Shale Trek

To boldly go where no other series of sports books has gone before …

In Shale Trek, Jeff Scott flings himself into another manic odyssey to the centre of the speedway universe to provide another quirky state-of-the-nation overview of its British speedway clubs and the culture that surrounds them.

Travelling the length and breadth of these sceptred isles, equally at home in pit lane as on the terraces, Scott talks with, listens to and observes life from the edge of the on-track methanol-fuelled mayhem. He characteristically reports back faithfully, intelligently but compulsively with a series of evocative, often amusing snapshots. Here, writ large with real affection, are the stories of the fans, the volunteers, the riders, the critics and the whole community that surrounds the noble art of speedway racing.

In a time of recession when money is scarce, many minority sports suffer, yet the bond between speedway fans, clubs and the sport remains strong.  In stadia that range from the glisteningly modern to the careworn, diverse aficionados ritually gather between the months of March and October to enjoy the spectacle and play their own part in this modern-day gladiatorial extravaganza.

Shale Trek is a book for speedway, about speedway but it also so much more. Scott treks to every track in Britain to look beneath the hood as well as attending a Book Awards ceremony and even stumbling across a swingers party along the way.  Men of the cloth and lapdancers are just as likely to appear as riders or fans in this quirky celebration of speedway’s present, speedway’s future along with the glories of its past.

Shale Trek is the author’s eighth book in a “trilogy gone terribly wrong” on the state of British speedway in the 21st century.  Whether sun dappled or shale splattered, Scott rambles onwards and around the highways and byways of Britain’s number one summer spectator sport: part detective, part cheerleader, social historian, confirmed anorak and wannabe anthropologist.

Press Reviews

“gloriously off the beaten…most engaging…Jeff Scott [is] a peripatetic ambassador for speedway” Mike Amos,  Northern Echo

“a mixture of commentary, opinion and anecdote… thousands of interesting insights into the sport” speedway plus

“a hard hitting author [who] brings you a really ‘new slant’ on the sport which in all fairness is sometimes eye-opening, sometimes hilarious…bed time reading at its best!” The Speedway History Magazine

“Scott’s fan’s eye view of the sport – optimistic, though occasionally coloured by a little jaundice – is essential reading” Tim Hamblin, speedway reporter, Wolverhampton Express & Star

“refreshing in it’s honesty in a world where most motorsport is homogenised by political correctness…. Scott’s style is unique and if you want an entertaining read that’s also loosely connected with motorcycle sport then it’s well worth the £20” Gary Pinchin, Motorcycle News

“Jeff Scott’s look at the world of speedway has few equals. Why? Because he tells it as it is. He speaks the fans’ language….Jeff lays it on a plate…Shale Trek has got the lot [as] he goes from track to track, telling and seeing things as they are” Mike Bacon, Ipswich Evening Star

“a different perspective on all the weird & wonderful goings-on…fantastic….British speedway’s voice of the people refuses to be silenced” Paul Burbidge, Speedway Star

‘for those who cannot actually get to a speedway meeting, being taken there withScott as your guide surpasses anything SKY TV serve up. And what’s more – it makes you ache to return to the track.’ Billy Jenkins