News and Updates
Future Policy
The Speedway Researcher magazine which can be viewed on the Speedway Researcher web site was set up by Graham Fraser and Jim Henry to promote research into the history of Speedway and Dirt Track Racing. It was intended to help those with an interest in any aspect of the sport and its history to make others aware of what their interests and to encourage others who had similar interests to work together. It provided a vehicle whereby researchers could advise others of what they were doing and make others aware of what they were looking for.
The magazine published articles on a wide range of topics related to speedway and dirt track racing.
The web site came along a good while after the magazine, the idea of the late Ron McNeil who gave us the idea of using this medium to provide a platform for sharing information about speedway meetings held in the UK from 1928 to date. At first the site was funded by income generated by the magazine but since the magazine closed down the funds have become nearly exhausted and it is now largely privately funded. The costs are dictated by the amount space taken to host the information and are currently not unreasonable. The next step up, is, however, a significant leap.
Taking this into account the space available has to be prioritised. The first priority is to ensure the base source of information, meeting details, are fully provided for.
For the foregoing reasons we are going to decline to carry any additional items which are compilations of information drawn from our meeting details. However, in a bid to facilitate networking we intend to continue for the time-
August 4
Steve Wilkes
Steve
My best friend of nearly 50 years, has passed away. and I feel his loss whenever I see a speedway reference. It was due to Steve that I myself started watching The Gunners in the late 70's. His passion for our sport never wavered, and from his first meeting in 1972 till his last earlier this year he loved every second.
To his many friends in the speedway world, we lost a true gentleman, who had time for everybody, and never gave up until he found that error.
Everybody on this site will miss him, and Our love goes out to Lesley, his wife, and his brother Paul.
I myself will never quite be able to forget him whenever I can get myself together, and return to watching.
Au Revior old friend, and continue watching from wherever you are.
Gary Done
Jim, Keith and I would also like to pass on our condolences to Steve’s family and friends and would like to recognise the huge amount of effort and commitment he put into making this site what it is today. Thank you Steve, we will all miss you.
Gary has decided to continue the work on the post 1965 season files in Steve’s honour and has asked if anyone would be willing to contribute by checking future files and looking for any mistakes. If you feel you can help, please contact the site through the home page and we will put you in touch with Gary.
April 20
This is definitely one of the best updates in recent times as we have a few new files and some amazing updates. In particular, a contributor who wishes to remain anonymous has provided us, through Graham Gleave, with a huge amount of information from the 1929 season at Wembley -
Robert Browne has provided us with another superb file for Wimbledon and there are new files for the 1945 season which can be found in the Year by Year section.
Thanks also to Alan Jones for the Leicester updates, Les Hawkins for the California updates, Joe Wake for the updated Newcastle files and Derek Carruthers for unearthing a previously unknown Ringwood meeting.
Also amongst the updates are great new bits of information for Liverpool 1928 and 1929, Nottingham 1929, Barnet 1932, High Beech 1938 and Southampton 1949. Many thanks to everyone who continues to expand the site.
Finally, our old friend Robert Bamford is looking for some details of junior meetings and asks for help in locating the results. Please have a look in the Collectors’ Corner section and get in touch with ourselves or Robert if you can fill in any missing blanks.
New Files
1945 -
1977 -
1979 -
1981 -
1982 -
1984 -
Updates
1928 -
1929 -
1930 -
1931 -
1932 -
1935 -
1937 -
1938 -
1939 -
1942 -
1946 -
1947 -
1949 -
1952 -
1953 -
1955 -
1957 -
1975 -
1976 -
1977 -
1978 -
1979 -
1980 -
1981 -
1984 -
1990 -
1992 -
May 6
New File
1976 -
1977 -
1979 -
1980 -
1983 -
1991 -
1993 -
Updates
1928 -
1929 -
1932 -
1934 -
1935 -
1938 -
1946 -
1950 -
1984 -
1975 -
1976 -
1977 -
1978 -
1979 -
1980 -
1981 -
1982 -
1984 -
1986 -
1987 -
1990 -
1992 -
May 28
We have created a new file for Birmingham Motordrome for 1929 after Graham Gleave dug out details of a previously unknown meeting at the venue and there is a new file to cover the away meetings that West Ham competed in during 1945. There are also some good updates thanks to Graham and also Andy Reid.
New Files
1929 -
1945 -
Updates
1928 -
1929 -
1930 -
1931 -
1934 -
1939 -
1947 -
1948 -
1950 -
1951 -
1952 -
1955 -
1956 -
1957 -
1961 -
June 16
Massive thanks this week to Pete Henry who has spent the last few months building up the season results file for the 1991 season and the associated tables and cup competitions. The end product is excellent and it fills another hole in the site for a year that was lacking detail. If Pete hasn’t been broken by the experience, we hope for more of the same if possible. Thanks again, Pete.
New Files
1991 -
Updates
1928 -
1929 -
1930 -
1931 -
1938 -
1946 -
1949 -