Anders` 0 Posted March 27, 2005 Why is there a yellow and black helmet cover? Can understand the red, blue, white/green but why yellow and black Also, Why is the penultimate flag a yellow one with a black cross. The rest of them make sense.... If anyone knows.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hot Shoe 58 Posted March 28, 2005 Why is the penultimate flag a yellow one with a black cross. The rest of them make sense.... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> A chequered flag don't make no sense to me... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
norbold 7,116 Posted March 28, 2005 I believe it was originally a yellow helmet cover but was changed to yellow and black to avoid confusion with white. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
miro 9 Posted March 28, 2005 The speedway helmet colours come from Greyhound racing traps: 1 = red, 2 = blue, 3 = white, 4 = black combined with 5 = yellow. Some early league meetings had both home riders in red and away in blue. The covers themselves were, I believe, originally waterproof covers worn over cork crash helmets, as used by early aviators and I've seen pictures of riders in the IoM TT wearing them in the '20s. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
norbold 7,116 Posted March 28, 2005 That's very interesting miro. The only thing I would say is that all the pre-War programmes I have show the fourth rider as wearing yellow, not yellow and black. Maybe they were yellow and black but they just printed yellow in the programme? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
miro 9 Posted March 28, 2005 Now you say it Norbold I can't picture anyone in the pre-war years wearing a yellow and black helmet colour, all very ad hoc in those days of course. The black and yellow halves were from the 1940s to 1956 when the quadrant came in then I guess. The Swedes used plain yellow and a black cross on yellow too. Ah Speedway trivia, you can't beat it to pass the time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
andout 660 Posted March 28, 2005 Now you say it Norbold I can't picture anyone in the pre-war years wearing a yellow and black helmet colour, all very ad hoc in those days of course. The black and yellow halves were from the 1940s to 1956 when the quadrant came in then I guess. The Swedes used plain yellow and a black cross on yellow too. Ah Speedway trivia, you can't beat it to pass the time. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I seem to remember somewhere in the back of my brain that the Yellow / Black helmet had something to do with TV coverage....but I cannot think of it now...maybe I will have prodded someone else by this post. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Team Man 32 Posted March 28, 2005 I can understand the confusion with the early white and the yellow helmet covers on black and white photographs, that's probably why they quartered the yellow helment cover with black, or there again perhaps not, it was just a thought. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
norbold 7,116 Posted March 28, 2005 I seem to remember somewhere in the back of my brain that the Yellow / Black helmet had something to do with TV coverage....but I cannot think of it now...maybe I will have prodded someone else by this post. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Yes, now you mention it, that does ring a bell... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shazzybird 10 Posted April 1, 2005 The Greyhound Racing Traps colours come from Speedway Helmet Colours: 1 = red, 2 = blue, 3 = white, 4 = black combined with 5 = yellow. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Much better, how dare they think we follow their lead (so to speak) even if it is true Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
norbold 7,116 Posted April 1, 2005 Reading your post again, andout, (see, I'm trying not to use quotes!), if that was the case, it is a bit ironic that it is now television that wants to change it back from yellow and black to yellow! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
spiderweb 2 Posted August 21, 2005 (edited) In the early days in Australia, I belive it started in 1926 the promotors gave each rider a coloured vest jockey style to identify the the riders they kept to that coulor all season. But as numbers grew it got difficult as there were up to 100 bikes at a meet. So I am guessing here some one came up with the START colour idea. Edited August 21, 2005 by spiderweb Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lionheart 86 Posted August 25, 2005 I bet that in 30 or 40 years time (Hope speedway lasts that long, although I certainly will not) people will be looking at photograph and confusing the Yello/Black helmet cover with the new fangled White/Black. cover. I can see the arguments raging for years. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BertHoven 1 Posted August 25, 2005 I seem to remember somewhere in the back of my brain that the Yellow / Black helmet had something to do with TV coverage....but I cannot think of it now...maybe I will have prodded someone else by this post. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Sorry to have to disagree with your brain but the yellow and black helmet covers were standard issue when I first watched speedway at Hyde Road in 1946. My wife, Margaret, and I bought our first television set in 1954 [only one channel, BBC]. It was several years before speedway was televised. Colour television was, arguably, introduced generally in the mid 60s. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
norbold 7,116 Posted August 25, 2005 That's the point Bert. The yellow helmet looked like the white one on black and White TV, that's why the change to yellow and black. Speedway was televised at least from 1946, maybe pre-War, but it was certainly filmed regularly for Pathe News. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
