Funny how things turn up. Here we are doing the Tardebigge flight of locks in the middle of nowhere and you get talking to a lady on the tow path who lives nearby in an ex lock keepers cottage. The word speedway gets mentioned in the conversation and before you know it an offer to go to the weekend meeting at, the " Home of Formula 1 Stock Cars, Coventry is the plan.
We travelled on and with a weekend mooring in Warwick it wasn't to far out of the way to be picked up. Ann and Fred picked me up from a canal overbridge and we hit the road and arrived with plenty of time to spare to have a good look around the pits etc..
Now young Fred, it was his 69th birthday Saturday, raced stockcars for 25 yrs and from my observations and listenings was a "real" stock car driver. Winning and the cars well fare didn't always rate highly. I don't think the oppositions well fare rated too highly either.
But after all his racing exploits a walk through the pits with Fred and Ann showed me he is well liked and respected by all, well in racing and competition terms that's almost all...
I would say that Fred was New Zealands equvilant to Charlie Bernstein, a crowd pleaser.... and a Bloody Hard Case....
From the car park its the first view of the "Hallowed Arena"...
First cars seen were a couple on show... Veterans but still drivable...
42 is on a Buick chassis & V8 powered..... looked about 1 chain long.....
53 is Ex John Lund car he raced to some of his 8 world titles....3 here at Coventry...
Then into the pits to see the latest race cars...
84 the Tom Harris car.... and eventual winner of the Grand Final on the night..
They use Transit front beams, Morris Commercial diffs.... most all run Big Block Chevy's...
Thee roll cage is the rear body...
Huge wing.. good for advertising sponsors.... and painted on LH side in class colours... Whites, Yellows and Red is the "Guns"....
Transporter with accommodation...
The tyre choice is controlled... A Huge Goodyear on the RH rear... run a lot of "Stagger"...
Maybe going back to Hoosier tyres....
The "Chick" in the centre in the all black gear is a TV star engaged to the driver of this car.
She is Chas Dingle of Emmerdale Farm fame......
John Lunds latest race car.... He's the fella in the middle with the "Aged" hair piece...
Then Fred introduced me to the "Legend" Frankie Wainman senior...
Multiple champion and the beginning of the Wainman dynasty....
Frankie, Fred and Ann with the Wainman transporter in the rear...
You can watch the racing from the stand in the bar or restaurant behind glass walls if you want...
The public walk around with Beers in hand..... And anything with mushy peas and or curry sauce sloshed over the top......weird EEHH........
Looking to the track with the covers in the foreground protecting the Greyhound racing track...
Shale track surface was very smooth... they also use it for solo bike meets...
A bit of a tangle up in this Whites and Yellows heat...
After qualifying heats all the class's race in a final with the top red cars handicapped three quarters of a lap..... and still win...
John Dowson jnr, Matt Newson... Frankie Wainman jnr, Tom Harris...
Newson...Harris... Wainman jnr..... Craig Finnikin...
Michael Scriven..... Mark Woodhull... Dowson jnr...
After every race the winner gets a cup, presented in front of the grandstand, then does a victory lap on the back of a ute...
The cup presentations are made by some Awesome people...
Fred having done the presentation.. because he has a past history...
And me because..... Im a NZer . The commentator asked me what I was doing in the UK then handed me the microphone. I said living on a narrow boat for 2 years. He asked was it rough on the way over. I replied only crossing the Indian Ocean... What percentage were believers??..
All motor sport has the Promo Girls on the dias...
After the meeting it's a ritual to drive the 2-3 miles to the chippie who stays open late to feed the speedway faithful...
11pm and 15 back in the que, that's the number outside theshop, lining up for the fish etc covered in the mushy peas or curry sauce........ weird eeehhhh??...
Then because Freds only a young fella and got a good nights sleep he goes grass track racing on his side car...
1000ccc of wheel spinning grunt... Fred and swinger Stephen...
Ann is team manager and helps with the pushing... no need to pay gym fees to stay in shape......
I had an Awesome night with Awesome people..... That's Speedway.... thanks heaps....
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