Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125619
... WORLD SPEED WA Y SCENE: By Peter White Speedway in Europe is a major spectator sport involving, on a large scale, countries such as Great Britain, Poland, Sweden, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Norway and Russia. It ts also staged -in Japan and Australia, onlY to a lesser degree, and at other outposts such as Holland, Italy and F1'1l1lce at irregular intervals. It is in England, though, that it all happens. Here complicated league and world chamPionsh1P systems are conducted along highly efficient lines and the country generally provides the basis of speedway life for the other European nations. How It All Began Speedway was introduced to the world in 1928 when a band of adventurousAustrallans salled across the seas to show the people of London an excit1ng newform of motorcycle racing they had discovered. It was an Instant hit. This wild, woollY and dangerous sport of sllnging a stark naked motorbike around a narrow, circular ribbon of dirt at full speed. At first it was all "Open" racing with the tOP competitors such as Bll1Y Lamont (Australia), Frank Varey (England) and sprouts Elder (U.S.A.OdemandinguP to 100 pounds slerl1ng($580.00) per race. Then as more tracks OPened a league system was develQPed. Being such a small country, it was found possible to have a score or more tracks QPerating on dlUerent nights of the week with riders from each c1rcnlt opposing each other in team racing. The British people clamor for the chance of SuPporting their own team so with the birth of a league system the success of speedway was ensured. How Speedway Is Scored For the uninltlated, speedway (or dirt tracklng as it Is sometimes called) takes place on closed circuits ranging from 300 to 400 yards in length and oval in shape. s'urfaces are usually of shale chlpplngs or finely graded cinder. Races are run over four laps with four riders competing. Points are awarded on a 3,2,1 basis for p1aclngs. In team events two riders from each team ride in each race. Thirteen heats are run and match results are dec.1ded by the team scoring the hlghest number of points with two match points being awarded to the wtnnlng team and one Point each in the case of a draw. The league champlonsh1P is decided accordingly on the number of match points gained by a team. As it ts usually possible to win on their home track, it ts Important for a team to clinch victory Bolli pictures on this pale were taken In Poland. Crowd sizes attest to the popularity of this sport behind the Iron Curtain. away from home in order to top the league table. However, in speedway it is the sklll of the rider that counts. Machines, which have no brakes or gearbox (they are either E.S.O. or J.A.P. bikes), are all standard with engines limited to 500cc. At present there are two leagues running in Britain. Division 1 and Division 2. There are nineteen teams in the senior division, ranging from Glasgow (Scotland) to Exeter (South- West England) to Newport (Wales). In London alcoe there are three tracks: Wimbledon, West Ham and Hackney Wick - all steeped in history and providing the most exciting sport possible in the metropolis. In the second division there are sixteen teams. Again covering the country from Plymouth in the South- West to Berwick, north of the border in Scotland. Needless to say they are all money making concerns with private individuals setting themselves uP as promoters. They in turn are governed closely by the Speedway Control Board which keeps a sharp eye on the administrative side. With seven riders to each team, and the majority of them depending on speedway for a liVing, It becomes a complicated business. How To Make It To The Top It Is however, all professional and any rider, no matter what part of the world he haits from, with any sort of ambition" of being a speedway star, automatically turns to England. There Is nothing to match England when It comes to the opportunity of learning speedway. Youngsters from everywhere head bere. Australia, New Zealand, America, South Atrica, and Europe. Riders reach a certain staodard In these countries. Then their thoughts turn to bigger things and the ultimate ambltl.oo, to be World Champion. Experience has shown there Is only one way to climb to thatturthermost runr of the ladder. That Is to compete regular ly in British speedway. The season runs from March to october and the competition a rider meets In th1s time ts fierce indeed. The world's best compete regularIyin Britain. Like Barry Briggs (New Zealand, five times a world chamllion), ROIl Moore (New 2'.eaI 8 OO , twice a world champioo), oue Nygren (Sweden, a nmnerup in the world champloosh!p), Jlm Airey (Australian champion). Plus a host (Continued on page 8)