Topic: How About Some Speedway History?

[HavocTurbo]

I'll try to look that one up for you...

In the mean time... No sounds but you get the idea.
http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=5561686

[HavocTurbo]

Well that viedo seems to not be working....

Here is a list of tracks that were used by cars and bikes...

Playa Del Rey, CA 1.0 mile 1910-1913
Elmhurst, CA 0.5mile 1911-1913
Chicago, IL (maywood) 2.0 miles 1915-1917
Des Moines,IA 1.0 mile 1915-1917
Omaha,NE 1.25 miles 1915-1917
Brooklyn,NY (Sheepshead Bay) 2.0 miles 1915-1919
Uniontown, PA 1.125 miles 1916-1922
Cincinnati, OH 2.0 miles 1916-1919
Tacoma, WA 2.0 miles 1915-1921
Beverly Hills, CA 1.25 miles 1920-1924
Fresno, CA 1.0 mile 1920-1927
San Carlos, CA 1.25 miles 1921-1922
Coati,CA 1.25 miles 1921-1922
Kansas City, MO 1.25 miles 1922-1924
Altoona, PA 1.25 miles 1923-1931
Charolette, NC 1.25 miles 1924-1927
Culver City, CA 1.25 miles 1924-1927
Salem, NH (Rockingham) 1.25 miles 1925-1927
Laurel, MD 1.125 miles 1925-1926
MIami, FL (Fulford-by-the-Sea) 1.25 miles 1926-1927
Amatol, NJ (Atlantic City) 1.5 miles 1926-1928
Woodbridge, NJ 0.5 mile 1929-1931
Akron , OH 0.5 mile (no dates)
Bridgeville, PA 0.5 mile (no dates)

I cannot seem to find bike "specific" ones but I'll keep looking.

[Ecosse]

The Rockingham NH track is still around.

http://www.rockinghampark.com/

"August 21, 1926: Curly Fredericks, on his 61 inch Altoona motorcycle, set the record for the fastest speed (120.3 mph) that would ever be attained by a motorcycle on a circular wooden track."

[bill440cars]

     Hey you all, hope you don't mind if I slip a 1925 Brough Superior SS100 in here. I think it's really cool that you are/were ( Didn't you say that you lived in or near Springfield? That's Awesome! I'd have loved to have been there, back when the Indian factory was in operation there.  


            


         Also, check out this engine!

         

[Ecosse]

Jeez Bill! I was about to sign off!

That engine is a work of art. I love these old motors!

[HavocTurbo]

Jeez Bill! I was about to sign off!

That engine is a work of art. I love these old motors!

+1!!

I think these are the most beautiful era motorcycles. Long lines and lots of polished metal. Doesn't even have to be chrome... lol.

[HavocTurbo]

The Rockingham NH track is still around.

http://www.rockinghampark.com/

"August 21, 1926: Curly Fredericks, on his 61 inch Altoona motorcycle, set the record for the fastest speed (120.3 mph) that would ever be attained by a motorcycle on a circular wooden track."

That's an original dirt track yes?? Was Springfield a dirt track also? Because my foolish butt has been looking for board tracks lol.

[Ecosse]

The Rockingham NH track is still around.

http://www.rockinghampark.com/

"August 21, 1926: Curly Fredericks, on his 61 inch Altoona motorcycle, set the record for the fastest speed (120.3 mph) that would ever be attained by a motorcycle on a circular wooden track."

That's an original dirt track yes?? Was Springfield a dirt track also? Because my foolish butt has been looking for board tracks lol.

It's a horse track now and maybe always was. They (the bikes) raced on those too.

I want to find out where the Springfield MA board track was but don't know where to look. Maybe I'll contact the city's historic council. The site is now probably the location of some public housing and high crime heroin plagued neighborhood. 

[HavocTurbo]

The Rockingham NH track is still around.

http://www.rockinghampark.com/

"August 21, 1926: Curly Fredericks, on his 61 inch Altoona motorcycle, set the record for the fastest speed (120.3 mph) that would ever be attained by a motorcycle on a circular wooden track."

That's an original dirt track yes?? Was Springfield a dirt track also? Because my foolish butt has been looking for board tracks lol.

It's a horse track now and maybe always was. They (the bikes) raced on those too.

I want to find out where the Springfield MA board track was but don't know where to look. Maybe I'll contact the city's historic council. The site is now probably the location of some public housing and high crime heroin plagued neighborhood. 

You think they dig holes and find lots of......... wood?? ROFL...

I need more sleep. 

[HavocTurbo]

I put an inquiry to the Library of Congress for the location or a map of Springfield, MA around 1909 1910.

We'll see if that helps. I mean.... they are the Government.... HA!! 

[HavocTurbo]

I'm not obsessed I promise!!!

MORE>>

As speeds escalated so did danger. The speeds on the banks subjected the plucky riders and eggshell motorcycles to tremendous down forces which could cause tires to rupture and riders to faint. The surface reserved cruel punishment for riders who fell off. The collected a hideful of splinters. Some racers suited up in heavy silk underwear, thinking that silk would help turn away splinters. Heads were more vulnerable than hides. Racers had nothing to protect then from concussions. The mixed bag of headwear - everything from cloth and leather caps to aviator helmets - might fend off a few pine splinters, but did nothing to reduce serious concussive blows.

The track surface could not be planed and polished like a basketball court because the motorcycles needed a rough surface to get any traction at all out of the hard narrow tires. The rough boards soaked up oil, and this left the track very dodgey. The oil came out of the motorcycles: Every time a rider hand-pumped, and oil cloud spat out the exhaust stubs and settled on the track. Worse than a slick plank was a broken one. Planks could break, leaving a board cocked up in the face of on-rushing traffic; hitting one head-on could deck a bike instantly.

Although the increasing speeds aggravated all the characteristic motordrome problems, splinter-bowl fans loved the show. The gruesome accidents were heart-stoppers, and eventually the paying customers started to share in the dying. Curious onlookers, standing at the tops of the dromes with their heads bobbing out on the track, invited decapitation if a machine went out of controland slammed into the upper retaining wall. Or bikes might hurtle off the speedway and pitch into the grandstands at 90 mph. Every weekend, it seemed, brought injury or death. The splinter bowls' bloodiest season came in 1913. Motordromes earned their final epithet: Murderdromes.

The carnage was too much. Municipal governments began squeezing the dromes shut. Interest waned when the much safer one-mile and two-mile board speedways reached completion. Whatever else, the motordrome madness imprinted motorcycling with a carnival-freak-show stamp, and endowed two-wheelers with a tradition of daredevilry and ignorant enthusiasm.

[Ecosse]

OK, there are bikes I see referred to as Speedway bikes. They look distinctly different from dirt/flat trackers but obviously with the same purpose in mind. Then there's board trackers. I suppose it's all in the same family tree.

This one I've never heard of.


1923 Temple Anzani

[heffay]

is that thing in front like a scissor spring?

[Bob Wessner]

Here's a bit more on it. Not a bad top speed for 1923.

http://www.ozebook.com/anzani.htm

[Grumpol]

http://www.britishanzani.co.uk/

[Ecosse]

That's great guys, thanks!

[Ecosse]

is that thing in front like a scissor spring?

Looks like the friction shocks from the cars of the 20'sand 30's.

[Ecosse]

I dunno but this may be a hill climber given the wheelbase and knobby tire . Thoughts? I scooped this from the Wrench Monkees blog but can the experienced eye identify this Indian?



Crocker lass

[HavocTurbo]

Yes Bill that's a hill climber.....

[754]

Indian climber is mid 20,s or so, I could look in my books.

A while back I sold a 27 Harley JD in pieces to a fellow in Germany, Harry Hacker. He races it and a 45 with a sidecar in vintage roadracing.

His shop is called Harrys Flatshop, it is in Munich. The bunch of racers he hangs out with are called Harleysons Racing I think..they have an excellent site, but in German.

 Harrys site is www.harrys-flatshop.de  but It nmay be down right now.

 If you go there you will find excellent pics for this thread..

[Ecosse]

Thanks 754, it looks like it's down now but I'm gonna keep checking.

I found a while ago on (I think) You Tube  a compilation of vintage hill climb footage set to classic rock. If I find it I'll post.

So how y'all like the Crocker ridin' mama? I'd sure like another view... of the bike.

[Ecosse]

Somebody tell this chap he's not dressed for the occasion!

Cyril Lord

Visit here!
http://www.newcastlespeedwayhistory.co.uk/old%20bikes.htm

[Ecosse]

Crocker

[Ecosse]

Douglas Speedway~ another rider waaay overdressed for the races!


Merkel


1933 IndianCrocker 45ci Speedway.

[bzr]

Nice stuff - back when men were men and women had balls.