After many months of behind-the-scenes negotiations, Wightlink Warriors co-owner Barry Bishop has pulled off a massive coup by unveiling that legendary Ice Speedway rider Bruce Cribb will take part in demonstration races on board Barry’s own Ice Speedway bike as part of the Summer Spectacular series.
Barry takes up the story, “I’ve always admired the daring and incredible balance of the Ice Speedway riders who have a full calendar of meetings during our winter months in Scandinavia, Germany and Russia. Being a bike ‘nut’ I just had to own one of these monster machines and I got one, purely for my collection, around three years ago.
The sight of the heavily spiked tyres (pictured) would put most sane people off ever wanting to ride one, indeed very few in the speedway fraternity ever consider ice racing, but for one crazy Maori called Bruce Cribb (pictured) riding on ice was an itch he just had to scratch and in fairness he did it pretty well, qualifying for three World Finals on the frozen stuff.
When he heard we were planning to run multi-discipline track sport events, he called me and offered to come over to the Island and do some laps if he could use my bike. How could I refuse? Riding an ice bike on shale won’t be a first. Bruce has done demonstrations at several speedways’ regularly recording race times faster than normal.
So to help him celebrate over 56 years of close involvement with British speedway I agreed to let him loose on my pride-and-joy. Now I just can’t wait to watch him on 12th August at the Smallbrook Stadium. As distinguished playwright Eugene O’Neill once wrote ‘The Ice Man Cometh’”.
MORE BREAKING NEWS
Tomorrow’s 3 team tournament Warriors v Cradley v Oxford will involve some new rules which fans of the Warriors US Style meetings are sure to enjoy. Be sure not to miss it.