Spedeworth: BriSCA's CousinSad news: the man who started it 50 years ago, Les Eaton, passed away 23 January 2012. The fun we've had over the years is all down to good men like Les. R.I.P. My website is 99% BriSCA, as was my oval track spectating, but I have been storing these images for ages and it's time to let them loose: Above: Sunny day at Cowdenbeath! First, a huge thank-you is due to long time race fan Alan Humphrey, who contributed the following 68 Spedeworth photos some years ago, and which have sat "somewhere" in my computer ever since. These photos also appear elsewhere on the Intenet. Alan's racing started in 1973 in Jalopies with Tongham Motor Club. Thence to Spedeworth Hot Rods driving #162, then PRI MiniRods #63, then Spedeworth Stock Rods #262, with a foray into Spedeworth Bangers #55. Braintree Auto Club was Alan's last sign-up where he raced Bangers as #62 and lastly Hot Rods under #228, with a few borrowed rides along the way. The last race Alan had was in the banger van #00 that he took out in a charity event for Cystic Fibrosis: altogether a racing 'career' spanning some thirteen years Secondly, my plea for patience from Alan and others who knew Spedeworth much better than I did, as I cannot accurately place many of the cars, drivers, dates, or tracks. Get in touch with me if you can correct or add a fact to this list. I will try to group the photos as best I can to start with. Special thanks to the knowledgeable and well-traveled Graham Brown for many driver and track facts I've been able to add to the following photos. Graham has for many years been
organizing, lap scoring, doingTV commentaries, documentary making,
and magazine reporting on oval track racing, as well as running his own
transmission business and collecting stock car memorabilia. He recently
moved to a road that leads just three miles to the site of Staines
Stadium, "only 48 years too late!" in Graham's own words. Early Days Update November 2011: Thanks to Lorraine Saunders for sending these three photos of early Spedeworth meets at Reading's Tilehurst Stadium, taken some time between 1961 and 1964. They show her father Richard "Dick" Barker, who raced under #6 between 1959 and 1964 and, quote "lived his life to the full".
Request: would anyone who remembers Dick Barker from the greyhounds or stock cars, please get in touch with me.  January 2012: Staines racer Don Mason #78 raced in
1967/68 with Todd Sweeney, Biffo Sweeney, Tony May, Dave Pearce and the
Warwick brothers. In Spedeworth he was listed as "Mole" Mason, as there was already a seasoned driver with the name Don Mason. His
first car used a Ford motor with twin carbs, 4-branch manifold, ally
flywheel etc, but still neede more oomph. After a Wimbledon wreck
he worked with Les Collins and Jack Bavingdon to get a bought-in chassis and installed an 1800 MG motor.
Brands Hatch "Kinky" Roy Wood #82,
from Reading was nicknamed for 'kinking' his car so often, as well as
for his adventurous fabrication, which included a rear-engined car. Doug Wardropper #55 and 550. Doug W. again alongside son Alan #500. Pete Cayzer #359 Colourful hillside shot of cars 25, 520, and 342 Wimbledon Stadium Cars 106 and 480 in the pits. Wimpy burgers wait for car 162! Very low-slung lightweight #14, with 567 and 546. Square versus rounded: 155 versus 96 body styles. Another year, 155 Don Ham from Hawkhurt , 160 John Field and the little Topolino #65 of Tony Grant. Cars 364 Tony May and 320 Dave Pierce from Dorking. Packed with spare stuff,from Kirton is Norman Crowe's #307. Youth admiring #217 Bob Perry's car from Diss in Norfolk, and the pace car. A Scot invades: #2. Buncha cars: 41, 35, 576, and 456 wait at Wimbledon. Sunny Cowdenbeath, "Cowdie" January 2012: Derek Wood,
#105 sends these photos. Derek raced Spedeworth in 1965-66 and
was in fact the first winner of the Cowdenbeath Cup. Derek was based in
Ayton, Berwickshire, and raced a Ford-chassis'd Mini-bodied car.
The 997cc motor used an Aquaplane head.First, some celebrity: the Berwick & District Motor Club was privileged to have visitors and members such as Jim Clark and Graham Hill. Unfortunately, Graham Hill didn't have time to switch from his 'serious' face to a smile when the camera flashed. A two time F1 world champ, Indy 500 winner, and Le Mans winner, as well as 5-time Monaco winner, Hill was a hard man but had left school at 16 as an apprentice with little money, and he believed strongly in supporting amateur sports. Derek is 2nd from left in the back row. 
Great view for those houses, of cars 98, 114, and 50. The builder of colourful #51 maybe started with a Metropolitan? Pitted next to 320 Dave Pearce. Night races, unknown tracks and dates #226 needs a new bonnet soon. #107 and X65. #267 with 55 in the background. Alan Freebody was #295 and autographed this photo of himself on the drivers parade at Wimbledon. In rain gear and with a toy on the roof, #319 tries to look cheery. A very cut-down doot being blackened by exhaust, on #82, probably Reading, 'possibly' Oxford. Three directions: left, right, and oops for 345, 224 and Dave Hall. Some winners Anyone recognize this chap, and these happy men? Thanks to Alan and Russ --- the chap with the dicky bow tie is Spedeworth's marshal "Jumbo" Allen, who often topped it off with a gold-painted bowler hat. Right rear is Geoff Goddard, right front is Tony May. [For many id's, my thanks to Graham Brown.] Eddie Asling always a grin In BriSCA and Spedeworth, the smart driver's suit and horn rimmed glasses above a big smile meant "Asling's here."
Various ovals
Various oval track pits
From Alan Humphrey's large Spedeworth archive I am going to select some sensational --- fires and crashes, yes I know this gives a bad image! Here we go:
Doug Wardropper, when he wasn't busy being Senior (F1) World Champion, could also be seen racing his Junior # 505, and his Spedeworth Superstox #55 at Ipswich 1968. July 2010: Another photo of the Wardroppers' foray into Spedeworth 1968 in their identical cars; Doug is 55 and Alan is #500. This is Ipswich. Photo from Gordon Bland. August 2010: Here are two photos of the
late Leslie Hobbs, who raced Spedeworth all over the South-East in the
early 1970's. Leslie's son Graham kindly sent me these
photos a couple of years back, and I lost them in my files until recently.
Leslie's long-bonnet #111 car, and shown again here with sons Graham
and Russell, was once found handy as an "elves float" in a local
Christmas parade. Graham Hobbs recalls as a youngster the
dominant presence of the great "Foxy" Dance at most races, and that
eternal Swingin' SafariThe following two photos were taken at Ipswich in 1965. "Nev" Thompson enjoying a parade lap on his #50, and at a different date (with a bigger crowd) storming through a corner. Also, a snapshot of Neville's car on its trailer. Nev Thompson was from West Dereham, Norfolk, and had earlier raced in Senior F1's, and was a buddy of the famous Ron Pears from Wisbech. Nev's Senior was taken over by his brother Keith Thompson, the father of Tim who kindly supplied the info and photos. Keith held the enviable record for rollovers from a ramp at Norwich. |
