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Australian Speedway History 1950's -
1960's |
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Peter Craven |
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The Wizard in Oz |
South Australian promoter Kym
Bonython had finally accomplished a goal he’d been aspiring to for some time.
The year was 1959 and he was planning for the 1959-60 season’s racing at
Adelaide’s Rowley Park track. He had American speedcar star Bob Tattersall and
former world champion Jack Young lined up to appear. 19 year-old New Zealander
Ivan Mauger had also been signed up. But the signing Bonython was particularly
thrilled with was an English rider he had tried for a number of years to entice
to Australia.
In early October this announcement appeared in the
Adelaide press: -
“Arrangements have been completed to bring one of the world’s greatest solo
speedway riders to Rowley Park Speedway for the coming season. He is Peter
Craven, of Liverpool, England, who will arrive here in late November. He won the
World Final in 1955 in front of 90,000 people. He holds the British match race
Gold Helmet, and also captained the victorious English Test team against
Australasia this year.”
On the eve of the opening of the new Rowley Park season on November 7, Bonython
booked a whole page in the Adelaide Advertiser newspaper to inform the
speedway-going public of what was in store for them that season. The race
manager at Rowley Park was pre-war solo star Dick Wise.
Following are extracts from that page: -
“Rowley Park Speedway has had the biggest and most varied speedway programme in
the world for many years….”
“The selection of overseas competitors booked to appear this season should
provide fierce and spectacular racing. Making his first Australian appearance
this season will be English solo rider Peter Craven, a former world champion
still regarded by English authorities as the most spectacular rider in the world
today.”
Peter Craven and wife Brenda arrived at Adelaide on Friday November 20th aboard
the Strathmore. The following day he practised at the Rowley Park track. Those
present looked on in awe. Bonython himself commented about the spectacular show
Craven put on for those fortunate enough to have been present: -
“Not since the days of American star Cordy Milne has such a rider visited
Australia … He uses a style not seen before at Rowley Park.”
Peter Craven and Jack Young were both admired for the balance they exhibited
while riding a speedway motorcycle. Peter Craven was known as “The Wizard of
Balance”.
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| Peter Craven |
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Peter's first Rowley Park meeting |
Craven’s first meeting was the
following Friday evening, November 27th. The line-up of solo riders featured on
the programme that evening included Ken McKinlay, Peter Craven, Mike Broadbank,
Gordon McGregor, Gerald Jackson, Bob Andrews, Jack Young, Ivan Mauger, and Jack
Scott.
Unfortunately for Craven, the track was quite damp that evening and he
encountered some difficulties with the slippery racing surface. The following
comment about Craven’s riding that evening is from my meeting report: -
“ …. he thrilled the crowd with his unique style.”
The following Friday evening, the track was more to Craven’s liking. A feature
of the programme was an event advertised as a “Solo Champions Match Race
Series”. The three who participated in this three-heat series were indeed
champions – Craven, Jack Young and Ken McKinlay. Craven won two of the heats and
McKinlay the other. In one of his two wins Craven covered the three laps in
47.80 seconds, just 0.60 outside the track record held by McKinlay.
It was at Craven’s fourth meeting at Rowley Park that he showed he had finally
sorted out the best racing lines. The following comments about Craven are from
the meeting report: -
“In heat two of the solo handicap he rode a brilliant race to win from the rear
of the field. Fans went wild as, displaying his usual spectacular form, he
leaned over to get maximum control. Riding all-out from the start, he swiftly
overcame his handicap, taking the lead on the last corner to win easily. He also
won the handicap final and the feature handicap.”
What people most remembered about Craven’s visit that season were his match
races against local favourite Jack Young. The first of those encounters took
place on Friday evening January 15, 1960. From my meeting report: -
“The special solo match race between South Australian champion Jack Young and
English champion Peter Craven brought the crowd to its feet as they passed and
re-passed each other. Young got to the front at the start of the last lap, but
Craven passed him on the last corner to win by a narrow margin.”
This pair put on such a great performance that a re-match, this time a
best-of-three encounter, was programmed the following week. This clash between
the two stars was billed as a “World Champions’ Match Race”.
The meeting report contained the following: -
“The world champions’ match race series between Jack Young (SA) and Peter Craven
(England) kept the crowd on its toes. Young won two of the three races. In heat
1 he jumped to an early lead, but slid wide at the start of the second lap and
Craven whipped to the lead – but not for long. Young then took the lead on the
inside near the end of the last lap to win. In heat 2 Young and Craven roared
off neck-and-neck, but Craven hit the lead at the end of the first lap and held
it to the end. Young won the third heat by half a wheel after a thrilling ride
to the finish. Times for the second and third heats were only 0.80 seconds
outside the record.”
The Rowley Park speedway-goers just couldn’t get enough of the clashes between
Craven and Young. The final occasion they met that season was on the evening of
February 5. Once again they were pitted in a “world champions” match race
series. If not for the sportsmanship of Craven, their clashes that night may not
have lived up to the quality of their previous encounters. Young discovered his
machine had a cracked frame. Craven lent Young one of his bikes. The Englishman
won the first heat of the best-of-three encounter. The second heat provided one
of the most thrilling races seen at the track. Craven won the start but Young
drew level with him during the first lap. They raced side-by-side for nearly two
laps before Young got the upper hand and won by a mere half-wheel. The third
heat went to Young. Unfortunately for Craven, just as he was making a bid for
the lead on the final corner of this deciding race, he hit a rough patch in the
track.
When Craven returned to England, he left many new friends and many new fans in
South Australia.
Peter Craven became World Champion for a second time when he won the title again
on September 8, 1962. The following year the much-loved 29-year-old rider died.
He crashed while racing in Scotland on September 20 and passed away four days
later. |
Having written this brief account of
Peter Craven’s racing in South Australia, I contacted Jeff Fisher, a former
South Australian rider who still enjoys getting out on the racetrack when an
opportunity presents itself, and asked him if he had any recollections of that
season which he would like to share. I received the following response from
Jeff: -
“I do recall Peter’s visit because he was resident at my Auntie’s Guest House
during his stay. Other than his outstanding and spectacular riding ability, I
was impressed by his small stature and brilliant auburn hair. As I too had
auburn hair (not as red as his) I naturally got tagged ‘Blue’ and Peter was
quite fascinated by our Oz vernacular. My dad tagged him ‘Blue’ also, and this
suitably impressed him. Imagine the confusion when they had to teach him about
the expression ‘True Blue’.
“The best, closest, most tenacious and fairest racing I have ever witnessed came
from Peter Craven and Jack Young. The two of them were like a mirror image
around Rowley Park during scratch events. To witness their performances weaving
their way through the pack in a handicap event was something to behold. Sadly I
believe the abandonment of such events is why speedway has lost its following
today.
“Another Peter Craven story which has remained with me for life is the one about
his fascination with Bob Tattersall’s accent. Tattersall was the American midget
car driver who was also resident at the Guest House. Although I was only young
at the time, I got on very well with Peter who was very humble and amiable –
similar to Youngie. He had a very broad accent and you had to concentrate hard
to understand him. Anyway, one day I enquired as to how he got on with ‘Two Gun
Tattersall’, only to receive the reply in his broadest accent, ‘Not bad laddie,
but he’s oh so hard to understand.’ ” |
Leading Australian speedway
motorcycle referee Gavin Willson sent me the following story about Peter Craven:
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“The story I have for you may be of interest even though it doesn’t pertain to
Peter Craven’s visit to Australia.
An ex next-door neighbour of mine, Tom, used to live in England. While driving
home one night in the UK with his six-year-old daughter in the car with him, he
had a nasty accident which resulted in him losing the sight in one eye. Tom was
helped by a passing motorist who happened to be Peter Craven. He also was
returning home having ridden that night in a speedway meeting. Peter took Tom
and his daughter to hospital and waited until Tom’s wife arrived to pick up the
young girl. Peter visited Tom in hospital and invited him to a speedway meeting
when he got out. Three weeks later Peter Craven was killed, before Tom could
even take him up on his kind offer.
Even though Peter Craven only briefly entered Tom’s life, he did what we can
only ever hope to achieve, and that is to leave a good impression on one which
lasts a lifetime.”
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| My thanks
to Jeff and Gavin for agreeing to share their Peter Craven stories. |
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Thanks to Ross Garrigan for this report. |
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