Take me back

[Maha]

Was working for a bloke today (out at Algies Bay) and noticed a photograph on his wall. I was black and white, three guys in leathers and and Speedway Bibs. His name is Bob Anderson, and he raced Speedway here and in England in the 60's...He and his mates boycotted Western Springs (cos' of some money thing) and used to travel down to Palmerston North to race, leaving Auckland at 9pm friday night, arriving in Taupo at 1am. Then onto Palmmy Saturday....race that night, get on the piss and drive back Sunday. When i was growing up in Palmerston North, my ole' man took me to the Speedway in the early 70's...got to see four of the then top riders in the world, race together and they were...Ivan Mauger/Barry Briggs/Olly Olsen/Ove' Funden.......two kiwis and two Swedes...Bob raced in the days of Ronnie Moore ....the photo on the wall was when he was in England racing in the Oxford colours...that didnt mean much to me but hell, when were talking it sure took me back a long way...

[jafar]

Feeling old now are ya maha :devil2:

[skidMark]

when i was a boy........................................:dodge:

[Maha]

Feeling old now are ya maha :devil2:

As old as my tounge and a little older than my teeth....;)

Thats about the earliest memory i have anything bike!....Dads brother used to race Speedway but i never really knew him

[jafar]

when i was a boy........................................:dodge:

Waddya mean 'when' ??:bleh:

[Disco Dan]

GO ENGLAND ! ! !

Ya old bugga! ;)

[Maha]

GO ENGLAND ! ! !

Ya old bugga! ;)


It was the whole (how we used to do it things) that was cool....Bobs winnings allowed them to carpet their house...new light fittings etc...not much by todays standards but, quite a bit back in the 60's..when you could build a house for $9000 pounds....:cool: his left leg has a permanant bow in it...:cool:

[nadroj]

Ivan, Barry & Ronnie + some kiwi's in England in the 60's including Dave Gifford.

[Maha]

Ivan, Barry & Ronnie + some kiwi's in England in the 60's including Dave Gifford.

Would never pick Briggs if walk past him in the street...remember him with a mop of curly hair. Bob spoke of road/track racers, the likes of Holden/Hiscock and Crosby...all after his time of cause but it seemed like, get him on the subject and away he goes.

[Motu]

Bob Anderson eh? Did he have a bike shop in Otahuhu in the '70's?

Speedway at Western Springs in the late '60's through the '70's was just top class - if there wasn't anything else more urgent to do I was there.The best riders in the world came down here for the off season.

[Maha]

Bob Anderson eh? Did he have a bike shop in Otahuhu in the '70's?

Speedway at Western Springs in the late '60's through the '70's was just top class - if there wasn't anything else more urgent to do I was there.The best riders in the world came down here for the off season.

Yes he did...he was from Otahuhu, said his mate owned a car yard there and they used to use some big ole' Yank tank (his words) for the weekend trips to Palmy.Yeah only four laps Motu but that smell.....! not everyones buzz i fucken' exciting for a young fulla.

[u4ea]

Blimmen great tale Maha .. thanks for sharing.These guys are our legends of speedway..what an awesome fluke to spot the ol pic!:cool:

[Maha]

Blimmen great tale Maha .. thanks for sharing.These guys are our legends of speedway..what an awesome fluke to spot the ol pic!:cool:


I reckon he would have gone on and on if i had let him, his wife was right into it as well, other names he mentioned i cant remember, should have jotted them down but didnt want to look like a nong!....but i know where he lives....should have asked him to get the photo album out...:cool:

[u4ea]

I reckon he would have gone on and on if i had let him, his wife was right into it as well, other names he mentioned i cant remember, should have jotted them down but didnt want to look like a nong!....but i know where he lives....should have asked him to get the photo album out...:cool:

heck yer!! Go back and get the real tales...just too special!
....And Yup 4 laps and ohhh yer the smell.......Did 3 laps swinging(fun day) on Don Cosfords 900 cb a few moons ago..scared myself stupid but still was cool to be on an ol' legends steed....

[nodrog]

...Olly Olsen..........

the Maori dude that used to present "after school"?

[Motu]

Yes he did...he was from Otahuhu,

Yeah,I remember him,that was my neck of the woods too.I really wanted to buy a Velo he had in there once,but I talked myself out of it.

[Laava]

Yes he did...he was from Otahuhu, said his mate owned a car yard there and they used to use some big ole' Yank tank (his words) for the weekend trips to Palmy.Yeah only four laps Motu but that smell.....! not everyones buzz i fucken' exciting for a young fulla.
Yep, you're right! That smell! Had the 1st ever world speedway event here at the stock car track last summer. Awesome! Hope they do a repeat this summer. The racing quads are entertaining as well.


the Maori dude that used to present "after school"?
I bet you know all the hand movements! [and some other hand movements!]

[Maha]

the Maori dude that used to present "after school"?

Keep the perks till after work?.....:spanking:




I bet you know all the hand movements! [and some other hand movements!]

Know him before you judge him....oh thats right you do know him....:baby:

[eliot-ness]

I used to watch speedway from about 12yrs old, early 1950s Our farm was about 5miles from the Odsal Stadium track and we could hear the bikes plainly from there. The favourite place fot kids to watch from was on the bends where we were showered with cinders as the bikes came round. If we were lucky we'd grab a pair of plastic gogles that were thrown away at the end of each race. Those were the days when JAP engines ruled, Jawa came later. The Odsal team was managed by a flamboyant Kiwi called Johny Hoskins, he always wore a top hat and tails. English speedway was run on the lines of soccer and rugby, two leagues, and matches were home or away consecutively so all teams had to travel the length and breadth of the country. Early riders I remember were Alec Statham, Arthur Forrest, Bill Kitchen, the first of the knee sliders and Ossie Rosenfeldt. Briggs, Moore and Mauger came later, I remember the early days of their racing but by 1960 the Odsal team had disbanded through lack of a suitable track. When I arrived in NZ we lived in Grey Lynn for a while, a short walk from Western Springs so I was able to take the kids there for a Saturday night out. Great to relive the old days and the kids loved it. As Motu said some great riders visited and it was good to see some of the local talent beat them occasionally.

[Conquiztador]

Sadly the NZ speedway tracks are now set up for cars. They use a terracotta type of clay that does not suit bikes. Either too sticky or too slippery. But the reson they lay it is on request of the big HP cars. Their tyres cost a fortune and it does not wear them down.

Also to ride when there is stock cars and streetstocks.. The track get filled with holes and ruts.

But sadly it is cars that bring in the crowds and the $$'s so...

That is what happened to Western Springs, Meeanee and many others. So the only solution is bike tracks. Some of the car tracks have smaller "Bull rings" inside for the bikes. But the bikes end up too far away from the spectators. Sausage and drink time...

Rosebank in Auckland is the only bike dedicated track I know about that is used on regular basis.

The smell of burning methanol and Castrol R...

- Petrol is for washing parts
- Alcohol is for drinking
- Methanol is for racing

:Punk:

[Maha]

Rosebank in Auckland is the only bike dedicated track I know about that is used on regular basis.



Went there a couple of years ago......had an awesome day, small track but hell yeah the smell/dust in your eyes....:headbang:

[McDuck]

Was working for a bloke today (out at Algies Bay) and noticed a photograph on his wall. I was black and white, three guys in leathers and and Speedway Bibs. His name is Bob Anderson, and he raced Speedway here and in England in the 60's...He and his mates boycotted Western Springs (cos' of some money thing) and used to travel down to Palmerston North to race, leaving Auckland at 9pm friday night, arriving in Taupo at 1am. Then onto Palmmy Saturday....race that night, get on the piss and drive back Sunday. When i was growing up in Palmerston North, my ole' man took me to the Speedway in the early 70's...got to see four of the then top riders in the world, race together and they were...Ivan Mauger/Barry Briggs/Olly Olsen/Ove' Funden.......two kiwis and two Swedes...Bob raced in the days of Ronnie Moore ....the photo on the wall was when he was in England racing in the Oxford colours...that didnt mean much to me but hell, when were talking it sure took me back a long way...

u must be oooollllllllldddddddd

[eliot-ness]

For those who have never seen speedway here's a couple of pics from the (very) old days. One from 1929 before Johny Hoskins made the sport popular worldwide and the other showing just how far sideways you could get on an Excelsior framed JAP in 1946. Can anyone name the two bikes in the other pic, note the gear shift on the tank. These were modified twin cylinder road bikes. Edit for previous post. I said Hoskins was a kiwi. He was in fact an Australian.

[kevfromcoro]

Bob Anderson...can remeber the shop..down the bottom of Otahuhu
Remeber Western Webbs..Station Rd......quite popular with us guys back then.
Also Whites in New market.
And Forbes and Davies down town
Len Perry this side of New Market.
Couple in Onehunga too.
Those were the days....Triumphs ,BSAs. old Matchys.pissing oil all over the driveway
And your mum having a blue fit evertime you went for a ride

[Mikkel]

got to see four of the then top riders in the world, race together and they were...Ivan Mauger/Barry Briggs/Olly Olsen/Ove' Funden.......two kiwis and two Swedes

Are you 100% sure that you're not talking about the DANISH speedway world champ Ole Olsen who won the championships '71, '75 and '78?

Denmark!=Sweden :angry:

Back in the good old days Sweden was a part of Denmark - but the opposite has never been the case.

[Bass]

You must spread some reputaion around before giving it to Maha Man again.

Cool thread Mark.

I remember all the big names and watched them race - mostly at the Templeton track just south of Christchurch. I still marvel at the skills I saw displayed.
I also remember Ronnie Moore touring all the A&P shows, doing a "wall of death" act in the sideshow area.

We are showing our age here mate, but fuck 'em, cos I think that's kinda cool too.

[kevfromcoro]

Ronnie More..did the the wall of death at the easter show yrs ago...
Now i do feel old

[Mikkel]

I haven't seen a wall of death for a decade or so... Do they still do them? Crazy stuff really!

[Conquiztador]

I haven't seen a wall of death for a decade or so... Do they still do them? Crazy stuff really!

Another speedway rider: Chris Martin from Auckland, took over the running of it and did some of the shows around NZ a few years back. Not sure if the wall is still up and running? I remember that it started to get a fraction old and worn.

[pritch]

My first visits to speedway were at Aranui (?) in Christchurch in the early 50s. Ronnie Moore was a regular in his northern off-season.

Next speedway would've been Western Springs 1959, Don't remember anything about the speedway at all. I was at high school , and there were all these girls walking around...

Later, the Waiwhakaiho speedway in New Plymouth; immediate post-school days. Don't remember too much of that either, similar to the Springs. Most of the creative effort of the guys seemed to be applied to getting in without paying.

Somewhere in the house I may still have some period MotorCycle magazines with world Championship results (Moore 1959?).

[roogazza]

Hey Maha man,.
I've just found a calendar that your cousin Dave Hissy gave me in 1983 !
" Europe 83" it says !
Christ thats 24 yrs ago ! Gaz.

[Maha]

Are you 100% sure that you're not talking about the DANISH speedway world champ Ole Olsen who won the championships '71, '75 and '78?

Denmark!=Sweden :angry:

Back in the good old days Sweden was a part of Denmark - but the opposite has never been the case.

Yeah Ole Olsen....same same, spelt it wrong in post one so shoot me...:whistle:
He and Ove' Funden (sp) were out for some championship i guess, i was 8-9 at the time and still after all these years, it rates right up there. To see those four guys in the same track at the same time....hell yeah.:niceone:


Hey Maha man,.
I've just found a calendar that your cousin Dave Hissy gave me in 1983 !
" Europe 83" it says !
Christ thats 24 yrs ago ! Gaz.

Fathers cousin, but hey, we are all family right?....:cool:
Thats awesome Gaz, it great pulling out shit like that aye? even when it involves the memory bank for us.....more mature males....:niceone:

[Swoop]

Keep the perks till after work?..
That is definately not Olly Olsen!:msn-wink:

Ahh, those were the days.

[Maha]

That is definately not Olly Olsen!:msn-wink:

Ahh, those were the days.

Yeah Billy T aye bro?

[Mikkel]

Yeah Ole Olsen....same same, spelt it wrong in post one so shoot me...:whistle:
He and Ove' Funden (sp) were out for some championship i guess, i was 8-9 at the time and still after all these years, it rates right up there. To see those four guys in the same track at the same time....hell yeah.:niceone:

Wasn't too concerned about the spelling - more the mistaken nationality. How would you feel if I postulated that Ivan Mauger was from Oz ;)

It's Ove Fundin and he, sure enough, was a Swede (5 world championship wins).

I grew up when it was Erik Gundersen and Hans Nielsen who ran the show. Two danes took the top two of the world championships from '84 through to '88 :D
Then Erik Gundersen broke his neck in a nasty crash in '89 :( He was initially paralysed and had to rely on a respirator unit - but made an amazing comeback and did a "farewell lap" at the venue where he broke his neck...

[Motu]

Can anyone name the two bikes in the other pic, note the gear shift on the tank. These were modified twin cylinder road bikes.

They will be Douglas's.

Chris Martin was talking about getting the Wall of Death going again a couple of years ago.....but I haven't been back to Rosebank since so don't know what he's doing with it.

As for how sideways can you get.....this is pretty radical.I suspect this is a grass track bike,although they usually have rear suspension.Notice the extra lever on the left bar - this is a 2 speed.

[FilthyLuka]

when i was a boy........................................:dodge:

the spice girls released their first album?

[Swoop]

Yeah Billy T aye bro?
"Nice one Stewy, Stewy nice one!!!"

[pete376403]

They will be Douglas's.

Chris Martin was talking about getting the Wall of Death going again a couple of years ago.....but I haven't been back to Rosebank since so don't know what he's doing with it.

As for how sideways can you get.....this is pretty radical.I suspect this is a grass track bike,although they usually have rear suspension.Notice the extra lever on the left bar - this is a 2 speed.

Not a grass bike, thats a long tracker.
When I was riding (started at Te Marua 1973) there was a rumour that if you put a long track crank into a speedway motor (Jawa 2 valve) you ended up with a 600 or thereabouts. Which would have given enough power to make a difference but then the 4v Weslakes (and later the 4v Jawas) were developed and there didn't seem to be any point. Besides Merv Hodgson from Feilding was running a 2V JAP right up until I gave up in 1991 and he could still piss all over me regardless of which engine I was using. I'd still love to have another go, though...

[Motu]

I think it's a long track bike too (you are too late,I edited my thoughts about it being a long track bike from my post) Because the site I got the photo from said it was a grass tracker,you can just see some grass out on the outside,the turn looks too tight,and long track bikes don't get that radically out of shape.Nitpicking aside,I just love the shot.

[Maha]

You must spread some reputaion around before giving it to Maha Man again.

Cool thread Mark.

I remember all the big names and watched them race - mostly at the Templeton track just south of Christchurch. I still marvel at the skills I saw displayed.
I also remember Ronnie Moore touring all the A&P shows, doing a "wall of death" act in the sideshow area.

We are showing our age here mate, but fuck 'em, cos I think that's kinda cool too.


My first visits to speedway were at Aranui (?) in Christchurch in the early 50s. Ronnie Moore was a regular in his northern off-season.

Next speedway would've been Western Springs 1959, Don't remember anything about the speedway at all. I was at high school , and there were all these girls walking around...

Later, the Waiwhakaiho speedway in New Plymouth; immediate post-school days. Don't remember too much of that either, similar to the Springs. Most of the creative effort of the guys seemed to be applied to getting in without paying.

Somewhere in the house I may still have some period MotorCycle magazines with world Championship results (Moore 1959?).


They will be Douglas's.

Chris Martin was talking about getting the Wall of Death going again a couple of years ago.....but I haven't been back to Rosebank since so don't know what he's doing with it.

As for how sideways can you get.....this is pretty radical.I suspect this is a grass track bike,although they usually have rear suspension.Notice the extra lever on the left bar - this is a 2 speed.


Not a grass bike, thats a long tracker.
When I was riding (started at Te Marua 1973) there was a rumour that if you put a long track crank into a speedway motor (Jawa 2 valve) you ended up with a 600 or thereabouts. Which would have given enough power to make a difference but then the 4v Weslakes (and later the 4v Jawas) were developed and there didn't seem to be any point. Besides Merv Hodgson from Feilding was running a 2V JAP right up until I gave up in 1991 and he could still piss all over me regardless of which engine I was using. I'd still love to have another go, though...


For those who have never seen speedway here's a couple of pics from the (very) old days. One from 1929 before Johny Hoskins made the sport popular worldwide and the other showing just how far sideways you could get on an Excelsior framed JAP in 1946. Can anyone name the two bikes in the other pic, note the gear shift on the tank. These were modified twin cylinder road bikes. Edit for previous post. I said Hoskins was a kiwi. He was in fact an Australian.

Thank you all for posting, and some awesome pic's, the reading has been fantastic to say the least, cool stuff guys.....:niceone:

[eliot-ness]

Just a last word to show how much things have changed since the 1950s. Been checking up on the net and found that crowds of 80,000 for a Saturday night meet were the norm until television became within reach of the working man. Nowadays most tracks in the UK are struggling to survive. A top rider in 1950 could earn up to 50 pounds a meeting in the UK, 20 times more than the average weekly wage.
In road racing Duke and Surtees were national heroes, motor cycling in general was considered to be quite respectable and sidecar outfits a safe family transport,,,, until the mini screwed it all up.

[Phil W]

Used to go to the speedway in the Uk. Was a Reading Racers supporter, Mad Welly and Per Jhonsen. Also used to go out with Ivan Majors niece. Speedway in the Uk was a blast. Huge crowds, all knowledgeable and having a ball. Was expecting some good speedway when I came to NZ 10 years ago but sadly disapointed.
Barry Brigs, I'm sure I know him or his son. Titarangi?
<_<