Who's who of Speedway past

[VMX247]

Cheers Hoony-I have a list of books requested for Christmas--though in the great skeam of things, I reckon the RM,TM,XL,Norton list may have already been sent to Santa via ebay  .
There is not much at all about the bike models in the articles.Though plenty on the people who ride em  Ive also noticed the small amount of pictures,something to do with ink and photo prossesing bitd--Not like now...more ink the better now days.Color SELLS..
There is a few sliders left in Collie,but they are travelling to Perth for events etc,cant seem to do officals course and get it happening,as they are welcome to utilize the Collie Speedway.All too hard 
Anyway the end result---

[VMX247]

And what became of the young fellow Michael Lee.....

Michael Lee (speedway rider)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search
Michael Lee
 
Personal information
Nationality  Great Britain
Date of birth December 11, 1958 (1958-12-11) (age 51)
Place of birth    Cambridge, England
Current club information
Career status Retired
Career history
Boston Barracudas
King's Lynn Stars
Poole Pirates 1975
1975-1982, 1985-1986, 1991
1983-1984
Individual honours
British Champion
World Champion
World Longtrack Champion 1977, 1978
1980
1981
Team honours
World Team Cup Winner 1977, 1980

Michael Andrew Lee (born 11 December 1958 in Cambridge, England) is a former international speedway rider who won the Speedway World Championship in 1980.[1] A controversial character, he was banned for allegedly endangering other riders in the early eighties.

Career
Lee began his professional speedway career in 1975 with Boston in the second division of speedway in the United Kingdom, the National League. In his first season he recorded an impressive average points score of 9.13, he also rode part-time for top division team King's Lynn.

In 1976, Lee moved full time to British League team King's Lynn and finished the season with an average of 9.22, he was also the British Junior Champion that year.

At the end of the 1977 season, Lee had become the top scorer in the British League with an average of 10.64. He also won the first of his two British Speedway Championship titles. Lee won the World Team Cup with England and he had also made his first appearance in a World Championship Final.[3]

In 1979, Lee finished 3rd in the World Finals, beating Kelly Moran, Billy Sanders and Ole Olsen in a run-off race to claim the bronze medal. The next year, Lee won the World Championship in Gothenburg for the only time, finishing ahead of King's Lynn team mate Dave Jessup. He was also triumphant again with England in the World Team Cup.[3]

Lee opted for a change in clubs in 1983 and move to the Poole Pirates. He had another successful year, finishing with and average of 10.43. At the start of the 1984 season Lee was involved in an incident that would result in him being banned from speedway for a year. In a cup match against former club King's Lynn, Lee was excluded mid-race for a starting offence in heat 5 and returned to the pits in the wrong direction, allegedly causing the other riders to take evasive action. Despite the three other riders and the home promoter giving evidence that he had posed no danger the Speedway Control Board fined him and banned him for 5 years, although this was later reduced on appeal.[2] Many people at the time, including Lee himself, felt that the incident had been used as a pretext to force him out of the sport.

After his ban ended, Lee returned to King's Lynn for two seasons but he was given another fine after he didn't show up to a match in June 1986 and he seemingly quit the sport. He made a short come-back in 1991 with King's Lynn.

Lee was convicted of growing cannabis for his own use in 2007 but avoided a jail term.[4] whoopee chook 

 World Final Appearances
1977 -  SWE Gothenburg - 4th - 12pts + 2pts
1978 -  GBR Wembley - 7th - 9pts
1979 -  POL Chorzów - 3rd - 11pts +3pts
1980 -  SWE Gothenburg - Winner - 14pts
1981 -  GBR Wembley - 10th - 5pts
1983 -  GER Norden - 3rd - 11pts

[Curly3]

A talent that should've achieved even more.
I spannered for Michael at the Syd Showgrownd in the summer of 76/77 and he looked the goods even then, I was 16 at the time and waiting impatiently to get my full racing licence.
Along with our own Billy Sanders, the seedy side of the sport had a very damaging influence in their lives just as they had the Speedway world at their feet.
The pressure of being Australias big hope and the fact he went close a few times were a big burden for Billy, unfortunately the rest is history.

[Rosco86]

414
Being an old Brooklyn Speedway fan/rider, Johnny Dewhurst was the king in Melbourne in the late 60s, Phil Crump ruled Mildura before going overseas and that was when Danny Kennedy was tops at Brooklyn/Avalon. Raced him a few times in handicaps , I raced off 60 and he 120 but didn't realise how hot things can get until Crumpie came off 180. I used to hang around quite a bit with the sidecar boys as many lived near me, always good for a party. (Peter Tolley, Doug Cotterell, John Lewis) Terry Rooney, Ken Walker, Clarry Jones and co could really put on a show. Real hard racing.  Some good places to ride back then: Brooklyn, Avalon, Mildura, Bendigo Showgrounds, Melbourne Showgrounds (haven't they ruined the place!), Romsey, Seymour, Rosedale, Garfield. Most are gone which is the same in most states, all the pity.
they had a vintage spectacular a few weeks back at the Ekka in Brisbane. over 60 vintage cars raced which was a great show. 4 solos for the day, 3 owned by the same bloke and lent to make a show. Pity Qld cant get the vintage solo/sidecar thing happening thats occuring down south. John Titman rode demo laps last year and even though years older he looked the goods. Used to luv watching tv in Melbourne as a kid as Channel 9 used to show the Ekka meetings.
Rosco 86

[Stan S]

I also had the opportunity to spanner for an English rider here at Avalon and Mildura in I think 1981. His name was Kenny Carter and he was blindingly fast but also a bit of a nutter. He offered me a job to look after his bikes in 82 but with our first child on the way I declined. From what I remember he won almost every major race that year including the Golden Helmet in England. Alegedly he got excluded from the world final for arguing with the stewards and later shot his missus and himself.
A nutter (whats scarey is he stayed with me for a few days) but could he ride. This is a great clip of Penhall and Carter in action

Stan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDkfH6XlgKo&feature=related

[Hoony]

Great reading Rosco, i love reading this sort of stuff. post up some more experiences when time permits please.

your era was better than mine, as by the time i got into it all the good venues were near gone. i started in late 80's 2 or 3 years after Laverton closed (although i did go to Laverton as a spectator on many an occasion, used to love watching Ray Bishop on that rotary speed car with the glowing pipes).

Avalon was full of clay and shitful, Bendigo, Seymour, Romsey had finished, Rosedale & Garfield running cars only. Undera was run by SSRAV and Myrtleford ( beautiful track) by Shirley Luke/Peter Marriage, Broadford was practice days only and for me Mildura just too far away from Melb. had a few runs at Laang (near Warrnambool) and a demo day at Wangaratta.

Yes they forked the Melbourne showgrounds, just took the family to the Melbourne show last week and told my wife for the umpteenth time (tell her with passion every time we go anywhere near the place) how they stuffed a good track, riding support races at the Mr Melbourne for 2 years and doing demo rides as part of the Royal Melbourne Show were highlights for me.

But as a spectator ( and rider on a MX Bike in support) the 800 metre Ivan Mauger promoted Australian Long Track Grand Prix's of 1989/90/91 at Bathurst Showgrounds were unbelievable. in 1989 Simon Wigg pulled a mono down the whole main straight flat out and only put it down to slide into the corner, watching 12 long trackers front a start to go into that 1st corner was something else.

Kelvin Tatum in 1990 was apparently clocked at 180km down the back straight, not hard to believe if you were there. Even seeing Ivan and Peter Collins do a demo race was great, they were both 50 years + at the time though you would not know it, they were so close together on the big fast track for those 4 laps you could throw a blanket over both of them.

[Hoony]

If anyone out there has the footage of the 1989 or 1991 Australian Long Track Grand Prix's at Bathurst Showgrounds ( i have 1990 and lost my 1991 copy)  i will convert it to DVD for you gratis if you can get me the the video (or a good copy)

[VMX247]

Along with our own Billy Sanders,

Its amazing the techonoledgee we have now to type in a name and follow it through to all manner of website and find that there is a memorial race for Billy 
Sadly like most past riders/hero's- you dont get the glory until your gone 

quote;World champion Jason Crump has agreed to appear in the Billy Sanders Memorial meeting at Ipswich on Thursday, April 29.
The meeting will mark the 25th anniversary of the world-class Australian rider's passing.
Ipswich press officer Mike Western said: “There is also a personal connection between the Crump family and Billy as Jason’s father Phil was a team-mate of Billy’s in the Australian national side of that era, making Jason’s participation in the meeting all the more poignant.”


The magzine Old Bike Australiasia also has some great riders history articles in from time to time.

Hows this for a modern day play pen   
http://speedwaygp.com/en/venuebydgoszcz2010/a791
cheers

[Rosco86]

Hoony
Back in the 70s she was a bit more relaxed. Ian Treloar (nicknamed the bBeast) was a wild child who passenged for Terry Rooney and a few others. his dad was a trotting trainer and had a property with a track out near where the Latrobe Uni would be nowadays. His dad was a top tainer with setting horses for the Inter Dominion, the Blue Ribbon Aust race. He trained the great Derby Royale if my memory serves me right. The Beast had had enough of sidecars for a while and wanted to try solos. I lent him my Cole Elstar one night at Bendigo and unfortunately for my ego it was probably the quickest it ever went. His Dad wasn't too happy though when my two valve jawa with Ian on top came the opposite way at one of his horse out on  the training track. Don't think that one was ever resolved.

Many stories abound about Clarry the Clown Jones. Many wouldn't know he passengered for Ron Bergmier in scrambles. The two incidents I witnessed with Clarry was a get back a Taylor from Klemzig in SA. Asked Clarry to get a wrench from his toolbox and then stood back and laughed when the dicovered a snake inside. Clarry decided his goldfish were fair game and swallowed them at an after party at the Mildura Speedway one Sunday night. A little while later with the help of copious ales up came the goldfish, still flopping a bit. On another trip to Midura, Clarry had broken his leg. For a laugh he would lie on the Sunrasyia Hwy and wait for the cars to squeal to a stop, thank them and then hobble off on his crutches. when he next fired a 303 ino a goods train we all decided it was time to be elsewhere.

[Stan S]

Many stories abound about Clarry the Clown Jones. Many wouldn't know he passengered for Ron Bergmier in scrambles. The two incidents I witnessed with Clarry was a get back a Taylor from Klemzig in SA. Asked Clarry to get a wrench from his toolbox and then stood back and laughed when the dicovered a snake inside. Clarry decided his goldfish were fair game and swallowed them at an after party at the Mildura Speedway one Sunday night. A little while later with the help of copious ales up came the goldfish, still flopping a bit. On another trip to Midura, Clarry had broken his leg. For a laugh he would lie on the Sunrasyia Hwy and wait for the cars to squeal to a stop, thank them and then hobble off on his crutches. when he next fired a 303 ino a goods train we all decided it was time to be elsewhere.

Rosco, I could fill a book with Clarrie Jones stories from a Ballarat prospective.

Stan.

[Rosco86]

Hey stan
I reckon you could!!!!! Worry with the sidecar boys was that Clarrie was just one of the bunch. Was in Melb 2 weeks ago, visiting the wife's sick parents in Pakenham. caught the Aust Dirt track titles in Griffith on the way down and stopped for the week. Drove home via your home town as wife wanted a visit at "the Hill". Stayed  a night at Craig's Hotel as it was one of our stops on the wirllwind honeymoon 29 years ago. Very flash now compared to days of old. Told you life was much simplier then. Am an old Saints tragic so I was glad to get out of Vic  by the time the Pies ruled. Ballarat was about 12c last monday and with a nice bit of drizzle, so basically a Summers day. Noticed in your old programs the Looney boys. I would imagine you would have also come across them. One of my first race meetings was on an SL70 and a dax on a bit of land their dad owned or organised for the day. Would have liked to have caught up with you but time constraints didn't allw. Back down over Chrissy so I'll get in contact then to see if your home . Lts of things changed, lots new in Melb, lots to luv but I couldn't get over the traffic in the burbs. Even hectic out around cranbourne were the rellies live.
Rosco86

[VMX247]

you might be in here 
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/SYDNEY-SHOWGROUND-SPEEDWAY-PROGRAM-24th-April-1971-/390203084324?pt=AU_Sport_Motor_Racing_Merchandise&hash=item5ad9ea8e24


this store has always been a bit pricey
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/PARRAMATTA-SPEEDWAY-MEETING-NO-9-PROGRAM-1-1-1951-/200521310174?pt=AU_Clothing_Merchandise_Media&hash=item2eb0005fde

[VMX247]

As it turns out our Chiropractors receptionist dad raced back in the day at Claremont and mentioned if you or I knew whats happened to Chum Taylor as he never went to last years reunion.??
Anyone !!
cheers

[JAP 454]

G'day Alison
A picture of Chum , with Greg Kentwell,  appears in this months edition of Peter White's Speedway World , Chum was attending a VSRA dinner in Sydney last month.
Foss

[VMX247]

edition of Peter White's Speedway World

What another piece of magic I picked up in the newsagency-Peter Whites Speedway Memories   
Looks like its a new paper, with this one being Vol 1 No 4.   
VMX will be like that oneday, with it being such a new sport 
cheers