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Post by tobyhalter on Sept 4, 2009 12:26:33 GMT 1
Nowrich had meetings for midget cars before and after the 1939-45 war. Where can I find details about drivers who took part in these races and possibly even the results. One name that comes to mind for before the war is Fred Alexander who was also a Norwich speedway rider.
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Post by haflinger121 on Sept 5, 2009 11:42:54 GMT 1
Not sure I can help much with this Toby, but we do have here a programme from a Cavalcade of Speed, held at The Firs on April 18th 1959. The meeting was promoted by Charlie Ochiltree, and featured - and I'm quoting here- "The Parker-Special 500cc Speedcars, Australian Type Banking Wheel Sidecars and Scratch & Handicap Speedway events". There is no entry list as such, but those racing appear to have included Cyril Crane, Mike Parker, Bruce Blood, Ken Smith, Eddie Bloomfield, Alf Crane, Bill Hulme, K. Shaw, Ron Lea, Wilf Johnson and an E. Davies.
The races were as follows:
4 lap Match Race between Cyril Crane and Parker, won by Crane in 86.2s.
4 lap Scratch Race between Blood, Smith, Bloomfield & Alf Crane. 1 Crane, 2 Bloomfield, 3 Smith. 88.0s.
4 lap Scratch Race between Hulme, Parker, Shaw & Lea (Lea replaced the programmed T. Dutton) 1 Hulme, 2 Parker, 3 Lea. 87.0s
4 lap Scratch Race between Johnson, C.Crane, Lea & Davies 1 Crane, 2 Davies. No other finishers given. 88.6s
Speedcar Triangular Match Race - 4 laps rolling start for the three fastest drivers in previous events. This was between Parker, Hulme & C. Crane.
1 Hulme, 2 Crane, 3 Parker. No time given.
Scratch Race Final, 6 laps. Drivers and results are a complete scribble, with only the winners time of 1m 59.8s really discernable.
Speedcar Consolation Race 4 Laps
Five driver's numbers written in, not clearly readable, no results.
Speedcar Grand Slam, 8 laps.
This was between Hulme,Johnson,Parker,Lea & cars numbered 57 & 31 - but there are no cars programmed with those numbers!
1 Johnson, 2 Parker, 3 Lea. Time given is 2m dead.
Hope that is of some interest.
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Post by rodpashley on Oct 3, 2009 11:47:36 GMT 1
Fred Alexander aso raced Midgets pre WW2
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Post by administrator on Oct 3, 2009 21:10:25 GMT 1
I seem to recall that Fred Alexander was also a pre-war Norwich speedway rider. He may have been an Australian.
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Post by administrator on Oct 5, 2009 15:14:05 GMT 1
Max Grosskreutz, the pre-war Norwich promoter, was keen on midget car racing and actually built a car with front and rear engines in the 1940s.
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Post by tungate on Oct 5, 2009 21:25:26 GMT 1
From what I read somewhere Max did not appreciate the ruts the midgets put in the surface of his Firs Stadium Speedway track.
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Post by tungate on Oct 5, 2009 21:34:13 GMT 1
Fred Alexander rode just once for the Norwich Stars. This was at the end of 1937 when Bert Spencer and some of the other riders had "gone to Australia" for their winter speedway but Norwich still had to visit Belle Vue Merseysiders (the ex-Liverpool team of the day) to complete that seasons National Provincial League fixtures. Fred was slotted in at number 8 for the Stars and scored 4 points from his 4 rides as Norwich were beated. My results of this meeting can be viewed on the appropriate section of the Speedway Researcher Website along with other results from Norwich 1937 opening season. I have not read that Fred was an Aussie but there is that possibility that he was.
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Post by stockcar54 on Oct 14, 2009 20:31:02 GMT 1
Here is some of the info you are looking for, there were only odd midget races that were featured as part of a speedway meeting in 1937. In 1938 there was one meeting to my knowledge but there may have been more.
3rd July 37 – Midget car exhibition – 4 lap Rolling start – Fred Alexander 87.0
10th July 37 - Midget Match Race (4 laps) – Fred Alexander beat Henry Skirrow – 89.0
14th August 37 – Rolling start Midget solo exhibition – Fred Alexander 83.8
2nd October 37 – Midget Car Race – Ron Wills, Walter Mackreath, Fred Alexander, 81.0
17th September 38 – MIDGET CAR MATCH – London 34 Provinces ?
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Post by haflinger121 on Oct 14, 2009 22:53:32 GMT 1
Some interesting stuff there Trevor - I assume that is you, from the user name? Should the driver in that July '37 match race be Harry Skirrow?
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Post by stockcar54 on Dec 4, 2009 20:21:07 GMT 1
Yea that's right Graham..... glasses were a wonderful invention..... if only I took them out of the case & wore them ;D
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