Sherman Cleveland, Bob Tattersall and Bryan Cunneen. Speedway.

Classic Midget film and pictures, a tribute on July 2nd 2016 to commemorate the passing of Sherman Cleveland. Also features Bob Tattersall and Bryan Cunneen. Made 50 years to the day after we lost Sherman in a tragic Speedway accident in America (10 minutes).

[@robertcameron5007steelwheel]

Thanks for the memories I was there

[@iansellar6448]

The day after the Cunneen accident, my older brother and I went to Max's servo on Forest Rd at Bexley, I can still picture car 55 and what a mess it was, max came out to see us and he was in shock and speechless, praise God that Brian survived , I was 9 at the time

[@TheHandymanQld]

Brilliant footage. My uncle used to be one of Barry Pinchbeck's crew. I was a young fella when I steered one of his cars out onto the track at Sydney Showground Speedway sometime late 60s (I think it was).

[@Holden308]

Kym Bonython (who was lapped here) is the same Kym Bonython who was the long time promoter of Adelaide's Rowley Park Speedway. He was actually the promoter when he raced in this. He wasn't bad at speedcars and did win the South Aussie title at Rowley in 1959/60. It was Bonython who originally brought Bob Tattersall to Australia when he contracted him to race at Rowley Park for the 1957/58 season. Bonython actually had to foot a lot of the bills himself because the other promoters around Australia hadn't heard of Tattersall at that stage and weren't prepared to front any costs to get him to race at their tracks. But by 1958/59 they all wanted a piece of him.

[@12121149]

My Uncle sponsored the 55 car,and my dad built the bodies for it.Linklaters garage on Forrest rd owned it.

[@ldnwholesale8552]

The Linklater Holden was a well known car. I think it survives as well. Playing in Classics? Brian Linegan ownership?

[@asd36f]

The sad part about the "Golden Era" of speedway in the 1960's is that so little film or TV footage survives. I have been researching the history of the Windsor RSL Speedway for over 15 years, and i have managed to locate only approximately 20-odd minutes of action from the speedway.

[@SteveMagr]

There is quite a bit of vintage speedway film around. Even a few documentaries have been made. Most footage is of Sydney, wheras other parts of Australia missed out, including Windsor.

[@Holden308]

@@SteveMagr unfortunately you are correct. There is a fair bit of vintage footage of the Showground, some of the Ekka in Brisbane, but very little of Rowley Park in Adelaide (at least very little online. I have quite a bit), and very little of Claremont in Perth before the 1980s.

[@ldnwholesale8552]

@@Holden308 There is bits from Rowley but the quality is very poor. And clips very short. Probably from TV clips. On film. Which when they were made were probably quite ok but the film is dieng rapidly 50-60 years on. And this the late 60s early 70s

[@Holden308]

@@ldnwholesale8552 that's part of the problem, the age of the footage.

[@wendysw714]

Thank you for posting this! And thanks, Dad. ❤️ Offy!

[@jordipena7984]

Brilliant 👌video

[@BornAgainCynic0086]

Thank you, I used to go to the Royale every chance I got. Hanging off the fence and dodging the clods of clay! I remember the Water Truck tyring to break the lap record or so it seemed. One day it rolled over, god we laughed like drains! I also remember the punch ups in the pits between the drivers, amazing stuff.

[@allanrussack4143]

My dad, Allan “Marshall” Russack No 26 Jeep built 1947 by himself said one of the worst accidents he saw was when a drunk water truck driver at Parramatta speedway hit his own watery mud, lost control while he was on the running board steering, it rolled over and cut both his legs off. He said I’m a silly bastard! He died soon after in hospital. I’m

[@karlmuller3690]

@@allanrussack4143 - Silly bastard .. !! Silly bastard indeed!!

[@raymamacat]

SHERMAN WAS KILLED AT CALISTOGA SPEEDWAY ON JULY 2, 1966 IN A SPRINT CAR. HE WAS TRULY A BAD ASS IN A MIDGET OR SPRINT CAR. RIP SHERMAN.

[@aaronscalabrini8725]

My Dad was up all night building the car for Sherman to get ready for Indy that year. My Dads name was Jake Valenzuela… does anyone have any stories of that era???

[@05mg05]

At 8:42 one of the cars actually runs into the approaching Ambulance.

[@ldnwholesale8552]

Why can you not hear the shriek of the Holdens,, just the tractor noises of the Offy