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Post by thirdturn on Aug 25, 2009 17:26:59 GMT 1
Vernon Balls was a leading driver at Greenford in 1928 and 1929, and also at Brooklands. Did he take part in any of the early midget car meetings in 1934. Vernon was a car dealer at Hammersmith and I once did a google search on him which gave some details but never said anything about midget cars. This link shows Vernon Balls at Brooklands in 1926: www.austinharris.co.uk/photo/1926-jcc-200-mile-race/2476
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Post by haflinger121 on Aug 25, 2009 20:21:08 GMT 1
Thirdturn, I do not believe Vernon was ever involved in midget racing proper. I certainly have no programmes or other records which mention him. I think there is a clue in that link you posted, where it says -jcc-200-mile-race. The "jcc" mentioned is the Junior Car Club, who organised races such as that 200-miler at Brooklands, but also the '28 meeting at Greenford. Balls probably got "dragged into it" that way, and otherwise never had any intention of becoming a short oval racer.
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Post by weewillie on Sept 3, 2009 12:40:25 GMT 1
Was Spike Rhiando involved with the 1928 Greenford meetings or did he come onto the scene in a big way later on. Wasn't he a driver and the promoter at Greenford at some time or other.
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Post by haflinger121 on Sept 3, 2009 19:50:15 GMT 1
Willie, although Rhiando seems to have been surrounded by a good deal of mystery, there are some things we do know about him. 1928 was too long ago for him to have been involved at Greenford. Indeed, I do not believe he was in the UK at that time. I don't have any hard evidence, but I have read that some researcher (presumably trying to discover whether Spike was American, Canadian, or what) discovered an "A. Rhiando" on a passenger list for a sailing from the USA to England in 1933. I realise that does not prove that Rhiando wasn't in the UK earlier, but...
However, he was to all intents and purposes, the promoter of the meeting at Greenford in '34. I get the impression (and that's all it is - again, no hard evidence) that Spike did not own his own car at that time, and therefore could not actually race.
There is a great deal more to be said (and discovered) about Rhiando, and he would make a great topic for a book. Unfortunately, the only people I suspect to be qualified to write it are no longer with us. Certainly, if I ever get my hands on a working time machine, Spike is one character I would love to sit down with my tape recorder running. Sadly, without that TARDIS I am around 40 years too late.
Incidentally, for anyone who may be interested, my Collectors Corner piece in the current edition of Oval Track Classic magazine centres on the programme from Greenford in '34. I have mentioned Rhiando's involvement (as I understand it) in the article.
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