NORTON DIRT TRACK - 1930.

During 1930, Norton motorcycles, a company far more famous for it's road racing machines, produced a dirt-track model for the new sport of speedway. The sport was enjoying a real boom era and most of the British manufacturers tried to produce a machine that would put them in front of the considerable crowds gathered around the cinder ovals.

Norton used a modified version of their ES2 engine and a simple countershaft fitted in a standard sturmey archer gearbox shell. The front forks were Webb speedway items and it was all attached to a modified diamond frame. It was not a success though. Unfortunately for Norton, J.A.Prestwich of Tottenham had launched their legendary speedway motor at around the same time and by August of that year, the J.A.P had become the engine of choice for most speedway riders.

One speedway model Norton was still in regular use into the 1980s as a Wall of Death machine in the Netherlands. The machine was almost original too only missing the stand and the lower chain stays. The owner had also fitted a set of gears into the gearbox shell.

This illustration is taken from my friend Jeff Wilson's photostream on flikr where you will find many more illustrations of vintage dirt track machines. Information taken from "The Pictorial History of Norton Motorcycles" by Jim Reynolds. Published by Temple Press in 1985. (ISBN 1 85152 905 5)

WE WILL NEVER FORGET

For those who've read my profile you will realise that I live and work in Whitehaven. Words alone cannot express the shock, disbelief and sadness felt in the wake of the shootings that hit this community last week. Taxi driver Darren Rewcastle was a fellow supporter of Workington "Comets" speedway, Michael Pike was a fellow cyclist and two of the dead were regular customers at the shop I run. Even Derrick Bird himself was known to me, we had often talked of our shared passion for old motorbikes. In small communities like this we all know someone who has been affected.

I attended a memorial service for the dead and injured today, a moving event which ended with a 1 minute silence. During the silence a powerful gust of wind circled the churchyard and touched all 4000 in attendance.  I'd like to think it was the spirits of those killed on June 2nd finally finding their peace. At the end of the silence, the taxi drivers of Whitehaven paid their own respects by blowing their horns en masse for a further 60 seconds, a gesture which made my eyes well up with sadness. For another emotional response please take at look at this thought provoking post I discovered today at the Marmalade Cafe.

West Cumbria has suffered too much in the last six months and I would like to pay my own respects to all who have lost their lives or suffered injuries during the Cumbrian floods, the Keswick School bus crash and now the West Cumbria shootings.

RIP...
PC Bill Barker (Workington Floods)
Chloe Walker (Keswick Bus Crash)
Kieran Goulding (Keswick Bus Crash)

....& from the West Cumbria Shootings...
Darren Rewcastle
Jane Robinson
Michael Pike
Garry Purdham
Susan Hughes
Kenneth Fishburn
Jamie Clark
Kevin Commons
Jennifer Jackson
James Jackson
Isaac "Spike" Dixon
David Bird
...and to Derrick Bird too, may he find his own peace.

To those injured, affected and disturbed I wish a speedy recovery and a restoration to order, both physically and emotionally.

What has happened will never be forgotten but now is time to move on and I know that the spirit and strength of the fine people of West Cumbria will see us through.

GEE ATHERTONS WINS IN FORT WILLIAM

Gee Atherton thrilled his home supporters by winning the second leg of the UCI Downhill Mountain Bike World Cup in Fort William, Scotland at the weekend. In a tense finish to a superb weekend of racing, Gee Atherton also strenghtened his position in the overall World Cup standings. His elder brother Dan, had been beaten in Saturday night’s Men's Four-Cross event in the quarter-finals and sister Rachel suffered a narrow defeat in the Ladies Downhill, beaten into 2nd place by French rider, Sabrina Jonnier.

Gee stepped up to the plate by setting a time of of 4min 35.7secs, with five riders left to descend and although all came close at the intermediate times, it was Gee’s lower section that really set him apart from the rest of the field. Cameron Cole of New Zealand, came closest to toppling the Brit in front of a 15,000 strong crowd, but Cole could not gain enough time on the Brit to take over the lead. This left South African Greg Minnaar as the only person capable of silencing the home crowd, but the current World Cup leader and former World Champion did not quite have enough in the tank to topple Gee. As the South African crossed the line to claim third, Gee stood up to salute the crowd and a deafening noise erupted at the Nevis Range resort to the delight of Atherton.

“Winning in Fort William means so much to me," Gee said. "I honestly can say that it is right up there with winning the World Championships in 2008. It comes almost as a relief to me, all the hard work, not just this winter but the last few years - today made it all worth it. The crowd were just unreal and I’d like to thank every one of them for making me push that little harder up there."

Gee is now biting at the heals of Minnaar in the overall World Cup standings, just 15 points behind, while the youngest in the Atherton family, Rachel is mirroring the same situation in the women’s event as she chases down Jonnier. The next stop for the World Cup circuit is Leogang, Austria where the Atherton family will look to continue their fine start to the season.

Information taken from the Red Bull bikesport website

Rachel Atherton was narrowly beaten into 2nd place by Sabrina Jonnier