While most individual events in the 60s and 70s featured the standard 16 riders meeting each other in 20 heats of racing – unlike today, no semi or final! – we look at events that didn’t fit this template.

 

Unique Individuals

Olympique

Mike Parker came up with the idea of having riders go off handicaps based on their result in the previous race. A rider who was last in his previous race would start from the gate, while a third place would earn a 10 yard handicap, second would go off the 20 yard mark while a heat win saw you being 30 yards behind. The first event was held at Newcastle in 1966 and was won by Barry Briggs who made light of the handicaps to score an unbeaten 15 from Peter Kelly (14) and Nigel Boocock (11). Ivan Mauger scored nine – three heat wins and two last places from the backmark.

Anders Michanek won the second title in 1967, while the 1968 event was postponed and it wasn’t held in 1969, the Diamonds last season in the BL. Thereafter Parker staged it at his other track at Wolverhampton where it became an annual addition to their calendar through to 2023. The idea was subsequently taken up by other tracks, including Crayford in 1970 which must have been interesting having handicap racing on that tiny track!

 

Hackney Champions Chase Knock Out

Len Silver certainly pushed the boat out for his end of season event at Waterden Road in the 70s when he came up with this unique event of twenty heats but featuring no fewer than 32 riders in a highly expensive meeting. All riders were guaranteed just one ride in Round One, where the last placed rider in each of the eight heats was eliminated. The 24 progressing to Round Two found things even tougher with only first and second going through to the quarter finals where you again needed to be in the first two places be guaranteed a semi final spot – though the two fastest third places were also included in this penultimate round. Thereafter the top two in both semis went to the final where the winner got the Champions Chase prize money.

 

1971 Scottish  Open

With the 1971 Scottish Open Championship looming up, Ian Hoskins was determined that the winner “would not only be the best starter but a rider who is capable of coming from the back as well”. Presumably he was concerned that Ivan Mauger was well nigh unbeatable around Hampden. His electric gating meant that it would take a herculean effort to pass him around the narrow Hampden track. He came up with the idea of making each rider start once from a ten yard handicap. The programme for the week preceding the Scottish Open stated “Following the public vote last Friday all riders will be handicapped ten yards in one of their races”. Public vote – hardly! He announced his plan to the crowd and, at best, got a lukewarm reception to it. Indeed some spectators in the centre stand area tried to shout it down! But to no avail.

In heats 5 to 20, one rider will draw a black ball and be given a handicap. It seems likely that the draw was “managed” as there was no reason that all four riders in a latter heat hadn’t all already selected the dreaded black ball. It certainly had the desired effect as Ivan Mauger conceded ten yards in heat ten to Michanek, Airey and Eric Boocock and could only manage a third place. The following heat saw Jim McMillan make light of the backmark to finish ahead of Hunter, Beaton and Louis, leaving him as the only unbeaten rider after three rides. Things went awry thereafter as both Mauger and Eide headed him in their respective heats. This meant McMillan was tied with Mauger on thirteen points. In the run off, Mauger made his usual jet start and won easily. Hoskins plotting had come to nought!

1973 Scottish  Open

Coatbridge’s – and indeed Scotland’s – final meeting in the top tier British League was a twenty heat individual which also doubled up as a four team tournament. As the BSPA wouldn’t sanction it as an international event the team names were

Scandinavians – C Sjoisten, Gimre, Michanek,             - 30

Scots – McMillan, Beaton, Harkins, Gallacher               - 31

ANZACS – Gifford, Titman, Mauger, Oliviere                 - 32

Sassenachs – Wyer, Reg Wilson, Jessup, N Boocock   -25

Each of the first four heats featured all the riders of each team racing each other followed by the standard four team format of one rider from each team featuring in each heat. Ivan Mauger won the individual title with 15 closely followed by McMillan (14) and Michanek (13) as the first division era drew to a close.