Track Records

[customhouseregular 1,651]

I found it quite interesting comparing big tracks Berwick, Exeter and Sheffield with my sadly lamented West Ham. All four tracks being somewhat similar in size as I think West Ham was c. 383m.. My memory (sometimes failing sadly) tells me race times at West Ham used to be around the 72 sec. mark. We thought that was fast but seems slow compared to Sheffield. A contentious thought...why watch SPEEDway at Lakeside with an average race speed of 39mph?. Sorry if this old Hammer offends the new Hammers.

[Bryn 413]

I found it quite interesting comparing big tracks Berwick, Exeter and Sheffield with my sadly lamented West Ham. All four tracks being somewhat similar in size as I think West Ham was c. 383m.. My memory (sometimes failing sadly) tells me race times at West Ham used to be around the 72 sec. mark. We thought that was fast but seems slow compared to Sheffield. A contentious thought...why watch SPEEDway at Lakeside with an average race speed of 39mph?. Sorry if this old Hammer offends the new Hammers.

 

My own personal thoughts are that if sheer speed is the B-all and End-all then drag racing and/or Grand Prix motorcycle racing and/or Superbikes etc should be for those who crave it? Average race speeds have nothing to do with my 48 years (so far! ) enjoyment following speedway, like you starting at Custom House and taking me to all the current British tracks except Devon, Northside & Redcar, various tracks across Europe & Aussie plus loads of UK venues that sadly no longer exist. I can honestly say that I'm really not bothered whether a race is won in 58.97 (hand held stop watches are good aren't they! ) or 72.53 seconds! What I do appreciate is close, competitive racing especially in team matches with riders looking to try and 'team ride' with their partner when they can and fully appreciating the different skills they (and their mechanics) require to both set up their bikes pre-meeting, race on any circuit whether it be 230 metres of 400 metres in length - whatever those measurements might be in yards! - and make any alterations to the bikes and/or riding technique that's necessary as the meeting evolves. Others will disagree with me I know but so be it, that's their prerogative.

Edited September 17, 2014 by Bryn

[Penny Cross 120]

I agree with you Bryn. Essentially, race times are irrelevant, as the other riders are slower than the winner.

 

The quality of racing is the biggest single factor of my enjoyment.

 

Team racing far outweigh individuals for me.

[customhouseregular 1,651]

 

My own personal thoughts are that if sheer speed is the B-all and End-all then drag racing and/or Grand Prix motorcycle racing and/or Superbikes etc should be for those who crave it? Average race speeds have nothing to do with my 48 years (so far! ) enjoyment following speedway, like you starting at Custom House and taking me to all the current British tracks except Devon, Northside & Redcar, various tracks across Europe & Aussie plus loads of UK venues that sadly no longer exist. I can honestly say that I'm really not bothered whether a race is won in 58.97 (hand held stop watches are good aren't they! ) or 72.53 seconds! What I do appreciate is close, competitive racing especially in team matches with riders looking to try and 'team ride' with their partner when they can and fully appreciating the different skills they (and their mechanics) require to both set up their bikes pre-meeting, race on any circuit whether it be 230 metres of 400 metres in length - whatever those measurements might be in yards! - and make any alterations to the bikes and/or riding technique that's necessary as the meeting evolves. Others will disagree with me I know but so be it, that's their prerogative.

I fully agree Bryn that close racing is the ultimate which actually makes race times and track records irrelevant. I was just reflecting that today's racing is faster, on big tracks anyway and that on small tracks it is not really SPEEDway. I love to see really close wheel to wheel racing but like it to last more than 50 seconds. I know it is only a personal opinion but a short race on a tiny track like Lakeside really does not do it for me...hence my great memories of West Ham.

[Bryn 413]

I fully agree Bryn that close racing is the ultimate which actually makes race times and track records irrelevant. I was just reflecting that today's racing is faster, on big tracks anyway and that on small tracks it is not really SPEEDway. I love to see really close wheel to wheel racing but like it to last more than 50 seconds. I know it is only a personal opinion but a short race on a tiny track like Lakeside really does not do it for me...hence my great memories of West Ham.

 

Is 256 metres "tiny" chr? On that basis both Buxton (240 metres) and Plymouth (even smaller at 207 metres!) must be classed as "minute" then! Mildenhall's not much bigger than Lakeside - a mere four metres in fact at 260 metres, Rye House 262 metres and Wolverhampton just 264 metres! And delving back in time Crayford's circuit, when the Highwaymen were formed in 1968 by Mike Parker & Bill Bridgett was just 265 yards in length which some flash website I managed to find is according to them 242.316 metres! As I said though all individuals have their own likes , dislikes, foibles and preferences and so they should!

Edited September 17, 2014 by Bryn

[SCB 0]

A contentious thought...why watch SPEEDway at Lakeside with an average race speed of 39mph?. Sorry if this old Hammer offends the new Hammers.

SPEEDway. Not FASTway. 1mph is a speed as much as 100mph is a speed.

[customhouseregular 1,651]

 

Is 256 metres "tiny" chr? On that basis both Buxton (240 metres) and Plymouth (even smaller at 207 metres!) must be classed as "minute" then! Mildenhall's not much bigger than Lakeside - a mere four metres in fact at 260 metres, Rye House 262 metres and Wolverhampton just 264 metres! And delving back in time Crayford's circuit, when the Highwaymen were formed in 1968 by Mike Parker & Bill Bridgett was just 265 yards in length which some flash website I managed to find is according to them 242.316 metres! As I said though all individuals have their own likes , dislikes, foibles and preferences and so they should!

I surrender.

I am going to contradict myself here. I have said several times how I used to love Rye House, and I always looked forward to visiting Plough Lane. So...I can appreciate speedway on smaller tracks. At the end of the day, close exciting racing is what we all want wherever it may be.

[Leicester Hunter 381]

I agree with you Bryn. Essentially, race times are irrelevant, as the other riders are slower than the winner.

 

The quality of racing is the biggest single factor of my enjoyment.

 

Team racing far outweigh individuals for me.

Yes, how many times over the years after a race winning time has been announced have we heard from some fans "Slow!" only for opposition fans to retort "Fast enough to win!"?

[customhouseregular 1,651]

SPEEDway. Not FASTway. 1mph is a speed as much as 100mph is a speed.

Enough...I admit defeat.

[The White Knight 9,039]

It is striving for higher speeds that will be the end of Speedway.

 

The Bikes now are too fast for the Tracks that they are expected to Race on, hence all of the serious injuries these days.

 

There was nothing wrong with the Racing fifty years ago - slower yes, but infinitely safer and just as good if not better, certainly as a spectacle.

 

I know that my views are not popular - but since the advent of the 'Lay Down' Engine the Bikes seem to be far harder to actually control than in the days of the Upright Engines. I would have thought that control would be very important for the safety of the Rider and those he is Racing?

 

There will always be crashes and accidents in a Sport like Speedway - but - should we not be trying to keep these accidents to an absolute minimum?

 

The Racing is the skill - not the speed.

 

Just my opinion - but - I do think I am right.

 

Titanium Parts for Engines. For heavens sake they use Titanium in the Engines of the 'Eurofighter' Jet Aircraft (Typhoon).

 

Says it all really.

[customhouseregular 1,651]

I have a signed copy of the book "Hammerin' Round" which is essential reading for all us old Hammers fans. On page 85 there is a photo of the scoreboard taken during a West Ham v Belle Vue match.I don' t know the year but I would guess c. 1948. It shows the time of the last race as 81.4 seconds and the average speed 44,7 mph. This would have been on the old 440 yard track (c. 406m.). I would be very interested to know the race times at last night's SEC round in Czestochova, as the track is very similar to the old Custom House track.

[TheScotsman 2,482]

Craig Cook - Ipswich - 56.3 - 16 October 2014.

 

Ya beauty!

[Arson fire 4,785]

Danny King, Glasgow 56.2 28/9/14

 

Knocking 0.8 off cookies record i think it was.

[brianbuck 928]

I doubt whether any rider could match the achievements of Graham Warren who broke the Perry Barr track record eleven times and also simultaneously held the track record at eight different circuits.

[strife 153]

Mildenhall's not much bigger than Lakeside - a mere four metres in fact at 260 metres, Rye House 262 metres and Wolverhampton just 264 metres!

 

 

Shape makes a huge difference, and IMHO Mildenhall is a better racing track than the other three mentioned. I have never liked Wolves because of the difference between bends 1/2 and bends 3/4, which in my book makes it a trick track. Dry Hose (LOL!) has the stupid adverse camber on bends 1/2, which makes it very dangerous on such a tight circuit, while Lakeside has got some room for a degree of racing but it's just not my cup of tea.

 

I've no idea what Mildenhall would be like with four GP-ilk riders flying round it, but given that the NL riders can get round it efficiently, I'm sure it would lend itself to some quality, and genuine (as opposed to mistake-induced) racing.

I doubt whether any rider could match the achievements of Graham Warren who broke the Perry Barr track record eleven times and also simultaneously held the track record at eight different circuits.

 

I don't think Tiger Louis held that many track records simultaneously, but he definitely found the fastest way round at quite a few in his heyday - and also had the knack of lowering his own new fastest times during the same meeting.

 

I know that my views are not popular - but since the advent of the 'Lay Down' Engine the Bikes seem to be far harder to actually control than in the days of the Upright Engines. I would have thought that control would be very important for the safety of the Rider and those he is Racing?

 

 

John Louis pioneered the lay down, and it made a huge difference, but I don't think it was purely that development which made the biggest difference.

 

Overall, the machines can now accelerate at an even more phenomenal rate - JL himself said a few years ago he was shocked by the power from a standing start.

 

Whatever has been done to make these bucking broncos translate their huge power even more efficently is the scariest aspect. Speedway bikes have never liked going round corners, and have always taken every opportunity to go in a straight line as fast as they possibly can - now they do it even quicker and often more erratically than ever before.

I have a signed copy of the book "Hammerin' Round" which is essential reading for all us old Hammers fans. On page 85 there is a photo of the scoreboard taken during a West Ham v Belle Vue match.I don' t know the year but I would guess c. 1948. It shows the time of the last race as 81.4 seconds and the average speed 44,7 mph. This would have been on the old 440 yard track (c. 406m.). I would be very interested to know the race times at last night's SEC round in Czestochova, as the track is very similar to the old Custom House track.

 

According to Wikipedia, the Włókniarz Częstochowa track is 368 metres, with a track record of 61.85, set by Nicki Pedersen in 2008 (!!).

 

By my very rough estimates, that's about 53mph (to be confirmed/corrected).

Edited November 17, 2014 by Had Enough Too