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Rye House - 3 Lap Races in the 1950s


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I have recently acquired some old Rye House programmes from their SAL days in 1955/6. 

What is curious is that all races were over 3 laps. Given that, other than very early on, races have always been over 4 laps, I wonder why this was so?

 

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The tradition of running three laps at Rye House dated back at least to 1952 (probably earlier to the late 1940s) when it was just a training track. This was the original track which was 440 yards long.

When the new track opened in 1958 it was only 325 yards but initially the races were still held over three laps. However, after just two weeks the traditional four lap races were instituted. The first four lap track record of 70.0 seconds was set up by Tommy Sweetman on on 17 August that year.

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35 minutes ago, norbold said:

The tradition of running three laps at Rye House dated back at least to 1952 (probably earlier to the late 1940s) when it was just a training track. This was the original track which was 440 yards long.

When the new track opened in 1958 it was only 325 yards but initially the races were still held over three laps. However, after just two weeks the traditional four lap races were instituted. The first four lap track record of 70.0 seconds was set up by Tommy Sweetman on on 17 August that year.

That's interesting! I figured it had something to do with being a training track, but I had no idea the original track was that big!

So, some extra information; the Rye House Open Trophy (basically a series of smaller individual events) on 23rd June, 1946, has most races run over three laps. It was only some of the event finals that were held over four laps. Most of the other meetings that season were run over three laps, but it looks like the Rye House-Norwich Juniors match on 21st July was a four-lap event. Strangely enough, the 'Consolation Scurry' held after that meeting featured TWO lap races...

Pre-war, it appears that four laps was the standard.

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7 hours ago, chunky said:

That's interesting! I figured it had something to do with being a training track, but I had no idea the original track was that big!

So, some extra information; the Rye House Open Trophy (basically a series of smaller individual events) on 23rd June, 1946, has most races run over three laps. It was only some of the event finals that were held over four laps. Most of the other meetings that season were run over three laps, but it looks like the Rye House-Norwich Juniors match on 21st July was a four-lap event. Strangely enough, the 'Consolation Scurry' held after that meeting featured TWO lap races...

Pre-war, it appears that four laps was the standard.

Thanks for that, Chunky. Yes, the earliest record I had to hand was from 1952 but I assumed the three lap tradition must have gone back to when they re-opened after the War. It is interesting though that some races were four laps.

I knew that pre-War, four laps had been the standard.

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