past_era

Jack Young
"From the Jack Young Collection"
In the following, written by Jack Young, he mentions his brothers (Wally and Frank) and the early days at the Camden and Kilburn Speedways in South Australia:- “You haven’t heard of Wally Young have you? That’s my oldest brother and the first member of the Young family to give up spectating to try his hand on a speedway track! That was in 1939 and back home on the Camden track in Adelaide. He showed so much promise that I, a fourteen year old then, started looking forward to having a speedway star as my big brother. Then the War started; there were more important things to do and Wally hung up his leathers. “I’m telling you about Wally because I might never have bothered to try my hand on the cinders had it not been for his later misfortune. He developed tummy trouble after the War, cycling was forbidden so he gave me his bike – a road one! With that I joined up in the Road Section at Kilburn. Brother Frank did too and believe it or not he was returning better times on his roadster than the established speedsters were doing on the real thing.” An important stage in Jack Young’s development as a rider at Kilburn began when Adelaide J.A.P. agent Fred Jolly offered to supply him with, and maintain, his racing machinery. Jack got to keep all the prize money he earned. Jack wrote of Jolly’s offer: - “Then along came an offer from an agent who wanted me to ride Max Grosskreutz machines. I did, they were a success and I felt myself really getting to know speedway……………..”
Jack Young wrote the following during September of 1949 while in Scotland. He commences with some comments about fellow countryman Bob Leverenz: - “Bob and I have been together for a long time now. Back home we have knocked about ever since we learned how to open our eyes. We grew up together, learned to ride together, lived practically next door to each other ……. “One thing I must put down in writing, and just another point on which Bob and I agree, is the terrific hospitality we’ve received over here. But, tightening my little Scottish scarf, I must do a ‘Hoskins’ and sail into battle on behalf of Scotland, my home from home. If Bob – or any of the other boys for that matter – think England is the place, they ought to get a transfer to a Scottish track. There they’d get to know the real meaning of the word (hospitality). “Remember when I moved my headquarters from the speedway to the hospital at the beginning of the season. I’d only just arrived here then. I’d ridden one meeting, notching a maximum, and then had to be whisked off for an appendix operation. Remember that, I’d ridden only one meeting. Very few people knew about me, but I still received so many visitors, parcels and good luck messages that I might well have just won the war single-handed. “When I fixed up to come to Edinburgh I hadn’t a clue as to what I was letting myself in for. Bill Maddern was one of the few Adelaide boys who knew the English set-up. He talked to me about the possibility of my coming over. I agreed and then forgot about the whole thing. Next thing I remember was Clem Mitchell phoning me up from Scotland asking me when the blazes I was coming. Clem phoned right in the middle of a heavy party and even as I packed I was still wondering if some of the boys weren’t pulling a fast one. “I get here, took one look at the Meadowbank circuit and knew that it was my kind of track. I’ve got a fancy for a ‘driving’ track……”
South Australian Bob Leverenz wrote the following while he was in Britain in 1949. As well as mentioning his friend Jack Young, he also writes about aspects of his own 1949 U. K. debut season at Norwich. I have included those interesting comments. “I came over here this year (1949). Not a soul in England, with the exception of a few fellow Aussies, had ever heard of me. Only Dick Wise knew anything about me……… “I guess, when I look back over those early months, that I was one of the lucky ones. I signed up with Norwich and it’s purely thanks to them that I’ve managed to get along so fast. They could afford to carry me along for those early meetings. The meetings when I was still trying to pick my way around the English tracks……. I got the breaks, and within three months of landing here I was being tipped as a Test ‘possible’. Another month went by and I got my wish. The chance to wear an Aussie jersey … “Jack (Young) and I live almost next door to each other back home. We’ve been together ever since we found out that feet were for walking on. And we’ve been racing together since we found out that feet could also make a bike travel at some speed. If ever there were kids that were born to race then we must be them. Racing is something that’s in our blood. Some people just have to breathe. We had to breathe and race too. In the early days we used to get a couple of push bikes and tear around the streets. We had a whole mob of other speed crazy kids with us. The whole lot of us graduated from the streets to a home-built cycle track. Even later we all took a crack at the cinders at Adelaide. “ .. ..It (the cycle track) wasn’t built in the shape of a cinder circuit. Imagine a circle with a great bite out of one side. That was the shape of our masterpiece. We used to tear along the long straight and really make those bikes move. But we found the tight turn at the end of the straight a bit too tight for us to take in our stride. So we built a banking. And when I say banking I’m not kidding. Up to a level of four feet this one went. After that we’d tear down the old straight, zip into the bend, bounce off the banking, travel through the air for as much as six to ten feet, make a perfect two-wheel landing and whip up the next straight. Took us quite a while to master the technique, but we did it in the end.” “ ….. Since I came over here (to England) I have been very lucky…. Back home the opportunities are limited because of the terrific distances the boys have to travel if they want to get around the tracks. But, thanks to Dick Wise and the Norwich boys, I have made the grade. The two other boys from the Adelaide track, Jack and Merv (Harding), are also in the same position…”
I have another amusing item written by Bob Leverenz. Here are some extracts from it. When reading the first line, bear in mind that the nick name “Bake” is pronounced “Baikey”. “This is a story of Spud, Bake and Wonga. Far from being an Australian haggis, Spud, Bake and Wonga are real live people who, I’m happy to say, have all made the grade in English speedway. “Why am I so happy? Because I happen to be Bake. Spud is Merv Harding, Wonga is Jackie Young. And that clears that up! “Any story of mine automatically takes in the other pair. We all started together back in Adelaide. Most of the time we’ve been together ever since. “We started on machines that were nothing more than fugitives from the scrap heap.”
I have Bob Andrews (former England and New Zealand International and multiple World Finalist) to thank for the following reminiscences, which are some of his favourite memories of Jack Young. “A story I remember concerns the first World Championship to be held outside England. It was staged at the Malmo Stadium in Sweden in 1961. The riders and supporters went over by charted plane; I think the bikes must have been on it too. “During the flight from England I was trying to get my mind on the racing, but never having seen the track or knowing what the gearing ratio was, it was a bit of a mind-boggler. During the plane trip, Jack had a little too much to drink. He was a reserve for the meeting so was more relaxed than he usually was. In fact he was as near to being drunk as you can be. He was even singing as he descended the steps from the aeroplane. We then boarded a coach which took us to the Stadium. On the coach, Jack led a sing-along. How could I concentrate on riding with something as funny as this going on?”

The photo on the left shows Jack Young about to descend the steps from the aeroplane in Sweden in 1961. Bob Andrews points out that Jack was singing at the time. The photo on the right shows Bob Andrews (on the left) and Cyril Maidment sporting Wimbledon colours.
And how did Bob Andrews go at Malmo? - I’ll quote a sentence from the book “The History of the World Speedway Championship”: - “Wimbledon’s Bob Andrews had ridden steadily all night and capped a fine performance with a super heat eighteen win over (Ronnie) Moore and (Rune) Sormander, thus taking his points tally into double figures.” Bob scored 10 points from his five rides. Jack Young wasn't called on to ride. More Jack Young memories from Bob: - “I have a friend over here in New Zealand, Wally Auckram, who paid a visit to Adelaide. Wally was a mate of Ron Phillips who rode at Glasgow. Wally visited Jack at his home to pass on Ron’s best regards. Jack, who was a generous guy, gave Wally his World Championship breastplate that he had worn at Malmo. He even gave Wally a bunch of programmes from the original racetrack at Adelaide. Over the years, Jack had already given away all of the cups he had won to various people. “And although Ivan Mauger likes to say that Jack had to go back to work because he made no money at speedway, the reason he re-entered the workforce (as Manager by the way) was because he enjoyed the company of his mates. He was one who never forgot his mates. “I also went to a party at Peter Moore’s house in Bishop’s Stortford in England with the rest of the Wimbledon team. The occasion was a going away party for Jack when he retired. How sad it was that nobody took any photos on that occasion; it was such a laugh. And the record that was played all night was ‘Hit the Road Jack’.” During our correspondence, Bob made me aware of an interesting point concerning Clem Mitchell, the person who had assisted Jack Young during his career. This is just another example of the high esteem in which Clem was held within speedway circles. Bob wrote:- “Did you know that it was Clem Mitchell who gave me my first lessons at Rye House? After five practices he sent me to Wimbledon. Clem told me that Ronnie Greene (the Wimbledon promoter) didn't want all Kiwis and Aussies as they were expensive. Clem phoned Ronnie Greene and recommended he sign me up. Greene signed me without even seeing me ride.”
The following is section of a newspaper cutting Leanne McVicar forwarded to me from Scotland. It comes from a newspaper dated May 31st, 1979, and concerns details of a telephone interview conducted from Scotland with Jack Young in Australia. At that time Jack was living in retirement at the seaside village of Port Victoria in South Australia. The sections from the article appearing in inverted commas are the words of Jack Young. “Yes, those were great days. I have fabulous memories of Edinburgh." The telephone line from down under was crystal clear and there was no mistaking his relaxed Aussie drawl. He was sorry to learn of the demolition of Old Meadowbank to make way for the multi-sports complex which housed the Commonwealth Games. But delighted that speedway was now being accommodated at Powderhall. “The only contact I have with British speedway is when some of the London boys come out to these parts to ride. I get some news from them,” said Jack. “I left Britain in 1961 and had three more years riding over here before I quit. “Honestly, I’d absolutely love to make a return trip to Scotland. All my children have been across and so has my wife, Joan. “It isn’t the money that is stopping me from travelling. I’m suffering from emphysema, cloggy lungs with all those years of taking in the dust from the track, and I’m scared of what might happen if the cold weather got at me.” Jack has three children, Carol is 34, Paula was born at the Elsie Inglis Maternity Pavilion 28 years ago, and Mark is 21. And he has accumulated eight grandchildren. Jack is his own master now, having retired from working as a supervisor in an Adelaide brickyard eight months ago.
I asked Jeff Fisher if he had any favourite stories about his friend Jack Young. He sent me the following which takes place at the time Jack’s health was starting to fail. “Due to ill health, Jack had to return to live in Adelaide so he could be close to a major hospital. This is when he purchased a house near me. Strange as it may seem, Jack did not hold a motorcycle licence. As he was again residing in the metropolitan area, he considered he should comply with the regulations. Jack presented himself at the Department of Transport offices and passed the written test. He was then informed he would have to make another appointment for the next step in the process, which involved being observed riding a motorcycle on both bitumen and a loose surface. Jack made an appointment. “Having returned on the due day, it was obvious to Jack that the young man who was to test him was taking pity on him because of his age. He asked Jack if he felt competent enough to attempt riding on a dirt surface. He also asked Jack if he’d ever ridden on dirt before. Jack’s response was ‘once or twice’. The examiner told Jack not to be apprehensive – all would be OK. “The pair then took to the road on their bikes. Jack had no problems riding on the bitumen and passed that section of the examination with flying colours. Jack then followed the examiner to a dirt road. He was told to follow the dirt road until he came to the next bitumen crossroad. Jack rode off with the examiner following him. “Jack reached the crossroad and stopped. The young man pulled up next to him and told Jack that his loose surface skills were adequate and that he had passed the test. Jack was humbled to say the least. “Having returned to the Department of Transport offices, the young examiner was completing the paperwork when an ex speedway follower of the West Ham club, who happened to be the Department of Transport manager, spotted Youngie and re-acquainted himself. He then asked the young examiner if the applicant had passed his test and whether he had demonstrated reasonable skills in the operation of a motorcycle. The young man replied, ‘Yes - quite good actually.’ Jack’s re-found friend then said to the youngster, ‘I should bloody well hope so, this guy is the greatest motorcycle rider this world has ever seen!!!’ “Such was his humility that this was Youngie’s all-time favourite motorbike story. If I heard this once, I heard it a hundred times!!!!”
Jeff also sent me the following. The "site" Jeff refers to in the first line was Adelaide's "Royal Park Wembley" to which I referred in Chapter One of “The Jack Young Story". As for Fred Jolly, I have already mentioned him earlier. Laurie Jamieson was one of the talented motorcycling Jamieson brothers. It was Laurie who was responsible for Jack transferring from the road bike class of racing at Kilburn to the speedway motorcycle class. "Fred Jolly and Laurie Jamieson sorted problems with their 'fleet of trackers' at this site until it was finally subdivided. I was once in attendance with my Dad when 'Youngie' and Merv Harding were attempting to sort out some new J.A.P.'s about 1959 when a 'local bush basher' observed them in action and commented to my Dad that they went pretty good and should 'try out' to get on the Rowley Park programme. My Dad being my Dad said, 'You don't really think they're that good, do you?’ The 'talent scout' responded with, ‘I don't reckon either of them could beat Jack Young yet, but they should try out anyway, they would at least hold their own in the B Grade Handicaps.’ ”
Acknowledgements. Sincere thanks to:- Bob Andrews (he also supplied the two photographs which are included in the section in which he talks about Jack), Leanne McVicar and Jeff Fisher.
Thanks to Ross Garrigan. Brisbane.