Speedway
Bold lettering, racing colour language and a deliberately distressed finish that took considerably more skill to achieve than simply painting something new. Your wall has been warned.
Wide open,
sideways, on dirt.
Speedway racing was never interested in subtlety. No brakes, no road surface worth speaking of, corners taken sideways at speeds that suggested the riders had a fairly relaxed relationship with their own survival. The graphics that went with it matched the attitude — bold, loud, unapologetic, designed to be read from a distance by people who were already slightly deaf from the engines.
This sign captures exactly that energy. The chequerboard border, the racing red and the “Speedway Racing” lettering have all been applied by hand, the way trackside graphics always were. Leigh Kelsey has been doing this for forty years and the confidence in every brushstroke shows. It is, if anything, the work of someone who has forgotten more about sign-writing than most people will ever know about anything.
The distressed finish is not an accident and it is not wear. It is a deliberate paintwork technique — the kind that takes considerably more skill to pull off convincingly than simply painting something clean. Each scuff and fade has been crafted to look as though this sign has spent decades at the trackside, which is precisely the point. If Steve McQueen and a paintbrush had a very attractive baby, it would look something like this.
At 3.5 kg it is light enough not to require planning permission. At £195 it is, frankly, remarkable value for a hand-painted original. One of a kind, as always — when it’s gone, it’s gone.
All angles
Every piece is unique. These photographs show the exact item for sale.
The Details
- ConstructionSolid wood, deeply varnished
- Size107 × 53 cm / 42″ × 21″
- Thickness12 mm / ½”
- Weight3.5 kg / 8 lbs
- LetteringTraditional hand sign-writing throughout
- FinishDeliberately distressed — every mark crafted by hand
- DeliveryCourier available — approx. £25 UK-wide
On the Finish
The aged, distressed appearance of this sign is entirely deliberate — a paintwork technique that takes real expertise to carry off convincingly. It is not difficult to make something look new. It is considerably harder to make something look as though it has lived a full and interesting life at a speedway track without actually sending it there. Leigh has been perfecting this kind of finish for decades. It shows.
On Placement
At 107 cm wide this is a proper horizontal statement — built with the energy of trackside graphics and entirely at home in a garage, workshop, bar or any room that has decided motivational posters are not enough. Light enough to hang anywhere, bold enough to mean it.
On Delivery
Unlike the heavier tank art pieces, this one is courier-friendly. UK delivery is approximately £25 — get in touch and we’ll sort the details. Personal delivery by the artist may also be possible depending on location.
More Fairground & Racing
More of a funny signs person? Try Paintshop & Bodyshop or Dusty Bodgers.
One piece. No replicas.
Courier delivery available at approximately £25 UK-wide, or personal delivery by the artist may be possible. One of a kind — when it’s gone, it’s gone.