North East Tracks

[dan-dare]

The great Kev O'Connor joined the site today. Welcome dude.

[DIRTBIKER250F]

The great Kev O'Connor joined the site today. Welcome dude.

x2 Phils Flyer

[OrgasmDonor]

The great Kev O'Connor joined the site today. Welcome dude.

craaazy baloooooooo! aye up kev, don't be a stranger dude

daz

[paulgray]

I just found this on Youtube (thanks to Dale Holmes) it's the third Southbank track which I designed but never rode.
 

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It was situated here, over the road from the cart track in the corner next to the compound with the parked cars.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=54.579387,-1.186346&spn=0.002776,0.00677&t=h&z=18

[OrgasmDonor]

Awesome vid  i never raced that track, just the older one

[hudu]

And a funny one Doncaster used to be in the North East along with Nottingham 



Also a quick mention for Bradford, you had to work to get to the first turn, uphill, but it was worth it for the downhill run afterwards

Strange thing was that Doncaster Cantley was in the East Mids region but Hexthorpe was NE.

And is that a rare shot of a young Geth Shooter in the last pic leading out Simon Bailey. 

[hudu]

Quiz question. Can anyone identify the fifth rider in this photo ? look hard now, who is hiding?



Woppa, Flemdog, Geth, myself and who else?

Trev Stamford, just behind you...only one with that shape helmet in Pro at that time.

*smartarse* 

[martylaa]

I remember the South Bank track ( grew up there ) had some good laughs there with my cousin, also Tow law is literally 5 mins away from me now gonna have a drive up there and see if the track is still there, those pics of South bank are great gets me all sentimental now.........

[ron burgundy]

I remember that South Bank track, I'm sure the berms had concrete lips around the top.

Shame it's not there now, I work just over the road

[martylaa]

where abouts mate?
served my apprenticeship at the training centre and thats just over the road

[ron burgundy]

where abouts mate?
served my apprenticeship at the training centre and thats just over the road

Skippers Lane Industrial Estate

[Bigplinky]

Never raced that South Bank track but rode it in about 92, it was a good'un 

[keiththompson]

I just found this on Youtube (thanks to Dale Holmes) it's the third Southbank track which I designed but never rode.
 

/>
It was situated here, over the road from the cart track in the corner next to the compound with the parked cars.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=54.579387,-1.186346&spn=0.002776,0.00677&t=h&z=18

Good track that Paul, and it looks very fast (plenty of room to get as few pedals in)

I wish I could come on here one day and someone had either posted some pics or a video of the first South-Bank track.

(a bit further down from the go-cart track is the home of the mighty....Redcar Bears speedway team) 

[gt666ne]

WICKED PICS..i remember racing at guisbrough in the early 80's with kellys heroes.
Jumping at the KIOSK(bottom of marsden bank in south shields)which was brilliant cos all me m8s used to
go there as well(being from marsden it was very handy)and it wasnt long before we were jumping over ALL
of the rubbish bins wich were scattered along the cliffs.
But best of all was riding at the CENTRAL LIBRARY IN SOUTH SHIELDS.2 wicked ramps+every bmx'er in south shields was there every nite,getting chased off the cops was a added bonus(com on fatty,as we'd rockwalk past some fat cop).
And last but def not least was the very first trick ramp+the quarter pipe at the MOTORCYCLE CENTRE IN MAXWELL STREET.
HERE'S MY CLAIM TO FAME MY DAD,JIM ROBSON ACTUALLY BUILT THE TRICK RAMP(EXACT SPEC AS IN BOB HARO'S FREESTYLE MOVES),WHILE HE WAS WORKING FOR DAVE WHINFIELD,WHO OWNED THE MOTORCYCLE CENTRE AT THE TIME,THEN NOT LONG AFTER THE QUARTER PIPE WAS BUILT.(not by me dad though).But it was the very first q-pipe we'd ever ridden.(nowt like the pipes these days,that was lethel,but bob rode the same so who were we to argue...

[paulgray]

WICKED PICS..i remember racing at guisbrough in the early 80's with kellys heroes.
Jumping at the KIOSK(bottom of marsden bank in south shields)which was brilliant cos all me m8s used to
go there as well(being from marsden it was very handy)and it wasnt long before we were jumping over ALL
of the rubbish bins wich were scattered along the cliffs.
But best of all was riding at the CENTRAL LIBRARY IN SOUTH SHIELDS.2 wicked ramps+every bmx'er in south shields was there every nite,getting chased off the cops was a added bonus(com on fatty,as we'd rockwalk past some fat cop).
And last but def not least was the very first trick ramp+the quarter pipe at the MOTORCYCLE CENTRE IN MAXWELL STREET.
HERE'S MY CLAIM TO FAME MY DAD,JIM ROBSON ACTUALLY BUILT THE TRICK RAMP(EXACT SPEC AS IN BOB HARO'S FREESTYLE MOVES),WHILE HE WAS WORKING FOR DAVE WHINFIELD,WHO OWNED THE MOTORCYCLE CENTRE AT THE TIME,THEN NOT LONG AFTER THE QUARTER PIPE WAS BUILT.(not by me dad though).But it was the very first q-pipe we'd ever ridden.(nowt like the pipes these days,that was lethel,but bob rode the same so who were we to argue...

I helped built a quarter pipe once with my mates Keith, Adam and Nick. We used whatever bits of wood we could get our hands to build the frame and then used hardboard for the riding surface. Imagine four teenage lads with hammers six inch nail loads of wood and enthusiasm, it was a proper ramshackle backyard quarter pipe. The idea was to keep it outside Nick and Adams house but it took about five seconds for the neighbours to start whingeing so we had to saw it in half down the middle from top to bottom so we could get it in the backyard and then bolt it back together again when we wanted to use it. Great times 

Wish we took a photo 

[paulgray]

Quiz question. Can anyone identify the fifth rider in this photo ? look hard now, who is hiding?



Woppa, Flemdog, Geth, myself and who else?

Trev Stamford, just behind you...only one with that shape helmet in Pro at that time.

*smartarse* 

I thought it might be Jamie but think you're right going on that bit of helmet, you can also see a bit of front wheel, a bit of trouser leg with Haro? written on it and maybe a bit of number plate.



Another mystery solved 

[paulgray]

Another one from Southbank, circa 1984.


26       ?
382     Paul Gray
06       Alan Batty
250     Roy Barker
1         John Longstaff
67       ?
4         ?

Kev O'Connor is in the back ground between me and Alan.

I think I spot Nick Fields in the background? all in Red.



It was hard work getting that 45/16 gearing going but could spin it out on the long first straight 

[keiththompson]

WICKED PICS..i remember racing at guisbrough in the early 80's with kellys heroes.
Jumping at the KIOSK(bottom of marsden bank in south shields)which was brilliant cos all me m8s used to
go there as well(being from marsden it was very handy)and it wasnt long before we were jumping over ALL
of the rubbish bins wich were scattered along the cliffs.
But best of all was riding at the CENTRAL LIBRARY IN SOUTH SHIELDS.2 wicked ramps+every bmx'er in south shields was there every nite,getting chased off the cops was a added bonus(com on fatty,as we'd rockwalk past some fat cop).
And last but def not least was the very first trick ramp+the quarter pipe at the MOTORCYCLE CENTRE IN MAXWELL STREET.
HERE'S MY CLAIM TO FAME MY DAD,JIM ROBSON ACTUALLY BUILT THE TRICK RAMP(EXACT SPEC AS IN BOB HARO'S FREESTYLE MOVES),WHILE HE WAS WORKING FOR DAVE WHINFIELD,WHO OWNED THE MOTORCYCLE CENTRE AT THE TIME,THEN NOT LONG AFTER THE QUARTER PIPE WAS BUILT.(not by me dad though).But it was the very first q-pipe we'd ever ridden.(nowt like the pipes these days,that was lethel,but bob rode the same so who were we to argue...

I helped built a quarter pipe once with my mates Keith, Adam and Nick. We used whatever bits of wood we could get our hands to build the frame and then used hardboard for the riding surface. Imagine four teenage lads with hammers six inch nail loads of wood and enthusiasm, it was a proper ramshackle backyard quarter pipe. The idea was to keep it outside Nick and Adams house but it took about five seconds for the neighbours to start whingeing so we had to saw it in half down the middle from top to bottom so we could get it in the backyard and then bolt it back together again when we wanted to use it. Great times 

Wish we took a photo 

All that work, just to keep Nick and Adams house warm that winter on their coal fire...

[mat8n]

well i've finally come back to the darkside!
i know most of you who are involved in this topic and was around the same time only a few years younger, you'll actually be quite surprised on how alike mine and andys pictures are from saltburn!!
and to paul i used to live at marske and hang around with your cousin(i think) clifford thompson(he's in the early pictures).
and i'm sure it was paul sturrocks powerlite bike i borrowed at a redcar regional when my GT pro series got nicked! hence why i'm on an aero pro burner in the last pictures. also note 2 brakes at all time!
i was regional No1 for nbmxa whe i was 12/13? 1984? not sure which.
anyway i've just bought russ from darlo's floval flyer so hopefully you'll see me around a  bit sometime.
here's a few of my pics
Matt Ayton

these first two are from different meetings at saltburn early '83. my first race i was racing in the wrong age! i'm the one with the orange plate and mag wheels


the older pic is the same as above where i won my first trophy. the newer pic is at nottingham club championships. No2


these two are from saltburn early '84 as i'm on my spanking new gt pro series i got for xmas! a few folk on there we all know! i'm No3


me in a similar pose to someone else!!!! and its all my mates in the background on both shots!


one from nottingham and the other over the best doubles ever!


and finally two from herlingshaw early '85 on my burner! now with my No1 plate

[ron burgundy]

Great pics mate, that indoor track was a killer if you fell off

[Bigplinky]

Yup deffo from the same camera as my pics Matt

Thanks for postin' some good shots there and one of me Stuzza and Trev Lockie I haven't got 

[09paul]

WOW
Thanks guys for posting all the pics, alot of happy Memories  have come flooding back ...........i feel 15 again  .

stuzza a.k.a paul sturrock

I would like to thank Diaman Field for asking to make the 10 min driver to summerhill to watch him race at the winter reginal in march , without that i would not have come back to bmx .THANKS

Im now back in the sport of bmx with my son Andrew Paul 



Anyone fancy getting south bank back up and running 

[ftmags]

tow law track still there 

[paulgray]

Welcome back Matt and thanks for posting the photo's.

I remember you by name but can't remember what you look like  . Good to see some photos of Cliff racing, he  loved his BMX but was never much good, I did a lot of motorcycling with him in later years and was a super fast and well respected road rider on his R1.

Has anyone got a photo of Saltburn in the dry? 

[paulgray]

Has anyone on here got any photo's of Gavin Bottomley or Carl Wetherall, they both rode Kuwahara BITD.

Another rider I remember won the money race that Ian Johnson staged at Prissick aroundbout 85? There was a big show on the playing fields with loads of things going on and Ian got the Herlingshaw ramps and marked out a track on the grass with cones, so it was Herlingshaw on grass. I think there was £100 for first, I think I came third, John Longstaff of Johnsons Jets might have come second and the lad that won rode for Tuckers Tornados. Can anyone remember who the was, he was a tall thin lad (like we all where) with blond hair and I think he wore white black and yellow Aero pants and a Tuckers top, I can remember him well but I can't think of his name. He was a year or two younger than me, any suggestions?