in attendance, and conveyed Finn, who had obviously suffered severe injuries, to the Narrow Neck Military Hospital. Here examination revealed that he had sustained injuries to the head in addition to a fracture of each thigh. An anaesthetic was administered and the limbs set, but the injured man fell into a comatose state, from which he failed to rally, and he died soon after nine o'clock this morning.

  Deceased lived at Brixton Road, and it is understood had no relatives in New Zealand.

  The origin of the mishap was a slight collision. One of the competitors in passing Finn touched him with his arm, and the Impact was sufficient to upset the machine. It dashed through the outer rails, and over a ditch, where it lay for some minutes, issuing a volume of smoke. The machine, which was considerably damaged, had been ridden in two previous races by H Blyth.

  An inquest will be conducted at the morgue at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

 

    

 

[chunky]

Okay, I received an email about Hans-Peter Finn (from someone who has sent me several names).

I looked a little deeper, and there are several  references in New Zealand Newspapers.  Seems he was actually killed on March 30, 1920, at the "jockey's club racecourse", Devonport-Takapuna.  I know nothing about the venue, but it was listed as a grass-track, and was home to horse, dog, and motorcycle racing.  He is also listed on the grasstrackgb website remembrance page.

Finn was apparently hit by another rider, and suffered various injuries.  He was 37, and is buried in the Waikumete Cemetery.

[norbold]

Thanks Bavarian and chunky. Very interesting.

[Bavarian]

This appeared in the Auckland Star on Wednesday, March 31, 1920 :

  DEATHS

FINN - on March 30, 1920, at Takapuna, as the result of a motor cycle accident, Hans Peter Finn, aged 37 years.

The funeral will leave the mortuary of Messrs. C.Little and Sons, Hobson Street, to-morrow (Thursday), at 2 p.m., for Waikumete Cemetary. 

 

It appeared along with the report of the inquest:

  MOTOR CYCLE RACING.

  FATALITY AT TAKAPUNA.

  The death of Hans Peter Finn, as the result of an accident at the motor cycle races at Takapuna on Monday last, formed the subject of an inquest at the morgue this morning, before Mr. J. E. Wilson, S. M..

  Evidence of identification was given by Julius Gotfred Jensen, who said that deceased was a native of Denmark, and was a stonemason in the employ of Messrs. Parkinson and Co.

  Dr. Maxwell Ramsay, medical officer in charge of the Narrow Neck Camp, gave evidence of the admission of the deceased to the hospital, where it was found that, in addition to his other injuries, he had sustained a fracture of the base of the skull. He gradually became worse and died yesterday morning.

  Percy R. Coleman, professional motor-cycle rider in the employ of Mr. E. S. Pees, Palmerston North, said he was one of the competitors at the motor-cycle sports held on the Takapuna racecourse.

  In reply to a question from the Coroner, as to what was the condition of the track, and whether any special preparations had been made for the races, witness said that there had been no special preparation. They rode on the ordinary track, which was in good order.

  The Coroner: Had the track not been prepared at all? - No, but it was in pretty good order.

  The Coroner: This is the second inquest at which I have had to move in connection with motor-cycle racing. This is the second man who has been killed.

In reply to a further question, witness said they had been riding on the grass track for about eight years. This track was as good as any in New Zealand.

  The Coroner: If that is the case, it seems to me that this kind of sport will have to be barred so as to prevent these accidents. There are different tracks, are there not - tracks specially constructed for motor-cycling?

Witness replied that there were none in New Zealand. He had ridden on motor-cycle tracks in America, and was of the opinion that the track at Takapuna compared very favourably with tracks of the same kind in that country.

Continuing, witness said that he and deceased both rode in the President's Handicap. WItness was on the scratch mark, and gradually overhauled deceased. As witness was passing him, he suddenly swerved out, and witness brushed the latter's arm with his left. This caused witness' bicycle to skid about, but he did not know deceased had fallen until he had gone another lap, as it was against the rules of racing to look behind. As soon as he noticed the accident he pulled up and informed the stewards. At the time of the accident witness was travelling at about 80 miles an hour, and deceased at about 65 miles. Witness was on the right side of the track.

  Henry N. Anderson, member of the motor ambulance corps, said he drove the deceased to the Hospital at Narrow Neck. The latter was then quite conscious, and in reply to a query as to how the accident happened, said: "When I was going round the back of the course, the front wheel of my bike seemed to strike a rut. This caused me to swerve, and while recovering I seemed to get a tap on the arm. The next thing I knew, I was lying on the ground."

  The Coroner returned a verdict to the effect that deceased died as a result of a fracture of the skull and other injuries received from a fall from a motor-cycle while riding in a race on the Takapuna racecourse on March 29. He added: "If You gentlemen will engage in this kind of sport You will have to recognise what an extremly dangerous sport it is. This is the second inquest I have had in connection with motor-cycling during the past few months. I cannot stop You yet. I have no power to do it, but someone will have to stop You if this kind of thing continues. I can only find the cause of death, and say what I think of sport where men are liable to be killed in this manner."

  Subsequently Mr. R. E. Champtaloup, captain of the Auckland Provincial Motor-Cycle Racing Club, made a statement to the press. He pointed out that the previous accident, which occured at Alexandra Park, had nothing at all to do with the club. The track had been closed for the day, and the men were really on the ground without authority from the club. The track at Takapuna was considered one of the best of its kind, and was similar to the tracks used in America. He held that the proportion of deaths from motor-cycle racing was relatively small when compared with the deaths resulting from horse-racing.

 

             

 

Edited December 12, 2019 by Bavarian

[Split]

On ‎12‎/‎11‎/‎2019 at 10:38 AM, norbold said:

I saw the crash that killed Teo. 

So did I and I also saw the crash that killed Australian rider, Dave Wills. Both at West Ham back in the 60's.