history of the canberra bulls speedway club
DESCRIPTION
History of the Canberra Bulls Speedway ClubTRANSCRIPT
The Canberra
Bulls Speedway
Club
A True "Cinder"ella Story set in 1980-1989
Bulls Roar! The beginnings.........
The Canberra Bulls Speedway Club was formed during 1980 as a result of a chronic shortage of
racing opportunities for New South Wales riders who had the misfortune to live outside the
metropolitan area. In those days, the only way to make progress as a rider was to get onto the
programme at Liverpool, Newcastle or the Sydney Showgrounds, but those tracks only put you
on the programme if you were at least a B-grade rider. This catch-22 situation, together with the
fact that there were no tracks offering development opportunities, apart from the once-a-month
club days at the Nepean track, helped ensure that people in the capital city of Australia -
Canberra - rarely saw, or heard about "real" speedway. The existing track at Tralee presented
only car racing.
A chance meeting between local Canberra junior, Paul Turner, and speedway enthusiasts John &
Karan Walker, resulted in a get-together of concerned riders at Nepean, and a decision to
approach the ACT Formula 500 Speedcar Club which owned the small D-shaped track at
Fairbairn. There was also a suggestion from Jim Burdfield that he would approach a neighbour
- Sprint-car driver cum farmer Harry Delamont - for access to his track at Young, only an hour
and a half north of Canberra.
The F500s were very keen to see us using their track, and a few practice sessions showed that it
was a perfectly good track for bikes. Knowing nothing of the track licencing and other laws
relating to speedway racing, and well before the lawyer-insurance-agent conspiracy-inspired
public liability paranoia was ever thought of, we organised a few casual practice sessions during
the winter of 1980 that were very enjoyable. A bit of camaraderie emerged, with something of
an anti-Sydney flavour, and talk soon started of issuing a challenge to the Sydney riders. We
explored what we had to do to get a racing permit from the controlling bodies, only to be told
that if there were paying spectators we had to demand payment from the promoters, and that to
ensure payment, the promoters were obliged to lodge bond money with the ASCC. When we
said the F500 Club wasn't willing to post a bond or pay the riders, the response from Sydney
was simple - you can't ride then! The Sydney-based Riders' Association even flew secretary
Arthur Eagleton down to Canberra to stop us racing one Sunday. The effect of this policy was
crippling non-metropolitan speedway. Imagine if there was a MINIMUM salary cap in soccer,
so that clubs weren't allowed to pay less than what Manchester United plays its players. The
inevitable effect would be the death of all clubs that didn't have the massive population of a
metropolitan area around them. That was what it was like then.
We looked at other options. Harry was basically happy for us to use his track - which had been
used occasionally for bike racing previously - as long as it didn't cost him anything, so
effectively we just had to pay our own way, which was a pretty fair deal at the time. The track
had a good surface (this was before the days when the Sprintcars destroyed speedway tracks all
around the country by clagging them up with clay!) and even had lights. We contacted the
Sydney riders, and got an enthusiastic response. They agreed to put together a competitive team
of B-graders who would come down to Young in September - well before the usual influx of A-
graders back from Britain - and put us country upstarts in our place! It would be a "City versus
Country" teams match, using the familiar British league seven a side format. We agreed to do it
properly, with a permit, and a bit of advertising in the local papers around Young. Harry would
prepare the track and someone in Sydney would round up a referee. Harry offered a sum of
money that was deemed acceptable by the authorities, and we hoped we could attract a crowd
big enough to make it worth his while.
That was where it got complicated. A phone call came out of the
blue from a Victorian rider, asking about the meet. We had to
explain that it was a teams match, and that we couldn't really fit
an individual Victorian rider into the programme. The caller
didn't leave it there, however, and agreed to raise a Victorian
team to join in the programme. That put a whole different spin
on the meet, including the need to invent a completely new
programme format. To make it work, we chose a three team,
eight-a-side competition over thirty heats.
Peter Devitt came up with the idea of the Bull race jacket design.
He based it on the well-known Chicago Bulls basketball logo, but
we couldn't help thinking that it would be seen as appropriate as
an emblem of Canberra, the seat of Federal Government.....! We
cut out and sewed up a complete set of eight race jackets based on
one of Peter's old ones.
The great day dawned, and a reasonable crowd assembled to watch the racing. The local paper
had obligingly reported that "Never have we seen a combination of talent and class bought
together in one big meeting and promises to be a speedway bike spectacular for the public".
That might have been a bit over the top, considering that we were all - by definition - less than
top-class, but the sight of three teams in proper team colours lining up at the pit gate for the
grand parade was wonderful. They were:
NSW Country Bulls: Sydney: Victoria:
1 Jim Burdfield Brett Alderton Andy Barrett
2 Steve Kurtz Tony Abson Martin Johnson
3 Wayne Arkinstall Ian Wedgwood Les Garside
4 Paul Turner Andy Elliott Kevin King
5 Peter Devitt Mick Gardner Nigel Dunn
6 Mark Maybury Geoff Watson Wayne Weldon
7 Steve Baghurst Kevin Wright Kevin Sparks
8 Scot McLean Mick Hinwood Ian Moore
Photo #1. The Sydney, Victoria and NSW Country "Bulls" line up for the parade lap at Young.
The match itself was terrific, with the Sydney team showing a bit too much class, and a last-heat
victory by captain Jim Burdfield necessary for the Bulls to beat the Victorian team. Dennis
Newlyn wrote:
Teams racing fires at Young
ORGANISED league team racing took a further step forward with the successful running of a three team
tournament at Quamby Speedway, Young, on Sunday, September 21. The match brought together teams
from Sydney, Victoria and New South Wales Country over 30 heats. The result was not the only important
factor riding on the outcome - and while Sydney won in a canter -the overall winner was speedway, or more
precisely the encouraging signs and feasibility of a workable league in the New South Wales country area.
What started out as an exercise to determine whether these challenge matches could become a viable
proposition in the NSW country area, was answered by the end of the day, following the resounding success
of the match. Promoter Harry Delamont was happy, not only with the racing, but with the crowd which
responded to a heavy promotional campaign and attended the meeting. The riders, too, responded and raced
the match in great spirit, with each team giving it their best shot. Following Sydney's win, another match
has been set for later this month with the clash between Sydney and Canberra, to be run at Canberra.
Sydney, ably led by Mick Gardner and managed by Arthur Eagleton, kept to its match plan of getting as
many points on the board as possible early in the clash. The points came freely from the throttle hands of
Brett Alderton, lan Wedgewood, Tony Abson and Gardner so that after eight heats Sydney was in control
with 23 points, from NSW Country (14) and Victoria in third spot with ten. With less than a third of the
match completed, it already looked as if the real battle was set between the latter two sides for the runner-up
spot. as Sydney dominated the match.
A 4-2 points advantage in heat ten (by Gardner and Watson) over NSW Country captain Jim Burdfield and
Steve Kurtz skipped the city slickers further ahead. Victoria, after trailing in third spot early, got its act
together and by heat 11 had pulled up level with NSW Country. Paul Turner kept Country in second spot in
heat 12 with a good win. Teammate Wayne Arkinstall picked up the two runner-up points to take a 5-1 over
the Victorian opposition.
The high scoring Sydney combination, Brett Alderton and Tony Abson took the heat point advantage yet
again, with a 5-1 in heat 16, leaving only Peter Devitt with one point for Country. In the next heat,
Wedgwood and Elliott raced in a 4-2, further preventing Victoria striking up point scoring momentum.
Wayne Weldon, Les Garside and 18 year-old Kevin King toiled relentlessly for the Victorians and after 20
heats were only two points behind NSW.
NSW riders Turner and Arkinstall shut out the Victorian challenge in heat 21 with a 4-2. Victoria, however,
was determined to make a fight of it, and recorded a 5-1 over NSW in heat 27 through Andy Barrett and
Martin Johnson. NSW suddenly needed vital points to keep the late Victorian revival in check, but its cause
was not helped in heat 28 when Wedgwood and Elliott banged in a 5-1 for Sydney. This result kept NSW
still in the danger zone, ensured interest right to the end, and, more important for the Victorians, left them
with a chance of pulling out a last-minute runner-up placing.
The final heat brought together NSW Country and Victoria, and only one point stood behind the two teams
with Country in second spot. The second and third positions overall hinged on the outcome, of heat 30.
NSW skipper Jim Burdfield carried out a captain's role perfectly. He responded with a win, and although
King and Garside filled the minor heat placings for three points each to the respective teams, Burdfield's win
kept his NSW side one point ahead and wrapped up a safe second placing overall in the tournament.
Final scores: Sydney, 75: NSW Country, 52; Victoria, 51.
Individual scorers were:
Bulls: Jim Burdfield 16, Wayne Arkinstall 9+1, Peter Devitt 9, Paul Turner 7, Scott McLean 7,
Steve Baghurst 2, Steve Kurtz. 1, Mark Maybury 1. Total 52.
Sydney: Brett Alderton 17+1, Ian Wedgwood 17, Mick Gardner 13+1, Tony Abson 9+1, Mick
Hinwood 6+2, Kevin Wright 6+1, Andy Elliott 4+1, Geoff Watson 3+1. Total 75.
Victoria: Andy Barrett 12+1, Kevin King 11+2, Les Garside 9+1, Martin Johnson 7+1, Wayne
Weldon 6+1, Nigel Dunn 4+1, Kevin Sparks 2, Ian Moore 0. Total 51.
Photo #2. Focus on the original "NSW Country Bulls" line up at Young Speedway. Captain Jim Burdfield is standing at
the pit gate, then (L-R) Wayne Arkinstall (looking tired already!), Steve Kurtz, Paul Turner, Peter Devitt, Mark Maybury,
Steve Baghurst, (mechanic - possibly Darren Maybury), and Scott McLean.
This success indeed led to an offer from Ron Ullrich, the promoter at Tralee - Canberra's local
track. The proposal was to run a normal seven-a-side match between the Bulls, now to be
known as the "Canberra Bulls", versus Sydney at the beginning of Tralee's regular four-wheel
racing night. With the non-availability of Wayne Arkinstall (retired after one match!), Scott
McLean and Mark Maybury, and Sydney indicating that they were going to strengthen their side
by the addition of Wayne Sanders (Billy's cousin) the Bulls offered a place to 18 years old
Victorian Kevin King, who had enquired about other racing opportunities after the Young
meeting. Local ex-NZ rider Wayne Martin, who had come along to some of the practice
sessions, was drafted in as reserve.
Photo #3. The inaugural "Canberra Bulls" line-up against Sydney at Tralee: (L-R) Wayne Martin, Ian Ford (standing),
Steve Baghurst, Kevin King, Paul Turner, Peter Devitt, Jim Burdfield, Steve Kurtz (standing).
The result was another win for Arthur Eagleton's Sydney riders, in spite of a no-show from
Sanders. Kevin King's exciting performance for the Bulls helped to keep the match alive up to
the last heat, in which the Bulls needed a 5-1 to draw. But Peter Devitt and King collided while
chasing Dave Kerr, leaving the Sydney pairing of Mick Gardner and Kerr with a 5-0 to make the
final score Canberra 34, Sydney 43. Paul Turner had a miserable night on the bigger track,
perhaps having his mind elsewhere, as he was soon heading for England to try his luck in British
league at Milton Keynes. King made such a hit with the crowd and with the rest of the Bulls
riders that he was offered a regular team place - requiring him to face a horrific seven hour
mountain drive through treacherous logging tracks from his home in Morwell each race night.
Individual scorers that night were:
Bulls: Jim Burdfield 11, Kevin King 10+1, Peter Devitt 5, Steve Kurtz. 3+1, Steve Baghurst 2+1,
Wayne Martin 2, Paul Turner 1. Total 34.
Sydney: Ian Wedgwood 11, Mick Gardner 10+1, Kevin Wright 7+2, Shannon Murrie 6+1, David
Holthouse 5+1, David Kerr 3, Tony Abson 1. Total 43.
Photo #4. Wayne Martin
Photo #5. Wayne Arkinstall
Photo #6. Peter Devitt
Photo #7. Mark Maybury
Photo #8. Steve Baghurst
Photo #9. Paul Turner
Cooperation between the Walkers and Arthur Eagleton began to build, and Arthur would help
assemble teams from the metropolitan area to come down to Canberra. Two weeks after the
Sydney match, the Bulls faced a "Wollongong" team at Tralee, managed by Brian Wedgwood.
To encourage the junior end of the Bulls recruits, only the top five riders (Burdfield, Kurzt,
Devitt, King and McLean) were given pre-programmed team spots, while Tim Oliver, Mark
Maybury, Steve Baghurst and Wayne Martin battled it out over two selection races, with the
prize being the reserves places in the team. Baghurst and Maybury took the honours, with
Baghurst going on to star in the meet proper. After a couple of 2-4 losses, the Bulls gradually
pulled away for their first ever victory 45-33.
Individual scorers were:
Bulls: Steve Baghurst 10, Jim Burdfield 9+2, Kevin King 9+1, Steve Kurtz. 8, Peter Devitt 4, Scott
McLean 4, Mark Maybury 1. Total 45.
Wollongong: Ian Wedgwood 13+1, Ian Robertson 10, Geoff Watson 6, Alan Smith 3, Shannon
Murrie 1, David Holthouse 0 Paul Burton dns. Total 33.
With most metropolitan riders occupied, the next Tralee meeting was a "Best Pairs" over ten
heats, with Jim Burdfield paired with newcomer Steve Reynolds, Kevin King with Wayne
Martin, Wayne Arkinstall (un-retired again after only one meeting!) with Mark Maybury, Peter
Devitt with Steve Kurtz, and Steve Baghurst with Scott McLean. The King/Martin pairing
showed they were serious in heat one, by surprisingly pushing Burdfield into third place.
Arkinstall had three different bikes pack up underneath him during the night. Apart from
Arkinstall's mechanical problems, the pairings worked well, and for the "heat leaders" it was
probably their first chance ever to think tactically and assist their second string rider - a skill
never used in the handicap races that predominated for B and C-graders in those days. Burdfield
only just failed to beat Danish International Alf Busk's Tralee track record in three successive
races, suggesting that his days as a B-grader were drawing to a close.
Results: 1. Kevin King 12 + Wayne Martin 3 = 15; 2=. Scott McLean 8 + Steve Baghurst 6 =
14; 2=. Steve Kurtz 10 + Peter Devitt 4 = 14; 4. Jim Burdfield 10 + Steve Reynolds 1 = 11; 5.
Mark Maybury 5 + Wayne Arkinstall 1 = 6.
Two weeks later we saw the Bulls again as a team up against a "Liverpool" team, and again
King starred with a flawless maximum. Only Mick Wilde won a race for Liverpool, while the
Bulls were solid all down the line. Peter Devitt was absent at a wedding, and Wayne Arkinstall
was looking for a bike that worked.
Individual scorers were:
Bulls: Kevin King 12, Steve Kurtz. 9+1, Jim Burdfield 9, Steve Baghurst 6+2, Scott McLean 5+1,
Wayne Martin 3+1, Mark Maybury 3. Total 47.
Liverpool: Andy Elliott 6, Mick Hinwood 6, Tony Abson 4, Mick Sills 4, Kelvin Pace 3, Dave
Wilkinson 2, John Gosch 0. Total 31.
Photo #10. The Canberra Bulls line-up against Liverpool: (L-R) Scott McLean, Kevin King, Steve Baghurst, Jim
Burdfield, Steve Kurtz, Wayne Martin, Mark Maybury.
One of the great things about the early days was that promoter Ulrich allowed us to use Tralee
for practice on Sundays almost whenever we wanted to. This would account for the fairly
impressive rate of improvement some of our riders were showing, and also for the amount of
interest other riders were showing in the Canberra set up. They were very casual affairs, and
quite often riders would bring "wannabees" along with them to try out. They were also great
photo opportunities and the team used these shots to support the match reports sent in to the
Canberra Times sports editor.
Photo #11. Jim Burdfield chasing Scott McLean in practice on the old Tralee track.
International experience came next, with promoter Ullrich inviting stars of World and Australian
speedway to compete in the 20-heat "International Solo Olympic" around Christmas of 1980,
sponsored by Channel Seven. Jim Burdfield was given the 16th spot on the program, alongside
legends including Nigel Boocock, Billy Sanders, Phil Collins, Michael Lee, Denis Sigalos,
Tommy Knudsen and Bobby Schwarz. He failed to score, but then so did Ricky Day and Dave
Mills, two of NSW's best riders of the era, and he was never too far off the pace. Phil Collins
knocked off the track record in heat 3, but the meet never finished due to torrential rain which
drowned us all after heat 15. The current World Champion Lee had been in unbeatable form in
his first four rides, and would have been the likely winner of the night.
In January 1981, we tried again to beat a Sydney team in front of our "home" crowd - for we
were actually attracting a following around Canberra, thanks to good reports in the Canberra
Times. Wayne Arkinstall and Peter Devitt this time had to win their way into the team from the
reserves races. Sydney threw in Internationals Steve Payne and Phil Cain, but we were leading
after ten heats, only to have Payne team up with Ian Wedgwood to take a 5-1 from which we
never recovered.
Individual scorers were:
Bulls: Kevin King 12, Jim Burdfield 10, Steve Baghurst 4+1, Scott McLean 4+1, Steve Kurtz 4,
Wayne Martin 3, Peter Devitt 1. Total 38.
Sydney: Phil Cain 9, Steve Payne 8, Geoff Watson 7+1, Ian Wedgwood 6+3, Ian Robertson 6, Dave
Holthouse 2+1, Mick Gardner 2. Total 40.
Photo #12. Scott McClean (L) and Steve Kurtz (R)
The Promoter again paid out for the big names, and set us a huge logistical challenge by inviting
Ole Olsen, Alan Grahame, Bobby Schwartz and Paul Stead to race the Bulls, and expecting us to
find a race format that wouldn't show the gap in class. We went with a knockout formula,
vaguely similar to the way the Speedway Grand Prix works now. Everyone had three rides, then
the bottom four dropped out, then every race was an "eliminator" until we had our winner.
Olsen, Grahame and Schwartz were "seeded" not to meet each other in their first three rides;
Stead, along with Burdfield and King, was seeded in the second "rank" of riders. Kurtz,
Baghurst and McLean came next, and Arkinstall, Devitt and Maybury made up the field.
Unfortunately, the seeding was just too good. All of the top seeds won their first three races, all
of the second seeds came second, and only Wayne Arkinstall "beat" his seeding by getting a
couple of unexpected thirds. Bulls' best, Burdfield and King, could each only manage third in
their semifinals, so the Internationals filled the Grand Final race, which resulted Olsen, Schwarz,
Grahame, and Stead. Olsen took the track record down to 53.191 seconds. Still - it was more
good experience!
Photo #13. Racing on tracks destroyed by car racing sometimes leads to interesting situations.
The penultimate meeting of the 1980-81 season at Tralee was another visit from a Wollongong
team. But this time it had a real Wollongong base, with Dick Pruen as team manager and a 17
year old local Peter Edmondson. Dick liked the look of what we were trying to do with the
Bulls, and was hoping to emulate it at Kembla Grange and join us in some sort of NSW Junior
League. His heat leaders were Ray Dole, Ray Palmer and Steve Holden.
Bulls' Averages prior to the meet were Jim Burdfield 10.43; Kevin King 10.31; Steve Kurtz
5.72; Steve Baghurst 5.30; Wayne Arkinstall 5.18; Scott McLean 5.03; Peter Devitt 3.89; Mark
Maybury 3.24; Wayne Martin 3.11.
Ian Ford and Mike Donnelly made their reserves race debuts, but Wayne Martin and Scott
McLean won their way into the Bulls starting line-up, and this time it was McLean who showed
how it focuses the competitive mind to have to fight for your place in the team with a paid
maximum. The Bulls either won or halved every race except heat 11 where Dole and Kurtz
were the only finishers, and we ran out 50-27 winners.
Individual scorers were:
Bulls: Kevin King 12, Jim Burdfield 12, Scott McLean 8+1, Steve Kurtz 7+1, Steve Baghurst 5+1,
Wayne Arkinstall 5, Wayne Martin 1. Total 50.
Sydney: Ray Dole 12, Ray Palmer 7, Alan Smith 3+1, Martin Porter 2+1, Peter Edmondson 2, Dave
Kerr 1, Steve Holden 0. Total 27.
At some stage during the year, we went back to Quamby and staged a meeting under lights in
continuous rain the whole night. Without a printed programme, it isn't possible to say exactly
when it was, what sort of meet it was, or who scored what, but the undoubted star of the night
was Steve Kurtz. Steve showed absolutely no fear on the boggy track, and raced where others
feared to go - even after hitting a nasty patch of drive which threw him firmly into the wooden
fence. The crowd loved it when he came back for more - and he became even more unbeatable
as the night and the rain wore on.
Then the highlight of the year - the 1981 NSW Junior Solo Championships - was held at Tralee.
Bulls riders Burdfield, King, Baghurst, Kurtz and McLean were joined by familiar faces Dole,
Hinwood, Robertson, Watson, Holden and Abson, plus Peter Drury, Brian Nixon, Geoff Saggus,
Kevin Wright and Paul Burton. Ray Dole broke Canberra's hearts in heat one, by relegating
Burdfield and King to the minor places. Tony Abson, who was known a little disparagingly
amongst the Bulls riders as "the Spear" for his habit of spearing in under his opposition, won his
first two races, but then lost out to Burdfield in a titanic heat 9. By heat 18, Ray Dole was
unbeaten and both Abson and Burdfield had dropped one point, so Ray - still only 19 - just had
to win that race to take the title. But Abson, whose gating was legendary, got out in front and
never let him in, setting up a three-way run-off for the Title between himself, Dole and
Burdfield.
Burdfield - whose gating was everything but legendary - drew the inside gate, with Dole in 2
and Abson in 3. Predictably, Abson and Dole hit the front, and Burdfield had to do the chasing.
There was barely a tyre-tread between the three of them for the whole three laps, with the
Canberra crowd going absolutely berserk, but eventually Burdfield found a way to the front on
the last bend for a popular victory.
Photo #14. The 1981 NSW Junior Championships: Ray Dole (second), Jim Burdfield (first), and Tony Abson (third) after
an amazing three-way run-off.
Full results were:
Jim Burdfield 14, Ray Dole 14, Tony Abson 14, Mick Hinwood 11, Kevin King 10, Steve
Baghurst 9, Brian Nixon 8, Steve Kurtz 7, Steve Holden 7, Dave Kerr 6, Peter Drury 5, Kevin
Wright 4, Scott McLean 3, Ian Robertson 2, Geoff Saggus 2, Geoff Watson 0, Warren Fernance 0.
The 1981-82 Season
Discussions through the winter of 1981 between the Walkers and Arthur Eagleton focused on
plans to set up a mini-league for the 1981-82 season. Arthur had the difficult job of selling the
idea to promoters at Liverpool, Newcastle, Wollongong and the Sydney Showgrounds, and a
search was mounted for sponsorship so that these promoters could be offered a tempting deal.
Eventually, the managing director of the Canberra Motor Insurance company (CMI) came to the
rescue with a modest package which involved the riders being required to distribute CMI
leaflets. Launches were arranged in both Canberra and Sydney, and the League kicked off with
a visit of the Canberra Bulls to Wollongong's Kembla Grange track.
Photo #15. The October 1981 launch of the CMI Solo League. Standing: managers John and Karan Walker, Scott
McLean, Steve Kurtz, Tony Abson, Jim Burdfield, Wayne Martin, Sponsors' representatives; kneeling: Garry Turner,
Steve Baghurst and Peter Devitt.
The Bulls had lost Wayne Arkinstall to yet another retirement during the winter, and Kevin
King was having problems getting to race nights due to the demands of his apprenticeship, but
old enemy Tony Abson had come along to the winter practice sessions and become a keen
member of the team. That wasn't the only change. During the winter, Paul Turner's younger
brother Gary - a useful local motorcross rider - had been trying out, and he turned out to be our
secret weapon. Riding at Wollongong, on a track he'd never seen before, in his first official
speedway races, Gary was unbeaten in his three rides, and the Bulls won their first away match
of the CMI Solo Speedway League 43-33.
The season opener at Tralee was billed as the Canberra Bulls versus Sydney City, and the Bulls
were determined to show the Sydney riders that they had learned a thing or two during the
winter break. Four consecutive 5-1 wins to the Bulls opened the scoring, and while Sydney's
number 1, Ian Wedgwood, and youngster Neville Tracy tried hard throughout the night, they
weren't well supported. Even Ray Dole failed to fire.
Individual scorers were:
Bulls: Tony Abson 12, Jim Burdfield 10+2, Kevin King 8+1, Steve Baghurst 8+1, Peter Devitt 6+1,
Steve Kurtz 5, Gary Turner 3+1. Total 52.
Sydney: Ian Wedgwood 9, Neville Tracy 7, Mick Gardner 5, Ray Dole 3, Ian Robertson 2, Geoff
Watson 0, Dave Holthouse 0, Geoff Dole 0. Total 26.
After a rained off meet against Liverpool, the Bulls faced the Newcastle Miners, mostly from
the mid-north coast region and managed by Pat Fernance. With both Kevin King and Steve
Kurtz unavailable, we were pleased to welcome back Paul Turner from a stint in British
speedway, and bring Scott McLean up into the team. Newcastle started strongly, with Mark
Bullivant, Peter Drury and Brian Nixon showing their liking for the track. A fall by Jim
Burdfield and a tapes-break exclusion for Tony Abson didn't help the Bulls' cause, but great
riding by Gary Turner kept them in the hunt. After seven heats it was 21-21, but thereafter it
was all Canberra with three 5-1s in the last six races.
Individual scorers were:
Bulls: Gary Turner 12+1, Peter Devitt 7+2, Jim Burdfield 7, Tony Abson 6+2, Scott McLean 6+2,
Paul Turner 5+1, Steve Baghurst 2+1. Total 45.
Newcastle: Mark Bullivant 13, Brian Nixon 6, Mick Hinwood 4+1, Peter Field 4+1, Peter Drury 3,
Warren Fernance 2, Steve Schaefer 1. Total 33.
The following weekend we spent Friday night at Newcastle in the return match, winning even
more handsomely 46-29, with Gary Turner again the star with 11 points. We then moved to
Liverpool for the Saturday night where we had the local crowd very nervous going into the last
heat. After heat 5, the Bulls were getting flogged by 21-9, and Liverpool's internationals Brett
Alderton, Bob Baker, Wayne Sanders and Steve Payne were dominating on their tricky home
track. Some judicious substitutions and some great riding by Tony Abson and Paul Turner in
particular, brought the scores back to 37-35 with just one heat to go. Brett and Steve made it
safe for Liverpool with a 5-1, but they knew we'd given them a run for their money!
Next up at Tralee was the "November Classic" Trophy meeting, with a knockout formula similar
to the previous season's international meet. Both Jim Burdfield and Tony Abson were away
racing at Newcastle in the NSW State Championships, but Kevin King was available, and he
made the most of it in no uncertain terms, with an unbeaten race-night. The format gave racing
opportunities for Bulls' newcomers including Ian Ford, Mick Donnelly and Barry Johnson. The
two semi-finals sent King, Geoff Saggus, and the two Turners, Gary and Paul, into the Final,
which King duly won from Paul and Gary.
Full results were:
1 - Kevin King 15, 2 - Paul Turner 13, 3 - Gary Turner 9, Brian Nixon 9, Geoff Saggus 8, Mick
Gardner 7, Steve Holden 7, Herb Willems 5, Steve Baghurst 3, Scott McLean 3, Geoff Watson 2,
Wayne Martin 2, Ian Ford 2, Ian Robertson 2, Geoff Dole 1, Mick Donnelly 1, Barry Johnson 1.
Photo #16. Kevin King's very tidy style
Steve Magro has kindly contributed photos of Tony and Jim at the NSW Championships at
Newcastle, which was won by Billy Sanders. Both are wearing the "away strip" colours of
yellow on red.
Photo #17. Tony Abson (L) and Jim Burdfield (R) prepare for the 1981 NSW Championship at Newcastle
In December, we were invited to Undera Park, near Shepparton (Vic) to race the Goulburn
Valley team in our very first interstate foray. It wasn't our best night, to say the least. The
Walkers' car let them down on the highway, and they arrived late. Scott McLean had invested in
a brand-new Godden motor, which promptly blew up in the pits, and worst of all, a GV rider fell
in the first turn of heat 3, Kevin King promptly laid his bike down to avoid him, but the
following GV rider hit Kevin hard, breaking his leg and effectively ending his very promising
speedway career.
The 1981 year was to end with the Boxing Day Test Match between Australia and "Young
England", which turned out to be the decider in a five-Test series. Promoter Ullrich had
successfully lobbied the Australian selectors to put Jim Burdfield in at reserve against an
England side boasting two future World Champions in Kenny Carter and Phil Collins.
Unfortunately for Australia, Phil Crump, Phil Herne and Danny Kennedy were unable to ride on
the night; Dave Mills and Brett Alderton were drafted in to join Billy Sanders, John Titman and
Gary Guglielmi, Burdfield was shifted into the number 5 position, and - to the surprise and
delight of the locals - Gary Turner was named as reserve. The match was won by England 59-
49, and Burdfield got the scalps of Andy Grahame and Neil Collins to prove he was there on
merit. Turner unfortunately didn't get a programmed ride.
Photo #18. The Australian Team: Guglielmi, Burdfield, Mills, Titman, Alderton, Peter White (Team Manager) and
Sanders.
Photo #19. Jim Burdfield on a high, representing Australia against the Poms at Tralee. During post-match celebrations
later his brand-new leathers were stolen from the back of his ute.
Individual scorers were:
Australia: Billy Sanders 15, Gary Guglielmi 12, John Titman 11, Dave Mills 7, Jim Burdfield 2,
Brett Alderton 2, Gary Turner dnr. Total 49.
Young England: Kenny Carter 18, John Davis 14, Phil Collins 10, Andy Grahame 7, Alan
Grahame 6, Neil Collins 4, Kevin Smith 0. Total 59.
The excitement of the day was spoiled when we left the post-meet socialising at Weston to find
that Burdfield's new leathers - bought for the occasion - had been stolen from the back of his ute
during the evening.
In January, the Bulls finally hosted the home return match against star-studded Liverpool - the
only CMI League side that had beaten us so far, and what a cracker it was! Both teams were
effectively at full strength, although Kevin King was unavailable for the Bulls, but the
difference was at reserve where neither Steve Baghurst nor Steve Kurtz really fired for the Bulls,
while youngster Kelvin Pace scored two good wins for Liverpool. Brett Alderton was supreme,
with solid backup from Bobby Baker and Steve Payne, while Burdfield, Abson and Paul Turner
all had an up and down night. After a 5-1 win in heat 2, Liverpool retained a narrow lead, which
was pegged back to two points after the penultimate heat. Then in a repeat of the previous
match between these teams, Brett Alderton and Steve Payne proved too good for Tony Abson
and Paul Turner in heat 13 to give Liverpool the double.
Individual scorers were:
Bulls: Jim Burdfield 10+1, Tony Abson 9+1, Paul Turner 6, Peter Devitt 4, Gary Turner 3+2, Steve
Baghurst 3+1, Steve Kurtz 1. Total 36.
Liverpool: Brett Alderton 12, Bobby Baker 10, Steve Payne 9+1, Kelvin Pace 7+1, Steve Holden 3,
Dave Kerr 1, Wayne Sanders 0. Total 42.
And so, unfortunately, ended the CMI NSW Solo League. Canberra was the only one of the
original five teams to complete their commitments, with the promoters at Liverpool, Newcastle,
Sydney and Wollongong pulling the plug. It couldn't have been the racing they didn't like.
Maybe it just didn't bring in the crowds - but then maybe they just didn't promote it properly.
Perhaps it was their on-track commentators, who rarely bothered to keep track of the team
scores or inform the spectators how the match was going. In keeping with the "one-race-at-a-
time" presentations typical of Australian speedway, they focussed only on the race on hand. The
teams match at Liverpool was a case in point - when it came to the last heat decider, the riders in
the pits were standing on tiptoe to see how the race was going, but the commentators simply
presented it to the crowd as the last solo race of the night - thank you very much and goodbye -
let's get on with the car racing. In Canberra - thanks to a great relationship with the motoring
editor of the Canberra Times (Paul Gover) and their sports editors - we had regular story and
photo features that kept us in the public eye. Jim Burdfield and Peter Devitt both gave
interviews to the local television channels. We had a benign promoter (thanks Ron Ulrich - it all
went downhill after you left!) who dealt with the difficult business of programming mixed
bikes/cars race nights, and gave us enough scope to develop through the season. The Canberra
public took to us - we still get people saying "Canberra Bulls - those were the days!"
Photo #20: (L-R) Jim Burdfield, Peter Devitt, Steve Baghurst and Tony Abson enjoy some serious practice on the "new"
Tralee track.
The season ended with Jim Burdfield joining Paul Turner in British League racing, where, with
some help from John Titman, he found a spot in the second division Stoke "Potters" team and
won an award for the "most promising new rider of the year". Tony Abson also travelled to
England to assist his mate Brett Alderton, who was regarded as Australia's likely "next" World
Champion. Alderton died in a tragic racing accident that season, and Abson was never seen
again on a solo. The Bulls had one final meeting that year, when they were invited to race a
Victorian side at Melbourne's Brooklyn track. With Burdfield, Turner and Abson on the plane
to England, we drafted in old friend and rival Ian Wedgwood to fill the number one position,
and we travelled down the Hume Highway hoping to put on a brave show for the Victorians.
Unfortunately, no-one told us they had recently put large quantities of clay in the Brooklyn track
surface, and only the very bravest of solo riders can get the bikes to turn on this disgusting
"porridge", which was then being introduced all around Australian speedway tracks specifically
to suit the Sprintcars - and no-one else.
After a punishing start to the meeting, where we suffered several 5-1 defeats in a row, it became
clear that Wedgie was the only rider we had who could seriously compete with the locals, who
at the very least had ridden on this stuff before and had worked out the best set up for the bikes.
Peter Devitt hit a patch of clay on turn one and ended up retrieving the bike from over the safety
fence. Others simply couldn't turn the bikes and were well off the pace. We began substituting
Wedgie in at every possible moment, to the extent that Peter and others were lining up at the pits
gate with a new bike for him to ride - he raced three in a row at one stage! Wedgie was
magnificent that night, and must have been absolutely exhausted when it all ended.
The 1982-83 Season
1982-83 started badly and got worse. The new promoter at Tralee - Rick Otton - had no
appreciation of the bikes, and didn't even programme us for racing until his third meeting of the
year. Practice facilities were no longer available. The Bulls riders were back to square one, with
Steve Baghurst and Peter Devitt trekking to Liverpool City raceway which was, again, putting
on its usual repetitive solo handicap racing apparently as a filler between the car racing. Otton
took his lead from this, demanding that we also programme handicap racing, and - better than
nothing - we were obliged to comply. We devised a "progressive handicap", in which all riders
raced their first race from the gate, then each time they won they were handicapped 40 metres.
Each second place earned a 20 metre handicap. In theory, a rider unbeaten in the heats and
semis would start from 160m in the Final. Burdfield arrived back in Canberra just in time for
this meet, and other survivors from the Bulls were Steve Kurtz, Wayne Martin, Peter Devitt and
Ian Ford. They were joined in a 12-man field by veteran English rider, Clive Featherby, Neil
Ashman from Newcastle, Robbie McGregor, Scott Stevens, Frank Rotherick and the brothers
Peter and Geoff Saggus.
Photo #21. Ian Ford
Given the inherently dangerous nature of handicap speedway, it was no surprise that there were
crashes. When the previously unbeaten Burdfield himself crashed out in the semi-finals, it was
left to Neil Ashman (100m), Peter Devitt (100m), Scott Stevens (80m), Frank Rotherick (60m),
Steve Kurtz (40m) and Wayne Martin (Gate) to contest the Final. Peter couldn't get his bike to
fire, and didn't start. Rotherick - a nice guy who started racing unusually late in life - took the
race from Kurtz and Ashman.
After that, with Liverpool (the only active speedway in New South Wales) preferring the A-
grade riders returning from Europe, only Burdfield was able to find a place on the programme.
Other Bulls' riders drifted off into dirt-track racing or just gave it away.
The 1983-84 Season
The 1983-84 season looked a bit better, with yet another new promoter at Tralee - Alan Olive,
who was a nephew of the great Australian solo rider Ken le Breton (the "White Ghost", for his
white-painted leathers in the days when leathers were mostly black and sometimes even
brown). To resolve the conflicts of the past, where the cars had created huge, rubber-coated ruts
in the track surface, making it dangerous for the bike riders, Olive assisted us to construct a
300m track on the infield of the main circuit. This allowed us to have flatter, unbanked turns,
which are easier for beginners to slide on, and two "proper" straights, where the main Tralee
track was "D"-shaped. We basically had the opportunity to start again from scratch. Occasional
practice sessions were again permitted, and we were at last free of the constraints of having to
share a track with the big cars.
Bulls Burdfield, Ford, Martin, Devitt, Baghurst and Gary Turner, were joined by Allen and
Dave Paget and Aboriginal rider Warren Taggart, all from the Singleton area, and Sydney-based
riders Kelvin Pace, Ian Wedgwood and veteran Barry Flanaghan. We repeated the "November
Classic" format, which was basically three rides each, then semis and a final. Burdfield and
Wedgwood dominated the heats and semis, but surprisingly Warren Taggart won the final from
Wedgie. Burdfield failed to finish. It was a promising start to the year, although several riders -
notably Gary Turner - had trouble staying on the track owing to the lack of a well-defined
outside line. Kelvin Pace agreed to stay with the Bulls in the hope of further regular meets, after
an altercation with a Liverpool referee limited his racing opportunities there.
Photo #22. Kelvin Pace
The December meeting recreated the Canberra-Sydney rivalry, and a Bulls team of Burdfield,
Pace, Devitt, Baghurst, Ford, Gary Turner, Wayne Martin and Mick Donnelly was to meet a
strong "Sydney", led by Ian Wedgwood with Mick Wilde (then the NSW Club A-grade
champion), Herb Willems, Martin Porter, Frank Rotherick and the two Pagets. Unfortunately,
we have no record of the results for that night or even for the rest of the 1983-84 season (if
anyone can throw some light on it, please email us!). Steve Olive, the promoter's son, recalls
that the poor weather was responsible for the speedway failing to flourish that year, and the
track changed hands yet again the following year.
The 1984-85 Season
The new promoter, Brian Holbrook, gave every impression of not giving a damn about the
bikes. When we were finally offered a spot on the program, we found ourselves with ankle-
deep water across the startline, from the excessive watering of the sprintcars' mud on the banked
outer track. Complaints were met by a "who cares?" shrug of the shoulders by the promoter. It
was highly dangerous for the riders, a pathetic travesty of speedway for the spectators, and after
that one meeting there was no enthusiasm for any more. The Canberra Bulls were effectively a
thing of the past.
The Aftermath..................
A few riders from these later years tried hard to keep the dream alive. Harvey McGrath and
Jason Neiberding both deserve a mention, and would always turn up if we could find a track.
Harvey had ridden some dirt-track and adapted well to speedway - and even better to long-track
racing when the speedway scene died, while Jason moved from a successful junior dirt-track
sidecar racing career into solo speedway as soon as he was old enough to race. Tony Glennon
came over from Wagga. Steven Mesic tried it out. We occasionally had informal practice
sessions and rode "demonstration" events at the tiny Fairbairn track that had been an important
part of our beginnings. As always, a number of Sydney-based riders joined us enthusiastically,
including Frank Rotherick and Barry Flanaghan, and we had some good times. Even John
Walker had a go occasionally, lining up against Peter Devitt and Ian Ford for his first-ever
"race" at the age of 39 and a half, and finishing a distant third. We supported Bob Sharpe's
short-lived practice track at Appin (photos - recently re-discovered - below), while it was
operating during 1987. But that dream also died!
Photo #23:
Photo #24:
Photo #25:
International Roll of Honour
Undoubtedly, the most successful product of the Canberra Bulls era was Jim Burdfield, who
raced successfully for several years in British Speedway and was credited with a memorable
performance from reserve in Middlesbrough's 4-Team Tournament win, but Jim wasn't the only
one. The list below is based only on the fading memories of the club founders, and any
corrections or addition are welcome:
Paul Turner: - Milton Keynes (1981), Oxford (Western Reserve League, 1981)
Jim Burdfield: - Stoke (1982-83); Middlesbrough (1984-86)
Ian Wedgwood: - Middlesborough (1985)
Steve Baghurst: - Middlesborough (1984?)
Jason Neiberding: - ?
A Postscript........ since 2005
The Walkers spent 2001-2004 living and working in Melbourne, where they joined the
Speedway Sidecar Riders Association of Victoria (SSRAV - www.ssrav.org.au). The SSRAV
had kept speedway alive in southern Victoria after Melbourne's Brooklyn closed, and had built a
track at the Victorian State Motorcycle Complex at Broadford, an hour's drive north of
Melbourne. Running club days and practice days, the SSRAV catered for young riders trying to
break into the sport, and older riders just doing it for fun. They introduced a computer system to
generate a race programme within minutes of closing nominations, and generally helped out in
the pits and control tower. Just occasionally, they floated the idea of teams racing, which was
received with enthusiasm by club members, but found difficulty in fitting such an event into the
SSRAV calendar. They even knocked up a new set of "Bulls" race jackets in anticipation, but
returned to live in Canberra before their efforts could bear fruit. John continued as SSRAV
website manager, and work excuses were found as often as possible for trips back to Broadford
to help out at club days.
Then one day in early 2005, a chance visit to a Nepean club day, and a chat with Neil Brett and
the veteran riders from the Sydney area, led to a serious proposal for a teams match between
Sydney and SSRAV riders. If the Sydney vets were to race as a team, they needed race jackets,
and one thing led to another .........................
Photo #23. The 2005 "NSW Bulls"
The Myrtleford track offered us a date in late November 2005, and the idea developed into a
two-level interstate challenge, with seven-a-side teams from NSW and Victoria racing at both
Open and Veteran levels - possibly a world first. The NSW Bulls were Jack Stevens (Capt),
Barry Morgan, Dave Clifton, Neil Brett, Andrew McDonald, Ray Macarthy, Lee White and Kel
Hannon. The "Broadford Brumbies" were born, as the Victorian open team, and the racing was
keen at both levels. John Walker found himself in the new position of being team manager of
the Victorian teams, racing for the first time against the Bulls. It is amazing how representative
teams racing transforms individual riders into team members, working together and cheering on
their team mates. The Victorians in particular, riding a track that most of them had ridden
before, were racing their collective socks off, and convincingly won both matches. The night
would have been truly inspirational, were it not for the tragic accident in the individual "rider of
the night" final that claimed the life of the Victorian Open team captain, Ashley Jones, who had
been in outstanding form all night.
Yet the dream of regular teams racing in Australian speedway lives on - a return match between
NSW and Victorian teams will happen sometime! What remains is to find a track suitable for
bikes in the Canberra area, which is starved for motor sport and potentially a great venue for
speedway. If anyone knows of a possible site, please contact us!
Reunion in January 2009!
At last, a reunion was held at the Club Macquarie, Boolaroo, Newcastle, on 3rd January 2009.
We used the occasion of the first round of the 2009 Australian Solo Speedway Championships
held at the Newcastle Showgrounds. Most of the original core members of the Bulls from the
1980s managed to attend, with others sending their apologies. Apart from some grey or
misplaced hair, expanding waistlines and other evidence of good living, it was hard to believe
that twenty years had gone by since we were last together as a team. The photo album, scrap-
book and battle-scarred race jackets helped to jog the memories. Just like in the good old days,
everyone was mercilessly bagging everyone else, but the overwhelming theme of the day was
the pride in actually achieving something special, something against the odds, in spite of
officialdom, in spite of clay tracks. And, having had a great time doing it!
Photo #24. The 2009 Reunion Team: -
L-R Back row - John Walker (Team Manager), Ian Wedgwood, Tony Abson, Scott McClean, Jim Burdfield; L-R Front row - Mark Maybury, Steve Baghurst, Steve Kurtz.
Photo #25. The 2009 Reunion: - John Walker presenting (L) Tony Abson, (R) Scott McClean.
Photo #26. The 2009 Reunion: - (L) Steve Kurtz (wearing one of the original Bulls T-shirts!), (C) Mark Maybury, (R)
Terry Ricketts and Mick Hayes.
Photo #27. The 2009 Reunion: - (L) Jim Burdfield, (C) Steve Baghurst, (R) Karan Walker & Mick Poole.
Photo #28. The 2009 Reunion: - (L) Ian Wedgwood, (C) "Friends" of the Bulls - Mick and Terry Poole, (R) Janelle Abson.
Photo #29. The 2009 Reunion: - Group scenes #1.
Photo #30. The 2009 Reunion: - Group scenes #2.
Photo #31. The 2009 Reunion: - Group scenes #3.
Photo #32. The 2009 Reunion: - Group scenes #4.
Photo #33. The 2009 Reunion: - Caption competition #1.
Kurtz - "It still fits, after all these years!!" Baghurst - "I outgrew mine years ago!"
Burdfield - "Yellow's not really my colour!".
Photo #34. The 2009 Reunion: - Caption competition #2.
McClean - "Australians all, let us rejoice....." Wedgwood - "I always used to just close my eyes and twist the throttle as far as it would go..........."
Photo #35. The 2009 Reunion: - Caption competition #3. Baghurst - "OK, after me - you put your left leg IN ...."
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