89-813: The Exeter Falcons were a speedway team based in the city of Exeter . The Falcons operated from 1947 to 2005 at the County Ground Stadium in Exeter. Speedway began at the County Ground in 1929, when the Southern Speedways Ltd, led by Mr Seward Glanfield agreed a ten-year contract with the Devon Athletic Ground Company. The first meeting was held on 9 March 1929 but despite a full season of racing (which included an Exeter team racing challenge matches)
178-507: A co-promoter at this stage. The Falcons were surprise winners of the Knockout Cup during the 1983 National League season , following three seasons of uninspiring results. However, the following season the team moved back into the top league after Ivan Mauger returned to the club. Unfortunately Mauger was now 44 years-old and the team were outclassed, leading to a quick return to the second tier National League. The next five seasons saw
267-561: A defeat against Swindon. The Romford Bombers finished 12th in the second tier of British Speedway in 1971. He was selected for the Young England team that was to tour South Africa in the winter of 1971, however the tour was cancelled. With Romford closing Holden was transferred to West Ham in what was to be their final season. His season started well with a third place in a World Championship Preliminary Round at Peterborough in April and
356-615: A few laps one Sunday morning, the noise attracted the attention of the Showground committee and approval to race at the "Electric Light Festival" was won. Motorcycle racing under lights was a huge success and its promoter was New Zealand-born John S. Hoskins. These pioneers introduced the Speedway signatures of No Left Footpeg and the Steel Shoe, ironically fashioned from worn coal shovels, manufactured in this Steel region. Following
445-750: A home in 2021, following the demise of the Oaktree Arena. Motorcycle speedway Motorcycle speedway , usually referred to simply as speedway , is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. The motorcycles are specialist machines that use only one gear and have no brakes . Racing takes place on a flat oval track usually consisting of dirt , loosely packed shale , or crushed rock (mostly used in Australia and New Zealand). Competitors use this surface to slide their machines sideways, powersliding or broadsiding into
534-525: A lesser extent in Australia and North America. A variant of track racing , speedway is administered internationally by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Domestic speedway events are regulated by FIM-affiliated national motor sport federations . The early history of speedway race meetings is a subject of much debate and controversy. There is evidence to show that meetings were held on small dirt tracks in Australia and
623-426: A maximum length of 30 centimetres (12 in)) attached to the rider's right wrist." The high compression ratio of the engine can also assist in slowing down a machine; if the throttle is closed, the engine may stop. Riders can stop the bike by deliberately laying down the bike on the track, and this technique is used to avoid riders who fall in front of pursuing opponents. Before cut-outs were introduced, an engine
712-505: A paid maximum (6+3 from 3 rides) against Poland at Exeter and top scored with 15+2 (6 rides), whilst partnering Peter Collins , against the USSR at Wolverhampton. Despite being knocked out of the league cup competition by Ipswich, Exeter went onto win the league title. A tour to Australia finally came to fruition during the winter of 1974–5. Joining Chris Morton, Nigel Boocock, Reg Wilson, Doug Wyer, Jim MacMillan and Eric Broadbelt, Kevin's tour
801-416: A record time of 59 seconds on a 342 metres (1,122 ft) track and produced an average speed of 83 km/h (51.86 mph). The speed on straight sections of the track reaches 110 km/h (70 mph) or more on longer tracks, but the limited speed on curves lowers the average. At the start of a race it takes between one and two seconds for the motorcycle to reach the "curve speed" (somewhat lower than
890-746: A resounding victory over Young Sweden. Again individual honours went his way in June first winning the Carnival Rosebowl at Romford with a 15-point maximum and then, in August, he finished second to Hugh Saunders, with 14 points, in the London Riders Championship. To top off his season Kevin gained more test caps in August, this time against a Young Czechoslovakia, top scoring with 15+1 and 14+1 at Ipswich. On 6 September he made his first division debut with Exeter, scoring 3 points in
979-422: A rider with a scheduled ride may go out for double points, in which the riders points will be doubled if he beats a rider of the opposing team. Any rider taking a tactical substitute ride or double points ride is denoted by a black and white helmet colour as rather than one of the four usual coloured helmets. If that rider remains unbeaten by either opposition rider his scored points are doubled and also count towards
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#17327929859721068-461: A run-off for the final Exeter team place and went on to score 6 points in their 51–27 victory over Ipswich. In September he took his first paid maximum in a victory over Wimbledon. Despite a poor season for the Falcons, Holden's debut year was a great success ending up 4th in the averages with a respectable 6.06. Starting the 1973 with a new bike, Kevin's average dipped to 6.00 in a season where he
1157-716: A second job, or amateurs. The United Kingdom has three main domestic leagues, the SGB Premiership , the SGB Championship , and the National League , as well as three 'junior' amateur leagues. It also has a youth championship. Speedway is one of the most popular sports in Poland and is governed by the Main Commission for Speedway Sport (Główna Komisja Sportu Żużlowego, GKSŻ) which is a part of
1246-564: A second victory in the Skol Lager Trophy meeting at Rye House, taking a 15-point maximum. West Ham closed its doors on 23 May after a defeat against Hull. Kevin won the last ever race at Custom House, co-held the track record and averaged 8.17 points in his 12 outings with the club. Some of the team transferred to Barrow however Kevin opted to join Exeter Falcons in the first division. On 5 June Holden beat Phil Woodcock in
1335-426: A series of meetings over the space of a week in the summer. The final World Cup Champions were Poland in 2017. The Speedway World Pairs Championship was an annual speedway event held each year in different countries. Competing countries picked their top two riders to represent them (or in some cases, those who were available). The first competition was held in 1970 and the final competition was held in 1993. From 1994
1424-608: A smaller scale, competitions are also held in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czechia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Ukraine and the United States. Some countries' top divisions feature highly paid star riders. In smaller countries and lower divisions, riders may be part-timers with
1513-581: A team for the 2009 Premier League but the plans fell through. At a public meeting in July 2015, a month after the team participated in their first full meeting in a decade at the Oaktree Arena near Highbridge, the Exeter Falcons announced talks were underway about the development of a new track near Exeter but again plans failed to materialse. In 2018, an Exeter team participated in the junior Southern Development League but were once again left without
1602-800: A world championship round at Exeter. After an 11-point haul at Wimbledon he reached the semi-final stage of the British Championship where he disappointingly failed to reach the final after scoring 4 points at Sheffield. However, his victory in the Express and Echo Championship at Exeter in May was undoubtedly the highpoint of his career. With a 14-point score Holden took victory over world class opponents Malcolm Simmons (13), John Boulger (13), Phil Crump (11) and Ole Olsen (10). This win secured him an England first team place scoring 1 point (from 1 ride) in his debut against Sweden at King's Lynn, he took
1691-493: Is argued that they are easier to handle. As speedway bikes do not use brakes , the clutch is used as a release mechanism at the start of races. FIM regulations state that the motorcycles must have no brakes , are fueled by pure methanol , use only one gear and weigh a minimum of 77 kilograms (170 lb). By using engine and rear wheel sprockets the gear ratio can be adjusted as required for track conditions. The use of methanol allows for an increased compression ratio to
1780-399: Is divided into a grid of four equal parts and the riders from each team must take their place in alternate grids or "gates". The colours also denote starting positions in individual events; Red is the inside gate (gate 1), blue starts from gate 2, white starts from gate 3 and yellow/black starts on the outside (gate 4). When an event dictates that there is a fifth rider at the start line, gate 3
1869-504: Is halfway along one of the two straight sections of the track. Starting gates are simple spring-loaded mechanisms that raise two or three strands of tape to start the race. The FIM regulations require licensed tracks to provide a garage or pit area for motorcycles as well as medical and press facilities. Track boundaries are marked by white lines or barriers on the inside and outside the track, any rider who crosses this boundary with both wheels will be disqualified unless they only did so in
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#17327929859721958-509: Is known as a tape infringement and can result in a false start being recorded and the rider penalised (disqualified, or in league matches in Great Britain, a 15-metre penalty or replace the disqualified rider with a team reserve). The race is started with the raising of the start tape mechanism operated by the match referee and the riders must proceed around the track in an anti-clockwise direction without both wheels illegally leaving
2047-472: Is measured at a distance of 1 metre (3.3 ft) from the inner boundary. Tracks may be banked, but the gradient must under no circumstances exceed 5% in the straight, 10% in the bends, and must remain constant and grow from the inner edge to the safety fence. A white start line is marked across the track approximately mid-way along one of the straights. The starting area is also divided into four equal parts (known as gates) by white lines marked at right angles to
2136-428: Is moved to the centre with a green helmet colour, and white and yellow (or yellow/black) take gates 4 and 5 respectively. Riders must be able to get their bikes to the start line under their own power, without any external assistance and not by pushing the machine, then line up in parallel. A rider who is not at the start line within a reasonable period of time is also liable to be disqualified, although league matches in
2225-427: Is scheduled to ride four or five times. The team with the most points at the end of the meeting is the winner. Most league seasons end with play-offs – a series of meetings between the highest finishing teams to determine a league champion. The champions may be promoted to a higher division and the team finishing at the bottom are in some countries relegated to a lower division. The majority of countries supplement
2314-967: Is the current (2019) World Champion. The annual British Grand Prix is currently held at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff , Wales. Scoring in Grand Prix events changed in 2005 with riders scoring 3–2–1–0 in their races and these points being carried forward to decide the winner of each Grand Prix. At the end of the series the highest scorer becomes the world champion. World Speedway Champions include Ivan Mauger (six-time World Champion), fellow New Zealander Barry Briggs (four times), Ole Olsen (three times), Ove Fundin (five times), Lionel Van Praag (inaugural World Champion in 1936), Hans Nielsen (nicknamed "The Professor", four-time World Champion), Tony Rickardsson (six times), Erik Gundersen and Jason Crump , both three-time World Champions, and
2403-414: Is the second oldest Motorcycle Speedway track in the world. However, its first recorded motorcycle race was much earlier in 1908. The first Australian Motorcycle Speedway Championship was held at Newcastle Showground in 1926. Ironically it was won by American rider Cec Brown. Visiting English and American racers were common, for they were highly paid showmen, often winning a year's salary in just one night. It
2492-644: The British League and the Falcons were founder members. In a tough league the team did well to finish 3rd during the 1968 British League season , largely due to the efforts of new signing Martin Ashby . The early part of the 1970s was at best average but that was about to change following the signing of New Zealander and multiple world champion Ivan Mauger during the 1973 British League season . Promoter Wally Mawdsley also signed 20-year-old American Scott Autrey and Tony Lomas . The team began to gel and with
2581-940: The Polish Motor Union Polski Związek Motorowy (PZM). The PZM is a member of the FIM and the Union Européenne de Motocyclisme (UEM). The Polish Extraleague has the highest average attendances for any sport in Poland. The first speedway meetings in Poland were held in the 1930s and league racing began in 1948. There are three championships in Poland: individual (IMP), pairs (MPPK) and team (the DMP consisting of three leagues). The Junior under-21 championships also has three competitions: individual (MIMP), pairs (MMPPK) and team (MDMP). There are three leagues: Extraleague , First League and Second League . In
2670-753: The Under-21 Individual World Championship . In total, seven Polish riders have been World Champions at Under-21 level. Speedway in Sweden is governed by the Swedish Motorcycle and Snowmobile Federation (SVEMO) . The first Swedish speedway league was founded in 1948 and copied the British format of league racing, including adopting the Swedish version of several British teams nicknames. The Elite League ( Elitserien )
2759-676: The 1930 Scottish Championship which was won by Wembley Lions' Harry Whitfield . The forerunner of the World Championship, the Star Riders' Championship , was inaugurated in Great Britain in 1929, but was split into two sections, as it was felt that the British riders were not yet the equal of the Australians and Americans. Frank Arthur won the Overseas Section and Roger Frogley the British. The following year
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2848-497: The 1930s, with the official World Championship first held in 1936 . The present FIM Speedway Grand Prix (SGP) championship organised by Speedway Grand Prix (Discovery Sports Events since 2015) has taken place since 1995. The SGP uses a scoring system based on each riders overall final position. The rider who has gained the most points at the end of the tournament is declared the World Champion . Polish rider Bartosz Zmarzlik
2937-719: The 2022 season, the Extraleague and First League had eight teams competing and the Second League had seven teams. The GKSŻ organizes the Golden Helmet (Jerzy Szczakiel Memorial), Silver Helmet (Under-21) and Bronze Helmet (Under-19) competitions. Individual meetings such as the Criterium of Polish Speedway League Aces – Mieczysław Połukard Memorial , Alfred Smoczyk Memorial , Edward Jancarz Memorial, Jerzy Szczakiel Memorial and Individual international championship of
3026-583: The Allsvenskan, the top four teams at the end of each season ride in the play-offs in semi-finals and a final. The Allsvenskan Division One is the third tier of Swedish speedway with seven teams. The team finishing the season in first place are champions and can apply for promotion to the Allsvenskan, subject to having suitable facilities and sufficient finances. Other competitions include the Swedish Individual Championship and
3115-558: The Best Pairs Gold Trophy with his race-partner Barry Crowson. In his second season with the 'Bombers' Holden emerged as their number one rider securing and end of season average of 8.95 along with winning the Skol Lager Trophy at Rye House and the Spring Cup Classic at Romford, both in April with 15 and 13 points respectively. On 26 June he made his Young England debut at Ipswich, contributing 8+3 points in
3204-627: The Ekstraliga named after Zenon Plech are also popular. The Polish National team are the final champions of the now-defunct Speedway World Cup , having won the competition eight times in all. Poland has produced three Individual World Champions , Jerzy Szczakiel in 1973, Tomasz Gollob in 2010 and Bartosz Zmarzlik in 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024. The Polish junior team won the Under-21 World Championship in 2005 and 2006 and since 2003 four Polish juniors have won
3293-497: The FIM occasionally sanctions the use of stadiums that install temporary tracks such as the British Grand Prix held at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff . Speedway uses a unique type of motorcycle, governed by the FIM's "Track Racing Technical Rules". In the past, bikes with upright engines were used (the name taken from the way the engine sits in the frame), but today most professional riders use laydown bikes as it
3382-496: The Falcons jacket. Loram broke the 396 metres (433 yd) track record with a time of 64.3 seconds on 29 April 1996. In 1995 and 1996, the club also ran a junior side called the Devon Demons . Three seasons of second tier speedway ensued and the Falcons fared much better, finishing in the top six from 1997 to 1999. The Falcons were not expected to challenge for the title during the 2000 Premier League speedway season but
3471-500: The Falcons struggle badly with a slight improvement to 5th place in 1989 due in part to the form of Australian rider Steve Regeling . Regeling was superb in 1990, averaging 10.20 but he lacked support and left in 1992. By 1994, the Falcons under the promotion of Colin Hill, were propping up the league table. The merged Premier League was a bad experience for Falcons fans despite the opportunity of watching Mark Loram and Simon Wigg wear
3560-673: The Swedish Junior Individual Championship. The Swedish Individual Championship is contested by 18 riders in a Grand Prix format with 20 heats. The Junior Individual Championship is for riders aged twenty-one years and under. Speedway in Denmark is administered by Danmarks Motor Union (DMU) . The sport was introduced into Denmark in the 1930s but it didn't boom until the 1970s. Notable Danish speedway riders today include – Nicki Pedersen, Bjarne Pedersen and Hans Nørgaard Andersen. Former rider, Ole Olsen won
3649-524: The UK allow teams to elect to start the disqualified rider fifteen metres back from the tapes or replace the disqualified rider with a team reserve. This period of time is standardised to two minutes from a time determined by the match referee and usually indicated by a bell, a rotating orange lamp or a digital clock readout. All riders must be at the tapes under their own power before the two minutes have elapsed. Additional time between races will be allowed by, and at
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3738-677: The UK to feature bikes with no brakes and broadsiding round corners on loose dirt was the third meeting held at High Beech on 9 April 1928, where Colin Watson , Alf Medcalf and "Digger" Pugh demonstrated the art for the first time in the UK. Proto speedway was staged in Glasgow at the Olympic Stadium (Glasgow Nelson) on 9 April 1928 and the first fully professional meeting was staged at Celtic Park on 28 April 1928. The first meeting in Wales
3827-487: The United States before World War I . On 13 November 1905 motorcycle racing was held at the Newcastle NSW Rugby Ground, a distance of approximately 440 yards. American rider Don Johns was known to have used broadsiding before 1914. It was said that he would ride the entire race course wide open, throwing great showers of dirt into the air at each turn. By the early 1920s, Johns' style of cornering
3916-549: The Westernopolis at Exeter with 8 points and reaching the Daily Mirror Grand Prix final at White City. En route to this major final Kevin finished 2nd to Malcolm Simmons with 12.5 points at Poole and did well in qualifying rounds at Exeter (11), Coventry (8) and Newport (11). Up against the best riders in the world Kevin scored a creditable 5 points in the final. His club season ended with a 6.45 average,
4005-489: The World Championship three times and his success helped popularise the sport in Denmark. Since retiring Olsen has become an FIM Speedway Grand Prix race director. A popular Danish rider in the 1960s was Arne Pander, and in the 1980s Erik Gundersen, Jan O Pedersen and Hans Nielsen (who was also an active racer through the 1990s). Kevin Holden Kevin George Holden (30 July 1950 – 27 April 1977)
4094-657: The World Pairs was merged with the World Team Cup. As of 2018, a new pairs championship, the Speedway of Nations , has now replaced the Speedway World Cup on the sport's calendar. Most European countries run their own domestic speedway leagues. The FIM affiliated governing bodies in each country operate league systems , normally comprising several divisions , in which the teams gain points throughout
4183-414: The additions were enough to help Exeter win the 1948 Speedway National League Division Three . The brothers left the Falcons after the 1948 season resulting in Exeter having a moderate 1949 season. In 1951, the Falcons signed the youngest Roger brother, Bob Roger , on loan from New Cross Rangers and with both Don Hardy and Goog Hoskin riding well, the team secured runner-up spot in the league and won
4272-405: The average), which is roughly estimated to be the equivalent of 2.5 to 3 seconds to reach 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph) (or 0 to 60 mph ). The start of the race is an important aspect of the race overall. "Gating" correctly can help a rider gain an initial advantage over other riders but speed advantages can be made as a race progresses. Those riders willing to take a risk and opt for finding
4361-616: The bends. On the straight sections of the track, the motorcycles reach speeds of up to 70 miles per hour (110 km/h). There are now both domestic and international competitions in a number of countries, including the Speedway World Cup , whilst the highest overall scoring individual in the Speedway Grand Prix events is pronounced the world champion. Speedway is popular in Central and Northern Europe and to
4450-531: The company went into liquidation. A second promotion called County Speedways Ltd, ran the speedway in 1930 and 1931 but also went into liquidation. In 1931 the Exeter team competed in the National Trophy during the 1931 Speedway Southern League season, losing to High Beech in the first round. At the start of 1947, plans began for the return of speedway to the County Ground and a lease was signed by Motor Sports (Exeter) Ltd (led by Frank Buckland) with
4539-402: The discretion of, the referee if a rider has two consecutive rides, to allow the rider time to prepare. A starting gate consisting of two or more tapes is erected across the start line. The riders must situate themselves not more than 10 centimetres (3.9 in) from this and not touch it once the green light comes on, they must also remain stationary until the tapes are raised. Failure to do so
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#17327929859724628-551: The end of 2005 after the stadium owners, Exeter Rugby Union club, sold the stadium to developers. Promoter Allen Trump received permission from Teignbridge council officials in 2008 to construct a new track at the Exeter Racecourse . The new track was expected to open for the start of the 2009 season, and Trump had applied to the British Speedway Promoters' Association for permission to enter
4717-424: The engine producing more power than other fuels and resulting in higher speeds (approximately 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph) when cornering). Machines used must: Machines used cannot: In addition, all motorcycles must have a safety cut-out device fitted; this is defined as a switch that "must cut off the circuit of the electrical supply by the simple action of pulling a lanyard or a non-elastic string (with
4806-676: The event of a tie, the race is commonly awarded as a dead heat . If it is a tie for first place, they will both receive two points. A tie for second place earns each rider one point while a joint-last finish earns each rider zero points. Teams can use a tactical substitute rule once in a meeting. If that team is eight (six in World Cup) or more points in arrears, they may bring in the use of a different rider in their team lineup, to race in any heat except for heat 15. This may be different in World cup or event racing. If they are ten or more points behind,
4895-422: The extra riders safely. Speedway operates a sliding scale for scoring (known as the 3–2–1–0 method). Three points are scored for first place, two points for second place and one point for third place. A rider does not score when finishing fourth, or failing to finish, or if excluded from a race. These points accumulate over the competition, with riders points either counting towards individual or team placings. In
4984-463: The first of the next month. These CMA's are used in most professional leagues and are altered or weighted depending on the league the rider gained the CMA in. A rider that has no recorded average will receive an indicative CMA for the start of the season that is assessed on their prior experience in the sport. An international individual speedway championship has taken various forms since its beginnings in
5073-628: The grippy parts of the track rather than the race line, are sometimes rewarded with extra speed allowing them to pass other riders either on the outside or the inside. Tracks used for professional speedway racing are regulated by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) who provide rules concerning construction, size and safety requirements. Speedway racing takes place on a level oval track consisting of two straights joined by two semicircles. Tracks must be between 260 and 425 metres (853 and 1394 ft) in length, this
5162-537: The help of existing riders such as Mike Sampson and Kevin Holden , the Falcons won the 1974 British League title . Although the remainder of the decade saw Exeter compete near the top of the table, they were unable to repeat the success of 1974. In 1979, Autrey topped the league avergaes for Exeter. Exeter began the 1980s in the second tier of British speedway with the team entered for the 1980 National League season . Journalist Peter Oakes had also joined Mawdsley as
5251-407: The interest of safety or were forced to by another competitor. The track surface consists of four layers of grading . The topmost of which must be of shale , granite , brick granules or other loose material of which no individual piece can be over 7 millimetres (0.28 in) in size. Competitors use this surface to slide their machines sideways (powersliding or broadsiding ) into the bends using
5340-410: The landlords County Athletic Ground Company. The Speedway Supporters Club persuaded the management to name the team the Falcons. The return was a success with excellent attendances and a fourth place finish in the 1947 Speedway National League Division Three . Cyril Roger was the stand out rider averaging 10.31. The following season the Falcons signed Cyril's brother Bert Roger and Norman Clay and
5429-418: The league format in 1956 led to Bernard Slade and L.J. Hallett withdrawing Exeter from the league system. With the exception of sporadic challenge matches and open meetings during 1957 and 1958 there was limited speedway at the County Ground. After a couple of challenge meetings held throughout 1960 and a five year league absence, the team returned to league action in the 1961 Provincial Speedway League , under
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#17327929859725518-560: The league system with one or more cup competitions. These are organised on a knock-out basis, the winner of each match proceeding to the next round and the loser taking no further part in the competition. The major speedway nations in Europe are the United Kingdom, Sweden, Poland and Denmark. These countries run a number of leagues and have regular fixtures throughout the traditional speedway season that runs from March to October. On
5607-549: The now-closed 520 metres (570 yd) Claremont Speedway in Perth and the 509 metres (557 yd) Sydney Showground , to smaller, purpose-built 300 metres (330 yd) long motorcycle tracks, such as Gillman Speedway in Adelaide and Mildura 's Olympic Park . Each track is between 260 and 425 metres long and it takes approximately one minute to complete four laps. For example, 10 time Australian Champion Leigh Adams set
5696-403: The number 1 rider Michael Coles found himself backed up by six other riders that averaged from 7.79 to 6.20. The consistency paid off, with the Falcons winning all their home games and pipping Swindon Robins to the title on points difference, after picking up all 13 bonus points that were available. The Falcons raced for five more Premier League seasons before the club were forced to close at
5785-410: The promotion of Wally Mawdsley and Pete Lansdale . As a rider, Lansdale also topped the team's averages with 9.33 and was well supported by Len Silver . The following year, the Falcons won the 1962 Provincial League Knockout Cup . The next two seasons were uneventful but both Alan Cowland and Jimmy Squibb rode well for the Falcons. In 1965, British speedway resolved ongoing issues by introducing
5874-418: The purposes of choosing which riders to enter for each race. At the start of a season, a rider retains their last recorded CMA (or assessed CMA if they have never previously established one) until they have competed in six home and six away matches. A new CMA is then issued that comes into effect seven days later. These are subsequently updated on the 15th of every month from May onwards, and come into effect on
5963-481: The rear wheel to scrub-off speed while still providing the drive to power the bike forward and around the bend. The skill of speedway lies in the overall ability of the rider to control his motorcycle when cornering and thus avoid losing places through deceleration . The use of asphalt , concrete and tarmac for any layer is prohibited. The top layer must be levelled or "graded" at intervals during an event by tractors towing specially adapted rakes to evenly re-distribute
6052-580: The rest of the fence through blow-off valves or restriction ports connected to the other sections. They are mandatory for tracks in the British Elite League , Polish Ekstraliga , Speedway Grand Prix and Speedway World Cup . Neutral zones outside the track provide safe run-off areas for riders and their machinery to minimise the potential risk of injury to spectators. The majority of tracks are dedicated to speedway or other sports such as sidecar speedway and banger racing . For larger events,
6141-407: The rider's calculated match average (CMA). The sport produces Calculated Match Averages (CMAs or averages) for every rider, these are calculated from the following: CMAs scale from 3.00 to 12.00, any rider scoring above or below this range of values will be awarded the maximum or minimum respectively. These averages are used in leagues such as the Premiership in the UK to identify heat-leaders for
6230-447: The season depending on results. Teams are placed into tables , placing them in order according to points accrued. Most commonly, each team races every other team in its league at home and away in each season, in a round-robin tournament . Meetings traditionally consist of two teams riding against each other with four riders in each race with two home team riders and two away team riders. Meetings usually feature fifteen heats and each rider
6319-521: The show to England, as the word had spread about this exciting sport. 14 April 1928, Johnnie Hoskins, 13 Australian Riders and their motorcycles sailed from Perth on the passenger ship Oronsay to introduce Speedway Solo motorcycle racing to England. The first meeting in the United Kingdom took place at High Beech on 19 February 1928. There are, however, claims that meetings were held in 1927 at Camberley , Surrey and Droylsden , Lancashire. Despite being described as "the first British Dirt Track meeting" at
6408-488: The sports first two-time champion Jack Young who won in 1951 & 1952. Currently, no world team championship is contested for senior riders. The first such championship was the Speedway World Team Cup , which was contested annually from 1960 to 2000. It was replaced by the Speedway World Cup , another annual event, in 2001. Both competitions featured teams from the major speedway countries, usually in
6497-439: The start line and extending back at least 1 metre (3.3 ft). Additional rules govern the placement of warning systems such as lights and also the construction of the starting mechanism. The minimum track width is 10 metres (33 ft) on the straights and the bends must be at least 14 metres (46 ft) wide. The minimum widths give each rider adequate space to safely navigate the track. The start line and starting gate assembly
6586-606: The success of Maitland, Speedway meetings were conducted at Newcastle Showground in 1924. These events were very successful and led to the construction of Newcastle Speedway off Darling Street, Hamilton. Johnnie Hoskins became the Secretary of Newcastle Speedway Ltd. The Newcastle Herald reports the Grand Opening on 14 November 1925 attracted an audience of 42,000 at that time it was approximately one-third of Newcastle's entire population. After Maitland, Newcastle Showground
6675-428: The surface. Tracks are watered before and, if needed, during meetings to prevent the surface becoming too dry and to protect the public and the riders from dust. Safety requirements include the use of suspended wire fences, air fences and wooden fences. Air fences are made up of inflated panels installed on the bends. The fence is designed to dissipate energy by allowing an impacted area to compress and transfer air into
6764-547: The team finished third in the title race. At the beginning of the 1977 season he moved to Poole Pirates from Exeter, following in the footsteps of his uncle Bill who rode for the Pirates in the 1950s. Kevin started the season in great form taking a maximum 12 points against Wimbledon at Poole in March. He was hitting over a 9-point average but was killed during the home match against Reading on 27 April. After sliding into
6853-504: The third tier National Trophy . During the 1950s many teams folded which resulted in Exeter participating in the Southern League from 1952 to 1953. The Falcons finished runner-up in 1953 behind Rayleigh Rockets , with Goog Hoskin topping the league averages and new Australian signing Jack Geran averaged 9.33. Despite signing another leading Australian rider Neil Street , the team went from 6th in 1954 to last in 1955. Changes to
6942-524: The time, the meeting at Camberley on 7 May 1927 differed in that the races were held in a clockwise direction. Races at Droylsden were held in an anti-clockwise direction, but it is generally accepted that the sport arrived in the United Kingdom when Australians Billy Galloway and Keith McKay arrived with the intention of introducing speedway to the Northern Hemisphere . Both featured in the 1928 High Beech meeting. The first speedway meeting in
7031-450: The track boundaries. Once a race is under way, no rider can receive outside assistance, including push-starts , from others. Historically, pushers were allowed at the start of the race. A white line at the 30-metre mark used to designate the extent to which a push was allowed but due to safety concerns, assistance is now illegal. Occasionally races can consist of up to six riders but this is rare as most tracks are too narrow to accommodate
7120-418: The two sections were amalgamated and Vic Huxley proved to be the winner. Huxley was also runner-up three times and won the first British Match Race championship in 1931. Speedway racing typically took place on purpose-built tracks, although in Australia bikes shared larger speedways with Sprintcars , Speedcars (Midgets) and saloons, with tracks traditionally ranging from 1/3-mile showground tracks, such as
7209-578: Was a motorcycle speedway rider from England. He earned five international caps for the England national speedway team and seven caps for the Great Britain team. Kevin Holden was the nephew of Poole, Southampton and England rider Bill Holden and cousin to Paul Holden, who later rode for Weymouth juniors. Kevin rode in the top tier of British Speedway from 1972 to 1977, riding for various clubs. Kevin signed for Romford Bombers on 26 March 1970. In his first season he achieved an average of 4.65 and won
7298-483: Was an ever-present in the Exeter first team which also included new signings Ivan Mauger and Scott Autrey . Holden was again disappointed that a trip to New Zealand was cancelled. Kevin was an integral part of the Exeter Falcons team that won the league during the 1974 British League season , scoring a season average of 7.26. In April he finished fourth behind Ivan Mauger , Barry Briggs and Phil Herne in
7387-499: Was cut-short with a broken leg sustained at Cradley in August. Holden was anxious to move away from Exeter however the great support that he received from the Falcons fans during his injury saw him return to the County Ground in 1976. Again a British Final place eluded him however, his great individual successes of the season was qualifying for the Marlboro Southern Riders Final at Reading, finishing 6th in
7476-543: Was established in 1982 and has ten teams. At the end of each season the top four teams ride in the play-offs in semi-finals and a final and the winner of the final are the Elitserien champions. The team finishing bottom of the league are relegated to the National league (Allsvenskan). The Allsvenskan has seven teams and before the introduction of the Elitserien in 1982 was the top flight speedway league in Sweden. As with
7565-587: Was followed in the United States, where it was called Short Track Racing, by riders such as Albert "Shrimp" Burns, Maldwyn "Floppy" Jones and Eddie Brinck. Motorcycle Speedway can be traced back to the early 1920s. One track that staged speedway, amongst others, was at the West Maitland Showground, whose first speedway meeting was staged on 15 December 1923. This track had a motorcycle riding entrepreneur as its Secretary and his personal account has him inviting his friends and their associates to do
7654-487: Was not a great success scoring 0, 4+2, 0, 0, 7+1, 2+1 and 1 points across the seven test matches against the Aussies. He fared little better in solo events. Although he classed the trip as valuable, the poor performance was, in part, down to being so homesick. The 1975 season was a mixed-bag and despite securing his place as the third heat leader at Exeter (alongside Mauger and Autrey) with a final average of 7.51 his season
7743-754: Was staged at Cardiff White City on Boxing Day 1928. In the 1928–1929 season at the Melbourne Exhibition Speedway , Australian Colin Stewart won the prestigious Silver Gauntlet, which required the rider to win the feature race 10 times in one season. He won it 12 times. He also achieved success at an international level, racing for Southampton Saints in 1929 and captained Glasgow in the Northern League in 1930 before moving to Wembley Lions in 1931, for whom he rode in just four matches, averaging 4.00 points per match. He also raced in
7832-549: Was stopped in an emergency situation by removing the plug lead from the spark plug or shutting off the fuel supply. Races (known as heats) consist of four riders racing over four laps from a standing start . Riders wear different coloured helmets, traditionally in team events red and blue denote home team riders, and white (in British speedway, green has previously been used as an alternative to white, apparently for early interactive TV) and yellow/black quartered colours (latterly plain yellow) denote visiting riders. The starting area
7921-442: Was very successful, so Newcastle Showground held the championship again in 1927. Very fitting that Newcastle Showground held the first National Speedway Championship anywhere in the world. In 1926 Johnnie Hoskins took his Speedway show to Sydney's Royal Showground. A very wet Sydney summer nearly sent Hoskins broke, so he took the show on the road to Perth, where one good season made him wealthy again. He and his riders decided to take
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