Rye countdown to unique 75th anniversary meeting.

Elite League speedway stars, World Champions and a host of speedway fans will be making their way to Rye House Stadium, Hoddesdon on Saturday (March 1st) for the 75th Anniversary of British Speedway meeting.

Eastbourne's Joe Screen and Ipswich's Paul Hurry head the names from the top league while the Premier League will be well represented also with Ray Morton, Kelvin Tatum, Andre Compton, Leigh Lanham, Phil Morris, Chris Neath and Carl Stonehewer.

And the Rye House team provides the rest of the field in David Mason, Scott Robson, Mark Courtney and Edward Kennett as well as the two Australian's in the line-up Nigel Sadler and Brett Woodifield.

Rye House Promoter Len Silver said: "We are delighted at the field that we have assembled for what will be a very prestigious meeting. All of the riders we spoke to were very keen to start off their seasons competing in the meeting, despite the tricks which we have up our sleeves machine-wise."

"Because as well as assembling a first-class field, we have also been assembling a stable of vintage machines that the riders will compete on in what will be a very unique day's racing. We have had no trouble in lining up sponsors for the meeting and all of the trophies for the main races will be sponsored by Broadway Presentations Limited of Southend-on-Sea, while the Stars of Tomorrow races will be provided by Fishpools Furniture of Waltham Cross."

One of the highlights of the meeting will be a match race between 69-year-old Swedish legend Ove Fundin and the 2000 World Champion Mark Loram.
And in keeping with the historical theme of the event, Loram will be riding on one of the pre-war machines which demanded the spectacular leg-trailing riding style, while Fundin will hopefully be mounted on the famous 'Norwich Track Spare' which bore him to countless victories around his adopted home track at the Firs circuit in Norfolk in the 50s.

In his heyday Fundin was nicknamed The Fox because of his flaming red hair, and it will be a rare opportunity for many to see the five times world champion racing.

Fundin said: "I did some match-races with Barry Briggs at Coventry and also some display riding at Beaulieu during 'Motorcycle World 2002. I'm happy to say that I still enjoy a ride now and then and I'm quite amazed I can get around."

Silver - who himself celebrated his 50th year in speedway last season - has revealed his delight at the honour bestowed on the Hoddesdon circuit in staging this prestigious event.

He said: "We were chosen as the venue for this exciting spectacle because Rye House is the closest track to High Beech in Epping where it all began back in the late 20s. But when you consider that just four years ago our stadium was a stock car raceway which was lost to speedway it really is a credit to all the people who have put in so much work in bringing our beloved sport back to the area."

"I spent last week down at the stadium inspecting the state of the track following the winter break and I'm delighted to report that the circuit is in superb shape despite all of the wet weather and snow that we have had recently. We are now planning to maintain this situation so that whatever the weather throws at us over the next two months we can guarantee that the anniversary meeting will take place."

"And on raceday on March 1st we are determined to get this historic meeting on with only the most atrocious of conditions likely to call a halt to proceedings. As such there will be no more of our winter training sessions between now and the event so that no damage is done to the circuit."

The main part of the anniversary meeting will be a 16 rider, 20-heat World Championship formula meeting competed by Elite and Premier League stars from the UK and Australia - reflecting the fact that riders from these countries were present when it all began 75 years ago.

Silver added: "We have already received acceptances from Loram and Joe Screen of Eastbourne, Reading's Phil Morris, Leigh Lanham and Kelvin Tatum of Arena Essex, Sheffield's Andre Compton and Swindon's Chris Neath. All of the Rockets will be in action including hopefully our new Aussie signing Brett Woodifield, although of course Brent Werner - as an American - will sadly not be eligible."

"And the event itself really will be wide open as the riders will be testing their skills as a speedway rider and a motorcyclist to the limit, competing on machines from all the eras of speedway. In the opening heats they will be mounted on the pre-war Rudge's and Dirt Duggies, followed by another set on the legendary JAPs, a series of heats on two stroke and four stroke uprights, with the remainder of the meeting on today's lay-down machines."

"I'm sure that the mixture of machinery will be a great 'leveller' among the riders so it really is the case that anyone that's in it could win it. The meeting will start at 6pm with the turnstiles opening at 3pm and although we are working hard to increase the capacity of the stadium by installing extra viewing areas, we will have to close the doors once the stadium is full."

"Tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis so my advice to anyone traveling is to get their early. All profits from the meeting will be shared equally between the Speedway Riders Benevolent Fund, the Vintage Speedway Riders Association and the Rye House Stadium Improvement Fund.
"Pricing will be ?15 for adults, ?10 for seniors, ?5 for children and there will be a special glossy commemorative programme on sale at ?3."