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The introduction of greyhound racing in the late 1920s led to a lot of tracks being built, and by 1932 there were 4 rival tracks in Liverpool. Stanley Greyhound Stadium in the Old Swan district opened in 1927 for the dogs, with speedway arriving in 1936, and like many other greyhounds and speedway stadia of the era, 1954 saw the arrival of stock car racing. The opening meeting on 18th June 1954 was won by Oliver Hart Jnr, whose dad Oliver and uncle Ron were the promoters. The Hart brothers were non-identical twins and had been speedway riders in the 1930s and 1940s, and promoted speedway and stock cars at a range of tracks in the north, including Wigan, Bradford, and the ill-fated Preston meeting that landed them in court. But that was nothing compared to their final meeting at Liverpool on 24th September 1954, which was abandoned in Heat 4 when a car went through the fence into the crowd, and an 11 year old boy, there to watch his father race, was tragically killed. Stanley Stadium was reopened for stock cars on 13th May 1955 by Southern Stock Cars Ltd, which was American promoters Buddy Davenport and Lester Vanadore. They had arrived in the country as part of a joint venture with pioneer UK promotoer Digger Pugh. Partly a promotional stunt, and partly a business venture, they shipped some US stock cars and drivers to England to race at various tracks around the country, with everyone getting a share of the prize money. In those days, the prize money on a final would be a couple of grand in today's money, so potentially quite profitable. The team was made up of team managers Vanadore and Davenport, plus drivers Curtis Crider, Bill Irick, Possum Jones, Pete Folse, Bobby Schuyler, Bobby Myers, and Neil Castles, who was a last minute replacement for Speedy Monroe. Speedy was listed in the programme for the team's first UK meeting at Harringay on 8th April 1955, but did not race. Davenport later stepped in as a driver when Crider and Myers bailed out early and went home. The Americans' first impression of the racing at Harringay was less than favourable. According to Neil Castles' autobiography, they were expecting something like the NASCAR races in the States, but it was more like a demolition derby. It started well for the Americans. Experienced racers in properly set up cars were no match for the British novices in stuff they'd bought for peanuts from scrapyards. The England vs USA race was a whitewash, with the visitors claiming all five point scoring places. Possum Jones and Bobby Myers took a one-two in the meeting final. Coincidentally, Heat 2 also went to an American, but nothing to do with the USA team. The winner was Vince W Jones from California, who was a law student at Oxford. As for Liverpool on 13th May, it wasn't a success. Only 19 cars turned out to race, and the first heat was described as very tame. Ex-promoter Oliver Hart (the elder) won Heat 2 and the Final. The England vs America race featured Oliver Hart Jnr racing for the Americans, as they had lost a car earlier on. Folse and Irick crashed out, but Castles and Jones got enough points for America to win. Neil Castles finished as runner-up in the Final.... or did he? The name in the programme was actually Doug Castles from the USA, who was also recorded as the winner of Heat 3 and the Final at Norwich on 21st May 1955. These are the only recorded race appearances of Doug Castles, either in England or anywhere else. The rest of the USA team were all documented as being racers in the states, but there is nothing at all to be found on Doug Castles. On the two occasions that Doug Castles is known to have raced in England, Neil Castles did not race at those meetings. The most likely explanation is that Doug Castles and Neil Castles are the same person. Either he used a different name for some reason, or it was just a mistake. However, in The Story Of Stock Car Racing 1955, the meeting report for Liverpool says that the runner-up was "an unknown Australian driving Neil Castles' car" ! Did he also race at Norwich? Lester Vanadore disappeared back to America with all the money, some of which belonged to Bobby Shuman, who had supplied the cars, and later turned up dead. (with thanks to Steve Daily)