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Went with a couple of friends to participate in a Speedway try out day.
They give you tuition in getting the bike sliding around the turns with proper body positioning and technique. The bikes were Speedway framed air cooled Honda 4 stroke 125s, no brakes or rear suspension.
Gave me a new found appreciation for the pros who do it at speed on the big 500s.
One of the magazine editors (Ron Lawson from Dirt Bike maybe?) did an article years ago on trying speedway. I was amazed at how much harder it was than it would appear.
I always thought speedway was cool as hell. Lots of good memories going to Ascot Park way back when to watch them race.
That's awesome...the one discipline away from moto I always wanted to try.
I can't believe it's not more popular here in the states. It reminds me of the small circle dirt tracks. You can see everything from any seat and it's usually action packed. I used to go watch at the Fen Tigers speedway near Mildenhall...always a fun night...and the fans are a hoot.
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That's pretty cool. They are weird lol. I went to school with a speedway racer/ now promoter (Brad Oxley) Years ago he was doing a learn how to ride a speedway bike / school / demo ride. I seem to remember them using a regular 500cc speedway bike. I asked Brad about it, he said for the classes they put on a large pizza size rear sprocket, (bigger than normal) an overinflated rock hard bald back tire, run regular gas and keep the track slippery and the speeds low. Sounded fun but I passed
Around 1973 I rode a Jawa at the old Elsinore practice track. Worked with a family (Moon) that raced and officiated speedway. It was a crazy experience as I had just learned to ride a motorcycle 6 mos prior!
Felt like a top fuel motor in a 10 speed bicycle frame.
To be fair the track wasn't actually a genuine speedway but an oval in a relatively pristine flat field. We had rode the track between being damp and wet as we had rain showers throughout the day.
It was easier to get the rear to break away when the track was at it's wettest/slipperiest but the speeds were a lot less in these conditions. I was sort of getting it by the end of the day, but even only doing 4 laps was tiring for someone like myself who has ridden moto since I was 14, I'm 49 now, I was trying hard to get it though.
I assumed it used to be, in the late 70's and through the 80's there were loads of US speedway riders racing the World Championships.
One of my earliest memories was watching Bruce Penhall beating Kenny Carter to the World Champs in 82 I think.
Kelly and Shawn Moran, Sam Ermalenko, Billy Hamill and Greg Hancock are the names that stick in my mind.
When I was in High School ( graduated in 73) there was lots of speedway going on in SoCal. Multiple nights a week racing was going on. We went every week to the Ventura County Fairgrounds and watched the races. Always big crowds and some great racing. Really fun times.
Why don’t they have brakes?
Turn right to go left, gas it to slow down.
Bruce Penhall in “On Any Sunday 2” was my introduction to Speedway bikes. They look screwy until they’re pitched sideways in a corner, than they look just right. 🤣
Id try it, twice.
I would love to have a go at that, have you got a link for who you went with?
because with a wall so close, its safer for everyone not to have them,
with brakes you can slow down fast, with out the guy behind you knowing you have started, when you have to pitch the bike in to slow it down, then the guy behind you can react,
I race flat track with a speedway club, keep meaning to have a go,
https://rideandskidit.com/
These are the guys.
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