Memories of the Ekka

GARY EDGAR, who’s lovely little Ducati Brio scooter features in this issue, attended the Brisbane Exhibition Ground Speedway regularly as a young chap, and has sent along some of the photos sold in the 1950s at the track by the official photographers. “All the small “souvenir” photos both solos and sidecars have the rider identified on the picture itself. Of the larger photos (these must have been “specials” that my Dad got me) only one solo rider is likewise identified and I can say with confidence the solo rider in the spotted bandana with the skull and crossbones on his helmet is Keith “The Count” Blicharski. He was still around up until a few years back to my knowledge as at that time he had some connection with vintage speedcars.

Likewise solo rider Keith Cox was still riding (a scooter by now) and I met him at a vintage speedcar spectacular at the old RNA Exhibition Ground when he did a few laps on a vintage solo. As we chatted another fan asked what his secret was to still be riding (he was 82 then) to which Keith replied “I never got off son”. Amen. Sadly Keith passed away just a couple of years back. He had been involved with the Ulysses Club and through them I tried to find where he was buried so I could pay my respects, but received no reply. All of these shots come from my very early childhood and I would therefore place them around the 1952 mark. A night at Exhibition Speedway was always a full programme that featured solos, sidecars, speedcars and later the forerunner of today’s compact speedcars known then as “gnats” as well as the first introduction of stock cars. You got real value for money back then. The interesting thing about the stock cars was that quite a few of the solo and sidecar riders got into them and would double up later in the programme when the bikes were done and the stock cars came on. I have shots of them also and the old cars are wonderful, including one of Sandy McCrae still in his leathers from the sidecar events.” Perhaps readers may be able to assist in identifying some of the riders in the shots.