The song was written at the end of the recording sessions for the "Vauxhall & I" album which took place between June and August 1993 at Hook End Manor. It was recorded with producer Steve Lillywhite and musicians Boz Boorer (guitar), Alain Whyte (guitar), Jonny Bridgwood (bass) and Woodie Taylor (drums).

album version {4:30}

• "Vauxhall & I" album

• "Vauxhall & I" album, 20th anniversary edition [remastered 2014]

This song has never been performed specifically for radio, television or the web.

This song has been done in concert a total of 342 times by Morrissey, which places it in the top 10 of his 'live hall of fame'. It never served as setlist filler, as when Morrissey decided that it would be part of this set on a tour, he usually sang it every single night of that tour, with rarely a break. It was played each and every night on the 1995 Boxers tour and the Southpaw Grammar tour later the same year. It was skipped only 6 times on the subsequent 54-date Maladjusted tour from 1997. It was still played assiduously on the 1999-2000 Oye Esteban tour except for a 6-week break between early February and late March 2000. Every audience was treated to the song on the 2002 tour with no name. It was then given a break of nearly 10 years before returning in force in 2011 (44 airings out of 47 date), 2012 (48 performances for 56 concerts), 2013 (15 out of 15) and 2014 (49 out of 49).

live Blackpool 8 February 1995 {3:53}

• "Introducing Morrissey", a live concert on video

live Royal Albert Hall 17 September 2002 {4:47}

• 7" single #1 of "I Just Want To See The Boy Happy"

live Hollywood High School 2 March 2013 {:}

• "25Live", a live concert on video

No demos or studio outtakes of this song have leaked to the general public at this point in time.

Quotes

Morrissey, Les Inrockuptibles magazine, 1995:
Q: In the song Speedway, you say you believe in loyalty, which can sound a bit paradoxical to someone who spends his time fighting with everybody.
M: I believe in my loyalty which is as developed as possible. What must be looked at is the others' loyalty towards me.
Q: Though when we listen to you, the loyalty you offer to others is quite particularly "strange".
M: My loyalty is strange because I'm strange (smile) ...
Q: In the next line, you bluntly sing "In my own sick way..."
M: Because I'm sick! I'm deeply ill! I should introduce you to my doctor ... I'm sick, I'm sick, I'm sick! I'm thirty-sick!