94-666: The Somerset Rebels were a British speedway team based in Highbridge , Somerset . Founded in 2000, the club competed in the British SGB Championship until 2019. Their home track was located at the Oak Tree Arena . Promoter Andy Hewlett had been searching for a venue in Somerset to host speedway for some time, when in 1999 he was offered a site by a local farmer. Former Australian rider Glyn Taylor
188-615: 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
282-582: 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
376-426: 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
470-527: A potential league winning season in 1939. After the war, the team raced as Newcastle Brough in 1946 before Jeff Lloyd topped the league averages in 1947 for the Diamonds. The Diamonds promotion moved the team to Saracen Park after the 1948 season to become Ashfield Giants but a new promotion formed the Newcastle Magpies from the disbanded Middlesbrough Bears . After finishing last during
564-416: 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
658-422: 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
752-716: 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
846-426: 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
940-608: 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
1034-474: 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
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#17327988004761128-493: 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
1222-399: 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
1316-504: 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
1410-509: 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
1504-472: 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
1598-428: 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
1692-427: 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
1786-967: 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
1880-414: 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
1974-488: The 1951 Speedway National League Division Two season, the promoter J. S. Smith pulled out and team disbanded and did not race in the league for the remainder of the decade. Newcastle returned in 1961 competing in the Provincial League and gradually progressed from 1961 to 1963. In 1963, the team signed New Zealander Ivan Mauger , who would go on to become six times World Champion . Under Mauger's leadership
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#17327988004762068-621: The 1983 National League season . The Diamonds moved up a division to compete in the British League during 1984 but due to financial issues, the promoters Ian Thomas and Robin Stannard did not enter a team for 1985. After missing 1985 they were brought back by Stannard and renamed the Newcastle Federation Specials for the 1986 National League season . After just two seasons they were once again disbanded for
2162-669: The COVID-19 pandemic the promotion announced that they would not be running in 2021 despite already having named a squad. On 26 May 2021 the owners formally announced that they had sold the land and there would be no more racing at the site. In late 2022, it was announced that discussions had taken place between the North Somerset District Council and British Speedway Promoters Ltd for a possible return of speedway in Weston-super-Mare and retaining
2256-732: The Edinburgh Monarchs , after a season long battle with the Scottish side. Somerset won the Premier League Knockout Cup (tier 2) for the first time in their history. After winning the first leg of the final at Workington 43–46, the Rebels won the return leg at the Oak Tree Arena 52-41 for a 98-84 aggregate victory, with Jason Doyle and Emil Kramer top scoring for Somerset. Prior to the 2009 season,
2350-479: The Gosforth Greyhound Stadium during 1930 but then Gosforth closed to speedway after the season and the city of Newcastle would not see a return of speedway until 1938, when they joined the National League . The team in 1938 was coached by former rider Gordon Byers and consisted of four Canadians, a season that saw the Diamonds nickname first used. The outbreak of World War II ruined
2444-940: 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
2538-642: The Premier League Four-Team Championship , held on 3 August 2014, at the East of England Arena . Somerset won the Premier League Knockout Cup for the third time in eight years in 2015, continuing the success experienced by the club. At the start of the 2016 season the Rebels promoter Debbie Hancock announced a change to the club logo, replacing the original American confederate logo for a logo representing
2632-598: The Riders' Championship and setting the highest league average. The Rebels reached the KO Cup final for a second time in a row in 2007, losing out to King's Lynn again. The 2008 season proved to be successful, despite a major change in the club's line up after their number one rider for the past three seasons, Magnus Zetterstrom was replaced by Jason Doyle but the team finished second in the Premier League table behind
2726-633: The Rye House Rockets in the final. To complete the treble, the Rebels finished top of the Premier League table and eventually met Edinburgh Monarchs in the play-off final. Edinburgh won the first leg 45–43 but the Rebels won the second leg 49-44, giving them an aggregate win of 3 points. 2014 saw the Rebels pick up more silverware, after the team defeated Newcastle Diamonds to win the Premier League Shield and Oliver Allen , Nick Morris , Pontus Aspgren and Charles Wright won
2820-753: 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 )
2914-676: 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
Somerset Rebels - Misplaced Pages Continue
3008-497: 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
3102-441: The 1988 season before retunign in 1989. David Bargh was re-signed in 1990 and helped the Diamonds finish third in 1991. The 1992 season was overshadowed by the death of Wayne Garratt after crashing at the track. Following the merger of the divisions in 1995 and 1996, the Diamonds chose not to compete due to the expected increase in operational costs and the Diamonds' riders were put on the transfer list. The team returned when
3196-719: 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
3290-583: 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
3384-462: The British speedway leagues from 1929 to 2022. They were based at Newcastle Stadium on the Fossway, Byker. The Stadium was previously known as Brough Park. The construction of a speedway track at Brough Park began in early 1929, under the supervision of Lindon Travers. The Newcastle team were inaugural members of the 1929 Speedway English Dirt Track League and following an open meeting on 17 May,
3478-680: The Dane Kenni Larsen won the Premier League Riders' Championship to add a fourth honour to the club's successful season. In recognition of their achievements the team was awarded the prestigious 'Team of the Year' award by Sports North-East, shortly before the 2011 campaign commenced, ahead of the Championship League winning football side Newcastle United . Despite winning the season opening Premier Shield,
3572-782: The Diamonds 80th anniversary a series of 50 cigarette cards were produced by the club. Riders included: 2010 season Season overview: triple champions Performance in national competitions 2010 team and statistics Greensheet averages The following averages take into account league and trophy matches only, excluding playoffs, semi-finals, and finals. These averages are used for team building purposes and riding order. Note: British riders have 2.5% reduction on their 2010 averages. Also Rode: Released. , Injured. All match averages The following averages take into account all matches including Knockout Cup and Playoffs. Number of maximums H/F : Full Home, H/P Paid Home, A/F Full Away, P/A Paid Away. Near Maximum : When
3666-494: The Diamonds thrived, winning the club's first major trophy by sealing the 1964 league title. In 1965, the team were founder members of the British League . In 1967, 21-year-old Ole Olsen made his British debut for Newcastle and would later be a three times World Champion. Olsen arrived after Mauger persuaded the promoter Mike Parker to sign him. The 1967 and 1968 seasons were one of the rare occurrences where two of
3760-627: 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
3854-497: 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
Somerset Rebels - Misplaced Pages Continue
3948-596: The Rebels achieve one of their most successful seasons since their formation. Jason Doyle returned to the club and spearheaded them to winning the Premier League Cup, beating Ipswich Witches over two legs in the final. They also reached the play-off final, losing out on the Premier League Championship to Scunthorpe Scorpions by a single point over two legs. In 2013, Steve Bishop announced that he would step down as team manager leaving
4042-425: The Rebels nickname. 2008 team Also Rode: 2009 team Also Rode: 2010 team Also Rode: 2011 team Also Rode: 2012 team Also Rode 2013 team Also Rode 2014 team 2015 team Also Rode 2016 team 2017 team Also Rode 2018 team Also Rode: 2019 team Also Rode: 2020 team Motorcycle speedway Motorcycle speedway , usually referred to simply as speedway ,
4136-495: The Rebels to their first top flight trophy, defeating Kings Lynn Stars 98-82 on aggregate in the final of the Premiership Knockout Cup . In November 2018, after two seasons in the top flight, the Rebels announced that they would be moving down to the SGB Championship , the 2nd tier of British Speedway, for the 2019 season. They reached third in the league that year. After sitting out the 2020 season due to
4230-673: 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
4324-524: 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
4418-677: 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
4512-452: The UK were challenged by the impacts of Brexit and European rider availability. Grant cited a rider shortage and low crowd numbers as reasons for temporarily closing the club in June 2022, with the goal of maintaining the club's financial resources to resume in 2023. Grant also cited his other business ventures, finances, and mental health as reasons to close the club before the completion of
4606-487: 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
4700-431: 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). Newcastle Diamonds Newcastle Diamonds were a motorcycle speedway team that raced in
4794-657: 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
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#17327988004764888-405: 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
4982-523: The averages for three consecutive years in 1977, 1978 and 1979 becoming arguably the National League's leading rider during the period. Another treble of league, cup and fours came their way during the 1982 National League season , when led by Joe Owen, Rod Hunter and Bobby Beaton . One year later, led by the same three riders they won their third National League title and the Fours title during
5076-616: 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
5170-492: The club signed Magnus Zetterström and together with Glenn Cunningham , Paul Fry and Ritchie Hawkins , the Rebels won the Premier League Four-Team Championship , which was held on 20 August 2005, at Derwent Park . The 2006 season saw Somerset reach the Knockout Cup Final for the first time, finishing as runners up to King's Lynn Stars over two legs. Magnus Zetterström was the star of the season, winning both
5264-421: The county of Somerset. In late 2016, the club announced that it would be moving up into the newly formed SGB Premiership for the 2017 season. In their first top flight season the Rebels endured a tough campaign, finishing sixth overall. The following season in 2018, the club signed 2017 world champion and former Rebels rider Jason Doyle as their number 1, following his release by Swindon Robins . Doyle captained
5358-599: The defunct Sunderland Gladiators licence and transferred it to re-form the Diamonds, entering the team to race in the 1975 New National League season . Brian Havelock and Tom Owen won the National League Pairs , held at Hyde Road on 17 May. The following season they won the double of National League title and Knockout Cup , in addition to winning the fours. The 1976 team was Tom Owen, Brian Havelock, Ron Henderson , Joe Owen , Andy Cusworth, Phil Michelides and Robbie Blackadder . Tom Owen then topped
5452-402: 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
5546-424: 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
5640-676: 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,
5734-422: 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
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#17327988004765828-478: The first league home fixture was held three days later on 20 May against Halifax Speedway . The team finished in fourth place during their debut season. In 1930, both Brough Park and Gosforth speedway (the latter promoted by Tyneside Speedways Ltd) intended to compete in the Northern League but Gosforth signed the majority of Brough Park's riders and then Brough Park speedway closed. The team competed at
5922-414: 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
6016-432: The greatest riders of all-time rode for the same team, although Olsen was in his early part of his career at the time. After competing in the British League from 1965 to 1970 the team's first division licence was transferred by Allied Presentations to Reading Racers leaving the Newcastle promoter Ian Hoskins without a league to race in. The Diamonds missed four seasons (1971–1974) but in November 1974, Ian Thomas bought
6110-549: 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
6204-407: 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
6298-475: The league season. Speedway promoter and BSP Chairman Rob Godfrey stated that "[w]e had been working with the Newcastle promotion in an attempt to get them to the end of the season...but sadly that’s proved not to be the case." 2006 season Team Released. Injured. 2007 season Team Also Rode: 2008 season Team Also Rode: 2009 season 2009 team and statistics Also rode: 80th anniversary series In 2009 to commemorate
6392-460: The league split again in 1997. The 1990s was a fractured existence for the club but the Diamonds did finish the decade with three full seasons of speedway. Team changes for 2000 saw the signings of Bjarne Pedersen and Andre Compton and together with Jesper Olsen they steered Newcastle to their first league title for 18 years. Winning the 2001 Premier League was the Diamonds fifth league title in total. A second successive league title in 2002
6486-443: 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
6580-443: 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
6674-418: 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
6768-481: 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
6862-682: The responsibility to Garry May and the Rebels went on to have the best season in their history by winning the league and cup double and the pairs championship. Jason Doyle and new signing Josh Grajczonek won the Premier League Pairs Championship , held at the Oaktree Arena on 31 May. The Rebels then went on to lift the Premier League KO Cup for the second time in their history, defeating Edinburgh Monarchs in an entralling semi-final before beating
6956-580: 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,
7050-467: 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
7144-447: 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
7238-585: 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
7332-487: The sport. He first rode for the Diamonds at the age of 16 in 1993. Newcastle Diamonds' celebrated their 90th anniversary season in 2019. After the 2019 season Rob Grant and former Stoke Potters promoter Dave Tattum took ownership of the club. After the leagues were cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the team club came close to closing in 2021 before ultimately committing to the SGB Championship 2021 , under Grant's ownership. Going into 2022, speedway clubs in
7426-488: 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
7520-439: 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
7614-606: 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
7708-428: 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
7802-676: The team struggled in 2011 but bounced back strongly winning the Knockout Cup for the fourth time in 2012. Steve Worrall was the Diamonds leading rider for several seasons until Robert Lambert took over as the number 1 rider in 2016, both experienced success with the Great Britain national speedway team . The Premier League became the Championship in 2017, with the Diamonds finishing 7th. On 16 September 2018, Newcastle Diamonds legend Stuart Robson announced his retirement from
7896-479: The team was purchased by Bill Hancock, the owner of the Oaktree Arena. In December 2009, Rebels rider Emil Kramer was killed in a road accident in his native Sweden. In his honour, the riders wore blue and yellow race suits for the 2010 season with Kramer's initials embroidered on the collar. Australian Sam Masters was brought in as number 1 for the 2011 season and won the Riders' Championship. The 2012 season saw
7990-524: 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
8084-450: 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
8178-418: 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
8272-570: Was called in to construct a 300 metres purpose-built speedway stadium ready for the 2000 season. The stadium called the Oak Tree Arena was subsequently opened for the 2000 Speedway Conference League and the Rebels finished 3rd in their inaugural season. After winning both the Conference Trophy and Conference League KO Cup in 2001 they moved up to the Premier League (division 2) for 2002. After struggling for several seasons,
8366-651: Was denied by Sheffield Tigers on points difference. Czech rider Josef Franc topped the Diamonds averages from 2006 to 2008. The 2010 season was a very successful campaign for the Diamonds. Although the Edinburgh Monarchs dominated the League, it was the Diamonds that took most silverware of the season by winning the Premier League play-offs, the Premier Trophy and the Premier League KOC (against Edinburgh Monarchs). The Diamonds also found success when
8460-543: 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
8554-587: 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
8648-754: 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
8742-549: 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
8836-442: 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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