Graham Miles article Speedway Star

[Chadster 221]

19 hours ago, chunky said:

Trust me, there were MANY bad accidents happening before the mid-70's...

Apologies, I didn't make myself clear. I was referring to Hackney specifically. It seemed to me (from afar) to have a good reputation as a racetrack in the 60s, but there were some bad accidents there from the mid 70s. I remember seeing some bad crases at Hyde Road in the 60s.

[chunky 6,093]

41 minutes ago, Chadster said:

Apologies, I didn't make myself clear. I was referring to Hackney specifically. It seemed to me (from afar) to have a good reputation as a racetrack in the 60s, but there were some bad accidents there from the mid 70s. I remember seeing some bad crases at Hyde Road in the 60s.

Oh, okay... Thing is, while I didn't witness any of the fatalities at Hackney, I get the idea that at least a couple of them were kind of "freak" accidents, and the only real issue was the lamp standards.

If you look at my website, you will also see that Newcastle had several fatalities. When I commented on that once, I was told that I was being most unfair. The thing is, we know that crashes can be caused by a variety of factors, including collisions. Are these collisions a result of situations caused by the track, or the bikes?

I just think that the big problem there was the lamp standards...

[Goldhawk 76]

Hackney really was an outstanding race track where riders could and did pass anywhere. I've read in the past it was felt by some too fast for size of track. There may be some truth in that tbh, but the overriding issue of all the time i watched Speedway there ( 24 years ) was riders hitting lamp standards with serious injuries or worse. Both fatalities there with Vic Harding and Denny Pyatt were caused by them.  i also saw the worst looking crash i have ever seen there in 1973 between Allan Emmett & Dave Kennett where they locked handlebars going full speed going down the back straight and didn't turn hitting fence on third bend at full speed upright. Allan Emmett was a star in the making and retired the following year and Dave Kennett wasn't the same rider after. He potentually could have been as good as Gordon.

Hackney was a great track, if today safety fence regulations were in place of today the injuries of the time would have been very much less . The were much worse tracks out here. The lamp standards were the issue. Maybe Wimbledon was the safest track of the time with their supported fence without any lamp standards if i remember rightly. 

 

Did it match Hackney for racing ? em ...............................; )

 

PS On Milo (reference last paragraph and post) Milo has made a successful career out of stand up comedy since crash. He still harbours hope to walk one day.. 

Edited March 15 by Goldhawk

[E I Addio 15,845]

39 minutes ago, Goldhawk said:

Hackney really was an outstanding race track where riders could and did pass anywhere. I've read in the past it was felt by some too fast for size of track. There may be some truth in that tbh, but the overriding issue of all the time i watched Speedway there ( 24 years ) was riders hitting lamp standards with serious injuries or worse. Both fatalities there with Vic Harding and Denny Pyatt were caused by them.  i also saw the worst looking crash i have ever seen there in 1973 between Allan Emmett & Dave Kennett where they locked handlebars going full speed going down the back straight and didn't turn hitting fence on third bend at full speed upright. Allan Emmett was a star in the making and retired the following year and Dave Kennett wasn't the same rider after. He potentually could have been as good as Gordon.

Hackney was a great track, if today safety fence regulations were in place of today the injuries of the time would have been very much less . The were much worse tracks out here. The lamp standards were the issue. Maybe Wimbledon was the safest track of the time with their supported fence without any lamp standards if i remember rightly. 

 

Did it match Hackney for racing ? em ...............................; )

 

PS On Milo (reference last paragraph and post) Milo has made a successful career out of stand up comedy since crash. He still harbours hope to walk one day.. 

I think the riders being flung head first into the safety fence or lamp standards was a common feature of many fatal and serious accidents both at home and abroad.

On a slightly different tack regarding riders riding wide on the bends at Hackney, I remember reading an interview with Colin Pratt in Classic Speedway in which he was saying when he rode for Hackney he would always get to the track early so he could make sure Len Silver would always prepare the inside line the way he wanted it done and that was where almost all of his wins came from .I found that interesting because Pratty’s time at Hackney was probably the best of his career . It’s interesting how track preparation helps different riders. 

[Goldhawk 76]

Pratty was a white line rider at the Wick as i remember, can't say elsewhere. Only saw him a few meetings there as a youngster in 1969 before moving to Cradley Heath for 1970. season. Was priveleged to see him guest for Hackney that year and score a 12 point maximum the Friday before going to Lokeren for the weekend.  it would have been his last ever meeting as a rider. Went to a thing at Paradise Park re Tatum and Pearson around 6 years ago and spoke to Pratty. What an ordinary down to earth guy and top bloke he was. i remember going to chippy in Hoddesdon after he retired in early 70s and he was there serving fish and chips !! : )

[Mr. Clemens 646]

 

 

I thought it was the best article that I have ever read on a topic of this nature.

It really drew you into the ordeal that a rider goes through, so much so the reader is 'suffering along with the rider'.