norbold

The tradition of running three laps at Rye House dated back at least to 1952 (probably earlier to the late 1940s) when it was just a training track. This was the original track which was 440 yards long. When the new track opened in 1958 it was only 325 yards but initially the races were still held over three laps. However, after just two weeks the traditional four lap races were instituted. The first four lap track record of 70.0 seconds was set up by Tommy Sweetman on on 17 August that year.

A 5-1 for Australia then.

How do you know? I thought you were boycotting it.

Will you please stop talking about it!

No I didn't….

But did he get away with it?

I wonder if Zagar has a club. Kelvin hasn't said.

Lebedevs? Well I never…

And I saw them win all three!

You'll be telling us next that Johnnie Hoskins didn't invent speedway either……

….and invented football.

Chelsea (Stamford Bridge) are still in the Premier League, though they are having a bit of a rough time this year!

Yes, you're quite right. Sorry. I was going from memory and had forgotten he was in our team. Sorry, Tommy!

My first race was on 11 May 1960. New Cross v. Norwich. Result: 1. Aub Lawson 2: Jimmy Gooch 3. Split Waterman 4. Harry Edwards. Neither any of the riders nor the teams still with us. Out of the 16 riders in that match, I think only two are still with us today, Ove Fundin and Reg Luckhurst (nos 4 & 11resepectively in the Oldest Surviving World Finalists list).

Eight for me…

Sorry, this is the wrong thread, but Kurt Petersen was before Preben Andreasen.

No, I'm sure Steve is correct.

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.

I'm sure you are right about that. So, for some of us at least, the NL/PL split was a great blessing!

Though, as I said above, when I said that Tony Clarke rode in nine matches, Ted Ede rode in 16.

Actually, I don't think either should be removed. I think you were right to include them both in the first place because Tony took over from Ted, so, in a sense, their averages should be combined.

I think the point about Ted Ede is that he rode in 16 matches as opposed to Tony Clarke's 9. Maybe it is Tony Clarke's average that should be removed?

Very true. It is highly likely that the first speedway meetings were held in America rather than Australia if we accept that an essential ingredient of speedway is racing round oval tracks on motor bikes without brakes and sliding round the bends.

Apparently, he was good at falling: https://www.newspapers.com/article/wilmington-daily-press-journal-ray-paret/25597862/

Whatever happened to Snooks Blankenburg?