Gus Kuhn 1938
Page updated 28-Dec-2010

Gus starts the season riding for Wembley Reserves in the English Speedway Trophy.

June 22nd (Weds) Wembley away vs Birmingham: Gus got a 2nd.

August: Gus is appointed Captain of Lea Bridge (2nd Div.) Speedway Team "Lea Bridge made a comeback to the Second Division in 1938. The season was well underway and the 2nd division had already started when Tom Bradbury-Pratt put in an application to join the league using a number of his Haringay reserves. Gus Kuhn was appointed captain. Gus was in particularly fine form all season, knocking up many double figure scores." ['Speedway in London' by Norman Jacobs ISBN 0752422219]

Gus Kuhn, on left, with the 1938 Lea Bridge Speedway Team including Ron Clark, Alf Kaines and Will Lowther
[Picture supplied by John Somerville]

August 6th (Sat): An exhibition match of Lea Bridge Reds vs LB Whites at a Harringay vs Wimbledon event at Harringay. Gus Kuhn (Red) won both his heats (four heats), so the Reds won 18 points to 6.

August 15th (Mon Eve): Lea Bridge at home vs West Ham. [Advert Speedway News 13/9/38]

Sept 7th (Weds): Lea Bridge away vs Birmingham: Gus won heat 2, 2nd in Heats 6 & 8 and 3rd in Heat 10. Gus won the Match Race vs Tiger Hart and the Barnet Scratch race final.

A STAR IS RE-BORN

Speedway News, August 13th 1938

Riders may come and riders may go, but Gus Kuhn goes on for ever.

Now he is skipper of Lea Bridge, track of sensational and sentimental memories, where, ten years previously as Captain of Stamford Bridge, he led Wal Philips, Les Blakeborough, Fred Ralph, Art Warnock, on to the track for one of its first meetings.

"Harringay's new venture came as a complete surprise to me personally," he told me. "I don't know much of the boys, but I know Lea Bridge and once we settle down to give supporters the racing they want I'm confident we'll build a good following."

Much sand has blown o'er the desert since, as goggle-eyed schoolboys most of us, we nearly tore our hair out watching Gus and his fliers launch the rip-roaring sport from down under. Remember his brilliant riding for the Dons? - and not so very long ago either. Since then he has seen speedway change, and drastically, into a finely contested, finely organised sport for the million. Gus has ridden practically every model of bike made for speedway racing - and he's always been his own mechanic. "So long as I can remember I've tuned my own machine and I've yet to meet a mechanic who can tell me more about my bike than I know myself," he declared.

In truth, he's "always" been in speedway. He is nearly 40 now and the "always" covers 25 unbroken years' experience of grass tracks and cinder tracks in both the first and second divisions. Twenty-five years in speedway - how's that, Mr. Mockford?

When Stamford Bridge closed he went over and built himself a big niche into the fame that the Dons achieved during his five years riding for them. Then last July he went over to Wembley and appeared a few times in league matches until recently, when Tom Bradbury-Pratt approached Wembley to have him lead Lea Bridge .

Gus, contrary to some supporters' notions, is not Australian, but was bred and born in Birmingham, and though he has his own motor business in London he will have plenty to do at Lea Bridge, since, as yet, he has not appointed a mechanic to help the riders.