Wot, no Brixton thread yet?!

[Humps00]

That was Billy Wright who takes pics for 2024 mag

Billy's pics usually end up on the Hawks website so watch for a link shortly.  Here's a couple of pics courtesy of DotComJohn:

K Dub & OldManKev in action

East Kent's 'painted lady' Nick Cox
I'll put a couple more on East Kent Forum but they're of OldSkoolSux and Dan Pullen.
Humps

[Flying_fox]

I'll put my 2p's worth in then.

I like the flat starthill, it shows who's got real pull. The gate propper sucked though, but as kev said earlier in the thread it the same for every one. I thought the track was terrible when I got there, but by the end I was actually having a rite laugh riding it, it just needs a few tweeks. The club must have made a fair few quid out of the race so lets hope they re-invest it into the track and gate set up.

I doubt many people will know the 80s track I'm talking about, but my Mum and sister said Brixton track reminded Gamblingay. It was very much like it, big old dust bowl with a low gate and flat hill.

Nick's HH cruiser frame, a real work of art, I loved it.

Humps can you get Elliott the first aid bloke to fall over at every race please. He might stop taking the piss out of me every time he sees me loose layers of skin.

[dialledbikes]

As I said to Miles at the end of the day yesterday, it's the people who make BMX racing what it is, not the tracks 

We've got a good bunch of people in our region (riders, officials, volunteers, parents, spectators, the lot) and although I'm an adopted Southerner, I really appreciate being part of it all 

[se]

Ah Mike, u are starting to sound like a proper Midlander..

Good track all round that. No point whingeing, although that gate made me feel more wobbly that applying for my first mortgage. Thanks all who helped with the organising.

[dialledbikes]

Midlander    South Yorkshire!

[thecrooch]

Midlander    South Yorkshire!

thought you were a scouser from your choice of non race shirt attire!   

[xtremepervert]

In all the excitement, I didn't even see who finished where in 40+.  I assume Keith won (looking fast all day and I think he was the only person in our class to jump the triple cleanly).  Me and Spillers got 7th and 8th.

Mike the order in A final was : Keith   Kev  Dazzling   Billy   Phil   Matt in the first 6 places.

[thecrooch]

anyone got any links for pics yet?

[kdubbmx]

I, like everyone else had a few reservations about the track at first, turned out that when you upped the speed to race speed it was ok, (jumping the triples + the two sets of doubles after them really saved your legs & made it a lot easier!). Really suprised everyone wasnt jumping as there wasnt anything in the way to slow you down it was just a case of pedallng the (cool) first berm keeping low on the (great) tabletop then pedal pedal pedal! If a fat 42 year old has been like me can pop em easily then anyone can!!!  
The gate wasnt great but added a technical aspect to the racing which is good training, it forced you to relax as you were waiting for the beeps/lights & it bit you if you didnt as it did to Martin Parker which then made him have to play catch up which unfortunately made him crash!!
As Miles said it was very old skool like especially the gate angle & the surface, everyone just got on with it & enjoyed it & the racing was close.  
The crew were really great especially the car parking guys & gals v friendly, Daddy Whyte ran gate practice with military precision & kept everyone in check very well, we should all thank the sign on staff as they do a great job & we couldnt go racing without them!  
Watching the 6 & unders was great as usual they are as hungry for the win as the older riders & are def stars of the future!  
All in all a good day + we had the best fish & chips ever from the chippy over the road!  

Well done Brixton.
 

[dialledbikes]

All in all a good day + we had the best fish & chips ever from the chippy over the road!  

Jammy sod - not only did you win the A-final  but you had Olly's fish and chips as well.

Fish & Chips are a MUST after the Southern Champs at Herne Bay.  After all, it is the seaside!

[thecrooch]

All in all a good day + we had the best fish & chips ever from the chippy over the road!  

Fish & Chips are a MUST after the Southern Champs at Herne Bay.  After all, it is the seaside!

oh yes - we did just that after the regional - perfect end to the day.....

[Mattdub]

And that's a really nice bike you were on Nick 

Not seen a HH Racing frame in the flesh before.  Loving the clean and simple lines.  Pure BMX.

Nic , can you post a pic of your HH please 

[Zippy]

That had to be without doubt the nicest bike I think I've ever seen. So clean and simple not to mention excellently built.

[dialledbikes]

Their website needs a bit of work, but I found this via a google search:

http://hhracinggroup.com/page8.html

Dunno how up to date it is, but if you can get a frame like Nic's for $200, that's the best bargain ever!  Even the $425 full price is great value.

[Zippy]

I saw that but they've only got a Pro XL left. I think that would be too big for me.

[kdubbmx]

I was all over em Mike

Just for the record, we did come clean and my result was adjusted accordingly. 

Best bit was even the queen didn't know, she was cheering for me  

Oh sorry to the 40+ guys he were invovled in that moto, we wont do it again

Wasnt the first moto i've been in where there was a 'Ratty incident' behind me, last time it happened was at Outwell where you took Nicky Matthews out behind me, & Dave Young called a re-run, remember that? (it was only 27 years ago!!!) 

[RATTY]

I didnt remember that until I met up with Dave Young last year, he reminded me about it , bless him he had a fantastic memory.

Oh and Keith, while on the subject of "incidents" Dave reminded me about a certain worlds qualifier involving a certain Mr Wilson, where he gave the said Mr Wilson a "squeeze", which ment he didnt get disqualified and went on to race at the worlds

I gotta say, I do miss Dave, he was real OS bmx, one of the real people

[kdubbmx]

The incident you refer to Tony was at the 'Anglo-Am' cup in 1982 at Redditch, a race that is looked back on with high regard by the old skool guys, i am proud to have been a part of that race but in reality the track then & in particular the gate was a complete embarresment to bmx in this country, the yanks had gates then like we have now with concrete, proper angle, lights, beeps, electric operation etc.
We invited them over here to race on a gate that was two scaffold boards with hinges between them only designed for six riders so with eight your bars were touching, gate one & gate eight you had to ride up over the bottom board because it was sticking out of the ground because the soil had washed away, add that to the fact that there was no incline at all you had to go uphill to get out of those gates!!

Of course in my semi i drew gate 8 & with only one rider being picked to go to what was the first ever world champs there was a lot riding on that race! as the gate dropped my pedal caught the lower board of the gate cos it was sticking up out of the ground so high & i stopped dead & went down, as i went down i hit Jay Hardy who was in 7 but he didnt go down but was seriously impeded,
So, i gently persueded him to go down as i knew the rule was that if two or more riders go down within 30ft of the gate it would mean a re-run, sure enough there was a re-run which i won & then the final too so ended up being the only rider from the Uk to go to the worlds that (1st) year!

Dave could've dq'd me for that but chose not to, for that i will always be gratefull to him, just a shame i didnt get to see him again to thank him. 

[RATTY]

Keith, thats a great story, Dave recalled it almost word for word. It was such a shame that he came back to bmx for such a short time, but with the same sparkle and same stories. I just wish he had longer with us, so many stories, so little time. The last time I saw him was at Hayes, he brought his photos with him, I never realised but he used to take pics for bmx weekly as well as ref at the same time

He showed me some pics with me in it, after 27 years he knew exactly where to find them, where they was taken, and who was in the race

He was particularly fond of a pic of Andy Young and me that he took through a buried tyre.

I went to his funeral and was amazed at how many friends he had, so many people from all over had made the journey. At the wake there was picyures on every wall covering every aspect of Dave's life, he served in the armed services, he was a motorbike racer, a speedwalk racer, then bmx, first with Chris (#1 12s) then refereeing and then onto running the first freestyle team in this country, he also constructed the first mobile 1/4 pipe, our own Billy Stupple rode for Skyliners freestyle team.

Anyway, just to say he was loved and was a sad loss, Im just glad I had time to catch up with him 25 years later, even if it was only a couple of times before he left for the last time  

[kdubbmx]

I have a picture with me leading Tony Slater with you and Hedley Monkton battling behind taken at Nottingham national in 82 by Dave, i had sliipped my pedals just before & i can clearly remember Dave shouting to Tony 'use it Tony use it' as he took the pic!

Funny how we remember things from so long ago but cant remember what happened yesterday!!! 

[Twatty]

Great story guys. Good to see the name Headly Munkton again. Dont think ive seen him since 1983 or there abouts.

[oldmankev]

Do you mean Harvey Monkton or did he have a brother???

[Twatty]

He had a lessor know bro, hence nice to see the name again... He was a good bloke, and I used to ask people at Farnham club when I was 12/13 if they meant Harvey. Kind of lived in Harveys shadow a bit but was also a good rider....