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Post by tobyhalter on Mar 11, 2012 12:02:22 GMT 1
THIS may be the first record of car racing on a UK speedway track. The research is by leading speedway historian Brian Collins. www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/docs/brighton/1928.pdfBRIGHTON (Hove) SPEEDWAY 1928 By Brian Collins Argus 20.6.28 "Great progress has been made with the work of laying the dirt track for motor racing at the Hove Stadium, and practice runs will be possible tomorrow." "Two Morgan cars, which are classified as side-cars, are to be driven at the opening meeting in competititon against side-car outfits. The event is to be a handicap." Argus 23.6.28, Sussex Daily News 25.6.28, Brighton & Hove Herald 30.6.28
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Post by kiwikid34 on Mar 11, 2012 18:39:28 GMT 1
THIS may be the first record of car racing on a UK speedway track. The research is by leading speedway historian Brian Collins. www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/docs/brighton/1928.pdfBRIGHTON (Hove) SPEEDWAY 1928 By Brian Collins Argus 20.6.28 "Great progress has been made with the work of laying the dirt track for motor racing at the Hove Stadium, and practice runs will be possible tomorrow." "Two Morgan cars, which are classified as side-cars, are to be driven at the opening meeting in competititon against side-car outfits. The event is to be a handicap." Argus 23.6.28, Sussex Daily News 25.6.28, Brighton & Hove Herald 30.6.28 That appearance by Morgan cars was hardly the UK birth of midget car racing but was without doubt a step in the right direction. This is a rare item indeed in regard to cars on the speedway track nearly 84 years ago.
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Post by tsrwright on Mar 14, 2012 10:21:00 GMT 1
It wasn't actually suggested that this event at Brighton and Hove was midget racing; there was a fair bit of car racing before midgets started up c1934 onwards - mainly modified small sports cars with the Junior Car Club - a big organization - running a car meeting on the Greenford trotting track in June 1928 (does anyone have the exact date handy?)
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Post by mybigtoe18 on Mar 14, 2012 22:40:43 GMT 1
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Post by haflinger121 on Mar 15, 2012 0:03:49 GMT 1
This "new" (can I call press quotes from 1928 new?) information shows that Brighton & Hove very nearly beat Greenford into action as the first ever UK short oval car track. Personally, I would consider a Morgan Aerocar to be a three wheeler and so not really a 'car', which should have four wheels in my book. This nit-pick aside, this confirms what I have always thought; that it is possible for two or more people to have the same good idea at exactly the same time. As a result, I have been waiting quite a while now for somebody to prove cars raced on a short oval BEFORE Greenford. I'm still waiting, but this was a very near miss!
(Later)
Having carefully studied the new Brighton & Hove info, and all the available info about Greenford, it would seem they both first ran on the exact same day, June 23rd 1928.
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Post by tsrwright on Mar 31, 2012 10:58:06 GMT 1
This "new" (can I call press quotes from 1928 new?) information shows that Brighton & Hove very nearly beat Greenford into action as the first ever UK short oval car track. Personally, I would consider a Morgan Aerocar to be a three wheeler and so not really a 'car', which should have four wheels in my book. ... (Later) Early on Morgans had been classed as cyclecars because of their weight and capacity and came under the control of the ACU and FICM as did lighter 4 wheeled cars also classed as cyclecars (max 1100cc and 250kg). As of 1 January 1926 this odd arrangement came to an end and ACU/FICM took control of all threewheelers while the RAC/AIACR controlled all four-wheelers (scource is an FIM publication 'World Records' which was issued in 1979). From that time the JCC light car races at Brooklands were 4 wheel only and I would think any meeting with a Morgan competing would have been for motorcycles and under the ACU. It seems improbable that the Brighton meeting would have been a car meeting which Greenford definitely was.
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Post by weewillie on Apr 10, 2012 8:23:31 GMT 1
I am going to move on quite a few years - was this the same place where midget car racing took place in the early 1950s?
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Post by haflinger121 on Apr 10, 2012 21:58:50 GMT 1
Yes, Willie definitely the same track.
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