Chasewater 1977

[Graham 0]

I'm looking for some more information about this one-off meeting held at Chasewater trotting track on Sunday April 17 1977. Details are sketchy although I have seen some photos from it. Were you there? What was it like?

 

Also, does the stadium still exist? It doesn't seem to be on the modern day OS map for the area.

 

Would be grateful for any information, memories or anecdotes.

 

Cheers,

 

Graham.

[BUDGIE 35]

I think you may find that the new M6 Toll has gone through it!

[greyhoundp 990]

Nope it is still there they only used the old trotting track stables for the toll Road it is unused and falls under Cannock Council,the outline of the Trotting track is there one or two Floodlight pylons, no stands,cost a small fortune to erect a perimeter fence.

I believe Main Man could give you details of the long track meeting.

[Bee 1]

Damn now you got mer thinking. Yes I went to it. Can't say I enjoyed it that much. Remember at the time wishing I'd brought a set of Binoculars with me... Who won... I can't remember maybe Shawn Moran. Olsen was in it I think as well.

 

Trotting track is right and deep.

[Main Man 222]

Right GreyhoundP , I was there. did some commercial work for the event. Big crowd --although quite a few found their way in by other means than the turnstiles!!

Can't remember who won it --must have the prog somewhere though, will try to look it out.

Until I spoke to GreyhoundP recently I hadn't realised the trotting track was still there --remember the old big stand being knocked down (before it fell down).

Remember talking to the then stadiun owner Maurice (Menagood --or something like that) as he was looking to either sell it or renovate it but lost contact.

Pity that no one ever tried it again after that one off meeting.

[Malcolm 0]

I was there and remember being bored by the American Flattrackers and watching the speed boats to the right of the track at the pits end. Also the ground was spongy and the crowd started to bounce up and down.

I have some footage taken by the Late Mr Sudall father of former Lancs grasser Jimmy.

Memory is fading here a bit, but is this the race where Mauger got his hand stuck between the back wheel and mudguard when his bike immediately burst into life?

[Tom Thumb 81]

Couple of photos in Peter Collins Speedway book No2. shows riders Chris Morton, Dave Morton, Barry Briggs, George Hack, Chris Baybutt, Anders Michanek and Peter Collins and big crowd.

[Addy 1]

Wondered why that toll road was so fast - OK - so I missed the turn off for Cardiff - but it was worth it.

[Beowulf 1,513]

I was there, but the only thing I can remember is that it was bloody freezing!

[BrizHeathen 37]

Can't remember much about Chasewater but I do remember the old Bewdley Bonanza's. All the top speedway boys used to ride in it plus the likes of Don Godden, Baybutt? etc.

Used to be held on a Sunday and they always advertised it at Cradley the night before.

By the way wasn't there a grass track meeting near Halfpenny Green Airport once?

It was always interesting checking out the grass/long track bikes on the trailers after a saturday night speedway meeting.

Edited July 2, 2004 by BrizHeathen

[nash the dragon 0]

I cant remember much about the meeting but it was one of my first reace meeting s I attended ....went there to do some work on the track with a friends dad who worked for a company called Dellplant who then went on to sponsor Hans Nielsen and Knud Ellergard when they first came over and spent many a happy afternoon/evening up at Hans`s house with him explaining the finer points of this wonderful sport. Went past Chasewater the other day on a return to the midlands not a great deal remains apart from the narrow gauge railway

[Conkers 67]

Someone gave me a video a few years ago with some Ice racing on it, and at the end was PC and another Speedway Rider taking on two Flat Trackers on a long track which resembled a Horse racing circuit in the background. It was a cold day looking at the weather conditions, the fact that whenever they breathed or spoke, the breath was condensing in the air. It was unused footage of Speedway v Flat Track on Flat track bikes.

Could this have been Chasewater?

 

BTW Does anyone ever remember seeing Longtrack at Prestatyn Trotting Track in 69 or 70?

[Beowulf 1,513]

Never went to Prestatyn, but one of our riders, Norman Hunter, got injured there in 1969. At that point he was looking superb and could have gone on to be a Wolves legend. The damage was to his hand and sadly he was never the same rider again

[Dave the Mic 258]

Someone gave me a video a few years ago with some Ice racing on it, and at the end was PC and another Speedway Rider taking on two Flat Trackers on a long track which resembled a Horse racing circuit in the background. It was a cold day looking at the weather conditions, the fact that whenever they breathed or spoke, the breath was condensing in the air. It was unused footage of Speedway v Flat Track on Flat track bikes.

Could this have been Chasewater?

 

BTW Does anyone ever remember seeing Longtrack at Prestatyn Trotting Track in 69 or 70?

I think this could have been @ Haldon racecourse circa 1978/9. It's a racecourse in Haldon Forest, which is just south of Exeter on the A38 towards Plymouth.

 

A longtrack was built there by Peter Oakes & I think there were 3 meetings there. There were all star line ups for the first 2, including Collins, Crump & Autrey among others & at one of the meetings Kenny Roberts & Dave Aldana came over with their flat track machines for a demo & there was a match race against PC too. I have the programmes from all the meets there somewhere if anybody wants any info.

Edited July 8, 2004 by Dave the Mic