Amman Valley

[Parsloes 1928 nearly 495]

Right, apologies for this being a particularly obscure request for help/info. - but trust me, there's a good reason for me asking and hopefully some positive news to emerge from this request..!!

 

Amman Valley is a trotting track in South Wales and I'm after info. about what appears to have been the solitary occasion (so far.. ) that dirt track racing was held there.

'Homes of British Speedway' (entry under Ammanford) tells us that this was on 12 September 1970. Despite the very specific date, Bamford & Jarvis’ book (I like to think of it as the bible!!!) has little other details other than the fare on display was billed as “Track Racing”..: not grass track (coz after all it ain’t grass..!!) and not Speedway or Long Track but rather ambiguously, ‘Track Racing’…!!!

 

The meeting was apparently put on by the “Carmarthen Club”..: what’s that a grass tracking club or a more general motorcycling club..?? Oh, and the 500cc solos class was won by a name I have to say I don’t recognise, Tig Perry.

 

That’s all I can glean from ‘Homes’

So does anyone have further details of the meeting..?

Was it grasstrack bikes & sidecars or was it more akin to Long Track…: like the handful of meetings held at around the same time in North Wales at a trotting circuit at Prestatyn..?? Bamford & Jarvis list the size of the Ammanford circuit for that 1970 meeting as 440 yards but I think that could be wrong as the trotting track’s closer to a half mile..

 

Any info. on any/all aspects of this one-off staging of dirt track racing at Amman Valley would be much appreciated….

[Alan_Jones 1,005]

Oh, and the 500cc solos class was won by a name I have to say I don’t recognise, Tig Perry.

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The founder of Antig, I believe.

[Hot Shoe 58]

The founder of Antig, I believe.

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That's correct. Tig Perry was also an excellent rider and for a time in the early 1970s the Antig Bultaco was THE Grass Bike to have in the 250 class. Antig also produced Speedway frames.

 

I would have thought the meeting (like most Centre meetings at that time) would have comprised mostly of Grass Trackers with a good few local Motocrossers.

[Team Man 32]

Just got my fixture list for Short Track UK and round three of the Championship is beiing held there on Saturday 16th of June its listed as a 1/2 mile Track

 

 

Click http://www.shorttrackuk.com/ For our website

[Hot Shoe 58]

Any info. on any/all aspects of this one-off staging of dirt track racing at Amman Valley would be much appreciated….

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Parsloes, there's an interesting website that has info and photos of Sand and Grass Track racing in Wales from 1929.

Although it doesn't seem to have any info on the Amman Valley event it's worth a look.

 

www.sandspeedwales.co.uk

[Hot Shoe 58]

Just got my fixture list for Short Track UK and round three of the Championship is beiing held there on Saturday 16th of June its listed as a 1/2 mile Track

Click  http://www.shorttrackuk.com/  For our website

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Team Man, i see the Christmas Cracker is being held on December 30th. Any idea at what track it's being held?

 

Thanks for any info.

[Team Man 32]

Team Man, i see the Christmas Cracker is being held on December 30th. Any idea at what track it's being held?

 

Thanks for any info.

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Hi Hot Shoe,

Have just Emailed for more info on it, will post here when I get an answer

 

Cheers

[Parsloes 1928 nearly 495]

Hi Hot Shoe,

Have just Emailed for more info on it, will post here when I get an answer

 

Cheers

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The Christmas Cracker is - like last year - to be held at Scunthorpe Speedway.

I have posted details of this meeting on both the Training and Grass Track etc. sections of the BSF previously; but for your easier info. (and an exciting update too) here are the latest two Press Releases from STUK containing all current details:

 

---------------------------------

The call is out for riders keen to shake off the Christmas cobwebs with the announcement of a festive feast of Short Track racing to be held at Scunthorpe Speedway stadium on Saturday 30th. December.

 

For the second year running, former Sheffield Tiger Pete Boast’s flattracking series is staging a special one-off meeting over the holiday period and once again the self-styled Christmas Cracker event will be attracting big names from the world of Speedway and other motorcycling disciplines.

 

Boast who triumphed at Normanby Road in January is keen to encourage those who perhaps hadn’t the chance during their normal busy racing season to take part in the full Short Track UK series to give it a try,

 

“Last year we saw the likes of Wayne Carter, Benji Compton and Andy Moore give it a go; as well as Superbikes legend Steve Plater and the Road Racing member of the Compton family, Dijon Compton.

 

Already confirmed in this year's field is not only the 2006 STUK Champion, former Belle Vue Ace, Lee Complin but a motorcycling legend in the form of professional road racer from Heysham near Morecombe, John McGuinness. McGuinness secured a hat-trick of victories in this year's Isle of Man TT (where he's reigned supreme for ten years clocking up eleven TT wins in total) guiding his HM Plant Honda mounts to Superbike and Senior TT honours including setting the course record at an incredible 129.4mph!

 

Boast wenbt on, “To make it easier for Speedway riders to take part in this year’s Cracker, competitors can use any Motocross bike with a Speedway rear tyre. We know there are a lot of lads out there who have motocross bikes which they use in their leisure time: it would be great to see people giving it a go in some healthy track competition during what’s traditionally the quietest time of the year!”

 

The Cracker meeting gets underway with practice at 11.30am with practice and a 1 pm race time and included in a packed programme will be Quad Speedway: also very popular with the Normanby Road faithful.

 

Any riders interested in taking part in the Short Track class are asked to contact Jackie Savage on 01507313829 before the entry closing date of 22nd December.

 

Derek Barclay

Press Officer - STUK

 

NB. you're right about Amman Valley..: that's why I'm trying to track down (pardon the pun.!!) more info. about previous motorcycling activity there!!

[Team Man 32]

Cheers Parsloes, thank you for posting that

[Parsloes 1928 nearly 495]

Parsloes, there's an interesting website that has info and photos of Sand and Grass Track racing in Wales from 1929.

Although it doesn't seem to have any info on the Amman Valley event it's worth a look.

 

www.sandspeedwales.co.uk

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Blimey..: that is an amazing site..: one of the best of its type I've ever seen. Thanks very much for pointing me in the way of this, Hot Shoe.

Fascinating to read about the motorcycle racing including Speedway in Carmarthen Park.

How come that venue's not in 'Homes'..??: though perhaps it is in the recently published second edition..??

 

And whisper it quietly (coz even all the way over in Oz there's a danger it'll get Bryn over excited!!??) but there seems some claim lurking amongst the info. on this site that perhaps Wales was actually the birthplace of what became Speedway in the UK..

The significance of the Amman valley meeting in June is growing by the minute...!!!!

[Hot Shoe 58]

Already confirmed in this year's field is not only the 2006 STUK Champion, former Belle Vue Ace, Lee Complin but a motorcycling legend in the form of professional road racer from Heysham near Morecombe, John McGuinness.  McGuinness secured a hat-trick of victories in this year's Isle of Man TT (where he's reigned supreme for ten years clocking up eleven TT wins in total) guiding his HM Plant Honda mounts to Superbike and Senior TT honours including setting the course record at an incredible 129.4mph!

 

That's interesting because in the latest edition of IRISH ROAD RACER magazine John McGuinness said that he is a regular spectator at Belle Vue Speedway and has recently bought a speedway bike from Jason Crump.