History Of Speedway.........

[speedyguy 20]

The start of dirt-track/speedway in the USA? There's a photo of a 1923 dirt-track meeting in Indiana on the yahoo site

 

http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway

 

It shows riders racing on a track with spectaors watching from the centre as well as the outside of the track. It's in PHOTOS in the album 'veteran riders pre-1939.'

Edited August 24, 2007 by speedyguy

[Trackman 3]

Thanks Speedyguy.........

Post 1939 Midget Car Speedway, with Ronnie Moore in 1955 & Jack Parker in Sydney, 1954(?) ....... http://sports.ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/ol...tos/browse/be9c

.... and more

http://sports.ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/ol...speedway/photos

Regards.

PS.

http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway/

Edited August 24, 2007 by Trackman

[Nigel 38]

Come on Brummy Grumpy Nigel. .. give us you 16th sermon. 

Regards. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Слушает, котор Bruce, оно будет Brummie не Brummy, вами австралиец мозга мертво осуждает, идет игра с вашим трактором. Я не говорю вам ничего. Получите с вашего большого австралийского задняя сторона и проведите исследование ваше собственное исследование

[Trackman 3]

CHIT! it says it's ticken, not chicken.

Regards.

PS.

Bunker time! (;0)

[Trackman 3]

Speedway racing "Generally acknowledged" as one of the most popular ancient sports. Often dangerous to both riders, who frequently suffered serious injury and even death, the sport generated strong spectator enthusiasm comparable to modern-day interest in motor sports. Some of the organizational aspects of the racing also paralleled current practices in professional sports. In teams represented different groups of financial backers and sometimes competed for the services of particularly skilled drivers. These teams became the focus of intense support among spectators, and occasional disturbances broke out between followers of different teams. The conflicts sometimes became politicized, as the sport began to transcend the races themselves and started to affect society overall. This helps explain why the BSPA emperors took control of the teams and appointed many officials to oversee them. The sport faded in importance after that.

The race was begun by a procession into the hippodrome, while a herald announced the names of the drivers and owners. The hippodrome at Olympia was about 600 yards long and 300 yards wide. The tethrippon consisted of twelve laps around the hippodrome, with sharp turns around the posts at either end. Various mechanical devices were used, including the starting gates....

.......................

 

Does speedway teams racing start with Julius Caesar around 50 BC, his track had a length of about 600 metres, or was it..... According to Roman legend, racing was used by Romulus just after he founded Rome in 753 BC.....

To me it looks like we started teams racing on two wheels with 4hp, back in 680 BC

Regards.

PS.

If so, is Ben Hur our first world Champion?

Edited August 26, 2007 by Trackman

[Ross Garrigan 2]

Phil, are you aware that chariot races (proper horse-drawn ones) were once staged as a gimmick at a small track motorcycle race meeting in Australia? It was way back at the time the silent version of the film Ben Hur was released in Australia.

Edited September 2, 2007 by Ross Garrigan

[Trackman 3]

G/Day Ross.

When you see the chariot riders stance when racing and especially in the turns they look like a speedway rider as they slide around the turns... the "race" itself has a lot of similarities as does the form of power which in its day was the GP class. 4 horse = 4 hp, 4valve

.... 3 inlet 1 exhaust...

Regards.

PS.

I can't help thinking, Speedway of some sort has been on earth for a long, long time.

[norbold 7,116]

I can't help thinking, Speedway of some sort has been on earth for a long, long time. 

 

You could be right there. Do we really know what Stonehenge was used for???

[star ghost 7]

I thought Stonehenge was an oldtime football pitch which was invented by a bloke down-under and came here in the late 20s. Or was that some other sport???? and I have not read it correctly

[Trackman 3]

Pre Piston Speedway....

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF2NAaQyVBk...related&search=

Regards.

PS.

Stonehenge. ... Why do you lot always have small tracks?

Edited September 7, 2007 by Trackman

[norbold 7,116]

We don't have the space like you do.

[Trackman 3]

Bugger!

Regards.

[andout 659]

Bugger! 

 

Regards.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Now THAT was funny.....Thanks!

[Trackman 3]

G/Day andout... thank you, I do say it a lot.

"Generally acknowledged"..... I do my best to keep it lightharted & informative.

Regards.

PS.

http://www.ausm.info/aus_history/1920-30/thebarton.htm

"On the Saturday afternoon of March 25, 1922, another sports carnival, at which motorcycles raced, was held on Thebarton Oval. The Thebarton Women’s Services Association organised this fund-raising event in aid of local charities. 3½ h.p. motorcycles contested two heats and a final over distances of one mile. Charlie Moyle (riding a 3½ hp Levis) was once again the star rider. Motorcycle novelty events were also conducted. All motorcycle events were once again under the control of the Motor Cycle Club of South Australia".........

 

Only 3 1/2hp ..... as I said Ben Hur had 4hp!

I'll go with Nigel on this one.... in post No30 ....

"I have evidence of Dirt Track racing around horse trotting tracks in Italy in 11BC"

Bugger!

Edited September 15, 2007 by Trackman

[cyclone 943]

Well, it's my belief that the first proper speedway meeting in this country with bikes with no brakes, a proper dirt track and broadsiding was the second meeting at High Beech held on 9 April 1928. I don't think Droyslden, Camberley or the first High Beech meeting had any of that.

 

So 1928 it is then!   

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

It's been drawn to my attention that the 2nd mtg @ High Beech was on Sat 7th April, whereas on 9th April two meetings were held, one in morning & another in evening !.

 

 

So which of these meetings do you consider to be the real thing ?