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| Ballymena
Speedway |
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| The Showgrounds, Warden Street,
Ballymena, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland. The track housed Stockcars and a
speedway surface was laid for a one off speedway meeting in 1982. |
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The meeting at Ballymena was held on
13th July 1982 between a Cradley Heath side and an Ivan Mauger select
team, Cradley beat Ivan's team 40-38.
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If anyone has anything to add to this page send me an
email
John
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| Writer
George P Kearns Advises |
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| Ireland's
George P Kearns says: In relation to your mention of the
Ballymena track, I would remind you of a motor cycle race that
took place on this track on August 9, 1902 with the
winner being Tom Mellon of Belfast on a 2.75 horse power machine. This
race was said by some to be the first ever in Ireland, but
both Navan and Tramore beat them to it. |
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Also in 1902 Robert Stevens won the first ever motor cycle
race on an oval cinder track in Astown on October 18. The
track, 2 laps to the mile, was similar in size to the West
Maitland track in 1923. |
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| John says: It seems Ireland has a claim
to fame for staging oval track motorcycle racing in the early part
of the 20th century. Speedway/Dirt Track racing is defined by the
riders broadsiding their bikes around a loosely surfaced oval
track. The early machines circa 1902 would not have been powerful
enough to break away the back wheel on the corners. |
| Having said this I am happy to accept that
bikes racing around a cinder surfaced oval track despite not
broadsiding the bends could be considered as the forerunner of
speedway. What a pity there is no documentary or
photographic evidence of the early 20th century events in Ireland.
Without such evidence Irelands claim is like that of the USA.
Only Australia's "kick off" in 1923 at West Maitland is totally
acceptable as speedway as we know it. Long may the
controversy over who started speedway rage as I enjoy hearing
about circuits that may just have started it all. |
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| Early 1900's Triumph Motorcycles |
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| Motorcycles from around 1902 would have
been similar to this one which I believe was one of Triumphs
earliest attempts to build a motorcycle. Just how
spectacular racing these primitive machines was we can only guess
at. I wish I had a time machine to visit the racing in
Ballymena |
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