Post by PLUSTAR on Jun 5, 2010 17:22:21 GMT 1
« on: February 19, 2010, 04:37:31 PM »
QUESTIONS FROM GARRY CRAIG
Q WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER OF THE CRASH AT LINLITHGOW WHEN YOU ENDED UP IN
THE FIELD OF COOS,
SC
I remember the 5 unbeaten rides before it, I was on a paid 18 max!! I don't remember much of that day
its all a bit patchy, I was pretty concussed, these parts I do remember, I made a good start
from gate 1, I think, but before I could turn Geoff (Powell) came straight across me from the outside,
I thought what the F**K are you doing, I clipped his back wheel & the bike lifted on 1 wheel & went
straight towards the fence, flat out, I thought **** this is going to end bad, I was out of control & all
could do was position myself the best I could & ride it out, I don't know which is louder the engine
revving or the impact, I felt a searing pain in my ribs, under-arm & shoulder & in what felt like a
nanosecond, there was a big flash of light & I felt my whole body being crushed, it felt like the world
had landed on me. I must have been unconscious for a minute, I couldn't move, hear or feel anything,
with tunnel vision I could see Scott (Lamb) jumping the fence & as he got closer, I could see by the
look on his face it must have been a proper big timer, there was a bit of commotion & what seemed
like muffled shouting, it felt like a long time before they lifted the board off me & I could breath again,
& I started to come round, I could see Scott's face, he was talking & looking at me with a really
worried look , I indicated that I was all right, he looked at me shook his head and said "F**king hell
Stuartie I really thought you were dead there" then with a big grin said "don't ever do that again"
I went out in the rerun but I only got a third, I probably shouldn't have went back out, but if I've
nothing else I've got balls
Q IF YOU STARTED RIDING SPEEDWAY NOW FOR THE FIRST TIME WOULD YOU APPROACH
IT DIFFERENTLY FROM WHEN YOU WERE RIDING.
SC Yeah I would have more belief in myself & wouldn't have take all the crap from the promotions
that I did take
Q ANY REGRETS ABOUT RIDING SPEEDWAY.
SC Not fulfilling my potential, it burned a hole in my stomach for years after I finished racing.
QUESTIONS FROM MAGGIE
Q WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR A LIVING THESE DAYS
SC
I have been an RTITB accredited Instructor for 13 years. I own an RTITB Nors accredited
Training Organisation, working throughout the UK & Overseas, recently I've been to Georgia,
Azerbaijan & Ivory Coast We cover all types of Safety training & appraisals, from Manual handling
to all types of Fork Lift Trucks, Slinging / banksman & Crane Courses,
Lifting platforms (MEWP's) Abrasive wheels & tools, Safety harnesses & Risk assessments.
For full course details contact us at-
www.colemantrainingservices.co.uk
or stuart@colemantrainingservices.co.uk
Coleman Training Services Ltd
Worldwide Health & Safety Training solutions
3 Beech Avenue
Glasgow G69 6LJ
tel; 0141-771-7160
mob; 07725146644
Q WHAT CHANGES DOES SPEEDWAY NEED
SC Better promotion, modern stadiums with bigger tracks & heaps more shale
QUESTIONS FROM GRASSCUTTER
Q HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVIED IN SPEEDWAY
SC
Getting taken to Hampden & Coatbridge by my Mum & Dad as a baby & kid, then later with my Dad,
Uncle & brothers, really got the bug as a young teenager @ Blantyre 1
Q HOW MANY CLUBS DID YOU RACE WITH
SC
2 - only ever contracted to Tigers & Linlithgow, have guested for a few clubs, promotion refused
permission to let me go to Peterborough early 90's
Q IS THIS TRUE YOU RACED IN A SIDECAR MEETING AT SHAWFIELD
SC
Yeah that was cool, I was a passenger. everyone else they asked bottled it. it was amazing I jumped
at the chance. It was a completely different experience (I was asked to go on tour with them but couldn't
get the time off work), It was hard going I think I did 3 sidecar races & 3 solo races one after the other.
Scored points in every sidecar race & got 2 wins & a second on the solo's
Q WORST SPEEDWAY INJURIES
SC
I've been extremely lucky with injuries, considering the amount of big timers I've had, the worst was at
Shawfield '91, I broke the right shoulder, collar bone & shoulder blade, my arm was basically held together
with muscle & tissue, it took them six weeks before they operated, pinned & wired it altogether,
(they tried to hold it together with clavicle straps & medical tape, every time I went for a check up they
removed the tape & the bone came through the skin,)
Dislocated Knee (left) Damaged cruciate ligaments, (left Knee was pretty much shot out & had to wear
a brace most of the time) Both scaephoids (left twice). broken ribs both sides, Had Head ran over,
crushed right hand & left ankle, (but helmet did its job no broken bones or teeth) Broke left collar bone
and then right collar bone within about 4 weeks of each other @ Linlithgow (which put me out of the second
leg of the knock-out cup final) Twisted & choked testicles (even thinking about that one still hurts, miraculously
they still work) Gouged a (10p size) hole in the back of my left knee, cut left knee cap had shale trapped under
the skin like a sausage from the knee to the top of my shin, broken nose, numerous cuts & grazes
(both arms from the elbows, forearms and wrists had scabs & watery puss would leak out everywhere,
it was equally gross & intriguing but it stank something rotten) Badly bruised penis (it looked like an artichoke)
large graze on my left thigh & butt cheek (they talked about plastic surgery but opted for antibiotics,
cream and dressings designed to suck up the puss, that was a nightmare bed sheets, boxers, jeans,
everything would get stuck to the wound & every time I moved it bled & oozed.
that was so sore, I done it at the start of season '99 & it took months to heal after the season ended.
Q BEST TEAM MANAGER YOU RACED UNDER
SC
Jimmy Macmillan & Colin Mackie they're both great guys & were the only ones who seen any real potential,
Q LEAST FAVOURITE TRACK
SC
Armadump & Linlithgow I hated them with equal passion Speedway should be on big grippy circuits not
little greasy SH*T HOLES
Q (Favourite Tracks
SC Swindon, Shawfeild, Shefield, Peterboro, Long Eaton, Exeter)
Q BEST SEVEN RIDERS YOU RACED WITH
SC
96 Linlithgow team & of course the Tigers back to back league & cup winning side 92/93 (yeah I Know that's
more than seven)
Q BEST MEMORYS RIDING FOR TIGERS
SC
Scoring on my debut away to Milton Keynes in the Knock-out cup, we went through by a point & of course
the back to back league & cup double years. (12 point Average for linlithgow '97 topped the rides averages
beating team mate & monarch Neil Hewitt into second place, sorry Bud ;-) but at least we got
1 & 2 for the Lightning)
Q BEST TIGER RIDER YOU WATCHED
SC Steve Lawson & Robert Nagy
Q BEST SPONSORSHIP IN YOU CAREER
SC my family ,STS, Ian Procter, Frappa, & the ladies; )
Q WHO WAS THE BEST TEAM-MATE YOU RACED WITH
SC Robert Nagy & Barry Campbell
Q DO YOU STILL ATTEND SPEEDWAY MEETINGS
SC Very rarely, I didn't leave the sport with any good feelings due to certain members of the previous promotion
Q WHICH RIDERS WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE RACED WITH
SC
Favourite Riders- Steve Lawson, Robert Nagy, Shawn Moran, Tony Rickardson, Gary Havelock, Mark Loram,
Shane Parker, Peter Carr & Me,
(The linlithgow 96 squad, Steve, Robert, Mick, Nigel, Sane, Jason, David, Jesper, Les, Sean, Mark, Will,
Brian & Scott are the best riders I’ve been in a team with. They’re all great guys & I had a Blast)
Q BEST PROMOTION YOU RACED WITH
SC
Linlithgow 96 it was shoe-string & seat of the pants stuff, but they were great everyone pulled out all the
stops for each other & it was truly a team effort, probably the best ever in my 11 years (oh & thanks for
the testimonial '88-'99) (for Blood, Sweat & tears:- see Injuries above)