In The Beginning
The roots of Speedway racing grew from beneath the rubble piles of post war England, where youths formed cycle clubs and literally raced around bomb craters on otherwise unfit bicycles. Much like with the birth of BMX racing in the States, English kids mimicked motorcycle racers on their bikes. With post war gas shortages leading to an idle period of motorcycle flat track racing, folks made due with the bicycle speedway races. Fans and participant interest grew steadily in the sport and by the 1950s hundreds, sometimes thousands of spectators turned up for races.
The racing format is about as simple as can be: four racers, four laps, bikes with freewheels and no brakes. Usually races are contested outdoors on a gravel track typically 70-90 meters in length. For most of its existence, Cycle Speedway has remained firmly on the “other side of the pond.” However, in recent years it has gained popularity in other countries; most notably Poland and Australia.