Post by Administrator on May 11, 2018 15:11:19 GMT
British speedway promoters worked overtime in 1948 to thwart the visit by an Amercian midget car group to London, In pre-war years they had thwarted various efforts by British groups to develop midget car racing in this country.
When the Americans came in 1948 the British speedway promoters also ensured the midget car racing would receive negative publicity - and mainly succeeded. But with the passage of time, it now appears that British speedway promoters misunderstood why the American group had come to London and that the visit was NOT an effort to take the mantle of a speedway-track sport from the bikes.
The American group came for no more than a one month tour - something akin to present times when American Football teams stage matches in the UK and it appears that in future years their top class baseball teams schedule similar visits . But such ventures are no more than TOURING VISITS. And that was also the case in regard to the sabotage efforts by British speedway to foil the 1948 American midget car groups UK visit.
Sadly, the British speedway promoters succeeded and at the same also foiled efforts in regard to the development midget car racing in Britain.
However, it is amusing to note that when the speedway promoters tried similar tactics in 1954 when British stock car racing (aka short circuit car racing) started they failed to halt the development of that sport. Indeed in the present time the cars may in fact be ahead of speedway in regard to UK crowd appeal.How times have changed.
For my part I wish and hope to see - it is not too late - for the long awaited emergence in its own right of British midget car racing as a crowd appeal motor sport as it is in the USA, Australia, New Zealand and Argentina.
When the Americans came in 1948 the British speedway promoters also ensured the midget car racing would receive negative publicity - and mainly succeeded. But with the passage of time, it now appears that British speedway promoters misunderstood why the American group had come to London and that the visit was NOT an effort to take the mantle of a speedway-track sport from the bikes.
The American group came for no more than a one month tour - something akin to present times when American Football teams stage matches in the UK and it appears that in future years their top class baseball teams schedule similar visits . But such ventures are no more than TOURING VISITS. And that was also the case in regard to the sabotage efforts by British speedway to foil the 1948 American midget car groups UK visit.
Sadly, the British speedway promoters succeeded and at the same also foiled efforts in regard to the development midget car racing in Britain.
However, it is amusing to note that when the speedway promoters tried similar tactics in 1954 when British stock car racing (aka short circuit car racing) started they failed to halt the development of that sport. Indeed in the present time the cars may in fact be ahead of speedway in regard to UK crowd appeal.How times have changed.
For my part I wish and hope to see - it is not too late - for the long awaited emergence in its own right of British midget car racing as a crowd appeal motor sport as it is in the USA, Australia, New Zealand and Argentina.