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Post by administrator on Apr 17, 2009 10:48:15 GMT 1
By John Hyam:
BELL End Speedway at Holbeach, Lincolnshire:
This track staged meetings in the late 1930s and again in the early post-war years, from 1945 to about 1950. Primarily for motorcycle speedway, there was also an attempt to stage midget car racing on August 24, 1947.
Thanks to another midget car hisorian (there are others besides myself!), Derek Bridgett provided me with a copy of that meeting’s programme. And most of the pre-war drivers were in action: Walter Mackereth, Charlie 'Ginger' Pashley, Spike Rhiando, Frank Chiswell, Johnny Young, Vic Patterson, Billy Murden and Vic Worswick were listed.
There were 12 races over either six or eight laps. And of tantalising interest, there was also a speedway bike v midget car race. No names are given for the latter event, nor did the programme carry any heat results.
But on the programme’s back cover - and not listed for the midget car races - is the name of speedway rider Wilf Plant. Did he ride against the midget and who won? I doubt if we will ever know.
Bell End was an unusual track. It had grass straights and cinder bends, the latter was its claim to being a speedway. It all ended when the ACU decreed, sometime in the late 1940s, that it was a grass track and that the motorcycles had to be fitted with brakes.
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Post by rodpashley on Aug 22, 2009 11:42:02 GMT 1
John, you can add Charlie Pashley to your list for Bell End, I know he did that meeting.
Edit: Corrected as requested. administrator
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Post by tungate on Oct 3, 2009 21:41:32 GMT 1
1945 - 46. Wilf Plant was a regular at Bell End Speedway track in those days. As you say the track had grass straights and cinder bends at the time and never was a "real speedway track" Other regulars there included Geoff Godwin who was a member of the Middlesbrough Bears line-up in the Speedway Division Two of the day. Tip Mills was another regular rider I dont think they ever had a "Speedway Licence" to run there
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