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Terrible Speedway Accident - Zbigniew Raniszewski

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The Speedway Star of the time(19th May 1956) has a report which states that Sidlo was involved in the crash. Bishop and Kapala were out front when Sidlo fell in front of Raniszewski.

 

This only shows the inaccuracy of the contemporary report in the Speedway Star. The reporter mixed the happenings of two accidents of heats 14 and 15 into one.

 

The truth is that in Heat 14, another Polish rider, Krzesinski, had a heavy crash and was taken to hospital. In this race (Heat 14) were Kamper and Sidlo for Austria, and Kaiser and Krzesinski for Poland. Kamper and Kaiser were out in front when Sidlo fell in front of Krzesinski. This race was later re-run without Krzesinski.

 

In the next race, heat 15, the fatal accident of Raniszewski happened, and that race of course was never re-run, the match being abandoned. Riding in heat 15 for the Austrian team was Josef Seidl and Phil Bishop, and for the Poles it was Kapala and Raniszewski.

 

It is obvious form seeing the video sequenece, that the two rides invovled in this tragic accident locked up and not that anyone had fallen in front of the other, as described in the Speedway Star report. Clearly that refers to the previous incident of Sidlo and Krzesinski in heat 14.

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This only shows the inaccuracy of the contemporary report in the Speedway Star. The reporter mixed the happenings of two accidents of heats 14 and 15 into one.

 

The truth is that in Heat 14, another Polish rider, Krzesinski, had a heavy crash and was taken to hospital. In this race (Heat 14) were Kamper and Sidlo for Austria, and Kaiser and Krzesinski for Poland. Kamper and Kaiser were out in front when Sidlo fell in front of Krzesinski. This race was later re-run without Krzesinski.

 

In the next race, heat 15, the fatal accident of Raniszewski happened, and that race of course was never re-run, the match being abandoned. Riding in heat 15 for the Austrian team was Josef Seidl and Phil Bishop, and for the Poles it was Kapala and Raniszewski.

 

It is obvious form seeing the video sequenece, that the two rides invovled in this tragic accident locked up and not that anyone had fallen in front of the other, as described in the Speedway Star report. Clearly that refers to the previous incident of Sidlo and Krzesinski in heat 14.

 

 

Or could the report have become 'garbled' either because of translation from German into English, or because the report was written by a German who had a poor grasp of English and the report in question was confusing for the person putting it into basic English? Glad to see the matter has been cleared up after all the years - sadly though it looks as though yet another of speedway's many myths has now been created? That Star report will always be accepted because it is the first reference to the fatal accident.

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Or could the report have become 'garbled' either because of translation from German into English, or because the report was written by a German who had a poor grasp of English and the report in question was confusing for the person putting it into basic English?

Shouldn't have been. Anyone with a basic grasp of speedway would have known which riders were due out in which heats. It would have been easy enough to check and get it right. :)

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Just been reading through translations and links from the Raniszewski website. One person has made a quite interesting observation in the comments, saying that if you freeze the frame at the start of the video, the rider on the outside looks like he is reaching across with his right arm and pulling on Raniszewski's race jacket.

Edited by Grachan

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Phil Bishop serialised his life story in the Speedway Post in 1965 and he mentions the crash but I think he might have got some of the incidents confused. The story says:

 

"I rode in an International team in Vienna against the first Polish team to leave their native country - a team that was told: ride to win, even if you kill yourself. It was the Poles' first International. They had spent thousands on machines and training and reckoned they were going to beat the world. They expected to meet a weak team of Austrians in Vienna...instead they met a composite side that included Josef Hofmeister, Albert Siedl, Josef Kamper, Fritz Dirtl and myself.

By the halfway stage the Poles were behind by 12 points. They held an emergency meeting and told their riders: go faster, at any cost. In the first race after the interval one of the riders crashed, received severe facial injuries and died in hospital. I was in the next race.

Both the Poles tried to chop me up going into the first turn. I kept going, one rammed my back wheel, lost control, knocked his partner off, climbed back on the careering machine, opened the throttle wide.

There was no safety fence. Just 30 metres of grass then stairs leading up to the stands. The Pole crashed at full tilt into these stairs. The impact ripped his head right off. They've put up a safety fence in Vienna now"

 

Speedway Post - August 1965.

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I've just realised Phil Bishop was a victim in the minibus accident at Lokeren!

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Phil Bishop serialised his life story in the Speedway Post in 1965 and he mentions the crash but I think he might have got some of the incidents confused. The story says:

 

"I rode in an International team in Vienna against the first Polish team to leave their native country - a team that was told: ride to win, even if you kill yourself. It was the Poles' first International. They had spent thousands on machines and training and reckoned they were going to beat the world. They expected to meet a weak team of Austrians in Vienna...instead they met a composite side that included Josef Hofmeister, Albert Siedl, Josef Kamper, Fritz Dirtl and myself.

By the halfway stage the Poles were behind by 12 points. They held an emergency meeting and told their riders: go faster, at any cost. In the first race after the interval one of the riders crashed, received severe facial injuries and died in hospital. I was in the next race.

Both the Poles tried to chop me up going into the first turn. I kept going, one rammed my back wheel, lost control, knocked his partner off, climbed back on the careering machine, opened the throttle wide.

There was no safety fence. Just 30 metres of grass then stairs leading up to the stands. The Pole crashed at full tilt into these stairs. The impact ripped his head right off. They've put up a safety fence in Vienna now"

 

Speedway Post - August 1965.

 

I wonder if his research led him to the previous Speedway Star report? Such is how myths are created in speedway.

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Shouldn't have been. Anyone with a basic grasp of speedway would have known which riders were due out in which heats. It would have been easy enough to check and get it right. :)

 

 

 

Only if they had a programme...? :unsure:

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Not necessarily, with rider numbers and the standard heat format.

 

 

Most likely this match report was just a write-up by somebody at the match, probably a supporter. Is there any by-line to the report?

I doubt very much if a programme of the meeting was sent to the Speedway Star. :rolleyes:

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Presumably, if there is footage of the crash, there must be more from the meeting floating around, the 6 second clip is over in a flash and it is hard to draw any conclusions from it, if Bishop is right and it was a first bend incident, then it would be interesting to see this and work out from that if his views were correct.

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I would not rely to much on Phil's recollection in the 1965 Post.

 

It was 9 years on and on viewing the footage I can see little grass between the riders and the stairs and I can see no evidence of him climbing back on his machine?

 

On reading the Polish reports with no knowledge of polish, my best guess is that Zbigniew clipped Phil's back wheel whilst changing line on the corner turned into the line of the rider outside of him, that may well have been the other pole. It looks as if Zbigniew was trying to get off the bike but clashed with the other rider which sent him into the stairs. The other rider was seriously lucky not to hit the stairs.

 

As for the Poles being told to win or Kill yourself, I think this a little far fetched but made good copy! From what I have read the poles did not like the conditions at the stadium and nearly pulled out.

Edited by Custom House Kid

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CHK, I found this which seems to back your theory up:

 

http://www.speedway.hg.pl/zawodnicy/Biogra...KI_Zbigniew.htm

 

Seidl is the other rider in the clip and Bishop was in the race. It also makes some claim that Raniszewski was riding with an injury and that he only decided to ride as a world qualifier was to be held in Vienna later and he wished to learn the track.

Edited by Deano

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The article was attributed to a Pole called Stefan Kubiak (from Warsaw), it states:

 

"We have received sad news from Vienna.

 

During the speedway match with Austri on April 19, two Polish speedway riders, Raniszewski and Krzesinski were involved in serious accidents. Raniszewski did not recover consciousness and died within a short time. Krzesinksi was taken to hospital but his injuries are not serious.

 

The Vienns speedway track was unusually difficult. The hard surface of the track, the sharp bends and the cement columns by the outer wall of the track made riding dangerous.

 

The leaders of the Polish team were unwilling to agree that the match should take place under such conditions. But after the organisers had confirmed that the Vienna track was approved by the International Motor Cycle Federation they agreed to ride. The decision to take part was also strengthened by the fact that the World Championship Competition would take place on the same track.

 

Nevertheless, the Polish riders were advised to ride quietly and carefully. The members of our team conformed to this recommendation. They rode with sportsmanship but quietly against the strong opposing Austrian team which was reinforced with riders from the German Federal Republic.

 

After the interval, when the Austrian team began to lead, the Polish team became nervous. At the 13th heat the score was 45-38. St this stage the tragedy occurred.

 

In the next lap, Krzesinski overturned and suffered serious contusions. At the same time Raniszewski and Kapala from the Polish team and Bishop and Sidlo from the Austrian team were starting off. Kapala reached the first bend with Bishop close alongside. Behind them and a little in front of Raniszewski was Sidlo. Coming into the straight, Sidlo fell in front of Raniszewski, who was thrown against the wall of the track".

 

 

As has been said, it does sound like a garbled mixture of both incidents.

Edited by frigbo

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