GREAT RACES OF THE 80s DVD

There's no doubt that the 1980s were an important era in the history of speedway, with a marked decline in attendances figure throughout the decade and a resultant loss of interest from the mainstream media. Despite this, it was still a decade that saw many real characters producing top quality racing on a weekly basis.

Some of those classic races can be enjoyed once more on Great Races from the 80s, a new double-DVD production from Retro Speedway.

It runs for nearly four hours and truly covers the whole decade, featuring races from March 1980 right through to October 1989.

The focus is primarily on action from UK tracks, though there are a few races from Europe and further afield included. The producers have cast the net wide, including races from a large number of different tracks and from different levels of competition.

This means that the majority of these races are going to be new to all viewers, this isn't a compilation that relies on highlights from big meetings that have been seen many times before.

Click here to read the full review . . .  SpeedwayPlus

THE OLE OLSEN TAPES DVD

It may have closed its magazine publication arm, but Retro Speedway continues to produce its excellent range of historical speedway DVDs.

Their latest release is The Ole Olsen Tapes, a double-disc set that features two detailed interviews with the great Danish rider. The first interview was recorded at Ole's home in 2008 and is in audio only, although interesting photographs and video clips are played throughout it to keep your eyes entertained. The second interview is on video and dates from 2016.

These interviews are a real deep-dive into a life spent almost entirely in speedway. Covering everything from his first sight of speedway, right through to his days as the supremo of the Grand Prix series.

He's a very interesting man and these interviews draw out many great anecdotes and some inspirational quotes that wouldn't look out of place on Instagram. Particular highlights are: "If you want to get up the mountain, then ask someone who has been up there", and a great tale about the time he drank a fuel additive in front of a disbelieving machine examiner.

There's nearly four hours to enjoy, the interviews intertwining with archive racing and interview footage. You'll definitely come away having learned something and with an even greater respect for a man who has devoted his life to speedway and clearly doesn't regret a second of it.

Click here to read the full review . . . SpeedwayPlus

SWEDES IN BRITAIN RACING DVD

Mick Napier: Would highly recommend it to all Reading Racers fans. Lots of action involving our Swedish greats and disc 2 has some unbelievable moves from Henka Gustafsson, too – well worth a watch. There's some great footage of Anders Michanek and Benga Jansson at Smallmead in 1975. And Mr Rockard and Tony O. It’s great. Oh, and a phenomenal race between Jan and Chris Morton at Hyde Road.

Howard Murphy: I have many, from an early age, of watching ‘Jos’ (Soren Sjosten), as lots of fans named him, and Torbjorn Harrysson at Hyde Road with their unique riding style. Jos was certainly a Belle Vue favourite with his charismatic personality both on and off the track. I recall both he and Harrysson riding against Belle Vue for the Vargarna touring team in the 60s – and Aces’ fans were still cheering for him!  
One particular favourite memories is the first World Final I went to watch, at Wembley in 1967. As a young lad, my dad drove us down to the Empire Stadium to see the legendary Ove Fundin chalk up his fifth World Championship victory, which was a record at that time. I remember travelling down the motorway on the way to London for the big day and passing cars with black and gold Coventry scarves hanging out of the car windows, and green and white Cradley scarves too.
Anders Michanek was pure class and I remember listening to the 1973 World Final result on the radio and being really shocked when he did not win in Poland that year, despite notching up max after max in the British League. I was convinced he would score a clean sheet in Katowice.
I also recall, as a young fan, as soon as the Hyde Road gates opened at 6.00pm, running down to the pits at Belle Vue, standing at the wire fence watching and waiting for the riders to walk past, ready with my autograph book. And one thing I recalled was that before getting changed into their racing kit, many of the Swedish riders wore clogs!

PETER COLLINS AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Stephen Popadynec: I wanted to drop you a few thoughts about PCs autobiography. Firstly, having read other riders' biographies, including the ones you were involved in, this one was the one for me and very long-awaited. My apologies for being somewhat long winded, but my motivation to purchase PCs book has many fond memories of watching and following one of the best two riders I have seen, in my opinion, who always provided uncertainty, excitement, tension and pleasure beyond that of anything I have experienced. The other rider is Sam Ermolenko, who was very similar in riding style with natural ability, and also a nice man.
I was 13 when my best friends first introduced me to Wolverhampton Speedway and it was the last meeting of 1974, on October 25, a double-header – Wolves v Belle Vue followed by Cradley – and Ivan Mauger was guesting for Wolves as a replacement for Ole Olsen. I had been buying Speedway Star for about a year and PC was the rider who stood out for me and who I felt some natural affinity for as a supporter. My parents were always protective of me, so it wasn't until that Friday evening in ’74 that my dad and I caught two buses to Monmore Green. I can remember the delight in walking through the turnstiles and purchasing the programme for 10p, which I have kept through the years.
It was an unforgettable experience as my first attendance to speedway, but the main memory was seeing PC, a young English rider and my hero doing what PC did, coming from the back on every occasion and scoring 10 points that included inflicting Ivan's only defeat of the meeting, which Wolves won 43-35.
As Dave Lanning later said in 1976, when PC won his World Championship, it was "poetry on wheels" and his riding style was very much about ‘keeping it on the tyres’.
From there on, I started to attend Monmore Green weekly and would never miss an opportunity to see Peter ride for Belle Vue or as a guest, as well individual appearances in the Olympique and other invitational meetings which were plentiful in those days. I also went to Dudley Wood to watch Cradley when he was riding, which was a trek and involved a bus and two trains each way, then to Perry Barr in Birmingham, that involved a bus and two trains. Unfortunately, I always had to leave before Heat 13, otherwise I would have missed my last bus/train home.
Even now, I still collect memorabilia of Peter for my home office and have had models made of him in his various racing colours.
My one regret is that I only spoke to him briefly on one occasion at Monmore Green, when I was a lad and asked for his autograph. He was very polite and always left an impression of being a nice man with a good degree of humility.
I'd like to thank Peter and Tony Mac for an in-depth and detailed tour of his life and the memories of the importance that that young man had in my life.

Howard Murphy: I really enjoyed reading it. I saw all of PC's career, starting at Rochdale and finishing at Belle Vue. There were some very interesting anecdotes and inside info on PC's riding career, where he started on grasstracks to the early days of promoting at Kirky Lane. I loved the bit on the 1976 World Final win in Poland and how Booey looked after PC. It brought back some great memories of visiting Rochdale watching the Hornets racing on a Sunday and Friday and then those glorious Saturday nights at Hyde Road stadium. Brilliant reading.

John Moffatt: Couldn’t put it down, a great read from first to last page and an autographed copy to boot. Well done all involved in the book, especially PC.

Andrew Green: I must say I have just finished Peter's book. It is an excellent buy for anyone who was watching speedway in that era. I really enjoyed it.

Gary Joyce: A true legend of the sport, he was the most exciting rider of them all. I met him yesterday and got a signed copy of his boo. Was a privilege to shake his hand.

Richard Scott: Love the book. It’s how I remember speedway, with PC and all the other greats. Racing was great, saw him many times.

Stewart Beckett: Mr Belle Vue. He should be Sir PC.

Mark Thresher: An absolute legend. So glad to say that I attended speedway between 1973-82, the true golden era.

moxey63 (British Speedway Forum): The part of the brilliant PC book I found of most interest is when he became the promoter and his experience of working with John Perrin. I laughed at the punch-up at the Swinton club between Perrin and his co-promoter, Don Bowes. I think I actually have the pamphlet from that evening.

Steve Roberts (British Speedway Forum): Having read the chapter in Peter's book about ex-riders visiting their track free of charge, I have to agree with his views 100 per cent. He goes into it in great detail and, personally, I don't see it as a problem and the initiative would only benefit the track involved with good PR and supporter involvement. It's a shame that his friendship with Chris Morton appears to have been badly affected with events that the new Belle Vue and its regime's policy adopted (no image of Peter Craven in the lounge dedicated to the great Ace beggars belief!). The talk of a museum within the new complex was also met with apathy apparently by those in charge at the time. Ex- Cheetah Mark Lemon appears to follow the same directive and it's all very sad and helps creates animosity. No wonder speedway is in the state that it now appears to ‘enjoy’.
I would be aghast if I thought that my own track Oxford expected the likes of Eddie Reeves, Rick Timmo, Gordon Kennett and Dag Lovaas were expected to pay on entry to Cowley.

Alan Turton: A book I simply couldn't put down after starting to read. Just a wonderful book which brought back so many great memories of watching Peter in action in the 70s and 80s.

Richard Scott: Love the book. How I remember speedway PC and all the greats.

Rolf Majaranta: Just finished this excellent autobiography. I'm very impressed about his honesty and all the hard work he did for Belle Vue Speedway after his retirement. Especially pleased that space was also given to his longtrack activities. Nice to read his memories of his run-off with Marcel Gerhard for silver and bronze medals at the 1986 longtrack World Final. Best wishes to PC from Switzerland.

Dave Harper: I've been reading and buying speedway books for over 50 years and more and I cannot sing enough praise for this book. It is the best I've ever read and, that said, I've really enjoyed some others. It must have taken an unbelievable amount of work to put together. It's incredible, almost as if I'm living it whilst reading it.

Kevin Ashcroft: The book is absolutely superb and so interesting. A lot of people running speedway could learn a lot from reading it. Peter certainly knows his stuff.

David Lewis: Brilliant read from first to last. Was a massive fan when he was racing and the book only enhanced my admiration of the man. A brilliant book on a brilliant man.

Mike Cawley: A tremendous, honest and fair read.

Craig Finn: Can’t put it down now I’ve started. Absolutely outstanding read.

Broadsider: A pure joy to read this insightful and unputdownable tome.

Pete Chapman: It is a very good book, a great read. Many thanks to PC and Tony Mac (and no doubt many others) for a job well done.

Rob Scrutton: Very interesting, well written and illustrated. Many thanks to Peter and all at Retro Speedway involved in the production of this. I have recommended it to someone earlier this week who I understand has already placed his order.

Scooby Rogers: I'm not a book reader as such. But PCs book is fascinating, a really great read.

Garry Robinson: Stunning book. Brings his back story to life and is simply a brilliant read. Congrats to all involved, especially PC.

Speedway Plus website: Peter has waited many years to write his story and it's been worth the wait. With over 500 pages, forewords by Bruce Penhall and Eric Boocock, plus a huge number of captioned photographs, it's a fitting tribute to a speedway legend. To read the review in full, please visit: SpeedwayPlus | Book Review: Peter Collins Autobiography - Keeping It on the Tyres

Pauline Rawlins: Thoroughly enjoyed reading PC's autobiography.

Michael Elliott: Really enjoyed it.

Keith Cross: It’s superb.

Richard Bott: I have just finished reading PC's autobiography and thoroughly enjoyed it. It is comprehensive, colourful and critical and a thoroughly good read. Delighted to hear it is doing so well. Congratulations on a great job.

Darren Hartley: I really enjoyed it. A must-read for fans who saw speedway’s better days.

Dave Hill: Should be read by all true speedway lovers. PC talks a hell of a lot of sense. I couldn't put the book down until I'd read it all.

Richard Wood: A truly honest and somewhat eye-opening read. Thank you all for publishing it.

Robert Pails: Really good read. Thoroughly enjoyed followed PC from 350cc grasstrack days, so knew about the background, but the chapters on being a promoter are very interesting. Agreed with his comments on present-day speedway as well.

Peter Dix: Excellent read, couldn't put it down. Brought back many memories for my wife and I when we attended more speedway meetings than we do now.

Mike King (Speedway Star letters): I have just, in one marathon session, completed what I consider to be the best speedway rider autobiography ever. An honest and no-punches pulled recollection by one of our all-time greats and a few eye-opening revelations of his dealings with some of the sport’s more colourful characters. Keeping it on the Tyres is a true speedway masterpiece. Well done, PC!

Karl Fiala: Just finished reading Peter Collins’ Keeping it on the Tyres. Really interesting, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Well done to Peter and Tony Mac. Good job.

Garry Robinson: Mine arrived today. I've read 100 pages and absolutely love it. Thank you to everyone involved, it's a treasure.

Mick Metcalfe: Probably the best speedway autobiography ever. Highly recommended.

Paul Scorch Cordery: Got my copy last week but struggling to read it, as I can’t stop looking at the pics! Brilliant, love it.

Nick Betteridge: Nearly finished reading my copy. Really enjoyable read, well done to everybody involved. Do not hesitate buy a copy NOW!

Dave Edgley: I have just finished reading the book. A great insight into the career of PC. A really good read, I would recommend it. Well done to all involved.

Neil Harvey: Absolutely outstanding, what a great book. I remember meeting PC in a chip shop in Hamworthy after a meeting at Poole and it was just after he’d won the world title. What a story he has to tell. Thank you.

Mark Turner: Thought the book was great, the best speedway autobiography I’ve read and the one I’d been hoping and waiting for. I know very well that Peter is a thoroughly decent bloke and it shines through even when he is being critical. He always has something nice to say even about those who have hurt him. A true champion. I pray that he will find relief from the ‘passes’ saga which has hurt him so much - it’s not worth the pain. Well done, Peter and Tony.

Windsor Carlton: Had mine delivered two days ago and planned to sit down to read it at the weekend. Made the happy mistake of dipping into a couple of chapters . . . only to get to this morning having read the whole thing! It really is something special. Easily the best speedway book I’ve read.

Doug Booth: The best and most honest speedway biography I have read. From reading it you can tell what Peter is like as a person – real person. What you see is what you get. A cracking read throughout. Many thanks.

moxey63: The weight of 500-plus pages hitting the floor from the letterbox made me think I'd dropped my wallet. Very impressive, long-awaited book by one of speedway's finest. Well done to all.

Martin Holt: Started reading today and can’t put it down. Fabulous piece of work.

Mick Metcalfe: The best speedway autobiography ever. Fantastic book.

Eric Parish: What a great read. It answered the question I always wanted to ask Peter: did he remember the fans jumping over the safety fence when he beat Anders to win the KO Cup? It appears he did – I was one of those fans. Thanks for the memories, Peter.

John Heavyside: Brilliant book by a brilliant professional speedway rider. Peter is Belle Vue to the core. His autobiography is a thrill to read. Well done to all concerned.

Jane Bottomley: Got my copy today, it is fantastic.

Bryan Leahy: Absolutely brilliant.

Darren Hartley: Just finished it. A really good read, lots I learned about my boyhood hero.

Philip Benson: Reading a couple of chapters every day. A brilliant read.
Garry Robinson: Mine arrived today. I've read 100 pages and absolutely love it. Thank you to everyone involved, it's a treasure.

Paul Frankum: I must congratulate you on the Peter Collins autobiography. I’ve got to say, I think this could be your best-ever book. The pictures and the quality, especially for the price of £20, is outstanding. I am so looking forward to reading it.

SPEEDWAY IN THE 70s A TO Z DVD
David Golley: I just wanted to drop you a note to say congratulations and thank you for the A to Z DVD. It’s brilliant viewing and silly as it might sound, emotional viewing too. I found myself with tears in my eyes a number of times, partly because of the memories evoked of a golden time but also, like many, a sadness that our once great sport is a shadow of its former self.

Vicky Saxecoburg: Brilliant DVD. My better half has watched it four times. It’s well worth the money. Can't recommend it enough.

MEMORIES OF SHEFFIELD SPEEDWAY DVD
Doug Wyer (ex-Sheffield No.1): I was very impressed with the DVD, it’s really good. It must have taken a lot to put together. You’ve done a fantastic job.

Mick Neale: A must buy for any Sheffield Tigers fans. Brilliant from start to finish. A real eye-opener the things that went on behind the scenes. Fascinating interviews with ex-riders and promoters and some great racing from the past. 10 out of 10 and thank you for putting this all together.

Speedway Plus: Sheffield is one of British speedway's longest established and most stable tracks. The great history of the club is the subject of a new triple-DVD from Retro Speedway. Memories of Sheffield Speedway is a mix of racing action, interviews and interesting pieces of historical archive footage.

It's really very, very good indeed and we would recommend it to all speedway fans.

It concentrates on the history of the club up until the nineties, with particular attention paid to the sport's golden era in the 70s and 80s. Riders and officials from throughout the years were interviewed this year specifically for this DVD set. These include Guy Allott, Nicky Allott, Doug Wyer, Craig Pendlebury, Neil Machin and Reg Wilson. There are also interviews with many others like Clive Featherby, Shawn Moran and Dave Morton.

The star of the show is very definitely Dougie ‘the flyer’ Wyer. Doug is tremendous value, with his very honest and candid opinions and recollections. He admits that he wasn't much of a team rider, just concentrating on winning races, rather than trying to shepherd home a slower team mate. He also remembers the disappointment of having to take a pay cut when he was on the verge of a testimonial, admitting that racing for less money resulted in him putting in less effort. His career was highly successful and he's rightly proud of his achievements, being able to freely reel off statistics about the number of points he scored.

You can't think about Wyer without also bringing Reg Wilson to mind. Reg's career as a Sheffield Tiger pretty much over-lapped with Doug's, forming a strong spearhead throughout the seventies. Reg is also interviewed at length, perhaps not quite as comfortable in front of the camera as his old pal, but very happy to share stories and reflect on his own vast contribution to the cause.

In the late 80s the undoubted stars at Sheffield were the spectacular Moran brothers. We see some of their great races, demonstrating their remarkable skills on a racer's track that suited their styles. There are also interviews with both of the boys. Kelly is no longer with us, but we hear his final interview when Tony McDonald phoned him in him hospital shortly before his passing. It's a very moving piece of audio, with Kelly still maintaining the good humour he was famous for. The interview with Shawn is also quite emotional as he looks back on his own career, concentrating on both the highs and lows of his time with Sheffield.

There was a gap in the story of Sheffield Speedway when the club closed down prior to the 1989 season. Thankfully their absence from the sport was relatively brief as they re-emerged as a lower tier side in 1991. Their first meeting back, under the stewardship of Cliff Carr, is covered in depth, with contemporary interviews with the likes of Neil Evitts and Peter Carr, cousin of the aforementioned Cliff.

The Cliff Carr era didn't last too long, with Neil Machin and Tim Lucking forming a new promotion that brought long -term stability to the steel city side. Machin is now best in West Australia but that didn't stop the producers from tracking him down for interview. He's another that speaks well and offers an honest assessment of his time in charge.

One of the biggest stars of the Machin era was Sean Wilson, a tremendous rider and larger than life character. This DVD pays a warm tribute to both his on and off track antics.

Eric Boocock, who had a lengthy associated with the Tigers, is another plain-speaking participant, sharing some great stories from behind the scenes, including a mad dash to Oxtord in the Maurice Ducker era and how he deliberately mismarked programmes to get the best from some riders. A remarkable character and true speedway legend.

The interviews actually tend to be so good that the racing action is almost secondary, though there are many brilliant races included. Whether that's Collins v Michanek in '73, the Moran brothers in the 80s or Sean Wilson in the 90s.

The whole thing runs for over five-and-a-half hours, perfect viewing material for these long winter nights and certainly an ideal Christmas present for any speedway fan.

 * This review was first published on www.speedwayplus.com on December 15, 2021
Ron Haglington:  Your Memories of Sheffield Speedway DVD is brilliant and contains good interviews with riders who I know, as I’m still a member of the Owlerton track staff. I gave our curator Graham Trollope a copy.

SIMON WIGG RACING PLUS! DVD
Keith King: Over the last few years I've bought more than 25 different DVDs from Retro Speedway, not one has disappointed me. I had the Simon Wigg Racing Plus! for Christmas and the production is brilliant.

BEFORE AIR FENCES DVD
Bob Lee: Before Air Fences was excellent. Thank you for recognising the talent and bravery we've witnessed from riders. A superb double-disc DVD, highly recommended.

GREAT RACES OF THE 70s & 80s DVD
Sally Jones: Just wanted to let you know I bought Dad Great Races of the 70s & 80s a couple of weeks ago and he has loved it. He's played it three times already and is sitting down this afternoon to watch again!

TRAGEDY: KENNY CARTER eBOOK
Mike Hunter (Edinburgh Speedway press officer and programme editor): You'll probably be insulted that I have taken so long to read it but I have just finished Tragedy. I thought I would email you to say that it is one of the best books I have ever read.

It's not easy subject matter but everything is handled so well, everything is covered, and it is all completely balanced and fair, and very informative. Of course we all lived through the rise and fall of Kenny Carter and reading the book was like being transported back to those times, though of course knowing how badly it was all going to end.

Congratulations, it is a book to be proud of. Although I have many speedway books I have only read a few of them, and I read far more non-speedway (mainly history or biography). Tragedy is as well written as any I have ever read.

Stephen Kay: I have just finished reading the ebook version of Tragedy. Can I simply congratulate you on an amazingly well written book that is truly captivating and a very well balanced view of Kenny's tragic life.

SIMON WIGG RACING PLUS! DVD
Speedway Plus: It's been 20 years since we lost the great Simon Wigg. His action-packed life is celebrated on Simon Wigg Racing Plus! - a six-hour DVD collection from Retro Speedway.

This is a great selection of his best and most significant races, drawn from his three sporting disciplines - speedway, grasstrack and longtrack. The first two discs concentrate on his speedway career, while a third one covers grasstrack and longtrack. Splitting them in this way allows viewers to order their viewing according to preference.

The speedway section starts at Weymouth in 1981, opening with Simon overhauling Barry Thomas' substantial lead, an early sign of his massive potential. In a post-meeting interview he's asked about his speedway ambitions and he admits that he hasn't got any! At that stage of his career he's quite candid that he viewed speedway as something that would need to fit around his other racing.

The DVDs follow his rapid progression through the ranks, moving up into the British League with Cradley Heath and into the England team. Always immaculately turned out, he's every inch the professional and quickly reaps the rewards of the efforts he puts in.

Trips to Australia follow and we see him popping wheelies throughout one race, loving the wide open spaces and delighting the whooping Aussies with his showmanship. It's little wonder that he was invited back regularly throughout his career.

A move to Oxford sees him team up with Hans Nielsen as the Cheetahs become one of the sport's most glamourous clubs. The pair are interviewed at the 1986 season launch and shown in choreographed action on the track.

There are quite a few little bits of interesting footage like this that have been included. There are insights into his behind the scenes preparation in a workshop interview with Peter York that originally featured on the Wheels of Fortune VHS release. Wiggy had a well-appointed workshop, complete with lathes and drills, backing up his theory that most points are won in the workshop.

The highlight of his speedway career was a second place finish in the 1989 World Final. We see his races from that meeting, including the run-off that secured him the silver medal.

By the early 90s the sport was changing, with the Polish League starting to attract some of the world's biggest stars. Simon was always one to embrace a new challenge and we see him in action for his club in Poland. His appearances in the UK became more sporadic in the years that followed, though we see him in action for King's Lynn and Exeter in his spells with those clubs.

Although the racing footage is consistently excellent throughout, the many interviews with Simon are perhaps even more special. He was an intelligent and articulate man, with an ever-present smile and a twinkle in his eye. He was never afraid to ruffle a few feathers, or to gently tease an interviewer. It's great that these interviews have been included, as they're a reminder of what a remarkable man he was.

Even for those that have no great interest in grasstrack or longtrack, the third disc that covers those aspects of his career is well worth watching. There's no doubt that those were Simon's greatest loves and where he performed his best - his five World Longtrack titles being testament to that. It's interesting to see Murray Walker interviewing him at a Silverstone grasstrack meeting and to learn from another interview that Simon could speak German.

Wiggy's career was cut short when he experienced a seizure that forced him to surrender his racing and driving licences. News companies were dispatched to his home to cover the story and in front of some of the 700 trophies he'd won, Simon explains the situation and his regret at having things end in that manner. The twinkle in his eye was still there.

Finding six hours of interesting footage of a single rider seems like a challenge, but it's clear here that editor and producer Tony McDonald was spoiled for choice.
The DVDs are a fitting tribute to a special individual, one who still had plenty to offer speedway (and motorsport generally) when he was cruelly taken from us.
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