chunky

I wondered about him too. I just checked on the speedway museum website, and gustix made a post about him. He did stay in the west country until he died in the 1990's.

Not quite the UK, but last I heard, Ed Stangeland was living in Ireland.

Aub Lawson. The race finished Waterman, Lawson, Williams, Biggs.

Ah, makes sense! Sorry,, my German is not so good, although I should have noticed the date and venue. I have removed the duplicate entry, and I have also listed Deon Prinsloo. Thanks for your help! Steve

So Deon was still racing speedway at the time? I thought he was retired - which is why he is not listed.

Interesting you should mention Frank Charles. On another thread recently, you were talking about riders we lost between 1935 and 1957, and norbold mentioned those who died off-track. Frank Charles was another great who could be added to the list, losing his life in a gliding accident in 1939.

Okay, I received an email about Hans-Peter Finn (from someone who has sent me several names). I looked a little deeper, and there are several references in New Zealand Newspapers. Seems he was actually killed on March 30, 1920, at the "jockey's club racecourse", Devonport-Takapuna. I know nothing about the venue, but it was listed as a grass-track, and was home to horse, dog, and motorcycle racing. He is also listed on the grasstrackgb website remembrance page. Finn was apparently hit by another rider, and suffered various injuries. He was 37, and is buried in the Waikumete Cemetery.

Not sure where I got his name from, but I will check and see what information I can find.

Vic Allan was another, I believe... Really was great stuff!

Tommy's son Chris is a regular poster on some of the Facebook speedway groups, so there is certainly still a family interest.

He turned 39 in July 1969, and he retired at the end of the season when he emigrated to New Zealand.

Looking at photos of them, they are two totally different people. I can't find much about about Roy's career, but Ron was a well-known grass-tracker who rode for Swindon and Wolves only.

Well, I figured that from your 'Milky Bar Kid" reference! Thing is, he never achieved any real success (I know he made a few appearances for Scunny), so it wasn't like there were that many pics of him doing the rounds. Thinking about it, I could say the same about a lot of the riders mentioned on here! Unforgettable ones for me were Nigel Rackett and Mark Fordham...

That would have been on Saturday, May 20, 1978, and Belle Vue won 47-31. The other rider in the race was Phil Kynman. Wilkie did win the race in a time of 72.4, and Ivan did finish with 7 (2 - 2 - 3 - EF - 2M).

I don't actually remember what he looked like, but I remember a second-half race in the early seventies. He was against Rocky Coutts, Ian Fletcher, and Graham Crook, and in four separate incidents, all four had fallen before reaching the back straight on the first lap...

And a bow tie!!!

Martyn Charles, Gentleman Jim Dormer, Mark Fordham, Peter Thorn, Bob Abell, Philip Lac-Szyrma, Simon Franks...

I'm with you...

Nothing on the BSF should surprise you....

It's all gone quiet over 'ere...

I recall another case (can't remember the track, though), when residents complained about the year-round noise of speedway bikes all hours of the day and night, most days of the week. And we let them get away with lies like that... Still, we have seen how fact and truth mean nothing when people have opinions.

Some people are just going to moan whatever - and we have several really good examples here on the BSF...

Same as when Long Eaton were fighting to survive, and one of the major issues was that residents didn't want speedway as it attracted the "wrong sort of people" (bikers). Really? If people have a legitimate concern, I have no problem with that, but when they simply manufacture these concerns thanks to ignorance and prejudice (or simply resort to downright lies), then yes, I do...

But you also said that speedway was a "pretend sport"... You really don't stop, do you?

By emigrating, I did not "desert" British speedway. As I said, I have attended many British speedway meetings since I emigrated. I never said I wasn't watching the GP's for free; I said I wasn't doing anything illegal or unethical - which you seemed to disagree with. Reminding you politely that you have the right to remain silent is not an insult. I have never argued that British speedway doesn't have problems, but it doesn't mean that I shouldn't still enjoy it. Are you qualified to tell me what is and isn't a sport? Are you qualified to tell me that I am not a sportsman? Anyway, you also questioned American football, and other "strange sports".