Issue 101 - Dave Jessup, British Memorial Meeting, Berwick v Edinburgh, Southern Riders' Champs, Doug Adams, Szczakiel, Littlechild, etc

[TonyMac]

Issue 101 of Backtrack is out now and here's a small taste of the feast of nostalgia inside . . .

 Subscription only at www.retro-speedway.com

DAVE JESSUP – Life & Times
A World Champion with Team and Pairs gold medals for England, DJ is unquestionably one of the greatest never to win that elusive main individual prize. But, as ROB PEASLEY chronicles, this diminutive racer with the big heart enjoyed a brilliant career that spanned almost 20 years with West Ham, Eastbourne, Wembley, Leicester, Reading, King’s Lynn, Wimbledon and Mildenhall before a spell as GB team manager.

ON THE BOSSES – Maurice Littlechild
Love them or hate them, the speedway promoters of the Backtrack era included some of the sport's all-time heavyweights as well as a new brigade of youthful innovators.  As a member of the BSPA in the 70s and 80s, a longtime management committee member and vice-chairman, MARTIN ROGERS rubbed shoulders – and crossed swords – with all of them.

It’s the centenary of Maurice Littlechild's birth and, but for his premature death in 1972, the speedway involvement of MR may well have been very different. In the latest in our new series on the big names with whom he rubbed shoulders, our resident scribe turns the spotlight on one of speedway's all-time great enthusiasts who promoted at King’s Lynn and Crewe.

BRITISH MEMORIAL MEETING NEEDED
Isn’t it time for an annual British memorial meeting to honour all ex-riders with UK track connections who made the ultimate sacrifice? TONY MAC thinks so. See if you agree.

JERZY SZCZAKIEL
Jerzy Szczakiel’s World Final victory in 1973 sent shock waves through the sport. How could a rider, who wasn’t even originally meant to be in the Katowice meeting, possibly beat the defending World Champion Ivan Mauger in the most dramatic circumstances? As a tribute to the Pole who died on September 1, ROMAN CHYLA provides insight and context to his incredible story.

DOUG ADAMS – remembering a top mic-man
Once the voice of speedway in Yorkshire and host to the stars, Doug Adams remains fondly remembered 17 years after moving on to that great speedway track in the sky. KEITH McGHIE talks to Dougie’s wife Joyce, son Martyn and others who remember a popular, jovial character.

TRACK RIVALRIES: Berwick v Edinburgh
With new observations from Brian Collins, who skippered both of the featured teams, ROB PEASLEY reflects on 11 meetings between second tier neighbours on opposite sides of the border.

 BIG NIGHTS: Southern Riders’ Championship
Reviewing British speedway's most prestigious individual meetings, PHIL CHARD returns south for an event that marked tragic Tommy Jansson’s first major UK victory. Other SRC winners include Colin Pratt, Terry Betts, John Louis, Jamie Luckhurst, Martin Dugard, Andy Buck, Andy Galvin, Steve Schofield and Brian Karger.

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO . . . John Goodall
If things had turned out differently, John Goodall could have been sitting at home in New Zealand polishing a World Team Cup winner’s medal. He was on verge of a call up by the Kiwis in 1979 but by the time they roared to glory at White City in September of that year, he’d already returned home. MARTIN NEAL catches up with the former Sunderland, Newport, Bristol and Wolverhampton rider.

THAT NAME RINGS A BELL: Newport

Whatever became of them, all the ex-riders who had second-half races, junior matches or interval spins in the 70s at . . . NEWPORT? In this memory-jogger, we list all those budding one-time Somerton Park hopefuls, including Kevin Holden, Mike Sampson, Brian Woodward, Danny Kennedy and the tragic Mike Powell, among the many who ‘had a go’.

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 Subscription only at www.retro-speedway.com

[Wasp]

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