US national championships 20s + 30s

[iris123 20,939]

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 

 

Edited January 2, 2020 by iris123

[iris123 20,939]

Got a report from the previous year, which confirms Lammy as champ. At this time it was points accumulated over a number of meetings

Wilbur 'Lammy' Lamoreaux, lithe Frenchman from Pasadena, today holds the title as the result of a scintillating performance turned in at the seasons final meet in the Emeryville Motorcycle Speedway last night.

Although Lamoreaux's riding was of the sensational variety, and he had clinched the championship before the meet had reached the half way mark, he was given plenty of competition by Byrd McKinney and Garland Johnson, the latter something of a dark horse so far as last evenings program was concerned.

Ed Jones of Stockton secured the Northern California title by some consistent riding although A. Chasteen of Oakland, runner up copped a special match race.

Lamoreaux climaxed a great evening of piloting to win the final scratch race, with McKinney 2nd and Miny Waln, deposed title holder, third

The Milne brothers, Jack and Cordy, expected to sparkle..............and motor trouble eliminating them early

[Guest]

USA National Championship

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMA_National_Speedway_Championship

Edited January 3, 2020 by Guest

[iris123 20,939]

56 minutes ago, gustix said:

USA National Championship

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMA_National_Speedway_Championship

Yes. exactly. Seemingly with the wrong winner in 1933, which is why I wouldn’t use it. Britmet’s speedway champions site is better John

 

Edited January 3, 2020 by iris123

[Guest]

3 hours ago, gustix said:

USA National Championship

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMA_National_Speedway_Championship

 

3 hours ago, iris123 said:

Yes. exactly. Seemingly with the wrong winner in 1933, which is why I wouldn’t use it. Britmet’s speedway champions site is better John

I don't dispute your fact/comment re Ray Grant not being the 1933 USA champion. What I do think is incredible that for many years consistently  on many forums/websites hr has been credited as the 1933 title winner. I also find it astonishing that so far as I can trace the error does not appear to have been previously commented upon.

Here's another USA champions' list that details Ray Grant as 1933 champion:

https://www.speedwaybikes.com/history/champion.htm

As suggested, I have also visited Britmet's tabulation in regard to USA champions which favours Wilbur Lamiraux as the winner. However, here's a third USA forum that again credits Ray Grant.

https://www.speedwaybikes.com/history/champion.htm

For the claim that the 1933 champion was Wilbur Lamoreaux and not Ray Grant, here's the Britmet version:

http://www.speedwaychampions.com/resources/2018_all/US 01 CHMPSHPS multi for PDF in 2s.pdf

Edited January 3, 2020 by Guest
updated

[iris123 20,939]

That is the problem. Where is the source of the information? One sites makes a mistake and others just share it without checking. How many sites give Hoskins credit for inventing speedway ? It isn’t how many sites get it wrong, it is how many check things they share

I think I have posted credible contemporary evidence that clearly places Lammy in between Waln and Milne as 1933 champ

Without getting into a Barney, I can vouch for Britmets Information having checked his piece on the German golden helmet . We also know you have a habit of sharing, shall we say dodgy info from sites.....

Edited January 3, 2020 by iris123

[Guest]

2 hours ago, iris123 said:

That is the problem. Where is the source of the information? One site makes a mistake and others just share it without checking.

I agree. An initial error is made on a site, then it gets continuity via quotes. 

[iris123 20,939]

One thing to remember in this is that Grant had a serious injury in July 1933 that put him out of the sport until April 1934. I think it would have been almost impossible to have accumulated enough points to cover his absence from July to November and still take the title. Even given that Lammy spent some time along with the Milne brothers I guess ( Cordy at least won the championship) in Mexico 

[Guest]

I am surprised that Manuel Trujillo, who was a close friend of Wilbur Lamoreaux, Jack and Cordy Milne, does not appear in any of these early day US championships. Possibly it was because - and it needs confirmation? - Trujillo was also active with a rival speedway faction run by the 'legendary' Putt Mossman at this time?

Does any forum member know more about the Mossman troupe's activity in the early 1930s? I have read that besides their USA activities that at this time they also raced in Japan, New Zealand and Australia and in 1936, 1937 and 1938 toured British tracks.

Edited January 7, 2020 by Guest

[iris123 20,939]

1 hour ago, gustix said:

I am surprised that Manuel Trujillo, who was a close friend of Wilbur Lamoreaux, Jack and Cordy Milne, does not appear in any of these early day US championships. Possibly it was because - and it needs confirmation? - Trujillo was also active with a rival speedway faction run by the 'legendary' Putt Mossman at this time?

Does any forum member know more about the Mossman troupe's activity in the early 1930s? I have read that besides their USA activities that at this time they also raced in Japan, New Zealand and Australia and in 1936, 1937 and 1938 toured British tracks.

Ray Grant was also associated with Mossman,.Think he was married to his sister,? I don't think that is the reason. Sure I have seen reports from meetings where they are all riding against each other. Lammy, Milne, McKinney, and Trujillo,Mossman. What makes you think that Mossman had a 'rival speedway faction at the time' ? He was just another rider on the bill, as far as I can see

Edited January 7, 2020 by iris123

[Guest]

4 hours ago, iris123 said:

What makes you think that Mossman had a 'rival speedway faction at the time' ? He was just another rider on the bill, as far as I can see

I make my comment solely on items that have been published over the years - which I have never checked for more details. They just give Putt Mossman's promotional interest on the fact that in the 1930s he took teams/rider groups to Japan, Australia, New Zealand until about 1938. And post-WW2 he offered to bring a rider group to the UK in 1946, an offer which British promoters declined. Mossman used to book stadiums where there was a track then stage his own meeting using his rider  troupe. Besides Mossman, off hand the only riders I recall as being members are Mossman, Trujillo and Charles 'Pee Wee' Cullum.

[iris123 20,939]

Well he certainly was no promoter nor had a troupe at the time of the 1934 final. At this time he was just a rider. Think he turned up early in 1933 to do some stunts and then started riding as well. But wasn’t a top rider. Neither was Trujillo. He might well have competed in one of the semi finals as may  Mossman, but never qualified

McKinney and Lisman also competed with Mossmans troupe I think. Possibly Earl Farrand . They were all competing against each other at meetings

What is probably more surprising is why Ray Tauser never seemed to be in any meetings as far as I know. He seems to have disappeared, at least he never seemed to compete in California. But his reputation in Australia kept him in the news and there were rumours for a couple of years that he would return or send a group of Americans over to tour and even captain them.....

Edited January 8, 2020 by iris123

[Guest]

Manuel Trujillo was an interesting character in USA speedway. In younger days in the early 1930s he worked as motorcycle messenger for Western Union where his workmates were Jack and Cordy Milne and Wilbur Lamoreaux. He followed then into speedway in the early 1930s but while they concentrated mainly on the sport in California, Trujillo joined Putt Mossman's troupe and raced with them in Japan, New Zealand and Australia, then in the UK between 1936 and 1938.  

In those latter years he also worked as a mechanic for the Milnes and Lamoreaux when they joined British clubs. At Wimbledon in 1937 where he helped Lammy promoter Ronnie Greene also gave him second-half rides.

Trujillo's historic claim to UK speedway fame was helping the USA to a 52-51 defeat of England in the first ever international between the sides on August 30 1937 when he finished second to Cordy Milne as they took a last heat 5-1 from Joe Abbott and Frankc Charles. Going into the dramatic last heat England led 50-47.

Trujillo was back in Britain with the USA team in 1951 but quit the tour after six weeks and went home claiming the American riders were not being paid a high enough fee for expenses, points and start money.

On the USA championship scene, Trujillo won the USA Open Championship in 1939 and 1946. BTW 1937 world champion Jack Milne regarded Trujillo as 'the most spectacular ever speedway leg trailer rider'.

Edited January 7, 2020 by Guest

[iris123 20,939]

There was an effort to get the very best riders at the LA Coliseum in 1934. The release of Eastern speedway contracts for Goldie Restall and Palmer Tamburro was sought by the AMA and assurances were given that Son Smith and  J.B. Jones of Dallas would also attend

There was also a nasty aftermath to the final, where one famous rider was threatened with a life ban !!! 

[Guest]

On 1/7/2020 at 4:10 PM, iris123 said:

Ray Grant was also associated with Mossman,.Think he was married to his sister,? I don't think that is the reason. Sure I have seen reports from meetings where they are all riding against each other. Lammy, Milne, McKinney, and Trujillo,Mossman. What makes you think that Mossman had a 'rival speedway faction at the time' ? He was just another rider on the bill, as far as I can see

This some data I have collated in regard to 'the exploits' of Putt Mossman in speedway: http://www.speedwaymuseumonline.co.uk/puttmossman.html

http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.aspx?RacerID=237

Edited January 8, 2020 by Guest