We paid our 2nd (or is it 3rd ?!?!) visit to the hugely exciting Speedway, on Thursday 22nd June, at Owlerton Stadium in Sheffield, home of the Sheffield Tigers Speedway Team, where they were facing the Peterborough Panthers.
Some rode in from Redbeck, others made their way direct to the stadium and met up there. There had been an accident plus roadworks on the A61 heading into Sheffield, causing long tailbacks, but fortunately, being on bikes, were able to filter past and make the start of the racing (which was delayed by 15 minutes anyway due to the queues causing other spectators to be late).
It has to be said, Speedway Racing is pretty exciting stuff - Each race of 4 laps of the track lasts just over 60 seconds ... YES that's 15 seconds a lap!!! All this on fixed gear, 500cc single cylinder bikes which run on methanol and can accelerate from 0-60mph in under 2 seconds (faster than an F1 car) .... oh yes I nearly forgot .... they don't have ANY BRAKES!!!!! Four riders participate in each race (two from each team) with the winner taking 3 points, 2 for second, 1 for third and 0 for last, this is a team sport with the team accumulating most points over 15 races being declared the overall winners. There were 2 'offs' where riders pushed it a little too hard and slid off (but thankfully no one was injured - the same couldn't be said for his bike though which had to be carried off the track as it couldn't be pushed). Lots of overtaking too (who said they don't overtake in speedway ?!!?!?).
There is a quality ice cream van at the Speedway, and most of us partook (all except Clare, who was very disciplined ;-)
All too soon it was the last race and the final tally, and Sheffield were the overall winners, with 51 points to 42, which took them to 5th in the 2017 SGB Championship Table.
And will we return again ..... I would jolly well say so !!!!
Check the Sheffield Speedway website: www.sheffieldspeedway.co