"a prose that possesses a kind of petrol-driven Dirty Realism, as though Raymond Carver had decided to turn up at a speedway meeting" The Times

Quantum of Shale

Like a medieval astrologer peering at the heavens, author Jeff Scott continues to interpret the cycles, epicycles, and motorcycles of the spinning planets of Speedway in this his latest book: Quantum of Shale.

As he engages with the myriad social and cultural gears that power this unique engine of British sport, Scott seeks to determine whether the forces that turn these wheels within wheels are centrifugal or centripetal.  Will Speedway adjust to the increasing challenges of 21st Century Britain and so plot an enduring course towards significance and survival?

As in his other critically acclaimed works documenting the current status of Speedway, Quantum of Shale follows Scott’s travels around Britain as he visits Speedway tracks on race day.  There he observes and participates in the sport’s rituals, culture and traditions that have engendered the fierce loyalties of its primarily blue collar fan base.  Yet, while he does this with respect and affection, Scott also acknowledges those trends that appear to conspire to knock Speedway from its orbit and sets his visits within the context of a pitiless economic calculus that scars the curve of a beautiful but undervalued sport.

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Some recent praise of Jeff Scott's work...

"Bill Brysonesque!"
"There is more than a hint of the great, sly realist Martin Parr in Scott's photographs" Daily Telegraph