Trackman

G/Day marcusthepom I like the sound of that... Regards.

Spring Cup Action - Posted 03 September, 2007 Near-perfect track conditions created some great racing as the new season got under way with a 52 Event programme which started with junior solo racing. Two riders making their debut in the the 14 strong junior line-up were Gladstone youngsters Brandon Coglan and Scott Schofield. Harley Brigden, Mathew Day and Nick Morris were the most impressive in the heats, with Harley registering four wins and a fall. These three were joined by Jake Moore in the final, where Morris got away smartly to claim the Junior Spring Cup. Brigden worked his way through the field to take second, with Day third and slightly "off colour" Moore in fourth. Ivan Mauger presented their trophies. All eyes were on newcomer Tysen Thackeray in the senior solos and he lived up to promise with a debut race win, spirited riding and finally a second win in the B Final. Nathan Apps also acquitted himself well. Showing great improvement on his brand new JRM was North Queensland's Ashley Cathcart, who knocked up wins over Jon White and Sam Taylor. Seventeen year-old Josh Grajczonek flew down from Townsville, then flew around the track in a polished performance to top the points chart, but not without dropping a point to both Taylor and White. It was Taylor who led the final away, but Grajczonek reeled him in with and outside swoop on pits bend to clinch the Solo Spring Cup. Taylor filled second, with White third and Cathcart fourth. There were thrills and spills aplenty in the sidecar section, starting with Ross Brown/Ricky Tumini flipping their outfit in practice. They were able to repair any damage and take their place in the field of 14. Comeback lady Kym French was also one to take an inverted view of the track after careering into the fence and rolling violently. French was unharmed, but passenger Steve Kelly required ambulance attention in getting back on his feet. Several sidecars spun out and several charged infield, throwing their passengers. There were some tenacious moves and some very close finishes, one of these being the cut and thrust race which saw Wayne Munck/Shelley Warnes pip Steve Taylor/Daniel Newman on the line. Very impressive was former passenger Robbie Wilson, with experienced Cameron Bell in the chair. They dropped just one point (to Taylor) in the heats, as did Munck (to Wilson). Taylor/Newman were next highest on points. Dave Oliver did himself proud on his return to the saddle, with Teneille Taylor as swinger. The pair were fourth qualifiers for the final. A disqualification cost Jeff Barth/Steve Craker a place in the final. It was Taylor who led all the way to take the Sidecar Spring Cup, as interest centred on a battle royal for second place between Wilson and Oliver. Munck was crowded out in the first turn and didn't recover. Wilson held Oliver off until the sprint to the chequered flag, where Oliver got the verdict as the two outfits crossed side by side. Thanks Gavin. From http://www.goldcoastspeedway.homestead.com/about.html

G/Day Ross. When you see the chariot riders stance when racing and especially in the turns they look like a speedway rider as they slide around the turns... the "race" itself has a lot of similarities as does the form of power which in its day was the GP class. 4 horse = 4 hp, 4valve .... 3 inlet 1 exhaust... Regards. PS. I can't help thinking, Speedway of some sort has been on earth for a long, long time.

The SRA/VSRA ...... Regards. PS. Funded in part by the BSPA & a %? of licence fees...... To easy.

Speedway racing "Generally acknowledged" as one of the most popular ancient sports. Often dangerous to both riders, who frequently suffered serious injury and even death, the sport generated strong spectator enthusiasm comparable to modern-day interest in motor sports. Some of the organizational aspects of the racing also paralleled current practices in professional sports. In teams represented different groups of financial backers and sometimes competed for the services of particularly skilled drivers. These teams became the focus of intense support among spectators, and occasional disturbances broke out between followers of different teams. The conflicts sometimes became politicized, as the sport began to transcend the races themselves and started to affect society overall. This helps explain why the BSPA emperors took control of the teams and appointed many officials to oversee them. The sport faded in importance after that. The race was begun by a procession into the hippodrome, while a herald announced the names of the drivers and owners. The hippodrome at Olympia was about 600 yards long and 300 yards wide. The tethrippon consisted of twelve laps around the hippodrome, with sharp turns around the posts at either end. Various mechanical devices were used, including the starting gates.... ....................... Does speedway teams racing start with Julius Caesar around 50 BC, his track had a length of about 600 metres, or was it..... According to Roman legend, racing was used by Romulus just after he founded Rome in 753 BC..... To me it looks like we started teams racing on two wheels with 4hp, back in 680 BC Regards. PS. If so, is Ben Hur our first world Champion?

CHIT! it says it's ticken, not chicken. Regards. PS. Bunker time! (;0)

Thanks Speedyguy......... Post 1939 Midget Car Speedway, with Ronnie Moore in 1955 & Jack Parker in Sydney, 1954(?) ....... http://sports.ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/ol...tos/browse/be9c .... and more http://sports.ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/ol...speedway/photos Regards. PS. http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway/

Come on Brummy Grumpy Nigel. .. give us you 16th sermon. Regards.

"10 mile handicap" .... thats a good head start for someone. Regards.

Anyone got a photo? Regards.

Wal Phillips. http://au.msnusers.com/speedwaypeople/shoe...Photo&PhotoID=4 Regards.

Who had the first lay down motor? Regards.

Chris Pusey. Speedway: Belle Vue mourns loss of Pusey BY RICHARD FROST 10/10/2002 CHRIS Pusey, the flamboyant former Belle Vue and England captain, has died at his Liverpool home after illness. He was 55. Pusey was known throughout the sport as the Polka Dot Kid because of the highly individual helmet and leathers he wore in the late 1960s when riders were still wearing a standard black gear. He rode for the Aces from 1967 to 1974, a golden age for the club who won a straight hat-trick of British League titles from 1970. Pusey was brought into speedway from a highly successful career in grass-track racing by their star finder manager Dent Oliver and one of his everlasting contributions to Belle Vue history is that he was largely responsible for legends Peter Collins and Chris Morton joining the club. RIP Chris.

I sent this to Bert Kingo..... LOL! As a 5 year old lad sitting at side of me Dad, its Saturday night so its Speedway night. I’m in Mum’s chair at side of me Dad real glad its BelleVue at Halifax tonight. Me Dad parks near the pub and me hearts racing cos I can hear bikes warming up. It’s me second season now so I know where the pits are. So I’m running round the 3rd turn, just looking at that track and imagine the riders are going round, passing me cos now I’m within smelling range, the engines are echoing through the grandstand. The crackling and banging and the smell of the castor oil, I’m coming off the 4th turn and running behind the main stand. Got to get an autograph! Too late, they are all at the start line, can’t even see a rider and I’ve been here 5 minutes. I’ll have to run up to the riders car park and climb the embankment, just in time as both teams got a push start for their lap of honour. Now I can see the chrome on the spokes, they look like sparkers from the track lights. The shiny black leathers, just like me school shoes. There’s Kentwell all in red and Eric Boocock with his Man United shirt. Oh no! whats that! There’s no elephant, NO ELEPHANT! I got to go and tell me Dad, they’ve taken the elephant away. I like it up here near the bus depot, but I like sliding down the hill. I got to run all the way back round to the middle of the 3rd & 4th turn. But soon as you get out from behind the grandstand and I got to the 3rd turn, there was people everywhere, it was packed full. I don’t recognise any of them, where’s me Dad! I’ll have to go down near the fence so I can find where the middle of the corner is. Oh no I’ve already missed 2 races and I haven’t even got down to the fence yet. I wonder what they have done with me elephant cos we were called the Dukes. I don’t want to be called anything else, I want to be a Duke with me elephant on the front of me. I’ve found the fence, race has finished!! Wonder if one of them is going to come back around, I’ll wait. I can see some tear offs, I’m going to get a lot of them this year, I’m 5 now. Don’t have to stay with me Dad at turn 3, I can slide down the big hill where the bus depot is, jump fence and pick em up all way down front straight. When me Dad said I was 5, I could go from turn 4 to turn 1, so I can now. Oh here’s middle of corner, he’s just up here. Can’t see nowt now, oh there’s the bikes, there’s a race, I’m going down t fence. Lots of people, wish I was taller, got them bars that me Dad leans on and he usually lets me stand on that. It’s Boocock and Gaveross, wish it was Younghusband and Boothroyd cos that’d been the first race. Oops theres a crash in the second corner and they’ve stopped the race. Looks like Boothroyd’s got a swan on the front of his chest, oh no me elephants gone and they’ve got a swan!!! I don’t like that, what they got a swan for, got to go back to school and tell me mates that I’ve been watching the swans!! I’m not going to tell em swans, I’m going to tell me Dad they’ve got swans. I don’t like swans!! I like elephants. I can’t see nothing and there’s been 6 races or is it 8. I want the toilet too, I want me elephant, I don’t want swans, and where’s me Dad. Everyone is cheering and everyone is clapping and me favourite song is playing too, “Ha Ha said the Clown” There’s me Dad, its half time. Got to go to toilet before racing starts again. “Dad, me elephant’s gone! they got a swan!! Instead”. “No lad, its just an elephants head”, “What they cut his head off?” “Yeah” “What they cut his head off for?” “I don’t know” “Its not a swan then?” “No” “Are you sure its not a swan?” “Look lad here’s sixpence, go get yourself a bag of crisps and a bottle of pop” “Are we winning Dad?” “Just, now go and get your crisps cos interval is nearly over” Now I got me crisps, now all I needs is me drink. There’s a lot of people here tonight, me Dad always sends me for a packet of crisps when the scores get level. Back at the pits now, I got me book. I’m going to stick it through fence and get em to sign it cos you can get right close to riders. I’ve got 3, Alan Jay, the other 2 I don’t know. Must be famous though! I’ll have to ask me Dad. I’m going to go up hill right where buses are, hope I don’t lose me book, me Dad gave it me for Christmas and I got 3 names in it. It’s me own book. Me Dad always stands with his mates and never goes to the pits. Sometimes he’s let me run down the back straight after all the races have finished cos riders changing rooms is down there under back straight stand. Oh race has finished, wonder who’s in next one. Hope its Les Sharp, wish I was 6 I’d be tall then. Where’s the riders, come on I want to see a race. What they doin, the big lights have gone out. Whats happened! Its finished! It can’t have finished, I just got here! I got to tell me Dad the lights have gone out. I like sliding down this hill, I can jump over fence, there’s a rider I can get him to sign me book, thats 4 now. Oh I can jump fence real quick, get some tear offs, get down back straight t changing rooms cos if I run fast enough round track and get all these tear off’s I’ll get these 3 riders walking across pitch. “Ta, Thank you” got another 3, that’s 7 now. Not all same team but that don’t matter cos their all famous. Where’s me Dad, I got to tell him I got names in me book and I don’t like the elephants head cos I’ve seen 1 of em. I’m glad I don’t have to tell me friends it’s a swan. There’s me Dad, “I got names in book Dad” “Where the hell have you been lad, meeting finished ½ hour ago, been worried sick and looking every where for you. Been to pits and back and what the bloody hell have you got all over your arms and in your pockets?” “Its me tear off’s, these are Boococks and these are Kentwells” “You aint takin them in my bloody car, throw them back over the fence, and where did you get these names in your book?” “Some round at the pits and some in front of the changing rooms” “Right, told you, you go from the 4th turn to the 1st turn for your autographs and back and NO further, where’s all that mud come from and you’ve ripped a hole in your pants, wait till your mother see’s you. You’ve been sliding down that hill from the bus depot again haven’t you? your mother’s going to kill me and we going to be home 45 minutes late now. Your not coming next week” “Oh but Dad I haven’t even seen races yet”. “Don’t care, shut up and get in car, I’m in enough trouble with your mum” “Its not my fault, I couldn’t see and they took me elephant away, I don’t care what you say cos I’m going again and you ain’t aloud to go without taking me, Mum said!!!!! Cos she needs her rest” Regards. Bert emaild me with ......... Web Site http://www.bkperformance.com.au ----- Original Message ----- From: Phil Cain Subject: Cainy's early days at Halifax Bludy graaet!! Note like old times an memories t bring tear t eye, or should that be I ? Thee'd even forgotten that old tram sheds what becum buuss depot were on back of 1st n 2nd turns. Bert. ------------------------------------ LOL! B Regards.

Let me see..??? .................... GOT IT! Today at the Gold Coast Speedway, we have Solos Sidecars and Light cars!!! Aussie Speedway Still Lives... Thank God for the Gold Coast Speedway! 1926 to 2007.... it must be a good program... Regards. PS. Ok I'am going with the one mile bit for the mo, Aussieland was always known for Big tracks, but in the UK thay didn't have the Showgrounds, thay only had Footy pitchest to toddle around. ... We should have called this "mini speedway"... even the FIM has bigger tracks than the UK. Then came the Basketball court size tracks in the USA.... ... Bring back Bradford, Halifax, Hyde Rd, ..etc. Thats good UK Speedway.... @ 8,000 rpm. (;0)

Will we ever be able, to Celebrate the day speedway started in the UK? Regards.

G/Day spiderweb "Just out of Interest and relating to the topic. What is the definition of "Speedway"? Motorcycle speedway, normally referred to as Speedway, is a motorcycle sport that involves usually 4 and sometimes up to 6 riders, with no use of brakes of any form, competing over 4 laps of an oval circuit..... Regards. PS. G/Day speedyguy I also read. Speedway racing takes place on a flat oval track usually consisting of dirt or loosely packed shale, the official definition being "a track with a top surface in granite, shale, brick granules or similar unbound material rolled in on the base ground".[1] Competitors use this surface to slide their machines sideways (powersliding or broadsiding) into the bends using the rear wheel to scrub-off speed while still providing the drive to power the bike forward and around the bend. Originating in New South Wales, Australia in the 1920s, there are now both domestic and international competitions in a number of countries...... Thanks to wikipedia......

Is this your towel norbold? Regards. PS. You could have waited for the Aspro to kick in.

Smarty Pants. ...... I was just highlighting the term "Speedway"... Regards. PS. Who invented the "UK Speedway show" we see today? Was it one man's dream to see teams racing?.. The man then needed other like minded men, to build a network of night time bike racing entertainment.... True or False?

What Speedway track opend in 1911? Regards.

"Nigel Boocock"... unsung hero in my book... He put Cov on the map big time, aswell as the Aus V Eng/World All Stars tests.. I'v seen the Sydney Show Ground and the Ekka close the gates before the first race due to being sold out due to Booey and his teams. It's a testament to the man, that so many riders were happy to follow in his foot steps.... Look at http://www.chrisharris.black-diamonds.net/fanclub.php .. This year after a winter in the SUN. (;0))).. hope he comes back next year. "Little Boy Blue 2"? Regards. PS. Some of Britains/Worlds finest have all been under the wing of the Little Boy Blue.

The 80's was the last of the good old days... Regards.

G/Day Mr N Have you got an aspro at the ready? ....... Regards.

Hang on! Hang on! Hang on!.... More to come on the "First" yet. Regards. PS. When was the first in the UK?

Smithfield Speedway, 1 mile! ...... That's "Longtrack" LOL! G/day All "After the farmer had to shift his cows out of the paddock"..... Hang on! Hang on! Hang on!. Cows + Paddock= Grass. In the begining it was grass, then after the meeting the track had a dirt race line, by the next month the dirt line was so wide it became a dirt track, but in inclement weather this was not condusive to racing. (;0) .... this lesson learnt, the only thing to do was put some cinders on the track so that day/night meetings with no dust could be run, with a wooden picket fence around the outside to add a professional presentation for the now professional riders, the old rope was still used on the Grass & dirt tracks... as it still is today...... What is the definition of "Speedway"? ..... Well it's not Grass & its not Dirt & its not a 1 mile a lap & it don't have a rope around it...... (;0))) Regards. PS. Does it?