This form of the sport has a large following in Europe, and at one time, was acknowledged to be the most popular spectator sport in Britain. A major race can draw 30 thousand spectators in Poland. Billy is from California, the hottest place in North America for speedway. Several tracks there draw a crowd of 5 thousand every weekend.
Speedway machines are like fuel drag bikes, stripped to the bare essentials.
A light frame with minimal suspension, 500cc single cylinder, four valve, methanol fuel engine, no transmission, with just clutch and throttle to provide a lightweight but devastatingly powerful racing bike. You will notice that no mention is made of brakes. With up to six riders competing in a race, on bikes with no brakes, which can reach high speeds, on a small oval dirt tracks, you will quickly understand why speedway is a spectacular form of motorcycle racing. Unlike most motor sports, the spectators get a full view of the entire track. The riders are closely grouped, and the spectators have no doubt who the leader is and who is moving up.