Practice Tracks Back in the Day

[chrisdespo]

As a member of MCRCV we used to ride at a track at Gilderoy in Vic near Powell Town. It was owned by Gilderoy Sand and soil Peter The son was also a member had a 250 Bulti . held club races there as well, with guys like Gary Chasemore , floody all the boys from MCRCV hell we used to have fun up there. also used to drop out to coldstream to the old tip after work. you would see sammy skillin chris oldfield and heaps of guys good fun times.

[John Orchard]

When I joined Frankston Club in '74, we had a track in Carrum Downs, houses closed it down, we then went to Pearcedale, houses closed it down, then went to Longwarry, not sure why that fizzled out.  For many years we used a speedway track at Hastings tip.

[jerry]

Hi Chris I used to ride at Gilderoy as well as the Coldstream tip also. Did you ride at Lilydale at the Cave Hill track? Jerry PS I tried to catch up with Chris Oldfield but his business isn't there any more.

[pancho]

About '58, the old track at crossroads down the hill behind the crossroads pub.
 Rode a 500cc Excelsior Manxman around there and decided my 500 18s Ajay went better, so sold the Manxman for 15 quid! What a dope!
 also found out what happens when you try a high speed slide on a ridgid ajay when you don't know what you're doin!    cheers

[Rosco86]

Also used to ride at the Coldstream tip with Chris Oldfield, Sam Skilling and Trollope Snr and Jnr. My earliest memories is fanging around the Tulip St Track in Sandringham on an SL70 with a lovely copper straight thru exhaust, (Andy Hornes Dad used toknock up a couple as he managed (owned?) Girlock caravan parts in Moorabbin. A few years on I learnt to ride speedway practising at the Brooklyn Speedway on a Sunday morning. (Pretty interesting to learn on, as the Saturday nights always finshed with the million lap stock car race). Did most of my mx practice down at Fisherman's bend on the opposite side to wear the mx track was eventually built.
Rosco86

[holeshot buddy]

showing our age now
the gilderoy track was great its a dam now closed down when someone coming in to ride
in a car and trailer nailed one of the sons and broke his leg i think so they shut it

other tracks i practiced at were frankston, marysville, pipe works , broadford channel 10 track,
seymour granite park, pakenham, labertouch trail bike park ,westgate 

shit we had lots to choose back then now its a struggle to go anywhere :'(

[Stan S]

I used to practice a couple of times a week at my local track Monza Park in Ballarat, hard packed clay and very hilly. I also used to go up to Barong Basin track at Stawell to practice a bit. It was very coarse sand which chopped up pretty rough but there was also a speedway track to have a blast on as well.
As a young bloke I came to Melbourne several times and went out with Gary Flood and Jack Pengally to a practice track at "Stud road" I think? just out of Dandenong if I remember correctly. It was a great place to practice with bottomless sand and lots of big woops.

Stan.

[Rosco86]

Hey Stan, you talk about bottomless sand, did you ride at the Cerebus Naval Base on the Mornington Peninsula? I can remember a rainy day there in about 1972 or 73 as a sub junior. Grant Cramer was just in front of me and tried to go inside on a corner and lost his bike past the axles. Later I can remeber about 74/75 at Wonthaggi at the Vic titles when it also turned to quicksand. Ran second in Non Expert Division One because I was about one of the only finishers. Loved the 440 maico, its agricultural look was only matched by its tractor like ability.
Rosco86

[Stan S]

Hey Stan, you talk about bottomless sand, did you ride at the Cerebus Naval Base on the Mornington Peninsula? I can remember a rainy day there in about 1972 or 73 as a sub junior. Grant Cramer was just in front of me and tried to go inside on a corner and lost his bike past the axles. Later I can remeber about 74/75 at Wonthaggi at the Vic titles when it also turned to quicksand. Ran second in Non Expert Division One because I was about one of the only finishers. Loved the 440 maico, its agricultural look was only matched by its tractor like ability.
Rosco86

Gday Rosco,
I missed that meeting at Cerberus thank goodness, I recken Jack Pengally won everything that day but I did ride the real wet meeting at Wonthaggi. Horrible day in the mud. Rod Hunter fell off and got his leg wrapped around the back wheel and through the swing arm somehow. They had to take the wheel out to free his leg. Broken leg of course. I visited him in the Wonthaggi hospital after the meeting. You talk about wet, do you remember Authurs Creek in 73? That was the wettest mudiest meeting I have ever seen.

Regards Stan.

[jerry]

I raced in the mudfest at Arthurs Creek Stan and I agee the muddiest I've ever seen. Got a second in an  AllPowers race on my Suzuki 125 though. I had overalls on over the riding gear and stayed pretty clean underneath. Took them off at the end of the day and then I was helping push a guy out who was bogged. You guessed it! Jerry

[Rosco86]

Sold my KTM 125 just before Arthurs Creek. Got through my first race with the brand new elsinore and then sqibbed it for the day. Reckon todays boys wouldn't even take the bikes off the trailers. Monza Park was always good Stan....either artic or inferno. Hated the KTM there always seemed to find false nuetrals always in the good spots, either the end of he main straight or before the uphills.
Rosco 86

[NR555]

This thread just highlights how stuffed this sport is now.  You can barely start a bike, never mind ride anywhere.

[chrisdespo]

Hey Jerry
I think the cave hill track was on right back out towards montrose or mt evelyn. i think that is probably the first track i rode on other than at home. i can remember a guy friend of my old mans on a grieves griffen i think bob suffern on a real early kawasaki scrambler a trailboss and a 175 kwaka we rode them around all day quickly put a stop to my pushbike racing.