Old Maps - Speedway Track Spotting

[arnieg 3,624]

California https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=15.522027806572527&lat=51.38242&lon=-0.87955&layers=193&b=1

[iris123 20,935]

On ‎11‎/‎9‎/‎2021 at 6:48 PM, iris123 said:

California in England https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16&lat=51.38186&lon=-0.87838&layers=193&b=1

 

3 hours ago, arnieg said:

California https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=15.522027806572527&lat=51.38242&lon=-0.87955&layers=193&b=1

Already found that

Had a go at finding one of the more obscure, Chiswick, but I wonder where it actually was. Supposedly on the Mortlake rd, between Chiswick and Kew Bridge, but on a cycle speedway site, the only Chiswick cycle speedway track was on the other side of the river.....hmmm

[iris123 20,935]

Plymouth : https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16&lat=50.39913&lon=-4.14650&layers=193&b=1

St. Austell : https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17&lat=50.34567&lon=-4.73947&layers=193&b=1  Must have been the stadium I visited for Stock Cars, back in the 80s

[OveFundinFan 4,137]

On 11/10/2021 at 3:00 PM, iris123 said:

One of the tracks I never got to. Wasn't it down as the fastest in the country ?

Crewe : https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16&lat=53.09662&lon=-2.43575&layers=193&b=1

Today I was reading the Sept-Oct 2018 issue of Backtrack. 50 Memorable Moments about Crewe speedway says it was 470 years (BV Hyde Road was 418 yard). 1970 March 27 Crewe v Rochdale Heat 5 Barry Meeks set a track record of 70.8 seconds, average speed was 54.62mph. That went into Guiness Book of Records for many years, until Mark Loram did a faster record at Exeter in 1996 (ave. speed not stated).        
Just to compare the Crewe track record 70.8 secs with Peter Cravens Hyde Road record of 69.8 secs which stood for many years. I can’t remember who the last record holder was, but I know Peter Collins and Chris Morton broke it, but I feel some other rider holds the never to be beaten record.

[steve roberts 9,242]

27 minutes ago, OveFundinFan said:

Today I was reading the Sept-Oct 2018 issue of Backtrack. 50 Memorable Moments about Crewe speedway says it was 470 years (BV Hyde Road was 418 yard). 1970 March 27 Crewe v Rochdale Heat 5 Barry Meeks set a track record of 70.8 seconds, average speed was 54.62mph. That went into Guiness Book of Records for many years, until Mark Loram did a faster record at Exeter in 1996 (ave. speed not stated).        
Just to compare the Crewe track record 70.8 secs with Peter Cravens Hyde Road record of 69.8 secs which stood for many years. I can’t remember who the last record holder was, but I know Peter Collins and Chris Morton broke it, but I feel some other rider holds the never to be beaten record.

I think that the record holder was Chris Morton? Did Erik Gundersen share the record?

[OveFundinFan 4,137]

Hi Steve. Gundersens name was in my mind, but I really don’t know who finally had it.

[HenryW 1,178]

On 11/10/2021 at 7:30 AM, steve roberts said:

I visited Meadowbank a few years back to view the Peter Craven plaque thinking that the speedway track was on the site of the athletics track but judging by the the map overlay its location was to the side of that.

Yeah, the speedway track was not where the athletics track was that you apparently visited...In fact, the stadium that you visited was actually part of the reason for the end of speedway at Meadowbank in Edinburgh. The site of both of the stadiums shown on the old map was redeveloped to act as the host the 1970 commonwealth games.
Old Meadowbank - Wikipedia
The stadium that you visited has also now been demolished and a new, smaller, stadium is being constructed with part of the land being given over to housing.
I'm not actually certain what has happened to the Peter Craven plaque from the 1970 stadium....I don't think it has been included in the new stadium and has, possibly, been given to the speedway museum...but I may just have imagined that part.

Edited November 13, 2021 by HenryW
typos and missed info

[HenryW 1,178]

On 11/8/2021 at 9:26 AM, Grachan said:

I often look through maps online to try and work out where old stadiums were. Never found this site before, so very interesting for me.

Sad as I am, I have enjoyed using the Google Earth app to search out some of the more recently lost tracks in various countries...That app has a good history of ariel imagery for recent years, with 1940s imagary for some of the key WW2 areas, but not anything like back to the big speedway years of the 50s, 60s and 70s like these old maps offer.

[daveallan81 330]

3 hours ago, OveFundinFan said:

Hi Steve. Gundersens name was in my mind, but I really don’t know who finally had it.

According to the 11/10/1987 B.L.R.C. programme the Belle Vue track record was 66.4 shared by Chris Morton (set 29/7/83) and Erik Gundersen (14/10/84). It wasn't beaten in the B.L.R.C. or any of the subsequent matches at Hyde Road which I've found details for so unless it was lowered in the 17/10/87 double header with Oxford & Hackney (the only meetings I haven't been able to check) that's how it stood at closure.

[OveFundinFan 4,137]

66.4 sec is amazing. Peter Cravens time stood for years, and that was on an old design JAP engine. 3 seconds off it on a new high revving 4 valve machine.

[chunky 6,086]

On 11/10/2021 at 10:30 PM, iris123 said:

 

Already found that

Had a go at finding one of the more obscure, Chiswick, but I wonder where it actually was. Supposedly on the Mortlake rd, between Chiswick and Kew Bridge, but on a cycle speedway site, the only Chiswick cycle speedway track was on the other side of the river.....hmmm

I've also seen it stated that it was on wasteland behind a cemetery, so I wonder if it was down by the crematorium?

[daveallan81 330]

9 hours ago, OveFundinFan said:

66.4 sec is amazing. Peter Cravens time stood for years, and that was on an old design JAP engine. 3 seconds off it on a new high revving 4 valve machine.

Morton's track record ride https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC-8CtF11uE

[OveFundinFan 4,137]

59 minutes ago, daveallan81 said:

Morton's track record ride https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC-8CtF11uE

Thanks for the video, fantastic win by Mort...... it might have set a track record but it was'nt at Belle Vue!   I still enjoyed it immensley.  Would love to see the video of BV track record if you can link it, please.

Edited November 13, 2021 by OveFundinFan

[Deano 1,318]

4 minutes ago, OveFundinFan said:

Thanks for the video, fantastic win by Mort...... it might of set a track record but it was'nt at Belle Vue!   It still enjoyed it immensley.  Would love to see the video of BV track record.

It follows, I watched both. It looks fast!

Edited November 13, 2021 by Deano

[Deano 1,318]

On 11/11/2021 at 3:30 AM, iris123 said:

 

Already found that

Had a go at finding one of the more obscure, Chiswick, but I wonder where it actually was. Supposedly on the Mortlake rd, between Chiswick and Kew Bridge, but on a cycle speedway site, the only Chiswick cycle speedway track was on the other side of the river.....hmmm

I can’t find any trace at all on the old maps.

 

if anyone fancies sharing the pain of searching this lot

https://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/en/search?keywords=Kew&country=global&year=all

 

Edited November 13, 2021 by Deano