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Post by youtubefiend on Apr 3, 2011 10:12:48 GMT 1
This is an advert for bantam car racing at Southampton Speedway. I think it was in the mid-1950s but I am not sure. What exactly was it and how long did it last? bantam cars...pton 002.jpg[/img] Attachments:
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Post by administrator on Apr 3, 2011 11:46:01 GMT 1
I have no record of a meeting other than one at Easter 1955. I wrote this about it: "The first bantam car meeting was at Southampton on Easter Monday, April 11, 1955. It was billed as “England’s Latest Car Racing Thrill’ and included a trophy and £100 prize money. There were novice and ladies races and main racing featuring speedway riders. "The listed drivers for the main section of the meeting included Ernie Rawlins, Maurice Mattingley, Bluey Scott, Allan Quinn, Alby Golden, Reg Rawlins, Johnny Fitzpatrick, Gerry Bridson, Ray Hammond, Keith Yeo, George Randall, Cyril Taylor, Johnny Hole, Bert Croucher, Brian Hanham and Charlie May." My information has always been that it was a "two-meeting affair" - a first and last at the same time! If there were subsequent meetings it would be interesting to find out more about them. If the link works, photos of bantam speedcars (buzzcars as Getty term them) can be found on Getty Images at www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/3369177/Hulton-Archive
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Post by administrator on Apr 26, 2011 8:12:16 GMT 1
Batam racing Soton.jpg[/img] Here's the advert for the first meeting that season on Easter Monday. Attachments:
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Post by ovaltrack on Aug 14, 2018 18:45:01 GMT 1
From Northern Echo article 2015
THEY were known as "Flying Soapboxes" and 60 years ago, back in 1955, the little racing cars were the latest craze for Southampton people looking for thrills and excitement amidst the dull days of post-war austerity.
Officially known as CK's Bantam Racers they were designed specifically for the former Southampton Stadium where it was planned that members of the public would be able to to compete against one another on the venue's cinder track.
The little cars were the brainwave of the late Charles Knott, then Southampton's number one sports promoter and owner of the Stadium which attracted thousands to speedway, stock car racing, greyhound racing and many other sporting events such as showjumping, boxing, exhibition tennis matches and wrestling.
It was in March, 1955 that Mr Knott unveiled his latest promotion with the arrival of the Bantams. They boasted a top speed of 45 miles an hour and were powered by a standard 197cc Villiers engine with three forward gears and one reverse, which had been built in a workshop in Millbrook, Southampton.
At just seven feet long and four feet wide, the cars, which were controlled by normal vehicle foot pedals, were designed with flush sides extending almost to the ground making the wheels virtually invisible as the vehicles scooted round the stadium circuit.
The Bantams were the creation of Mr Knott together with speedway rider, Mike Erskine, who were both convinced that this type of racing, open to the general public, had a great future. Unfortunately their plans for the new sport soon ground to a halt.
Before local people, who needed just a crash helmet and a driving licence, clambered into the cars there were months on intense testing and on the afternoon of Easter Monday, 1955 the first Bantam racing event attracted a huge crowd.
The Daily Echo reported: "This new type of motor sport - it seems a cross between stock car racing and dodgem cars - gave the spectators plenty of thrills.
"Spills were few. Only one driver was injured and taken to hospital, but bumping and pushing as the Bantam cars completed their laps caused considerable excitement.
"Quite a lot of talent was shown during the event, and with a little more experience there should be a lot of fun in this new sport for both drivers and spectators."
A two further competitions were held at the Stadium but the brakes were soon applied to the fledgling sport as the cars were not considered safe enough for the public to drive and the brief experiment was consigned to the history books
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Post by stutowner on Aug 15, 2018 10:20:30 GMT 1
This is what John Hyam submitted for the Voice issue 65 Summer 2017. 'An alternative form of midget car racing was ‘bantam cars’, the brainchild of Southampton promoter Charlie Knott and former England speedway international Mike Erskine. Although designed with a steel body and wide wheel base, the Greeves-powered Bantam failed to create much interest and in one race a car flipped over and injured its driver. Both Knott and Erskine then decided the cars were not safe to race on a small oval and abandoned them. The first bantam car meeting was at Southampton on Easter Monday, April 11, 1955. It was billed as England’s Latest Car Racing Thrill and included a trophy and £100 prize money. There were novice and ladies races and main racing featuring speedway riders. The listed drivers for the main section of the meeting included Ernie Rawlins, Maurice Mattingley, Bluey Scott, Allan Quinn, Alby Golden, Reg Rawlins, Johnny Fitzpatrick, Gerry Bridson, Ray Hammond, Keith Yeo, George Randall, Cyril Taylor, Johnny Hole, Bert Croucher, Brian Hanham and Charlie May. Southampton sports historian Chris Bayley said, 'Details of this venture are from people’s memories - no real records were kept. Greeves motorcycles supplied the power units, so the engines were probably Villiers. When the cars proved unpopular, the company agreed to take back all the engines. The cars were stored for a while, then scrapped. The vehicle body makers were C.A. Ridgwell of Southampton, who are no longer in business.' The Bantam Cars were probably the ugliest vehicles to ever appear on a race track. They lacked all concept of classic midget car design, and were probably more akin to fairground dodgems. Their passing was welcomed rather than mourned!'
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