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Post by administrator on May 12, 2009 21:34:07 GMT 1
I have had another look at this. I never saw any of the USA team's races in London, but if what I saw on the links clip is anything to go by it was far more competitive than what we may have been led to believe by the British Press of that time (May 1948).
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Post by thirdturn on Jun 10, 2009 21:28:40 GMT 1
What link and where is it. I can't see one. Can anyone guide me down so to speak.
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Post by administrator on Jun 11, 2009 6:19:16 GMT 1
Go into LINKS and follow the guide from there. Remember to use the site's SEARCH section with the request for Stamford Bridge midget cars 1948. It's there - I've just checked it out. And enjoyed seeing it again as well.
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Post by tobyhalter on Jun 12, 2009 1:01:30 GMT 1
Yes the Americans look much better than what our historians making use of obviously biased newspaper reports would have us believe about the 1948 Americans meetings in London. Those journalist must have been in the pay of the motorcycle speedway people to have been so critical and very nasty with their comments.
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Post by thirdturn on Aug 2, 2009 11:57:03 GMT 1
www.allspeedway.tv/I think you find this is the 1948 Stamford Bridge 1948 link as discussed previously. admin add item to above to get the link:www.allspeedway.tv/I was told to try the above link, then paste into search Stamford Bridge UK midgets 1948. Some good action stuff came up. I was impressed by what briefly was shown. Good crowd there, too.
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Post by rodpashley on Aug 18, 2009 23:36:06 GMT 1
I did hear that Lana Turner (who came with the USA Midget tour) was less than helpful with our press, so our press just got their own back in their reporting of the Midget racing.......
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Post by administrator on Aug 19, 2009 7:15:42 GMT 1
That's an interesting comment Rod. It also looks a rather petty attitude towards midget car racing by the so-called 'gentlemen (and ladies?) of the Press.' Who knows what would have happened had there been a more positive approach from the Press.
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Post by rodpashley on Aug 22, 2009 1:17:30 GMT 1
Also, the USA raced on a totaly different kind of "dirt" to that which our Midgets raced on....
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Post by rodpashley on Dec 31, 2009 1:49:31 GMT 1
It seems that in the USA, they bind their loose track surface's with oil, it reduces dirt being thrown up, and provides much better grip (hence their much faster lap times) This was given as the reason for much lower speeds when they were here, the cars were getting bogged down in our looser surface.
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Post by memaerobilia on Oct 22, 2010 16:35:08 GMT 1
I think this is interesting part of history of the 1948 Stamford Bridge (also referred to as Whites-Bridge Stadium) midget races with visiting U.S. cars & drivers. I have come across a number of Original 1948 photos from someone named Hatfield. He owned or drove the #1 car (dark-probably red?)with a large MACMILLAN OIL emblem on the right side. Here are some of his handwritten notes. Stamford-Bridge Stadium, London England was a dog-race track on the outside with a short 1/4 mile cinder track on inside. It was later paved. The white fence is the rail they used to run the rabbit. The lights were able to be reversed to light the inner or outer tracks. Some of the American cars were stored in a tin barn next to a (1500 year old?) white stone dairy barn. On one of the nights, thieves cut through the roof of the tin barn and stole almost all the tools and many of the midget spare parts. "They got everything in parts to build a car, except a body." two additional participants mentioned were, Fletcher Pierce and Kelly Johnson (a photo of them, although clear enough to be recognizable faces, is unfortunately a double exposure with another photo) The pit crews had 3 men to a car. Cars in these photos are #s 35, 67, -both clearly seen in the old Pathe news film footage- and, 1,50, 8, 2, and 90. I'll happily post a few of the photos. but WHERE should I post them. As this thread is for "midget photo links" it seems they should be in another section-but which? tracks, car, or?? As to traction and track surface. I have often heard it mentioned that one of the key factors iin the short life-span and popularity of midget racing in UK, was the surfaces that were cinder-tracks. It seemed that a lot of spectators went home unpleasantly covered and filthy with the cinder dust that was kicked up by the tires and sent to cover the fans in the seats. You can clearly see just how big these dust clouds were, coming off the tires, in the Pathe film clip. In the U.S., measures were taken to oil, or water down, the dirt tracks and minimize these dust/dirt clouds, for a more enjoyable spectator experience
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Post by administrator on Oct 22, 2010 17:16:54 GMT 1
www.allspeedway.tv/I think you find this is the 1948 Stamford Bridge 1948 link as discussed previously. admin add item to above to get the link:www.allspeedway.tv/I was told to try the above link, then paste into search Stamford Bridge UK midgets 1948. Some good action stuff came up. I was impressed by what briefly was shown. Good crowd there, too. I've just had another look at the link and the racing at Stamford Bridge appears to be much better than we were led to believe by the speedway bike-orientated press and journalists at that time. Far better than what I remember of the Spedeworth and GPMC midgets when I saw them at Wimbledon in the 1970s and again 1990s. But then, of course, these Americans were professional racing drivers.
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Post by rodpashley on Oct 22, 2010 23:08:11 GMT 1
I have a copy of a letter from one of the USA drivers saying that, because of the different track surface to what they normally raced on, the racing was not good. They had the track surfaces relayed, which matters, but still not good.
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Post by allensawyer23 on Jan 19, 2011 9:53:43 GMT 1
can we watch some videos of this?
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Post by tobyhalter on Jan 20, 2011 12:31:58 GMT 1
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Post by tobyhalter on Jan 20, 2011 12:38:47 GMT 1
I think this is interesting part of history of the 1948 Stamford Bridge (also referred to as Whites-Bridge Stadium) midget races with visiting U.S. cars & drivers. I have come across a number of Original 1948 photos from someone named Hatfield. He owned or drove the #1 car (dark-probably red?)with a large MACMILLAN OIL emblem on the right side. Here are some of his handwritten notes. Stamford-Bridge Stadium, London England was a dog-race track on the outside with a short 1/4 mile cinder track on inside. It was later paved. The white fence is the rail they used to run the rabbit. The lights were able to be reversed to light the inner or outer tracks. Some of the American cars were stored in a tin barn next to a (1500 year old?) white stone dairy barn. On one of the nights, thieves cut through the roof of the tin barn and stole almost all the tools and many of the midget spare parts. "They got everything in parts to build a car, except a body." two additional participants mentioned were, Fletcher Pierce and Kelly Johnson (a photo of them, although clear enough to be recognizable faces, is unfortunately a double exposure with another photo) The pit crews had 3 men to a car. Cars in these photos are #s 35, 67, -both clearly seen in the old Pathe news film footage- and, 1,50, 8, 2, and 90. I'll happily post a few of the photos. but WHERE should I post them. As this thread is for "midget photo links" it seems they should be in another section-but which? tracks, car, or?? As to traction and track surface. I have often heard it mentioned that one of the key factors iin the short life-span and popularity of midget racing in UK, was the surfaces that were cinder-tracks. It seemed that a lot of spectators went home unpleasantly covered and filthy with the cinder dust that was kicked up by the tires and sent to cover the fans in the seats. You can clearly see just how big these dust clouds were, coming off the tires, in the Pathe film clip. In the U.S., measures were taken to oil, or water down, the dirt tracks and minimize these dust/dirt clouds, for a more enjoyable spectator experience May I suggest the photos go into HISTORIC MIDGET CAR PHOTOS. I look forward to seeing what might come up. Thanks for the offer and interest because I am sure other members would like to see what remains in regard to the Americans visit to London back in 1948.
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