Picture this …

… a day in August 2013

Saturday the 10^th to be precise.

The style is distinctive – six-times and counting world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik – as is the background. The installation of the distinctive orange polyfoam barrier was one of the heavy investments made by Bandits’ owner John Anderson which allowed Shielfield Park to bid for international meetings.

And led to the allocation of the second round of the World under-21 Championship, the forerunner of the present Speedway of Nations2.

To be fair the Pole would go on to have far more productive evenings in FIM events managing just one race win on his way to a mid-field eight-point haul. Long-time track photographer Doug Booth was on-hand at the morning practice as riders who currently dominate the sport at the highest level found some amazing racing lines around our venerable home.

And what a line line-up it was including Patryk Dudek, Vaclav Milik, Piotr Pawlicki, Mikkel Michelsen, Adzejs Lebedevs, former Bandit Davide Bellego and future Borders’ favourite Nicolaj Busk Jacobsen along with Brits Adam Ellis and Kyle Howarth.

It was a big night too for then Tweedmouth schoolboy Liam Carr, named as meeting reserve and called into action when Mikkel Bech Jensen crashed the tapes in heat 13, trapping an briefly leading Kyle Howarth, Dudek and Artur Czaja. Bellego and Lebedevs had a spectacular coming together later in the meeting which arguably cost the Latvian a place on the podium.

Dudek would go on to win the three round series by a point from countryman Pawlicki who triumphed on the night with 12 points, fellow Pole Kacper Gomolski beating Milik in a sensational run-off after both ended the night on 11 points.

When the dust had settled club owner Anderson reflected: “I’ve never seen speedway like that before! It was amazing, and at times terrifying to witness. One badly timed slip could have ended in a big crash but their skill levels are exceptional and they put on a real show for the big crowd, including many Polish supporters who really got into the spirit of the night.”

Pictures: Doug Booth/John Somerville Collection