Two Tribes

In the UK there are three different leagues in Speedway.

Elite the top tier of the sport.

Premier is the 2nd tier

National the 3rd division and the newest, formed in 2009.

When Speedway was first introduced in the UK in the 1920s it quickly grew in popularity and crowds grew to match those of football.

Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. Speedway motorcycles use only one gear and have no brakes and racing takes place on a flat oval track usually consisting of dirt or loosely packed shale. Competitors use this surface to slide their machines sideways, powersliding or broadsiding into the bends. On the straight sections of the track the motorcycles reach speeds of up 70 miles per hour (110 km/h).

The exact origins of the sport are unknown but there is evidence of a type of speedway racing being practised in the USA before the First World War and in Australia in the late teens and early 1920s. There are now both domestic and international competitions in a number of countries including the Speedway World Cup whilst the highest overall scoring individual in the Speedway Grand Prix events is pronounced the world champion. Speedway is popular in central and northern Europe and to a lesser extent in Australia and North America. A variant of track racing, speedway is administered internationally by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Domestic speedway events are regulated by FIM affiliated national motor sport federations.

Today's blip; our 2nd evening at Monmore Green Stadium, home of the Wolverhampton Wolves Speedway team, an Elite league club.

But this evening the track was being used by National league club Dudley Heathens, who tonight are racing against Stoke Potters.

Make no mistake, the racing IS still as exciting!

The sport has suffered in the past, with land being sold for housing and financial problems, to name but two.

Dudley Heathens used to be known as Cradley Heath Heathens (est 1947) amongst their riders were many World Champions but the club ceased to be in 1995.
However, the fans refused to let the memory of the club die and through hard work and perseverance the club was re established 3 years ago.

Now they are awaiting planning permission to build their own track and once they receive it they will once again become the Cradley Heathens!

Good luck to them!