Speedway?????

[rst steve]

Any of you guys watch or go to speedway???? Have been to Bele Vue today as i am going to be a track marshal for the upcoming season and all i can say is these guys are mad Was talking to one of the mechanics and he was saying that the bikes can reach 130bhp and wieght 35kgs with no brakes and they do feel a lot lighter than my storm Would recommend this to you guys get your ass down to your local track and give it a go..

[chaz]

between 1969 and 1985 used to go to all Swindon home meetings, and from 1980-85 managed to get to most aways as well, even managed Gothenburg for a World Final and Wembley a couple of times. They were the old one off format world finals.
If you like speedway you want to try to get to Assen in Holland for the Ice races , its like speedway on an ice rink with car tyres as knee pads and over 100 spikes in each wheel. those puppies have gears on them to go faster and they dont broadside the back end they lean like road racers!!

Belle Vue, I suppose thats the new one whereever that is, we used to go there in the 70's to the old one with the wall of death outside. Is Jason Crump racing for them this year? I remember when he was born

only manage to get to Swindon once a year now due to shifts and home matches being Thursday nights now, and around £18 for entry.

[alan]

Ive been on one years ago my mate used to race them he also got some kit off Kenny Carter btw didnt he blow his head with a shotgun

[iggy1966]

Used to go to see Hull Vikings all the time years ago, very disappointed to find they were'nt still around when I moved back to Hull.

[markg]

I was a regular at speedway until about a year ago when I had to make the choice between speedway or motogp/bsb/wsb. I only went to a couple of meets last year but am lucky as Kings Lynn(my team!), Mildenhall, Ipswich and Peterboro are all less than an hour away.
I think the 130 bhp bit is a bit exagerated, more like 60 bhp(from a 500cc single! ) but 0-60 speeds in under 3 seconds, top speeds on bigger tracks of around 70mph(not bad round an oval shale track of 400 metres or less) For anyone who has never seen it, it sure is an experience to be seen at least once. Races last for about 1 minute and can be very exciting. Also these biikes run on castrol R and the smell is great too!

[Jaglifter]

Used to go see it occasionally with my dad at Belle View in the late 50s.

Once went to Longeaton speedway with a mate to do a trial. It was sub zero temperature and the ambulance was doing a ferry service to and from the hospital. It was £10 to hire the bike and have a go, so we said F**k this for a game of soldiers and went home!!!

I did several seasons racing, but speedway is for the highly skilled, or seriously insane!! Hats off to the guys who compete.

[chaz]

as a footnote to this, in 1999 we went to Daytona bike week for my 40th ..
on the friday night we went to the municipal stadium to watch the 'dirt track' top name s like Chris Carr, Jay Springfield leading dirt trackers.
Watching this is a slow process as they gas it out the gate then slow down to trundle round the bends, gas on down the straight and slow again.

During the intervall Barry Briggs came out to give a demo ride. Now Briggo used to sound his horn at us when passing us on the motorways in the 1970's on the way to away meetings for Swindon. The guy was retired from speedway for the best part of 30 years, did a few laps and the 'cream of American dirt trackers' stood in awe of him.
They all said they wouldnt dare go that fast on a dirt track! broad siding, wheelieing standing up a showman.

[SILVER ZIPPER]

I used to go to Long eaton until it closed down, even bought the jacket.
Not been since. I once had a go on a c15 grasstracker just in a strait line,
KINHELL
That's a 250 BSA single for you young sprog's, if thier is any on this site i've seen no evidence yet
Don't know where to go now, would be good tosee it again.
possible meet somewhere.

[LotusSevenMan]

Ah yes. Barry Brigs et al
Poole Pirates was my 'local' back in the late Seventies. Mouth tasting of shale and dust if you stood in the wrong place!!!!!

[kevg]

started going to speedway with my dad when i was a kid. went to see the paisley tigers i think they were, then they moved to coatbridge and are now still going in one form or another at ashvale in glasgow, think they might still be the tigers. last time i went was about 8 years ago.
went to the world championships in paisley as well, what a night, about 100k people squeezed into st. mirrens football ground, lol, probably the highest attendance ever seen there i'd imagine as the football team have never been to great. i've still got a load of programs kicking about in a box somewhere, came accross them all when i moved house a month or so ago.
heard an interview on radio scotland the other night to with Ivan Majors, he was here promoting and at a gala evening in glasgow, he won the worlds i was at to i think, need to go and look at the program now.

[robbie.111]

Hi guys ..
I use to follow WEST HAM back in the 60`s , yeah yeah I`m an old git !
And my dad was a speedway rider for a few years in the late 50`s , was quite a local celeb at one time till he had a big off at eastbourne and nearly broke his back ! , that was the end of his carear ...
Always had back trouble for the rest of his life until he died in 1995.
I have his scrapbook and cuttings that were collected during his time on the track , it puts a lump in my throat when I read them .........
Thats life .......

Cheers
Boys