WEDNESDAY marks the 26th anniversary of Denny Pyeatt's crash at Hackney in 1982, who sadly passed away the following day.
As a tribute, we are publishing the chapter from the new Reading Speedway history book - Tears and Glory, the Winged Wheel Story, by Arnie Gibbons.
To read more information about the book and to order your copy online, please click here.
1982 – Hackney, July 16
A SINGLE red rose in the empty pits space allocated to Denny Pyeatt symbolised the heartbreak felt by everyone at Smallmead. Riders were moving round like automatons and the spectators seemed eerily silent. Although Racers came from six down to beat local rivals Swindon that night, celebrations were muted as minds were still on the events of the previous Friday.
Seven days earlier, on Monday July 12, Denny Pyeatt and Jan Andersson teamed up three times. Each time they rode together Reading recorded a 5-1, the last one against Hans Nielsen. As Reading only won by 6 points, Pyeatt's performance warranted the description – match-winning. Three days later he top scored at Wimbledon winning three races. Although Reading narrowly lost they returned to London the following night for a clash with Hackney.
Friday July 16 was shaping up to be the night Racers recorded their first away win (in the league) for over a year. After eight heats Reading held a 27-21 lead largely down to Pyeatt's two race wins. Team manager John Smith put Pyeatt into heat 9 in place of John Grahame.
Riding against Bo Petersen (Hackney's top rider) and 18-year-old debutant Marvyn Cox, the Racers young American entered the third bend just ahead of Cox. The Hackney youngster (and future Racer) clipped Pyeatt's back wheel sending him catapulting towards the fence. Denny was unlucky, firstly his trajectory took him over the safety fence, and secondly there was a lamp standard in his path.
From the moment of impact everyone could see the situation was serious. Riders rushed up to be close at hand, but were signalled away. The crowd waited in near silence. Only three years earlier Vic Harding had lost his life at Waterden Road, and earlier that season Brett Alderton suffered fatal injuries at King’s Lynn.
The ambulance rushed Denny to Hackney Hospital (a former Victorian workhouse less than a mile from the stadium) and after half an hour a clearly distressed Len Silver announced the abandonment of the meeting. The Reading team gathered at the hospital, with John Smith and Denny's girlfriend Hazel Sillence. These two stayed the night with Denny in a coma and on a life-support machine.
At 8.45am on the Saturday morning Denny passed away.
Denny's body was flown back to the States and on July 29 a memorial service took place at Christchurch on Christchurch Road in Reading. The packed congregation included many familiar names. John Davis, Hackney's Finn Thomsen, Scott Autrey, Brad Oxley, Gary Guglielmi, Tim Hunt, John Grahame, Tony Briggs, Bernie Leigh, Bill Dore, Frank Higley, Mick Bell and World Champion Bruce Penhall all took the time to pay tribute to the man who died wearing the winged wheel.
The following Monday a 29-heat memorial event took place with a 4,000 attendance. The Smallmead crowd witnessed two 13-heat challenges involving 28 riders plus a three heat individual tournament for the Denny Pyeatt Memorial Trophy. After scoring a maximum in his team match it caused no surprise when Shawn Moran won the event. In the team matches Jan Andersson's Seven beat John Davis's Seven 47-30 and Bruce Penhall's Seven beat Bobby Schwartz's Seven 43-35. Bernie Leigh made an unexpected return to the track in Schwartz's team, but failed to score.
Over in Denny's native California a memorial meeting at San Bernadino went to Alan Christian, with Mike Faria and Mike Curoso runners-up. The Speedway Mail reported that second place in the handicap final went to an unknown 21-year-old – Guy Ermolenko.
The inquest, held in September, returned a verdict of accidental death. Marvin Cox (who broke a wrist in the collision), John Smith, referee Barry Bowles and Len Silver all gave evidence. The track complied with ACU safety requirements, but Silver conceded that with hindsight perhaps more could have been done.
Long before the inquest, the Hackney accident had sparked considerable debate about rider safety. Slicker tracks and faster machines, specifically the introduction of the 4-valve, were put forward as possible causes.
However, for all the talk it took another fatality in similar circumstances before the Speedway Control Board insisted on the removal of lampposts. In September 1983 Craig Featherby of Milton Keynes lost control in wet conditions at Peterborough and flew through the air until a lamppost ended his journey.
Just a month after Denny's accident the United States appeared in their second World Team Cup Final. England had a perverse knack of failing to qualify for finals held at White City. 1982 was the third (and final) time the venue had been used, and without England the Danes provided the main opposition. Psyched-up by pre-match talk that they were going to 'win this one for Denny' the Yanks stormed to a 13-point victory. Bobby Schwartz won his first three rides before standing down to allow reserve Scott Autrey to take to the track. On an emotional victory parade the five Americans (Sigalos and the Moran brothers completed the team) clutched a large portrait of Denny.
Two weeks later America staged its first, and to date only, World Final. The Los Angeles Colosseum programme contained a statement signed by ten of the American riders racing in the UK at the time. It concluded:
“Denny loved speedway racing. He loved the challenge. Denny wasn't as outspoken as some of us but he carried our flag proudly and as high as anyone. Denny was not just a friend. Sometimes he was a teacher, sometimes a student. Sometimes he was like a father, sometimes like a son but most of all Denny was our brother.”
There was something unique about the American riders of the 1980s. Thousands of miles from home, the camaraderie and patriotism of this close knit group brought something special to British speedway in this decade.
Denny's contribution at Reading will never be forgotten. He was slowly improving, and in his final outings for Reading fans glimpsed a potential that sadly could never be fulfilled. In the time he wore the winged wheel Denny didn't miss a single match. Including challenges, he rode a total of 85 consecutive fixtures. When fate brought the run to an end his 6.25 league average left him third in the Racers averages, only outscored by Andersson and Schwartz.
John Grahame (far left) wipes a tear from his eye during the minute’s silence for Denny Pyeatt. Also pictured, before the start of Reading's match with Swindon just two days after Denny's death, are guest Shawn Moran and Tim Hunt.
Denny Pyeatt 15 November 1957 - 17 July 1982 always remembered
