Legtrailers

Two years previously, a young New Zealander had strolled into a railway station in Sydney, Australia and placed the last of his cash on the ticket counter.

‘How far will this take me ?’  he asked the clerk.

‘West Maitland,’  came the reply.

The Kiwi didn’t hesitate.  ‘OK’, he said. ’Gimme a ticket.’

The young man’s name was John Stark Hoskins.  His friends called him Johnnie. Already Johnnie Hoskins had packed more into his thirty odd years than most people manage in a lifetime.  As it happened the good people of West Maitland had a place for just such an adventurer.  The Agricultural Society was looking for someone to breathe new life into the events at their Showground.  Johnnie was made for the job.

At first things didn’t go too well.  Johnnie tried the town band, dancing on the green, even goat racing.  He needed something new – something different.  Then, one Saturday night, he let the local motorcycle club loose on the trotting track.  The result was chaos -  but the crowds loved it.  Johnnie had his new idea and a new sport was born.

Soon things got even more spectacular.  ‘You gotta let us put our foot down in the bends, Johnnie.’ the riders moaned.  Off came the footrests and the riders began to experiment with quicker ways of getting round the corners. 

Then, into this Aussie mayhem, came three Americans who knew all about cornering motorcycles on dirt.