Racing in the East

Motorcycle Speedway, Transnational Encounters, and ‘Provincial Heartlands’.

Read this research for free:

‘Pride of the East: Motorcycle Speedway, Transnational Encounters and Provincial Heartlands’, History: The Journal of the Historical Association, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-229X.13414

‘“The Russians are Coming!” Entangled Peripheries and Cold War Competition in Motorcycle Speedway’, History Workshop Journal, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1093/hwj/dbae011

‘Motorcycle Speedway: The Sport with an Illustrious Past Fighting for its Future’, History Workshop, 2024, https://www.historyworkshop.org.uk/sport/motorcycle-speedway/

Touring Exhibition:

Racing in the East: Transnational Speedway in Cold War East Anglia

This temporary exhibition sheds light on one of motorcycle speedway’s interconnected “backwaters”. From rural East Anglia to Soviet Siberia, the sport fostered unconventional interactions. At the height of the Cold War, East Anglia relished its role in transnational speedway, as Scandinavian superstars graced stadiums in Norwich, Yarmouth, and Ipswich, and Eastern Bloc riders lit up the region’s tracks. King’s Lynn was the entry port for communist-built racing machines that dominated international competition. Based on research conducted by the University of East Anglia’s Centre of East Anglian Studies and the East Centre for the study of East and Central Europe and the former Soviet space, the exhibition underlines the region’s stature in international motorsport, highlights the extensive interactions between East Anglia and the wider world, and celebrates migrant riders and foreign machines that stood in the vanguard of continental interactions with the region.

Media Coverage

The touring exhibition has featured in Speedway Star magazine, Eastern Daily Press, Norwich Evening News, Peterborough Telegraph, and BBC Radio Norfolk, Suffolk, and Cambridgeshire.

Past Events:

Norwich Launch Weekend

Hungate Medieval Art, Princes Street, Norwich
24 & 25 August 2024
We welcomed over 400 visitors to the Norwich launch.

Ipswich Witches Speedway

Foxhall Stadium, Ipswich
29 August 2024

Hundreds of speedway fans had the opportunity to see the exhibition trackside prior to the Ipswich Witches v Birmingham Brummies Premiership fixture.

King’s Lynn Stars Speedway

Adrian Flux Arena, King’s Lynn
2 September 2024

Norfolk speedway fans were able to view ‘Racing in the East’ during the King’s Lynn Stars v Leicester Lions Premiership fixture. The curator was interviewed about the project over the stadium address system during the interval.

Diss Heritage Transport Festival

Town Centre, Diss, Norfolk
22 September 2024

‘Racing in the East’ went on display alongside hundreds of classic vehicles in the picturesque streets and squares of this Norfolk market town.

The Speedway Show

British Motor Museum, Gaydon, Warwickshire
2 November 2024

Over a thousand people attended The Speedway Show, where former World No.2 rider Les Collins was reunited with his old JAWA speedway bike on the ‘Racing in the East’ stand.

Peterborough Panthers Speedway Supporters’ Club

Colonel Dane Memorial Hall, Alwalton, Peterborough
22 November 2024

‘Racing in the East’ were proud to be invited to form the centrepiece of a Supporters’ Club event, at a time when campaigners are working to save the Peterborough Panthers. The evening was covered by the Peterborough Telegraph and BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.

Vintage Motor Cycle Club – Norwich Section

Bracon Ash Village Hall, Bracon Ash, Norfolk
11 February 2025

Richard Mills was invited to address the Norwich branch of the VMCC, where he gave a talk about the Norwich Stars Speedway Club and introduced exhibits from ‘Racing in the East’.

Future Events:

The exhibition will be on display at several locations in 2025, including:

Mildenhall Fen Tigers Speedway

Mildenhall Stadium, West Row, Suffolk
Date TBC

ICCEES XI World Congress

Institute of Education, University College London
21-25 July 2025