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R.I.P 2024
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Allan Baker. |
4th June 2024 |
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2011 - ALLAN BAKER INTERVIEW BY BRIAN MOYLE
Brian Moyle: Allan Baker speedway has consumed your entire life over the past fifty years, were did it all begin. Allan Baker: My older brother and sister went to Sydney Showgrounds and Westmead speedways and at about six and seven years old I annoyed the hell out of them untill they finally gave in and took me too. Brian Moyle: You must have been impressed by many competitors through those golden years. Allan Baker: I feel honoured to have been givern the chance to grow up watching the ledgends of the sport, George Tatnell, Sid Middlemass, Brian and Peter Cunneen, Johnny Steward at the Showgrounds. Not to mention the bikes, Jim Airey and Johnny Langfield. In later years i haunted Liverpool and Parramatta Speedways with some trips to Newcastle, Canberra, Goulburn and Kembla Grange.
Brian Moyle: Hi Allan Baker, can i get you to answer a few question's. So when did you decide to move to Western Australia.
Allan Baker: I moved to Perth in the mid seventy's, married, had kids and joined the Bibra Lake Speedway and of coarse friday night was speedway night at Claremont, saturday became trips to Bunbury, Collie and Waroona.
Brian Moyle: Unfinished business in Sydney Allan.
Allan Baker: Another four years back home in Sydney and small write ups started to appear in Speedway publications, over the years I wrote for Speedway Star (Aust), Speedway West, Speedway Illustrated, Peter Whites Speedway World and the glossy covered Chequered Flag magazine.
Brian Moyle: So when did you move back to Perth.
Allan Baker: I moved back to Perth in the mid eighty's, back to Bibra Lake Speedway and the off season working bee's to extend the track. after a while I joined Jerry Wilcox in the pa box calling races, I also called races with Jim Kirkwood, the late Tom Green and Peter Wesso Weston at Ellenbrook. Iv'e called them at Darkan, Narrogin, Moora, Southern Cross and others. At the same time I was writing for Oval Track but had reversed my name and used BJ Allan because the editor didn't want his writers being associated with other publications. It was at this time I was also on radio every saturday morning with Ken Brown and John Cardy at 6NR (now Curtin FM).
Allan Baker: I moved back to Perth in the mid eighty's, back to Bibra Lake Speedway and the off season working bee's to extend the track. after a while I joined Jerry Wilcox in the pa box calling races, I also called races with Jim Kirkwood, the late Tom Green and Peter Wesso Weston at Ellenbrook. Iv'e called them at Darkan, Narrogin, Moora, Southern Cross and others. At the same time I was writing for Oval Track but had reversed my name and used BJ Allan because the editor didn't want his writers being associated with other publications. It was at this time I was also on radio every saturday morning with Ken Brown and John Cardy at 6NR (now Curtin FM).
Brian Moyle: When and why was West Coast Speedway magazine born.
Allan Baker: Speedway Speedway Speedway, all for someone else, what about me. I decided to publish my own magazine. Now firmly settled on the west coast in July of 1995 the first ever West Coast Speedway News hit the news stands.
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WEST COAST SPEEDWAY NEWS. The Magazine.
(use controls to pause - forward or reverse 17 images)
Brian Moyle: So Allan, West Coast Speedway magazine, shut shop, So what happened.
Allan Baker: Again Speedway Speedway Speedway, something had to give and it did, one failed marraige and years of financial hardship followed, six years later a second failed marraige and in the years to follow, health problems and a stroke, so when the doctor says slow down what does one do.
Speedway Speedway Speedway, Ia'm in my late fifty's now (2011) and still around doing freelance speedway media. I to are also researching Ghost Tracks of WA and can be contacted on facebook.
