London White City 1982

[andout 651]

41 minutes ago, cityrebel said:

I know he rode in an abandoned meeting at Custom House. It must have been a shock to ride on a huge track like West Ham.

Would have been a shock for any American in those days....Speed alone would have them looking for a bathroom.....What are the Californian tracks 160 to 220 yards, average of about 35 to 40 MPH.......West Ham 440 yards........Speed, could be almost double!

[iris123 20,961]

So this year is the 50th anniversary of the revival of US speedway, and what a success it has been on the whole. Providing us with some great riders and some colourful times. Pity when you look at the state it has fallen in over the last decade or so, hardly able to get an international team together 

[andout 651]

4 hours ago, iris123 said:

So this year is the 50th anniversary of the revival of US speedway, and what a success it has been on the whole. Providing us with some great riders and some colourful times. Pity when you look at the state it has fallen in over the last decade or so, hardly able to get an international team together 

Yes, this is also the 60th anniversary of the Canadian Speedway revival and sad to say Speedway is "DEAD" here once again!

There are many reasons for the decline, lack of sponsorship monies (only go to the major sports in North America), kids just aren't interested in a sport where you can use a now, expensive motorcycle in one place and maybe once or twice a week. Dirt bikes are more popular but even that is on a decline.

Americans seem to have a knack of keeping the sport alive though, even in New York state where there is only one track (Owego), it survives.

It certainly would be nice to have the colourful characters of the 80's back......that could be a while. Just my opinion of course.

[chunky 6,089]

4 hours ago, andout said:

Americans seem to have a knack of keeping the sport alive though, even in New York state where there is only one track (Owego), it survives.

It certainly would be nice to have the colourful characters of the 80's back......that could be a while. Just my opinion of course.

Don't forget that we have Mid-America Speedway in Indianapolis too!  As is standard over here, it features flat-track and quads too, but we do have a number of riders in the Midwest.  Sadly, I haven't been able to make it there (despite constant promises to myself), but I am not sure if Anthony Barlow and James Mann are still racing.

Not sure, but I wonder if the demise of the British speedway scene has had a negative impact on the number of Americans riding abroad?  Perhaps Poland doesn't have the same appeal, I don't know...

Steve

[chunky 6,089]

On 5/8/2019 at 6:54 PM, ProudtobeaBrummie said:

Hey Steve 

Corey Cadby is a bit of a regular down Birmingham speedway this season . He has moved to Birmingham now his visa issues are sorted and has been to the opening 3 meetings .

So I see!  It looks like dart players are keeping speedway alive in Britain!

Steve

[andout 651]

3 hours ago, chunky said:

Don't forget that we have Mid-America Speedway in Indianapolis too!  As is standard over here, it features flat-track and quads too, but we do have a number of riders in the Midwest.  Sadly, I haven't been able to make it there (despite constant promises to myself), but I am not sure if Anthony Barlow and James Mann are still racing.

Not sure, but I wonder if the demise of the British speedway scene has had a negative impact on the number of Americans riding abroad?  Perhaps Poland doesn't have the same appeal, I don't know...

Steve

Anthony Barlow and James Mann, I only really remember from the Ice racing on Hockey rinks here in Canada......went to a few of those but it was much the same thing every time....a little shall we say "staged".

And yes, I too would like to get to the Mid-America Speedway one day.

I'm not sure if the demise of the British speedway scene has had a negative impact on the number of Americans riding abroad.....I think Britain alone is causing their own demise. I know, here we go again, In my day in the UK I used to go to Speedway six times a week....yes I had four or five London tracks to choose from but the costs were so cheap in those days, now it seems to be priced out of most families reach....and yes, mine too!

[arnieg 3,633]

4 hours ago, chunky said:

Don't forget that we have Mid-America Speedway in Indianapolis too!  As is standard over here, it features flat-track and quads too, but we do have a number of riders in the Midwest.  Sadly, I haven't been able to make it there (despite constant promises to myself), but I am not sure if Anthony Barlow and James Mann are still racing.

Not sure, but I wonder if the demise of the British speedway scene has had a negative impact on the number of Americans riding abroad?  Perhaps Poland doesn't have the same appeal, I don't know...

Steve

I saw Anthony Barlow at mid America in 2017 (he wore a Berwick race jacket).

There is also racing in Dacono, Colorado. Redmond Bohannan was visiting from Colorado when I went to Indy, and looked quite promising.

Jim Terchilla, who rode in the UK on one of the Dream Team tours seemed to be the main organisational force behind the Mid America venture.

[chunky 6,089]

1 hour ago, andout said:

Anthony Barlow and James Mann, I only really remember from the Ice racing

I'm not sure if the demise of the British speedway scene has had a negative impact on the number of Americans riding abroad.....

Anthony and James both started out in British league racing before moving to the US. Ironically, both moved to the St. Louis area where I was based! I used to hang out with James regularly, but then he got into the family thing and I moved to Cincinnati...

Of course Britain is responsible for its own demise, and I think it is just not attractive enough for Americans now. Of course, there isn't the quality of American speedway now, but that could be related to the lack of incentive both here in the US, and in Britain.

Steve

[chunky 6,089]

1 hour ago, arnieg said:

I saw Anthony Barlow at mid America in 2017 (he wore a Berwick race jacket).

There is also racing in Dacono, Colorado. Redmond Bohannan was visiting from Colorado when I went to Indy, and looked quite promising.

Jim Terchilla, who rode in the UK on one of the Dream Team tours seemed to be the main organisational force behind the Mid America venture.

I had a feeling that Anthony was still racing occasionally.

Yeah, I got to know Jim from the ice racing. He was also the main force behind the old track (I went to that one) over on the west side. When they lost that, he managed to find this one. Good guy, Jim, and he does a lot for speedway in the area.

Steve

[fatface 2,552]

On 5/8/2019 at 10:49 PM, Grand Central said:

My completed programme has a different time for the final

1982 World Team Cup - Victor Lodorum
Heat 1 : Schwartz, Penhall, K Moran, S Moran  70.4
Heat 2 : Maier, Hack, Gilgenreiner, Muller (NS), Wiesbock (NS)  71.2
Heat 3 : Dryml, Verner, Ondrasik, Stancl (F)  71.6
Heat 4 : Knudsen, Gundersen, Eriksen, Nielsen (NS), Olsen (NS)  71.4
Final :    Schwartz, Knudsen, Dryml, Maier  70.5

Was this a second half common to all World Team Cups? If so, I was never aware of it. Were there any others around that time people can share? Particularly interested in 1980, 81, 83, 84?

Thanks

[steve roberts 9,242]

1 hour ago, falcace said:

Was this a second half common to all World Team Cups? If so, I was never aware of it. Were there any others around that time people can share? Particularly interested in 1980, 81, 83, 84?

Thanks

If I recall it was known as the 'Victor Ludorum' (?) and each team member faced each other in a heat and the winners then appeared in a grand final.

[chunky 6,089]

2 hours ago, falcace said:

Was this a second half common to all World Team Cups? If so, I was never aware of it. Were there any others around that time people can share? Particularly interested in 1980, 81, 83, 84?

Thanks

Aabsolutely! My first WTC final was in 1970, and I remember it from then...

Edit: looking back at the records, I can't find any trace of a Victor Ludorum from before 1970! However, from then, it became an integral part of the event.  Having said that, I can't find any results from the years you mention, but there was a Victor Ludorum at the 1981 Inter-Continental round.

Unfortunately, my progs are in storage, but if anyone has copies of any WTC finals from 1980, 81, and post-83, perhaps they can check?

Steve

Edited May 12, 2019 by chunky

[cityrebel 2,960]

1 hour ago, chunky said:

Aabsolutely! My first WTC final was in 1970, and I remember it from then...

Edit: looking back at the records, I can't find any trace of a Victor Ludorum from before 1970! However, from then, it became an integral part of the event.  Having said that, I can't find any results from the years you mention, but there was a Victor Ludorum at the 1981 Inter-Continental round.

Unfortunately, my progs are in storage, but if anyone has copies of any WTC finals from 1980, 81, and post-83, perhaps they can check?

Steve

Mine was also 1970. I remember Ove Fundin getting booed, very loudly!

[steve roberts 9,242]

7 hours ago, cityrebel said:

Mine was also 1970. I remember Ove Fundin getting booed, very loudly!

Martin Ashby often cites his victory at the 1975 Final at Norden as his proudest moment in speedway passing both Malcolm Simmons and Peter Collins during the qualifier after John Louis (whom Martin was never particulary enamoured with) had left him 'high and' dry' up on the fence at the first bend. Martin soon passed him before giving chase. Very under rated rider.

Edited May 13, 2019 by steve roberts

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

1 hour ago, steve roberts said:

Martin Ashby often cites his victory at the 1975 Final at Norden as his proudest moment in speedway passing both Malcolm Simmons and Peter Collins during the qualifier after John Louis (whom Martin was never particulary enamoured with) had left him 'high and' dry' up on the fence at the first bend. Martin soon passed him before giving chase. Very under rated rider.

A very underated rider indeed,  very classy but even with my  bias head on you have to say he underacheived at world level.

Edited May 13, 2019 by Sidney the robin