Celebration of Speedway 2020

Celebration of Speedway

This is the first time a managed to get to this event at the Paradise Wildlife Park. Broxbourne. I was going on the Buell but decided not too as strong winds and rain were battering my area when I left. It was not all plain sailing in the El Cid either so the gust odd winds were making to side screens flap so hard that after only a few miles the strap that holds the left side screen in place broke and I was forced to stop on the hard shoulder to effect a repair. I used a nylon strap from the bonnet catch around the mirror stalk on the outside through the velcro seal of the side to the roll bar on the inside. It didn’t stop the side screen from moving but held it in place enough to carry on my journey to Broxbourne. I arrived, the rain had stopped and the wind abated. 

I know the museum is small but the content is huge and up to date with bikes from Jason Doyle and Chris Harris on display. I remember Ivan Magher from the seventies along with Barry Briggs but none of the earlier Speedway Heroes. It was very enlightening. As was the event. Bills’ Speedway bike was on display and with the lads from Whitewebbs supervising it this bike drew quite a bit of attention with more information about it coming forward from people who personally knew the history of Jim Tebby and his brother Stan. 

Keith had done a cracking job cleaning and polishing to pristine condition

Next stand was Kent Speedway advertising the “Kings” and the “Royals’. I have an invite to go and see them in Sittingbourne when the season starts. I did not realise that Wal Phillips had been a Speedway star, he even designed and built his own engine to race with the castings being done by Blackburn. It ran, but didn’t get developed. Other things that Wal made were on display, like his fuel injection system and the outboard front disc brake that was immensely powerful. An incarnation of this is on my Buell. 

I had only ever seen this type of brake once before and that had been fitted to a BSA from the sixties. More fun during the day with regular “start-ups” of some of the bikes in the display area. Boys’ dream, noise, smoke and the presence of raw power. Vroom, Vroom, Smile, Smile and a little video to see. The Rudge has a different sound to the modern machines. 

What I had not known was that the modern clubs are developing young riders from about the age of six graduating from 50cc speedway bikes to 125’s then 150’s before the big bikes. I think this type of competition for young riders to help develop their skills is fantastic and in a very controlled environment supervised by the experts. What could be better? An enjoyable day. 

In the Museum

Outside in the display.

III left before the end and the awards but did manage to listen to and see a couple of stars, old and new being interviewed giving their own views of life and riding experiences. Particularly an old German guy who came to the UK to ride and was not doing very well. Fast in the race but slow to start. He asked his coach what to do and was given the advice of full gas from the start. This he did. Fine going into the first turn but found he was going up the straight but without his bike. His Arse was getting very hot skidding along. When he returned to the pits he was expecting a harsh response but, to his surprise, “Good, good! That’s what we want!” It must have pleased the crowds and his performance improved from that point on. There was a fair amount of memorabilia to be had in the form of books and magazines. I did see a book about Speedway during the war and the competitions that were held that looked interesting but was not sure whether to buy it. Perhaps another time. I managed to get home staying off the motorways away from speed and weather and then set about repairing the strap.

It only needed restitching to be repaired. It took hours as I broke so many needles and thread. I really needed industrial stuff to do the job. Now it is back on the car ready to roll.