britmet

SILVER SASH You'll find then all, - 1955 -'69, SAL, Prov'l Lge, Brit.Lge, - all listed here, together with pics of same and a review. http://speedwaychampions.com/BritishMatchRaceChmpshp.aspx .

The 2nd Semi-Final of the European U19 Championship was raced at Krosno, yesterday after the meeeting had to be transferred from Tarnow due to conflict with the original intended sponsors. There was a heavy downpour just ½hr before the meeting started, which left all the riders with the wrong set-ups. 3 Poles and a Latvian took the places for the Final next month. Results 1. Zmarzlik Bartosz (Poland) - 15 (3,3,3,3,3) 2. Tobias Musielak (Poland) - 13+3 (3,3,3,3,1) 3. Arthur Czaja (Poland) - 13+2 (3,3,3,2,2) 4. Andrew Lebedev (Latvia) - 12+3 (1,3,2,3,3) --------------------------- 5. Borodulin Vladimir (Russia) - 12+2 (2,2,2,3,3) 6. Czałow Ilya (Russia) - 8 (1,2,1,2,2) 7. Veverka Ondrej (Czech Republic) - 8 (2,2,1,1,2) 8. Michelle Hofmann (Germany) - 8 (2,1,2,2,1) 9. Tom Perry (United Kingdom) - 7 (W, 2,0,2,3) 10. Matt Domanski (Poland) - 6 (1,1,3,1, w) 11. Tejgał Volodymyr (Ukraine) - 5 (2, w, 0,1,2) 12. Emil Pulczyński (Poland) - 4 (3.1, u ,-,-) 13. Ivan Pleszakow (Latvia) - 3 (0,0,2,1, u) 14. Ondrej Smetana (Czech Republic) - 3 (0,1,1,0,1) 15. Ladislav Vida (Slovenia) - 1 (1,0,0, d, d) 16. Mateusz Wieczorek (Poland) - 1 (1.0, d, u, u) 17. Kristian Revinsek (Slovenia) - 0 (D, ,-,-,-) Race after race: 1. (71.69) Zmarzlik, Borodulin, Lebedev, Smetana, 2. (72.00) Pulczyński, Tejgał, Czałow, Pleszakow 3. (70.19) Musielak, Veverka, Domanski, Revinsek (d4) 4. (71.19) Czaja, Hofmann, Vida, Perry (w / u) 5. (69,66) Lebedev, Veverka, Hofmann, Pleszakow 6. (70.94) Czaja, Czałow, Smetana, Revinsek (w / u) 7. (70.15) Musielak, Borodulin, Pulczyński, Vida 8. (70.32) Zmarzlik, Perry, Domanski, Tejgał (w / u) 9. (70.37) Musielak, Lebedev, Czałow, Perry 10. (72.81) Domanski, Pleszakow, Smetana, Vida 11. (70.14) Czaja, Borodulin, Veverka, Tejgał 12. (72.07) Zmarzlik, Hofmann, Wieczorek, Pulczyński (u2) 13. (69.67) Lebedev, Czaja, Domanski, Wieczorek 14. (71.16) Musielak, Hofmann, Tejgał, Smetana 15. (71.81) Borodulin, Perry, Pleszakow, Wieczorek (d4) 16. (71.66) Zmarzlik, Czałow, Veverka, Vida (d4) 17. (71.75) Lebedev, Tejgał, Wieczorek (u3), Vida (d4) 18. (74.00), Perry, Veverka, Smetana, Wieczorek (u4) 19. (72.13) Borodulin, Czałow, Hofmann, Domanski (w/2min) 20. (72.25) Zmarzlik, Czaja, Musielak, Pleszakow (u4) Run as the fourth place: 21. (70.28) Lebedev, Borodulin Run as a second place: 22. (72.88) Musielak, Czaja Judge: Pavel Vana (Czech Republic) NCD obtained in the 5 race Andrew Lebedev - 69.66 s. Spectators: 500

We don't want to turn up at 7.30pm and miss half the match. The Newport website has nothing on the Hornets, but says its (Wasps) mtgs start at 7pm. - ? So what is the start time ? .

Agreed, - Red had the line, - White had to give, but didn't.

In the days of 13-heat lge matches the 2nd Halves were usually structured so that a good newcomer had opportunity to show his ability and be tested against team riders. The winner of the Novice race qulaified for the Junior race; the winner of that race qualified for the Reserves race; the winner of that qualified for the 3-ht main 2nd-half comp'n, so it would not be impossible for someone to race against the big boys, (and maybe win.) That way the team reserves were always kept on their toes and a fast rising junior could prove himself v/v team members and break into the team. Today's format (of mtgs and of team structure, controlled and frozen by averages) denies a new junior (eg a late convert from another motor sport, say,) a place for a season, during which time he'll only be riding against others of lesser ability and so less likely to develope quickly.

You can see each class, - U16 250cc, (now British Youth Chmpshp,) U16 500cc(BYC), U18 500cc and U21 - , all at http://speedwaychampions.com/U21andYouthChampions.aspx as well as Aussie, NZ, USA etc.

The site says "Sunday the 1st of mai the Open Helzold Championship will take place in the Helzoldstadion at Heusden-Zolder. This is the race for the Belgian championship." i.e. as the only chmpshp meeting in Belgium it's both.

He's riding in 3 leagues ! Give the chap a rest occasionally.

Is either (or all) of the 4 Dutch Open mtgs a National Championship ? - Open or otherwise? .

What would happen to the plans, - 10 add'l mtgs at Kirk Lane - , if the NL grows to 14-16 teams, as is possible ? Can they be fitted in? .

Col Smith is still riding, - see The Men in Black, - vintage speedway. There is a website somewhere with them shown, present day portraits, etc, - can't find it at the moment,(just videos on Youtube) but will post its link when I do.

KALEVI LAHTINEN A great rider in his day. Here he is, http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2595303790103948496OjBVRC with the Golden Key of Bremen which he won in May 1966. Also in the pic, Lt-to-rt, Mrs. Gunnar Malmqvist, Kahlevi Lahtinen(F,1st), Gunnar Malmqvist (SW,2nd), Conny Samuelsson (SW,7th), Matti Olin (F,8th). Also rode that year, Tim Bungay(UK, 3rd) fsp - What were the other years of KL's Golden Key wins ?

Then '83 & '84 at B.Vue & Halifax before reverting for all future NRCs: - Do we know why ? - Owlerton was still running those 2 yrs. - ? (There was a 1964 NRC at Newcastle.) http://speedwaychampions.com/MidlandLondonScottish.aspx

Andrew, - This was TR's second NRC win. Was there an NRC in '62 ? (or any more before '67 which Mauger won ?)

Ray D. was top scorer for Bradford in the initial Prov'l Lge season, - also rode for them again in '62. Dennis D. on the other hand was almost certainly a 'Southerner', so unlikey any relation, I feel sure.

Fantastic ! ! Where ? When ? How ?

Your help please: When did the '90s Silver Helmet competition finish? "The History of the British Lge" (P.Oakes) takes it to 1990. Did it continue up to the formation of the Prem.Lge? i.e. to the end of '94 ? (And if so does anyone have the results?)

Co-incidently I have just this morning published these on the 'Speedway Champions' website, under the 'British MRCs' webpage, Silver Helmet & Silver Sash. www.speedwaychampions.com Can I have photo of it please. I seem to recollect somewhere between the start of the Prov'l Lge and the Sash being raced for in the BL it got uprated to a bigger, better Sash. Please PM me. Thanks

. Bjorn KNUTSON - one 's'. The man himself says this, and acknowledges that it got a second 's' so often despite telling everyone, incl'g in Sweden itself, that he gave up trying to correct them, and let it run. So although you can find many if not all programmes, plus subsequent books and records, spelling him with 'ss' it doesn't prove anything. (My own English surname has a single 's' at the end for the last 4 generations, but before that Registry certificates, births and marriages, have it ending double s.)

Yes, you'll see Olle in the detail MRC table, as an unsuccessful challenger in 54/55, 55/56 and 56/57

BlueBass, - Here are some Hornets' team line-ups for you to drool over: Jan.'54: Dick Campbell, Bill Dalton, Roy Browning, Arend Hartman, Vern McWiliams, Peter Dykes, Gerrald Hussey. '56/57: Alan Hunt, Jimmy Gooch, Roy Browning, G. Hickson, Vern McWiliams, Hookey Bremner, Dennis Motley, O.Watson, M.Jones, also rode Johny Gander, Graham White. '57/58: Ove Fundin, Gerry Hickson, Vern McWillaims, Roy Bowers, Graham White, H.Bremner, Ken Goosard, also rode: Henry Long, Aub Long, Neil Mortimer.

Information is from the same 3 sources, KMcL, CW, DB, direct, (incl’g copied emails to yourself in 2008,) with no loss in translation. e.g. From KMcL: " Firstly, I've done extensive research on the 1929/30 and the 1930/31 seasons as well as 1934/35 and 1935/36. ….. The 1935/36 season ...... Bishop toured SA that season, along with Wally Lloyd, the only two visiting riders. This was Bishop's ONLY visit. He won the SA dirt track championship at Malvern in March 1936. This was the national title, NOT the open title. He is the only visiting rider to have won the national title. He must have been eligible because SA was part of the British Empire." From DB: "CAREER HISTORY (BB): Started his speedway racing in 1999 and in 2000 went on to win the U21 South African Championship, the U21 Regional Championship and the best pairs in the premier division. 2001: Byron retained the U21 Championship, the Regional Championship and the best pairs and then added the Silver Sash to his winnings."

The track at Hoy Park Durban was indeed small. Whilst the mecca of S.African speedway, Wembley, was 470yds Hoy Park was just 280yds. In the ‘53/54 season the t.r. was 55.9s by Ronnie Moore, and Wembley’s 75.6s by Freddie Williams. Other tracks at that time were Springs, 320yds/62.2s F.W; Randfontein 320yds/62.0s Trevor Redmond & F.W; Bulawayo (SR) 470/72.3s(3-laps) Doug Lang; Kitwe (NR) 340/68.9s Bob Serrurier The Durban track of the ‘90s, Kings Park, was 400mtrs. n.b. Speedway data on SA can be a minefield from beginning to end: Phil Bishop only ever toured SA once, in the ‘35/36 season, and took the National title at Malvern in March of that season; Byron Bekker couldn’t have been SA Champ in ’99 at 12 years old in his first year of riding: he did win the U21 title in the following year, and in the subsequent, ie. in 2000 & 2001, not 3 times. Surprisingly he’s never been SA Champions, not in ’99 or ’09, primarily because he’s been riding in the UK since 2004.

Have a look at http://speedwaychampions.com/SouthAfrica.aspx If you can add any more info please PM me.

REMOVED - Located.