iris123

I did stumble across one a good few years ago now. Sure it was about Johnnie Hoskins building the Custom House stadium. But of course it wasn't any speedway promoter, and Hoskins only came to West Ham a couple of years after the stadium and speedway had opened there. If i remember rightly norbold corrected the page

Letting someone like that back into a sport would give it a bad name in the media I guess that is where speedway has an advantage. It doesn't have a good name, nor bad. It is just ignored

Funny, as talent goes, for some reason i recalled a discussion i had on here years ago with Phil Rising. Phil said he was talking to Gundersen at that time and Erik said that if you think this group of riders are good (Mikkelsen, Bech Jensen etc) just wait for the next lot, they will be even better. I said to Phil that i really couldn't see it happening, as i was a fairly frequent spectator at Danish junior racing at the time. Then one or two jumped in on me saying along the lines of 'how can you question someone like Phil/Erik I think the years have shown i was right, and there has been no top Danish riders come along really. Certainly no group, and barely a single elite rider

No she isn't riding in Italy now

Similarly the gypsies of English football, QPR are having a tough time and could drop down to the third tier yet again Bit of a yo-yo team, who made according to Wiki, 18 changes of ground, although obviously some back to an old ground !! Is this a record ? But did have a couple of spells at White City London

Interesting to read the bit on early Danish racing, and what is one of the first purpose built motorcycle dirt track stadiums in Europe. The Glostrup stadium which opened on August 12th 1922. Interesting in many ways, but the importance maybe of an appearance of the US dirt track rider Paul Anderson in 1925. As mentioned on the Frank Arthur thread, he was also racing around this time in Australia. And it was also around this time that the 'American skid' style of braodsiding around the corners was described. So maybe seen in Denmark ? You could almost believe they had seen speedway/dirt track broadsiding from the cover of the opening meetings programme http://speedwaylife.com/danish-tracks/glostrup/ https://www.ebay.com/itm/266200848818

Probably me personally. But i do find all this a bit disrespectful to a speedway rider and someone who lost their life serving their country. Just the same as i find the treatment of Morian Hansen, who has his own thread, shameful

As the thread title states, he was treated shamefully. You would like to think it couldn't happen today, but we have recently seen with Afghan helpers, how appaling they were also treated. You would think though with Hansens medals and service in the RAF, which had a better reputation that the army really, he would have had a few important people in his corner, who could and should have slammed ther fist on a table or two and pulled some strings

I just don't think promoters work that way. Regardless of how successful or not Celina turns out to be, if some team needs a rider, in the ever decreasing market, and the best bet available is a female, then they will turn to her A young female finished 2nd in the junior event at Güstrow the other day. Who knows how her career turns out ?

From Mechanic to the Dirt Track From an early age he is trained as mechanic and he is eventually employed by the Ford Motor Company. He earns the nickname Morian Hansen in this period; Morian is an old and depreciatory expression for a coloured person. As one story is told he was repairing a Ford T when carbon from the engine soiled his face. From this day on his colleagues called him “Morian.” Another story, told by him self in 1981, relates to the dirt of the dirt track. In the 1920’s Morian Hansen is involved in motor racing – primarily motor bikes, but also racing cars. This eventually brings him abroad. In the 1930’s he moves to England with his family for a career as professional dirt track rider (later known as speedway). Speed in the blood, he does not stick to the ground. In 1935 he receives training as pilot in the Hearts and Essex Flying Club at Broxbourne and he gets his certificate on 12 October 1935. Many of the British riders of the time take up flying in exactly this club. https://www.danishww2pilots.dk/profiles.php?person=35 https://po-bandzie.com.pl/zuzel-zuzlowy-forrest-gump-bohater-dunczyk-morian-hansen/

What is revolutionary about this new bike, anyone ?

Latvia: LEBEDEVS Andzejs, MIHAILOVS Olegs, KOSTIGOVS Jevgenijs, KOLODINSKIS Daniils, GUSTS Francis Germany: GROBAUER Valentin, RISS Erik, WÖLBERT Kevin, WASSERMANN Sandro, BLÖDORN Norick Sweden: THORSELL Jacob, LINDBÄCK Antonio, LINDGREN Fredrik, NILSSON Kim, HENRIKSSON Casper Ukraine: LEVISHYN Marko, KARPOV Andriy, MELNYCHUK Stanislav, LYSAK Vitalii, PARNITSKYI Nazar

Cyril Maidment was one at Wimbledon

Ok. I do remember someone on the forum explaining the gate. When or why it was changed etc. There were a couple of track staff who used to post on here. the post or two are probably buried in the forum vaults somewhere

Wouldn't it have been the ther way around, as i thought the difference was because of complying with FIM regs ? Maybe introduced when Wimbledon hosted the Internationae ?

Well basically start with the 1934 championship at the L.A Coliseum, which was a 3 day event. A great idea I think, but think it was a one-off in the history of the sport It seems like the first 2 days were qualifiers for the final day and it looks to me as if the points from the quali meetings were taken over to the final See that day 1 had a 12,000 att and 10,000 for day2. No idea about the final day, if anyone has info ? If anyone has any heat details that would be great One query for day 1. The report I have seen say's 'Pete Coleman carrying on for the injured Jack Milne'. Not quite sure what this means as in the line-up for the final day, both are listed Day 2 mentions Sam Arena deserted his hospital bed to ride and he qualified!!! And that Garland Johnson forced Wilbur Lamoreaux, the reigning title holder(important because one or two sites list Ray Grant as 1933 champ?), to a new track record. Johnson took 4 2nd places to turn a score of 12 from a possible 16. So I guess both quali meets were run over 16 heats ? The final line-up; 'Sprouts' Elder (riding with 3 broken ribs from a previous crash),W.Lamoreaux, G.Johnson, S.Arena, C.Self, B.McKinney, C.Milne, M.Waln, B.Lisman, P.Coleman, J.Milne, E. Hinkle,R.Roberts, K.Schofield, E.Spadefore, E.Jones, E.Farrand Just know Cordy and Lammy tied for points on 28 and I am guessing they had a run-off which Cordy led narrowly all the way to the finish and broke the track record. Possibly though they met in their last heat and Cordy had a 32 pt max from the two meetings !! Milne then had a total of 32, Lammy finished 2nd and Byrd McKinney 3rd. Not sure on their totals then Earl Farrand had 25 as did Bo Lisman, Pete Coleman 24, Kenny Schofield 24 and Elder had 20 Anyone fill in the gaps ? A few weeks later Lloyd 'Sprouts' Elder announced his retirement from the sport and that he was joining the Fresno California Highway Patrol

Good to hear. I just wonder how Ray Grant got credited with the championship, especially as he was missing a good bit of the season due to injury. I wonder if he won something else ? I also came across a Mexico v California meeting. Though disappointed that the 'Mexico' team was just the US riders that had ventured down to race in Mexico, rather than any Mexican speedway riders

A couple of days ago saw a US newspaper report from 1933 and Elder was also mentioned as world champion. So I guess something he was fond of telling people

forty motorcycle racers vie tomorrow In the first daylight program ever held at the Long Beach Motospeedway. Eighteen races, including both scratch and handicap events, are scheduled, with “Sprouts” Elder, world champion, and Miny Wain, national champion, heading the entries which also include Ray Grant, Bo Lisman, Cordy Milne, Lammy Lamoreaux, Earl Farrand and Rusty Roberts. Elder and Wain will hook up in several of the events in starting their race for 1933 honors. Wain will be presented with the speedway trophy he won last year by Miss Glenda Farrell, motion picture star. August 1933 September, and i am not sure if this refers to the US championship. In the paper it talks about West side championship. But to me from the earlier paper about Lammy already having the title befre the last meeting had reached half way, means it was a GP style series, which ties in with this. I also can't believe that it was just down to 6 riders. And to me it looks like Puma has misunderstood that the scratch race final was the final for the title.... BYRD M'KINNEY, who grabbed the lead in the, championship a month ago, will face Wilbur Lamoreaux, Cordy M)lne, Miny Wain and Jack Milne to-. night in the races at Loyola. Motor Races ..Due Tonight .at Loyola speedway b?gin bearing down tonight in the race for the championship of the west side racing plant. Lammy" Lamoreaux, Burton Albrecht. Cordy Milne, Jack Milne, Miny Wain and. other hot shot speedsters are all here intent on passing Byrd McKinney, Who grabbed off the lead a month ago and has held it ever since. . Tonight's big drawing card is the three-way match race doubleheader" between Cordy Milne, .Wilbur Lamoreaux and Miny Wain for the "Undisputed championship - of Southern California. Milne will Jsattle Wain for two excursions around the fast and spectacular track, with Lamourcaux challenging the winner.

Phew, that was lucky !!! Just came on the forum and nearly tripped over a load of toys being thrown out of a pram, there Could have been nasty

He just disappeared. I suspect Lou Casazza and Dutch Mueller had something to do with it

Seen an interesting photo that was taken in May 1936 at Harringay where the Parker brothers met the Milne's in a duel and supposedly lost 14-11!!! Had a look on speedway researcher and can't see anything. Guess it was part of the Harringay v Hackney meeting as that roughly corresponds to the date given Does anyone have further details of this clash? Not sure how they get to that score... And anyone know of any other clashes between two sets of brothers ? Grahame v Collins maybe ?

Well-organized A.C.U.-sanctioned team racing greeted Jack and Cordy upon their arrival in Great Britain after a six-week sea voyage. Eight teams, enthusiasticaly cheered on by “supporters’ clubs” from the towns they represented (Wembley, West Ham, Wimbledon, New Cross, Hackney Wick, Manchester, Bristol and South-hampton) vied for national honors. Riders received team assignments from the governing body itself, and rider swapping or purchasing was allowed, much like present-day ball club bargaining. American competitors, however, were exempt from purchase and could only change teams at season’s end. Jack was assigned to the New Cross team, while Cordy joined forces with the Hackney Wick riders. As Jack says, “If you waited for good weather in England, you’d NEVER race.” Riding styles of the ’30’s and ’40’s were, as in present-day racing, varied. But few spectators at current closed-course meets are aware of the fact that Jack Milne pioneered the now-accepted cornering technique of placing the left foot firmly forward upon entering each turn. Until Milne proved the advantages of this method, both in slowing a brakeless machine and “squaring the corners,” most riders depended primarily upon balance (as did Lammy), or relied upon the spectacular but now-obsolete practice of “drag-legging” a leatherpadded knee, as did “Sprouts” Elder. https://magazine.cycleworld.com/article/1962/04/01/night-speedway-racing and https://magazine.cycleworld.com/article/1962/03/01/night-speedway-racing

Oh I was into researching family history before the internet came along. And that sort of thing always seems to be very important to a lot of Americans

Also a coincidence that he rode for Wimbledon. The club based not far away from one of the main Hugenot areas of the UK in Wandsworth. Passed the old cemetery just a few months back Seems Wilbur was also involved in auto racing in Southern California