Sydney Showground, Homebush. NSW . Australia. Saturday 1st May 1999.
The 1999 American Team.
L to R.: Shawn O'Connell,
Gary Hicks, Charlie Venegas and Team Captain, Bobby Schwartz.
The Australian Team.
L to R: Troy Butler, Jason Hawkes,
Stephen Davies and Team Captain,
Mick Poole.
The Aussie boys on parade lap.
The Yanks on their parade lap.
Gary Hicks, 3rd in US Nationals in 1986 & 1994, 1987 Ascot Track Champion shares a secret tactic with U.S.Captain, Bobby Scwartz.
Aussie Mick Poole and Gary Hicks, Hicks is related to American veteran rider Cordy Milne.
Above: the Homebush Stadium early in the night without the crowd. Turn 4 and the starting straight.
Left: The Aussie captain's bike and breastplate.
The tapes are up for an early heat. L to R: Hawkes, Hicks, Davies and Venegas.
O'Connell, Butler, Scwartz and Poole get away in another heat.
Butler, Hawkes, O'Connell and new Yank, Ty Platt on the inside. Ty substituted for one of the American riders.
In what turned out to be the heat of the night, when Mick's bike went off tune momentarily and he had to chase leader Hicks. Mick rode around him flat and wide on the last turn to a standing crowd.
All photos Copyright of Brian Darby.
Ty Platt riding for America !
Mick Poole in full flight.
Davies , Schwartz, Hawkes and Vengas.
Victorian, Jason Hawkes.
The match turned out to be an Australian ' white wash'.
I think the track was too big and too fast for the Americans.
Mick Poole for Australia and Gary Hicks for the US being the stars of the night.
A fantastic effort by our 'Speedway saviour ' in NSW, Terry Poole and his gang...Thanks Terry for a great night.
There was another Speedway meeting at the Homebush Showground on February 14th 2004. It was promoted by New Zealand promotion as ' Thunderama ' a mix of Solo, Sidecar, vintage and modern Midgets but turned out to be, due to many reasons, a very unenjoyable meeting all round. The 2004 ' Thunderama ' track shown in the pic below. Note the inside fence, quite impractical and ruled out the sidecars having a run as advertised on the night.
The unfinished Homebush track for the ' Thunderama ' meeting on the Friday night before the Saturday meeting on February 14th 2004.
A great action shot of American Captain, Bobby Schwartz, World Pairs Champion 1981 & 1982 World Team Champion, US National Champion 1986 and 1989 California State Champion 1988 and 1991.
