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Surely just like in horse sports and other motorsports if the driver + gear weight is too low for the minimum for the class then they just add ballast? But yeah tone of that is from another era, jeez. My gran used to live next to a motorcycle racer through the 60s and 70s, a few miles from Silverstone, she used to race side-car with others, got the bug for it then started riding solo. Think my gran went a few times to help out with moving equipment (had a van, everyone needs a pal with a van) and 'team' support during the weekends that she was racing, unfortunately no photos or anything. By the time I learned this/was interested enough to go and knock next door to speak to the lady she was hit really bad with dementia and getting into any of her history was too upsetting for her. Never did get to look in her very large and very long shed in the garden, can imagine it was packed with interesting stuff.
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BrickMan
Is anyone familiar with racing motor cycling regulations from ye olden days?
I've just been reading about trailblazing Beryl Swain, a Walthamstow resident who was the first woman to race solo at the Isle of Man TT in 1962. She suffered mechanical problems during the race, finishing 22nd out of 25 but was still within 3 secs of the lap record in the 50 cc class she was racing, and vowed to come back the following year to do better.
However her entry seems to have ruffled a few feathers and dented a few fragile male egos, as the governing body brought in a rule the following year which introduced a minimum rider weight, and as Beryl was a slight 7 stone it effectively meant she had no chance of making the start line, and despite trying to appeal and change the rule, she failed and it tragically effectively ended her racing career.
There was also some bullshit excuse that they were concerned that following the races' history with many injuries and fatalities to the male racers, they considered it too dangerous for women.
The last line of this Pathe news clip on Beryl sums up the attitude of the time, "slowly but surely women, the weaker sex, are muscling in on mans domain, practically no sport is sacred, thank goodness for dear old rugby league"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ocIH8rBdJ8
It seems weird today that a minimum rider weight would be a barrier to entry, with ever more of us being Fatty Mcfatfat. And I can't for the life of me try to decipher how on the one hand they think racing is too dangerous for women, but only for women below a certain weight, are fat women considered not womanly enough, or does nobody care about the fat lasses?
I've just been googling to try and find the exact wording of the rule, I'm curious to know what the actual weight limit was, but can't find it anywhere, does anyone know it or where to find it? Thanks.
EDIT: in your face Pathe News guy, women's rugby league is a thing now too.