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sommelier

Weston Speedway

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Looking for help! Can anyone give me any information of Speedway taking place in Weston (Weston Super Mare)  in 1938 run by Taunton Motor Glub.

Would like to find more about this venue ie how many meetings etc. 

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20 minutes ago, sommelier said:

Looking for help! Can anyone give me any information of Speedway taking place in Weston (Weston Super Mare)  in 1938 run by Taunton Motor Glub.

Would like to find more about this venue ie how many meetings etc. 

I've checked my copy of "Homes of British Speedway" and unfortunately can only find a reference to the early seventies.

Edited by steve roberts
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I am not aware of the exact location of the venue in Weston, but in the 1930s the Taunton Motor Club staged grass track racing described as ‘speedway’ at a number of locations in Somerset.

In 1936 Taunton MC staged meetings described as ‘speedway’ on the grass, with the second meeting being held at Shoreditch, Taunton Dene on 10th June.

Taunton MC again ran ‘speedway’ meetings in 1937.  The first meeting staged at Holway Hill, Taunton, on Thursday, 3rd June was reported as grass track speedway, with Ivan Kessell, the grass track and speedway rider from Cornwall competing.  A meeting described as speedway was held on the grass at Bridgwater Rugby Club on Sunday, 13th June 1937, comprising a mix of motorcycle and cycle races.  The following week, on 20th June 1937, a ‘speedway’ meeting was held on the grass at Halcon Corner, Taunton. 

In August 1937 the local vicar complained about the adverse effects on attendance at Sunday Schools in Taunton which Sunday afternoon speedway would have and the owner of land subsequently withdrew permission for a field to be used for the ‘speedway’.

Halcon Corner was the venue for ‘speedway’ on grass in 1938 on 8th May, 19th June, 10th July, 14th August (specifically advertised as grass track speedway) and 18th September, which was the last event of the season, attracting 165 entries in the various classes.  On 14th July grass track speedway at Taunton Road, Bridgwater was abandoned when rain made the course too slippery.  The final Bridgwater meeting took place at Castle Park on 1st September.

In a team event at Halcon Corner on 13th August 1939, Taunton met Holbeach and Spalding (from the Bell End track) in a grass speedway match, Taunton winning 71-36.  Reg Beer, Mike Erskine, Ivan Kessell and Broncho Slade were the leading scorers for Taunton, with Ted English, Roy Duke, Alan Smith and Buster Yeomans riding for ‘The Tulips’.  On 24th August more ‘speedway’ racing was staged on the cricket field at North Curry, Taunton as part of the annual fete.

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BL65 I always enjoy your posts-you have a very comprehensive knowledge of our sports history and very good at sharing it with us. One question that bothers me-has anyone e.g. Speedway Researcher gone back to the start of League racing and converted riders' averages into the modern CMA system which was developed by Bryan Seery in the mid sixties when the BL started. ?

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10 minutes ago, BOBBATH said:

BL65 I always enjoy your posts-you have a very comprehensive knowledge of our sports history and very good at sharing it with us. One question that bothers me-has anyone e.g. Speedway Researcher gone back to the start of League racing and converted riders' averages into the modern CMA system which was developed by Bryan Seery in the mid sixties when the BL started. ?

It's incomplete, but see rideraverages2909 (speedwayresearcher.org.uk)

 

 

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4 hours ago, BL65 said:

It's incomplete, but see rideraverages2909 (speedwayresearcher.org.uk)

 

 

Yep, mine. 

Not updated for years.  Just about able to cover 1929 to 1981 and 1989 to 2009, less 1991, from all known results (and have since obtained details covering most of the missing seasons but not processed them).

Did quite a bit of research into the Taunton results before being told 'grasstrack not speedway' so abandoned that project. BL65 any idea if Taunton resumed post-war ?

Treat 1929 in particular with caution as only about 40% (guesstimate) of actual results are known.  Also 1929 & 1933 both used a 4-2-1 point scoring system which tends to inflate the averages of heat winners. Included bonus points in CMA's for all seasons even though not offically included until some time mid 50's (sorry forget exact year, 55' maybe?)

Edited by compost
Amendment

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1 hour ago, compost said:

Did quite a bit of research into the Taunton results before being told 'grasstrack not speedway' so abandoned that project. BL65 any idea if Taunton resumed post-war ?

There are likely to be several other dates, but grass track speedway was definitely held at:

Halcon Corner, Taunton, Sunday, 9th September 1945 (first post war meeting, attendance 6,000)

Sellick’s Green, Pitminster, Thursday, 6th June 1946

Halcon Corner, Taunton, Sunday, 21st July 1946

Ash Meadows, Taunton, Sunday, 22nd September 1947 & 29th September 1947 (attendance 8,500)

Plans for 1948 were affected by petrol rationing and lack of a suitable field.  The committee were looking for 14 to 20 acres within 4 miles of Taunton.

Blindmoor Farm, Buckland St. Mary, Sunday, 29th May 1949

Walford Farm, Walford Cross, Sunday, 21st August 1949 (attendance 6,000) – The Lord’s Day Observance Society had lodged a protest regarding the Taunton Motor Club’s Sunday meetings. In any event, meetings were cancelled for the rest of the year due to problems with dust affecting riders’ visibility at the site.

Grass speedway events in Taunton seem to have lapsed in the 1950s but the club announced that it was proposed to revive the events in 1962.

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