Over the years I have been an avid fan of Speedway, It was a family treat every Monday night going down to watch the Exeter Falcons. After moving away from my home town I lost track of the Speedway scene but the thought of the atmosphere and the smell and flying shale was still in my mind.
I ended up starting to go to Belle Vue Aces and everything I remembered about my days at Exeter came flooding back even though I don't go every week it is still a thrill the next time I go back. Pete - Stockport
From the first race it became obvious that, despite this being a testimonial, the riders meant business. As they jostled for position around the tight bends, every sinew straining to keep control of the sliding back wheels, the crowd roared on their favourite, struggling to be heard over the deep growl of the engines. The blur of sound and colour, as they passed only yards away, was replaced by the one sensation that, for me, made the whole experience real. The exhaust fumes from the methanol fuel forced their way up my nostrils and left an overpowering but not unpleasant lingering smell reminiscent of cooking oil. It was at this point that I felt a connection with my fellow spectators, as if I had just experienced some rite of passage, which no amount of armchair viewing could bestow upon me. Daren Cowen
I went to my first Speedway meeting at Poole in 1979. It was generally thought by those who knew me best that it would not be "my cup of tea" at all, but how wrong they were! I absolutely loved it! I didn't understand about helmet colours and teams and so on, but I bought the Speedway Star and the Speedway Mail at the track, asked a few questions and I was hooked! From that time on, I went to meetings home and away as often as I could and four of us become regulars at our home track Poole and at Swindon in the Phil Crump era.
So what makes it such an exciting sport? The smell of the methanol, the buzz when the bikes are roaring, friendly supporters, the Stadium atmosphere and the fact that Speedway is so unpredictable. Even the score card is important. Mary
Speedway racing is the most exciting and breathtaking 1minute of action available. The emotions that occur from the build-up of the riders coming onto the track, to the final chequered flag is sometimes more than you can take! The air of awe from around the stadium is a phenomena that no other sport can bring. The sounds, the smell, the taste and the feeling in the air of the dust mixed together with the oil and fumes leads to nothing but memories that you will never forget!
As a spectator, my heart pumps really fast and that feeling as the tapes fly up, is not comparable to anything in the world. The thrills of seeing 4 riders bumping and grinding into the first corner and the leader trying to get away is superb! Speedway is modern day hunting, where the leader will be chased by other riders trying to outwit them, out-manoeuvre them and ultimately push them to the limit of making a slight error upon which to capitalize on. A minute of speedway racing combines all emotions, reactions and fear for success. The sounds of the crescendo of the crowd cheering, the air-horns blowing and the announcer going crazy is one word! HEAVEN!!! David Hensby - Canada
It's great to support your local and national team, lots of passion comes from that. The bravery and skill of the riders is special, as much as we might moan about the lack of passing or whatever, no way would the majority of fans have the guts to get out there and do what the riders are doing in the first place. No brakes, boarded circuits, racing centimetres from one another ............ scary but exciting to watch!!
The camaraderie and banter of the fans is good, discussions maybe heated but they never turn to violence. The accessibility of the riders to the fans is unheard of in sport, there's no having a pint with Wayne Rooney in the bar after a match like you could with Scott Nicholls for instance. Same with referees, team managers and promoters, everyone is accessible if you want to talk to them. Theresa Carman
Speedway is the best sport in the world - Speedway rules!!!!!!! Tracey Knights
I Love Speedway!
It was a trip on the train to Cradley Heath on July 18th 1970 that did it. My Dad and my brother took me to my first meeting to see the Swindon Robins race the Heathens. That wide eyed 10 year old boy was enthralled, from the moment the gleaming bikes lined up for the parade to the wind down lap of heat 13. It was the greatest thing I'd ever seen, or heard, or smelled. On the way home, I raced in my mind, me against Chris Bass or Bernie Persson or Martin Ashby. I was in a speedway world of my own. And now, almost 37 years later, I still am. The sport still enthralls me. After being slightly concerned that a 20 year wait for the return of our famous Brummies may diminish my interest in the sport, I'm now as enthusiastic as ever, if not more so. It's like being 16 again, when I chose to read Speedway Star from cover to cover, or paint another program board, rather than revise for my O levels or do my homework. Race days are now spent with the same excited, butterflies in the stomach feeling that I had way back then. And that's just brilliant.
Our sport isn't the "beautiful game", even that game is as ugly as sin now, it isn't the sport of kings and it certainly isn't a noble art. What it is though, is a people's sport, a fans' sport, where the stars are within easy reach and the opposing fans approachable, where you can walk around your local stadium, have a pie, a pint, a chat, make new friends, relax maybe, well at least up until the start of the next heat, when you'll probably choke on your pie, spill your pint and shout yourself hoarse. Fill in your program. And relax.
It can make you happy, it'll make you laugh and cry in equal measure probably, but love the sport and that butterflies in the stomach feeling will stay with you, every race day and every heat of every season. Tony Wilson - Birmingham
UPCOMING FIXTURES...
2021 fixture information to follow when available...
LATEST RESULTS...
THURSDAY OCTOBER 22:
PETER CRAVEN MEMORIAL – at Belle Vue
1. Jason Doyle
2. Dan Bewley
3. Brady Kurtz
4. Richard Lawson
5. Rory Schlein
6. Sam Masters
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 21:
BRITISH UNDER-21 FINAL, Berwick 1 Dan Bewley (Belle Vue) 15 2 Leon Flint (Berwick/Armadale) 14 3 Anders Rowe (Swindon/Somerset) 13
Abandoned - Curfew - Result declared after heat 20
SATURDAY OCTOBER 17:
FIM MONSTER ENERGY SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS - FINAL, Lublin, Poland 1 RUSSIA 23 (Emil Sayfutdinov 15, Artem Laguta 8) 2 POLAND 23 (Barosz Zmarzlik 15, Szymon Wozniak 8) 3 DENMARK 19 (Leon Madsen 10, Marcus Birkemose 5, Anders Thomsen 4) 4 SWEDEN 19 (Fredrik Lindgren 14, Oilver Berntzon 5) 5 AUSTRALIA 17 (Max Fricke 12, Jason Doyle 5, Jaimon Lidsey 0) 6 GREAT BRITAIN 12 (Robert Lambert 6, Dan Bewley 6, Drew Kemp 0) 7 CZECH REPUBLIC 11 (Vacliv Milik 11, Eduard Krcmar 0, Petr Chlupac 0) Abandoned after 14 Heats - Result stands (Russia crowned 2020 FIM Speedway of Nations Champions)
FRIDAY OCTOBER 16:
FIM MONSTER ENERGY SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS - FINAL, 1st leg, Lublin, Poland OFF - Track Waterlogged The Final will now be a one-legged event (Saturday October 17)
SATURDAY OCTOBER 10:
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP Round 5, Belle Vue 500cc (a) 1 Dan Thompson 2 Harry McGurk 3 Jake Mulford 4 Elliot Kelly Dan Thompson is 500cc Champion
500cc (b - support class) 1 Danny Smith 2 Alex Goldsbrough 3 Sam Peters 4 Katie Gordon
250cc 1 Luke Harrison 2 Max James 3 Cameron Taylor 4 Ashton Vale Luke Harrison is 250cc Champion
125cc (a) 1 Sonny Springer 2 Ace Pijper 3 William Cairns 4 Ben Trigger Sonny Springer is 125cc Champion
125cc (b - support class) 1 Stene Pijper 2 Oliver Bovingdon 3 Owen Booth 4 Caydin Martin
SATURDAY OCTOBER 3:
FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 8 POLISH GRAND PRIX, Torun 1 Bartosz Zmarzlik (Pol) 20 2 Maciej Janowski (Pol) 18 3 Artem Laguta (Rus) 16 4 Fredrik Lindgren (Swe) 14
FINAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (After round 8 of 8) 1 Bartosz Zmarzlik (Pol) 133 2 Tai Woffinden (GB) 117 - after run-off 3 Fredrik Lindgren (Swe) 117 4 Maciej Janowski (Pol) 107 Bartosz Zmarzlik crowned 2020 World Champion
FRIDAY OCTOBER 2:
FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 7 POLISH GRAND PRIX, Torun 1 Max Fricke (Aus) 20 2 Maciej Janowski (Pol) 18 3 Tai Woffinden (GB) 16 4 Bartosz Zmarzlik (Pol) 14
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (After round 7 of 8) 1 Bartosz Zmarslik (Pol) 113 2 Tai Woffinden (GB) 105 3 Fredrik Lindgren 103 4 Maciej Janowski (Pol) 89
CALEDONIAN RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP
1. William Lawson
2. Kyle Bickley
3. Leon Flint
4. Elliot Kelly
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 29:
NATIONAL LEAGUE CHALLENGE
Plymouth Select v Leicester Select - OFF
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 28:
BRITISH FINAL, Belle Vue 1 Rory Schlein (Wolverhampton/Somerset) 2 Richard Lawson (Sheffield/Eastbourne) 3 Jason Crump (Ipswich) 4 Steve Worrall (Belle Vue/Poole)
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 26:
BRITISH FINAL, Ipswich - OFF Re-staging date: Monday September 28 @ BELLE VUE
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 24:
CHALLENGE
Belle Vue Select 49 – Dan Bewley 13+1
ATPI All Stars 41 – Rory Schlein 11+1
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 22:
CHALLENGE
Plymouth Select 51 – Henry Atkins 18
British Young Lions 39 – Dan Thompson 10
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 21:
BRITISH UNDER-19 CHAMPIONSHIP, Scunthorpe 1 Drew Kemp (Ipswich/Eastbourne) 15 2 Dan Gilkes (Kent) 14 3 Jordan Palin (Scunthorpe/Belle Vue) 10 (after run-off)
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 20:
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP Round 4, Edinburgh
500cc 1 Joe Thompson 2 Dan Thompson 3 Harry McGurk 4 Archie Freeman
250cc 1 Max James 2 Ashton Vale (Two riders only in Final)
125cc (a) 1 Max Perry 2 William Cairns 3 Sonny Springer 4 Ben Trigger
125cc (b) – Support class 1 Stene Pijper 2 Owen Booth 3 Rebecca Weston 4 Harry Fletcher
FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 6 CZECH REPUBLIC GRAND PRIX, Prague 1 Bartosz Zmarzlik (POL) 20
2 Tai Woffinden (GB) 18
3 Jason Doyle (Aus) 16 4 Fredrik Lindgren (Swe) 14
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (After round 6 of 8) 1 Bartosz Zmarzlik (Pol) 99 2 Fredrik Lindgren (Swe) 92 3 Tai Woffinden (GB) 89 4 Maciej Janowski (Pol) 71
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 18:
FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 5 CZECH REPUBLIC GRAND PRIX, Prague 1 Bartosz Zmarzlik (Pol) 20 2 Tai Woffinden (GB) 18 3 Martin Vaculik (Slk) 16 4 Emil Sayfutdinov (Rus) 14
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (After round 5 of 8) 1 Bartosz Zmarzlik (Pol) 79 2 Fredrik Lindgren (Swe) 78 3 Tai Woffinden (GB) 71 4 Maciej Janowski (Pol) 62
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 12:
FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 4 POLISH GRAND PRIX, Gorzow 1 Fredrik Lindgren (Swe) 20 2 Leon Madsen (Den) 18 3 Jason Doyle (Aus) 16 4 Emil Sayfutdnov (Rus) 14
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (After round 4 of 8) 1 Fredrik Lindgren (Swe) 66 2 Bartosz Zmarzlik (Pol) 59 3 Maciej Janowski (Pol) 57 4 Tai Woffinden (GB) 53
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 11:
FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 3 POLISH GRAND PRIX, Gorzow 1 Bartosz Zamarzlik (Pol) 20 2 Jason Doyle (Aus) 18 3 Fredrik Lindgren (Swe) 16 4 Leon Madsen (Den) 14
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (After round 3 of 8) 1 Maciej Janowski (Pol) 48 2 Bartisz Zmarzlik (Pol) 47 3 Fredrik Lindgren (Swe) 46 4 Tai Woffinden (GB) 43
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 13:
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE CHALLENGE Leicester Select v Scunthorpe Select - OFF
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 8:
THREE TEAM TOURNAMENT, Plymouth
Eastbourne 31 – Tom Brennan 10, Jason Edwards 10
Isle of Wight 30 – Ben Morley 13
Plymouth 28- Alfie Bowtell 12
MONDAY AUGUST 31:
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE CHALLENGE Scunthorpe Select 53 (Jordan Palin 14+1) Leicester Select 61 (Dan Thompson 13+1)
SUNDAY AUGUST 30:
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP - Round 3, King’s Lynn 500cc 1 Joe Thompson 2 Harry McGurk 3 Elliot Kelly 4 Dan Thompson
250cc 1 Luke Harrison 2 Max James 3 Ashton Vale 4 Jody Scott
125cc (a) 1 Sonny Springer 2 Billy Budd 3 Jamie Etherington 4 Jack Shimelt
125cc (b - support class) 1 Rico Joyce 2 Becky Weston 3 Caydin Martin
SATURDAY AUGUST 29:
FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 2 POLISH GRAND PRIX, Wroclaw 1 Maciej Janowski (Pol) 20 2 Tai Woffinden (GB) 18 3 Bartosz Zmarzlik (Pol) 16 4 Fredrik Lindgren (Swe) 14
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (After round 2 of 8) 1 Maciej Janowski (Pol) 38 2 Artem Laguta (Rus) 32 3 Tai Woffinden (GB) 32 4 Fredrik Lindgren (Swe) 30
FRIDAY AUGUST 28:
FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 1 POLISH GRAND PRIX, Wroclaw 1 Artem Laguta (Rus) 20 2 Maciej Janowski (Pol) 18 3 Fredrik Lindgren (Swe) 16 4 Tai Woffinden (GB) 14
SATURDAY AUGUST 22:
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP - Round 2, Leicester 500cc 1 Dan Thompson 2 Joe Thompson 3 Elliot Kelly 4 Harry McGurk
250cc 1 Luke Harrison 2 Max James 3 Ashton Vale 4 Cameron Taylor
125cc (a) 1 Max Perry 2 Sonny Springer 3 Ben Trigger 4 Ace Pijper
125cc (b) - support class 1 Charlie Wood 2 Caydin Martin 3 Rico Joyce 4 Owen Booth
SUNDAY AUGUST 9:
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP - Round 1, Scunthorpe 500cc 1 Jordan Palin 2 Dan Thompson 3 Archie Freeman 4 Joe Thompson
250cc 1 Max James 2 Luke Harrison 3 Ashton Vale 4 William Hocaniuk
125cc (class A) 1 William Cairns 2 Sonny Springer 3 Ben Trigger 4 Max Perry
125cc (class B - support class) 1 Billy Budd 2 Stene Pijper 3 Jake Lee 4 Owen Booth
SUNDAY MARCH 15:
50TH ANNIVERSARY MEETING, Peterborough - OFF
SATURDAY MARCH 14:
BEN FUND BONANZA, Scunthorpe 1 Danny King (Ipswich/Poole) 2 Steve Worrall (Belle Vue/Poole) 3 Josh Auty (Scunthorpe) 4 Lewis Kerr (King’s Lynn/Eastbourne)