Belle Vue Aces Season 1978 Compiled by Dave Allan First published March 2016 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This file was only made possible thanks to the invaluable contributions of the following: Steve Wilkes & Gary Done (Ellesmere Port & 1978 Speedway Mails) Stuart Staite-Aris & associates (Coventry) Mike Hunter (Edinburgh) Brian Collins (Internationals) Mark Aspinell (Rye House) Gary Weldon (Boston) Steve Ashley (Boston & Leicester) John (Hull) Colin Jewes & Phil Johnson (Cradley Heath) Arnie Gibbons (Reading) Mark Fellows (Wolverhampton) Matt Jackson (Sheffield) Neil Fife (Newcastle) David Housely (Various) Keith Corns (Various) The knowledgable members of the British Speedway Forum and the Easy, Tiger! Forum RACECARDS The following symbols are in use throughout this file: R/R Rider replacement N Rider replaced by reserve TS Rider replaced by tactical substitute R Rider did not finish for reason other than fall or exclusion EF Rider suffered engine failure and failed to finish F Rider fell and did not remount FX Rider fell and was excluded from race or rerun FN Rider fell and was unable to take his place in rerun E Rider excluded for starting offence (including tape touching & breaking, delaying start, etc.) M Rider excluded under two minute rule X Rider excluded for any other reason not E or M. Reason for exclusion noted where known. NS Rider failed to start but was not excluded or replaced NTR New track record ETR Equals track record Reruns are not assumed, they are only recorded where reported. (guest) Rider is making a ‘full and proper’ guest appearance (loanee) Rider has been borrowed from home track to make up the team Belle Vue Aces 1978 Date Home Away Event Result Notes 18/03/1978 Belle Vue Sheffield Frank Varey Northern Trophy 43-35 24/03/1978 Belle Vue Peter Craven Memorial Trophy Individual Peter Collins 24/03/1978 Wolverhampton Belle Vue Challenge 36-42 25/03/1978 Belle Vue Wimbledon Gulf British League 43-35 27/03/1978 Halifax Belle Vue Frank Varey Northern Trophy 40-38 30/03/1978 Sheffield Belle Vue Frank Varey Northern Trophy 38-40 01/04/1978 Belle Vue Coventry Gulf British League 42-36 08/04/1978 Belle Vue Hull Frank Varey Northern Trophy 40-38 12/04/1978 Hull Belle Vue Frank Varey Northern Trophy 36-42 15/04/1978 Belle Vue Wolverhampton Gulf British League 52-26 22/04/1978 Belle Vue Poole Gulf British League 47-31 25/04/1978 Leicester Belle Vue Gulf British League 32-46 26/04/1978 Belle Vue Halifax Frank Varey Northern Trophy 44-34 29/04/1978 Coventry Belle Vue Gulf British League 43-35 06/05/1978 Belle Vue Leicester Gulf British League 43-35 10/05/1978 White City Belle Vue Gulf British League 35-43 13/05/1978 Belle Vue VW Grand Prix/World Championship Qualifying Round Individual Peter Collins 20/05/1978 Belle Vue Hull Gulf British League 47-31 25/05/1978 Ipswich Belle Vue Gulf British League 46-32 27/05/1978 Belle Vue Reading Gulf British League 46-32 29/05/1978 King's Lynn Belle Vue Gulf British League 36-42 31/05/1978 Poole Belle Vue Gulf British League 35-43 03/06/1978 Belle Vue Wimbledon Speedway Star KOC R2 L1 44-34 08/06/1978 Wimbledon Belle Vue Speedway Star KOC R2 L2 41-37 10/06/1978 Belle Vue Hackney Gulf British League 51-27 12/06/1978 Birmingham Belle Vue Gulf British League 37-41 16/06/1978 Wolverhampton Belle Vue Gulf British League 38-40 18/06/1978 Belle Vue England v Denmark v Australia v Sweden World Team Cup IC Final 33 v 25 v 15 v 23 19/06/1978 Reading Reading v Belle Vue v Bristol v Poole Four Team (pairs) 26 v 30 v 21 v 19 21/06/1978 Belle Vue Exeter Gulf British League Rained Off Golden Helmet heats only 23/06/1978 Edinburgh Belle Vue Inter-League Challenge 22-56 30/06/1978 Ellesmere Port Belle Vue Inter-League Challenge 31-47 01/07/1978 Belle Vue Swindon Gulf British League 47-31 02/07/1978 Stoke Stoke v Wolverhampton v Belle Vue v Sheffield Four Team 26 v 30 v 13 v 27 06/07/1978 Wimbledon Wimbledon v Belle Vue v Bristol v Cradley Heath Four Team (pairs) 31 v 22 v 19 v 24 08/07/1978 Belle Vue White City Gulf British League 44-34 Belle Vue Aces 1978 Date Home Away Event Result Notes 10/07/1978 Reading Belle Vue Gulf British League 35-43 15/07/1978 Cradley Heath Belle Vue Gulf British League 43-35 16/07/1978 Belle Vue Golden Jubilee Individual Peter Collins 19/07/1978 Hull Belle Vue Gulf British League 54-24 22/07/1978 Belle Vue King's Lynn Gulf British League 42-36 28/07/1978 Hackney Belle Vue Gulf British League 38-40 29/07/1978 Halifax Belle Vue Gulf British League 41.5-36.5 04/08/1978 Poole Belle Vue Speedway Star KOC R3 L1 34-43 05/08/1978 Belle Vue Poole Speedway Star KOC R3 L2 44-34 07/08/1978 Exeter Belle Vue Gulf British League 40-38 12/08/1978 Swindon Belle Vue Gulf British League 10-14 A Aban Ht 4 - rain 19/08/1978 Belle Vue Belle Vue v Reading v Wimbledon v Hull Golden Apple 4TT 34 v 30 v 18 v 14 25/08/1978 Exeter Belle Vue Speedway Star KOC SF L1 51-27 26/08/1978 Belle Vue Halifax Gulf British League 48-30 26/08/1978 Belle Vue Exeter Speedway Star KOC SF L2 57-21 28/08/1978 Halifax Belle Vue Challenge 38-40 07/09/1978 Sheffield Belle Vue Gulf British League 40-37 08/09/1978 Bristol Belle Vue Gulf British League Rained Off 09/09/1978 Belle Vue Birmingham Gulf British League 20-22 A Aban Ht 7 - rain 13/09/1978 Belle Vue Levi's For Feet Northern International Individual Peter Collins 16/09/1978 Belle Vue Cradley Heath Gulf British League 40-38 21/09/1978 Wimbledon Belle Vue Gulf British League 38-40 23/09/1978 Coventry Belle Vue Challenge 57-21 28/09/1978 Swindon Belle Vue Gulf British League 37-41 30/09/1978 Belle Vue Bristol Gulf British League 36-42 30/09/1978 Belle Vue Birmingham Gulf British League 49-29 03/10/1978 Belle Vue Ipswich Gulf British League 38-40 06/10/1978 Bristol Belle Vue Gulf British League 52-26 07/10/1978 Belle Vue Sheffield Gulf British League 42-36 08/10/1978 Berwick Berwick v Belle Vue v Sheffield Three Team 26 v 22 v 24 10/10/1978 Belle Vue Exeter Gulf British League 52-26 14/10/1978 Belle Vue Ipswich Speedway Star KOC Final L1 39-39 17/10/1978 Leicester Belle Vue Challenge 49-29 19/10/1978 Ipswich Belle Vue Speedway Star KOC Final L2 53-25 21/10/1978 Belle Vue British League Riders Championship Individual Ole Olsen 27/10/1978 Glasgow Glasgow v Belle Vue v Bobby Beaton's Select Three Team 25 v 16 v 31 Belle Vue Aces 1978 Date Home Away Event Result Notes 28/10/1978 Halifax Halifax v Belle Vue v Hull v Sheffield Four Team (pairs) 31 v 18 v 19 v 28 29/10/1978 Ellesmere Port Ellesmere Port v Belle Vue v Cradley Heath v Hull Four Team 19 v 28 v 25 v 24 30/10/1978 Newcastle Belle Vue v Hull v Newcastle v Reg Wilson Select Four Team 23 v 31 v 29 v 13 31/10/1978 Ellesmere Port Ellesmere Port Cadets v Belle Vue Colts Dent Oliver Memorial Trophy 48-29 Belle Vue Aces v Sheffield Tigers Saturday 18th March 1978 (Frank Varey Northern Trophy) Belle Vue Aces 43 TOT BP 1. Alan Wilkinson 2 3 3 3 2 13 0 2. Les Collins 0 0 EF 1 1 0 3. Peter Collins R/R 4. Russell Hodgson 1 0 F F 1 0 5. Chris Morton 3 2 3 3 3 14 0 6. Chris Turner 2* 1 1 2* 6 2 7. Jim Brett 3 1 3 1 8 0 Sheffield Tigers 35 TOT BP 1. Keith White (guest) 3 3 3 1 2 12 0 2. Arnold Haley 1 1 2* 0 4 1 3. Reg Wilson 2 2 2 3 9 0 4. Keith Evans 2 2 EF 0 4 0 5. Craig Pendlebury EF 0 2 1 3 0 6. Tony Boyle E 1* 1* 2 2 7. Billy Burton 1 0 TS 1 0 Ht. 01: White, Wilkinson, Haley, L. Collins, 74.4 2 - 4 2 - 4 Ht. 02: Brett, Turner, Burton, Boyle (exc, tapes), 75.0 5 - 1 7 - 5 Ht. 03: Morton, Evans, Hodgson, Pendlebury (ef), 76.2 4 - 2 11 - 7 Ht. 04: Wilkinson, Wilson, Turner, Burton, 74.0 4 - 2 15 - 9 Ht. 05: White, Morton, Haley, Hodgson, 73.4 2 - 4 17 - 13 Ht. 06: Wilkinson, Wilson, Boyle, L. Collins, 73.6 3 - 3 20 - 16 Ht. 07: Morton, Evans, Turner, Pendlebury, 75.4 4 - 2 24 - 18 Ht. 08: White, Haley, Brett, L. Collins (ef), 73.2 1 - 5 25 - 23 Ht. 09: Morton, Wilson, Boyle, Hodgson (fell), 73.4 3 - 3 28 - 26 Ht. 10: Wilkinson, Pendlebury, L. Collins, Evans (ef), 73.4 4 - 2 32 - 28 Ht. 11: Brett, Turner, White, Haley, 75.0 5 - 1 37 - 29 Ht. 12: Wilson, Wilkinson, Pendlebury, Hodgson (fell), 74.0 2 - 4 39 - 33 Ht. 13: Morton, White, Brett, Evans, 73.2 4 - 2 43 - 35 Belle Vue: Peter Craven Memorial Trophy Friday 24th March 1978 TOT POS 1.