🌟🌟scunthorpe Speedway Track Activity 2015🌟🌟 - Practice, Amateur Meetings, Bike Hire, Mini Track & Main Track Etc.

[Scunny Stag 72]

More sessions for January to March announced (see first post on this thread) and taking bookings for the first amateur meetings of the off-season (Sun 8th - Flat Track, Pit Bikes and Youth speedway classes and Sun 15th - Adult speedway classes). Text 07832-402167 to book.

[Mr. Clemens 646]

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Amateur Speedway Meeting Scunthorpe 15th November 2015

A Sea of Mud

 

I woke up Sunday morning, the wind was blowing, rain falling , roads flooded, so I double checked on the net. The meeting was still on. According to the post on Saturday night, Richard said, ‘ Forecast is pretty good for tomorrow so the meeting is on. It should be mild and blowy so track should dry nicely.’ Seeing as Richard hadn’t posted anything else, I thought, ‘I hope so a 114 mile round trip for nothing wasn’t something I wanted on a day like this.’

 

It was fine when I arrived I spoke with Richard, told him it was nice to be there, despite the wind and the rain. He said ‘it’s a gloomy day’. I said ‘It wouldn’t be the same for me if it wasn’t cold, wet and windy.’ Richard said the third bend corner of the centre green was a sea of mud because of recent stock car racing.

 

We walked onto the green and he said I could stand over on the first bend if I wanted, has here wasn’t any mud there. I said I would do so as I understood he needed to be by the pits gate. Then he changed his mind for some reason. He said I could stand on the third bend if I wanted to do so. I wondered if he didn’t fancy the mud and thought I’d be better off stood in it than he would be.

 

The sky became overcast the wind was blowing and rain threatened at any moment. The track looked like a ploughed field. It struck me that the meeting could still be off if it proved too dangerous for the riders to race without falling off all the time.

 

There were approximately 30 riders there in four different classes, with 48 races to get through. It seemed to me to be a small group of people and not as many races has I have seen there in the past. The first race began a fine drizzle developed and I wondered how long this could go on. The riders rode round regardless of the conditions. By the time a few races had passed the drizzle stopped the sky was clear. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all.

 

It’s always good to see the different classes of racing. No matter who is riding they go at it full tilt, despite the bad conditions. It doesn’t matter what age group the riders are in. Young and old get on with it. They are all full of enthusiasm for what they are doing. One rider was walking the track checking on the surface. I asked him what he thought of the track. A none rider has a certain opinion of a track that can be completely different from those who have to ride it.

 

He said it was rutted and I am sure he had taken note of where they were. I noted he didn’t have a local accent and asked him where he’d come from. He said he was from East London. I asked him if he’d come up this morning and he said he had. I told him I’d only come 57 miles to be there. It shows you the dedication these riders have to get themselves involved in racing.

 

It’s also good to see riders like Luke Harris and Josh Bailey etc at these meetings. What impresses the observer is they ride in these races as if they are riding in an official meeting. It’s always full blooded no holds barred racing. It’s difficult enough for them racing in the height of summer. When they are racing as they do in cold wet windy weather with drizzle in their faces makes this type of racing exceptional.

 

There wasn’t as many falls as I expected. There were a few falls which is a regular occurrence at amateur meetings. The paramedic attended one faller on the second bend. He was with the rider for some time. Thankfully the rider eventually got up and appeared to be fine. David Brayshaw had a spectacular fall when his bike hit a rut when he was leading the race.

 

The bike flew up into the air, Dave while in the process of falling from the bike, looked up at the same time, fully aware that the bike could have fallen on top of him. The bike didn’t hit him but when Dave tried to wheel it away he couldn’t as the back wheel was locked solid. It took three people to carry it off the track. It was nice to see other riders assist in these situations.

 

There was one rider who had the number 32 written on his bike. He was a pleasure to watch. All the time he was riding round the boards trying to get extra grip to thrust the bike forward. Many times he looked has though he was going to fall off, but never did.

 

Another rider nearly ran into the fence coming out of the second bend. There were too other riders close behind him. He laid flat down on the bike to bring it back under control. It seemed that the other two riders behind him couldn’t decide if he was going to fall or not. Fortunately he brought the bike back under control and the race continued.

 

Thirty eight races went by in what seemed like no time at all. Then there was a break as the riders assembled to find out riding positions for the finals of each class. While they were doing that it gave me time to look round at the people who had gathered there.

 

It struck me that these amateur meetings embodied the heart, spirit and soul of speedway. When you looked around, you saw a group of people like that of a ‘family’ come together to have a good time. There were no airs and graces involved with those who had come to race here. They knew how these meetings were arranged to get through the amount of races involved. They knew how bad the weather was and that it could change at any moment and the meeting would be off. There wasn’t any time for ‘fussing and fighting my friends’.

 

While the riding order for the finals was being decided, the sky became overcast and the fine drizzle returned. It didn’t make any difference to the quality of racing. The riders got on with it as they had done before. Because you can’t hear the announcer speaking, when stood on the centre green, it was difficult to determine who was riding in the finals. No doubt Richard will post the correct results regarding who won which races

 

Despite the drizzle when finals were won Richard assembled the riders at the pits gate to receive their prizes. I sat on a chair while these presentations went on. It struck me there was no thought for the ‘elderly and infirm’ sat in a sea of mud with rain falling, on the third bend, but not to worry eh. Then it was all over till the next time. A good time was had by all. It was another great day out despite the weather.

 

It’s been awhile since I wrote something about an amateur speedway meeting. The last time I went I got a request to write something in the future. I hope the ride who asked is satisfied with this little offering.

Edited November 16, 2015 by Mr. Clemens

[Mr. Clemens 646]

Scunthorpe Amateur Meeting 6/12/15

Responding once more to Richard’s cry for help, I found myself on the well trodden road to the Eddie Wright Stadium at Scunthorpe. The days previous to Sunday 6th had been wet, windy and cold. The weather forecast said it would be fine and dry on Sunday. You wouldn’t have thought so driving along the M1 and the M180. Strong winds were blowing and heavy rain falling. The guy on the radio said ‘it will clear up in the afternoon and the sun will shine, in certain areas.’ I thought, ‘I hope you’re right mate, it doesn’t look promising to me.

 

It had stopped raining when I arrived at 10:15. Richard was in a bit of a flap as the starting gate magneto wouldn’t allow them to use the tapes. I grabbed my red flag and chair placing it in the sea of mud that still filled the area around the third bend. A fellow lady flag waver commented on the efforts made to get the tapes to work. I said, ‘they don’t really need them, the riders have come to race and I think they can manage to do that without tapes.’ Finally, Richard obviously came to the same conclusion himself and gave it up as a bad job. Later I found out that Richard couldn’t get into the storeroom to get the equipment he needed to get the tapes to work. Rob, that’s Mr. Godfrey to you, was at a christening and didn’t arrive till later on, during the meeting. Richard said, ‘I can’t kick the door in can I’? I said ‘well actually you could, if you really wanted to.’

 

The racing started at 11:10 am, only 10 minutes later than the scheduled start. It had been fine when I arrived but was overcast. As soon as the racing started a deep black cloud formed overhead and it began to rain. A couple of races had already taken place when the rain fell heavily. I expected the racing would be stopped for 15 minutes while the shower passed. You expect these things when you are ‘elderly and infirm’, don’t you? But no the racing carried on.

 

When riders come out in those conditions, it proves how dedicated they are to their racing. Young kids racing round, not just pottering around, but getting right into what they were doing despite the rain. I often wonder while watching them race, how many people, who have influence in the sport, take notice of the efforts these kids put in to what they are doing. I know they take note at Scunny, which is the reason they do these meetings.

 

I was particularly impressed by Bailey Fellows, who had a very neat and relaxed style of riding. The way he put his left leg out reminded me of pictures I have seen of an old world champion, who put his leg out in exactly the same way. Another rider, who I also thought had a good relaxed style was a ‘flat track’ rider on bike 79, I think is called Storm Stacey. I said to the photographer that I would like to see how he goes on a 500 speedway bike.

 

Kyle Bickley and Kean Dicken also looked good all day, except for engine trouble in what I think was the last race for Kean. I noted that despite the intermittent rainfall , there weren’t that many falls, on a tricky wet track. There was one fall out on the first bend that turned out to be Bailey Fellows, who ended up spending a night in hospital. The word is, from his father, I presume, saying ‘Nothing broken just battered bruised and a nice headache’, and he will be ‘back riding soon.’ I hope he is as it was a pleasure to watch him ride.

 

There was another fall of note involving the erstwhile Richard, always wanting to keep things moving. This incident involved Lewis Millar, who was riding in the same races as Kyle Bickley and Kean Dicken. Lewis had come out and his bike stopped. He got off the bike and proceeded to run with it to start it again. I was going to go and assist him but saw Richard running up behind him to assist.

 

It’s just a pity Lewis didn’t realise he was there. He was in the process of begining to push the bike forward. Richard arrived at the bike and gave extra thrust forward. Lewis tripped over and wrenched his shoulder in the process and needed medical attention. Previously I noted Lewis had a Scotland flag on his leathers. I thought, ‘I hope he’s not come all the way from Scotland to get pushed over by Richard’!!!! Turns out he came from Glasgow, a long way to come, to get ‘the push’ from Richard, don’t you think? You couldn’t predict it, but it happened. Lewis and his father took it all good naturedly which was all to their credit.

 

Despite the wind, the rain and the cold, racing began at 11:10 all of it ‘done and dusted’ by 2pm. 45 races in three hours, all of it going like clockwork. All of it a testimonial to those who make it happen and the dedicated young riders and their families. All in all it was another good day out, as it always is. I look forward to the ‘Christmas Do’ on 27/12/15.

[Sings4Speedway 3,247]

Just wondering if this went ahead this weekend 13/12? and if anyone has any results?

[*JJ 511]

Yes it did - Richard Hollingsworth usually publishes the results on the facebook Scunthorpe Amateur Speedway page (he says Wednesday). What were you looking for?

[Sings4Speedway 3,247]

Really should get facebook but so far im managing to avoid it.

 

With so little speedway about it always nice to hear any results of meetings that do happen. If somebody gets the chance to copy the results of the open & support class at some point it would be appreciated.

[*JJ 511]

Results:

Open class, 1st Max Clegg, 2nd Jack Parkinson-Blackburn, 3rd Josh Bailey

 

Support Class, 1st Mick Skinner, 2nd Chris Bambury, 3rd Sam Chapman (not the Birmingham Sam, another one!)