Post by Administrator on Jul 17, 2010 7:36:19 GMT
SPEEDWAY HISTORY REVISITED....The Early Years 1896-1928
By George P Kearns
July 17, 2010 is the official launch date for my new book on speedway "Speedway History Revisited...The Early Years 1896-1928.
This book covers one of the most controversial subjects ever to continually surface in the history of the sport of motor cycle speedway racing and that subject is, as to whether or not the Australian town of West Maitland in 1923 was the birth of dirt track motor cycle racing as the sport was generally known in its early years.
While I make no final judgements on the subject in my book, I instead offer many genuine arguments against the possibility of that so well publicised West Maitland claim to fame, with a view to letting my readers form their own opinion as to where and when the first organised motor cycle dirt track race actually did take place.
However while I didn't elaborate on the fact of Ireland's involvement with dirt track racing in my book, I did record the many meetings that did take place at the turn of the 19th century and now that my book is finished and about to be launched on the world market, I may as well now state my belief that Ireland was indeed amongst the first to stage organised motor cycle dirt track races as far back as the year 1900 and just to tease one a little I will give mention to the following;
August 15, 1900, J C. Cooney of Kells County Meath, Ireland, won the first ever organised motor tricycle race in Navan, Co. Meath, this race took place on a gravel track. {I might mention here that some sceptics just might take exception to the fact that this race in Navan only concerned motor tricycles and here I would point to them that the first ever organised motor cycle race in America in 1901 consisted of 3 motor cycles and one motor tricycle, together with the fact that the first motor cycle race on the West Maitland track race in 1923 included a motor bike with a side car and a passenger.
August 20, 1900 a motor cycle race took place in Tramore Co. Waterford and the winner received a prize of £10 while the runner-up took the second prize of £5. This event took place on the town’s horse racing grass track and thereby pre-dated West Maitland efforts by some 23 years.
August 9, 1902 A motor cycle race took place in Ballymena on the towns local cement track during the Ballymena Bicycle Clubs Annual Sports Day and this race was won by a Tom Mallon on a 2,75 H,P. machine.
October 18, 1902, Bob Stevens won the first ever officially organised motor cycle scratch race on an oval cinder track in Ashtown, Dublin, which oval cinder track must surely have been one of the first such tracks in the world of motor cycle speedway. Bob by 1902 was a well kinown track rider, who not only scored well at the second meeting in Ashtown on November 2, 1902, but he rode his first official race alongside J.C. Cooney in Navan on August 15, 1900.
As a final teaser, I must also tell you that Ireland's "Motor Cycle Union of Ireland" which was inaugurated on March 7, 1902 easily pre-dated all such other like organizations in the world.
Of course, Ireland also gave the world Fay Taylour the "Queen of Speedway, but then, that's another story.
AS ever, George P. Kearns and again, thank you for your patience.
I can still be reached by email at: georgemamie'eircom.net
"SPEEDWAY HISTORY REVISITED...THE EARLY YEARS 1896-1928" is available at €10 and the first one hundred copies will be sent free of p&p.
Payment can be made via Paypal and/or by cheque/money order made payable to George P. Kearns at 22 Griffith Parade, Finglas East, Dublin 11, Republic of Ireland. Sterling cheques also accepted.
I can accept cheques in any currency - Sterling, American and Austrailian dollars ete.
If you Google in and open up "Exchange Rates" the second site down "Currency Calculator" is the simpliest way of doing a conversion.
WEBSITE; www.georgepkearns.com
ADDRESS: GEORGE P KEARNS, 22 GRIFFITH PARADE, FINGLAS EAST, DUBLIN 11, REPUBLIC OF IRELAND.
PHONE NUMBER: 353-1-8345811
EMAIL ADDRESS: georgemamie@eircom.net
BEFORE SENDING MONEY, IT IS IMPERATIVE YOU FIRST CHECK WITH ME BY EMAIL TO SEE IF THE BOOK IS STILL AVAILABLE. I WILL HOLD SAME FOR TWO WEEKS IN ORDER TO GIVE TIME TO POST PAYMENT.
By George P Kearns
July 17, 2010 is the official launch date for my new book on speedway "Speedway History Revisited...The Early Years 1896-1928.
This book covers one of the most controversial subjects ever to continually surface in the history of the sport of motor cycle speedway racing and that subject is, as to whether or not the Australian town of West Maitland in 1923 was the birth of dirt track motor cycle racing as the sport was generally known in its early years.
While I make no final judgements on the subject in my book, I instead offer many genuine arguments against the possibility of that so well publicised West Maitland claim to fame, with a view to letting my readers form their own opinion as to where and when the first organised motor cycle dirt track race actually did take place.
However while I didn't elaborate on the fact of Ireland's involvement with dirt track racing in my book, I did record the many meetings that did take place at the turn of the 19th century and now that my book is finished and about to be launched on the world market, I may as well now state my belief that Ireland was indeed amongst the first to stage organised motor cycle dirt track races as far back as the year 1900 and just to tease one a little I will give mention to the following;
August 15, 1900, J C. Cooney of Kells County Meath, Ireland, won the first ever organised motor tricycle race in Navan, Co. Meath, this race took place on a gravel track. {I might mention here that some sceptics just might take exception to the fact that this race in Navan only concerned motor tricycles and here I would point to them that the first ever organised motor cycle race in America in 1901 consisted of 3 motor cycles and one motor tricycle, together with the fact that the first motor cycle race on the West Maitland track race in 1923 included a motor bike with a side car and a passenger.
August 20, 1900 a motor cycle race took place in Tramore Co. Waterford and the winner received a prize of £10 while the runner-up took the second prize of £5. This event took place on the town’s horse racing grass track and thereby pre-dated West Maitland efforts by some 23 years.
August 9, 1902 A motor cycle race took place in Ballymena on the towns local cement track during the Ballymena Bicycle Clubs Annual Sports Day and this race was won by a Tom Mallon on a 2,75 H,P. machine.
October 18, 1902, Bob Stevens won the first ever officially organised motor cycle scratch race on an oval cinder track in Ashtown, Dublin, which oval cinder track must surely have been one of the first such tracks in the world of motor cycle speedway. Bob by 1902 was a well kinown track rider, who not only scored well at the second meeting in Ashtown on November 2, 1902, but he rode his first official race alongside J.C. Cooney in Navan on August 15, 1900.
As a final teaser, I must also tell you that Ireland's "Motor Cycle Union of Ireland" which was inaugurated on March 7, 1902 easily pre-dated all such other like organizations in the world.
Of course, Ireland also gave the world Fay Taylour the "Queen of Speedway, but then, that's another story.
AS ever, George P. Kearns and again, thank you for your patience.
I can still be reached by email at: georgemamie'eircom.net
"SPEEDWAY HISTORY REVISITED...THE EARLY YEARS 1896-1928" is available at €10 and the first one hundred copies will be sent free of p&p.
Payment can be made via Paypal and/or by cheque/money order made payable to George P. Kearns at 22 Griffith Parade, Finglas East, Dublin 11, Republic of Ireland. Sterling cheques also accepted.
I can accept cheques in any currency - Sterling, American and Austrailian dollars ete.
If you Google in and open up "Exchange Rates" the second site down "Currency Calculator" is the simpliest way of doing a conversion.
WEBSITE; www.georgepkearns.com
ADDRESS: GEORGE P KEARNS, 22 GRIFFITH PARADE, FINGLAS EAST, DUBLIN 11, REPUBLIC OF IRELAND.
PHONE NUMBER: 353-1-8345811
EMAIL ADDRESS: georgemamie@eircom.net
BEFORE SENDING MONEY, IT IS IMPERATIVE YOU FIRST CHECK WITH ME BY EMAIL TO SEE IF THE BOOK IS STILL AVAILABLE. I WILL HOLD SAME FOR TWO WEEKS IN ORDER TO GIVE TIME TO POST PAYMENT.