Track records

[RobbieB 26]

I have just submitted my 1983 Wimbledon file to the speedway researcher website, which according to Matt will be updated next week.

At the World Team Cup Intercontinental Final on Sunday 26 June 1983 Erik Gundersen recorded a time of 56.7 secs which should have been a new Wimbledon track record. But this time was never acknowledged by any later Wimbledon programmes, which is strange. Instead they list Dennis Sigalos time of 57.4 secs on 30 May 1983 until it was broken. Does anyone have an idea why this could be?

One thing I did notice compiling this file was the enormous increase in speed during 1983 when times at Wimbledon were regularly below 60 secs. Even Kelvin Tatum in his first season won a race below 59 seconds. There were more than one meeting when all race times were below 60 seconds, the WTC round had all races completed below 59 seconds.

[BOBBATH 467]

What do you reckon the  increase in speed at Wimbledon in 83 was due to-?

[RobbieB 26]

30 minutes ago, BOBBATH said:

What do you reckon the  increase in speed at Wimbledon in 83 was due to-?

Bike technology, that gave them increased power.

Sub 59 seconds race wins happened occasionally before 1983, and sub 58 seconds were completely unknown.

The 1991 Wimbledon track record was 56.4 so bikes in '83 must be extremely powerful.

Was the fast times also noticed at other tracks?

[Midgetracer 5]

I remember that around that time changes were made to the Wimbledon track to accommodate stock car racing. I may be wrong, but I thi9nk that at one time they changed the track shape so that cars and bikes shared the straights, but the bikes had their own bends on the inside of the stock car track.

However, my aged memory may well be at fault. If so, I am sure that somebody will correct me!!

[BL65 657]

1 hour ago, Midgetracer said:

I remember that around that time changes were made to the Wimbledon track to accommodate stock car racing. I may be wrong, but I thi9nk that at one time they changed the track shape so that cars and bikes shared the straights, but the bikes had their own bends on the inside of the stock car track.

Around that time changes were made to the track. The official distance for four laps of speedway actually increased from 1234 yards to 1274 yards but the alterations led to faster racing.

[RobbieB 26]

A slight change to the Wimbledon track may be another reason for the increased number of fast times. However, as Erik Gundersen time of 56.7 secs was recorded after Dennis Sigalos 57.4 secs, it does not explain why it was never listed in any later Wimbledon programmes.

[stevehone 3,429]

was there a change in start line/finish post locations?

[chunky 6,093]

1 hour ago, stevehone said:

was there a change in start line/finish post locations?

That was years before. The gate used to be on the back straight.

[stevehone 3,429]

i mean when the gate was on the home straight and the finish post was a bit further on .. were league meeting times taken from the finish post, but FIM meetings at the tapes?

[chunky 6,093]

1 hour ago, stevehone said:

i mean when the gate was on the home straight and the finish post was a bit further on .. were league meeting times taken from the finish post, but FIM meetings at the tapes?

To be honest, I can't say I remember that. Perhaps one of the "older" members on here can answer that? As far as I know, all times were taken from the finish post.

Edited March 23 by chunky

[norbold 7,110]

47 minutes ago, chunky said:

To be honest, I can't say I remember that. Perhaps on of the "older" members on here can answer that? As far as I know, all times were taken from the finish post.

I can remember when the start and finish line were in different positions at Wimbledon as Steve says, but I can't remember the dates.

[iris123 20,987]

7 hours ago, stevehone said:

i mean when the gate was on the home straight and the finish post was a bit further on .. were league meeting times taken from the finish post, but FIM meetings at the tapes?

Wouldn't it have been the ther way around, as i thought the difference was because of complying with FIM regs ? Maybe introduced when Wimbledon hosted the Internationae ?

[norbold 7,110]

2 hours ago, iris123 said:

Wouldn't it have been the ther way around, as i thought the difference was because of complying with FIM regs ? Maybe introduced when Wimbledon hosted the Internationae ?

No, I'm sure Steve is correct.

[RobbieB 26]

Steve, does provide a plausible agreement about FIM events. However, the Wimbledon track record has been broken several times at the Internationale. The last time was John Louis in heat 10 at the 1974 Embassy Internationale (59.7 secs) which later Wimbledon programmes did acknowledge.

Therefore, must be some reason why Erik Gundersen's track record was not considered to be valid. As, this occurred a long time ago this reason may never be discovered.

Edited March 23 by RobbieB

[BL65 657]

How many sources state that Erik's time was 56.7? If two or more then it remains a puzzle at present. The only other thing that springs to mind was that it was an error/typo and should have been 57.6 rather than 56.7. Do the meeting reports refer to Erik breaking the track record? If not, then......