stratton

8a I thought it was Stevens or it looked like Norman Straughn but checked Norman didnt ride at all for Ham. I have a very similar picture in the 60s of Norman in action for Poole.

Stay at home Dave?, have you been a regular supporter in Britain? before the the series started the bread and butter league racing,I am not saying get the red carpet out but for me they the old stars have my respect.As for your stay at home supporter comment { ie ]the series is not that great for me to spend my savings on i am happy with a british team match. As for memory lane )whats wrong with that,for Ronnie Moore (ect) not to have 5 minutes of the viewers time for me showed a lack of understanding of the history of the sport.

The history of the sport is very important, why do you always have a dig at the past.Riders you are seing now, they will be in the past at some stage would it of hurt to make a fuss of the old stars that were there.I care about those riders,you talk some sense but when you are negative and posts like this i just dont see your logic in your negativity.

Thanks for that great race, what a track the best and thats after going to Blunsdon for years a great circuit to.Carter really liked watching him race was unlucky i know we harp on about PC and Lee but he was good things happened horribly as we know so he couldnt prove how great he could of been. He put bums on seats thats for sure and i think he would of loved the gps thing that stuck out for me about him he was single minded and cared nothing for reputations record dosent suggest it but he for me was a great rider.

I see Kenny win his B.L.R.Championships and he would of been a real force there if he was no 1 AT B.V.For me thou he never met or beat a peak P.C ever and i dont see him ever beating a peak pc on a regular basis not at hyde rd.I always have that memory of Mort picking Kenny off for fun in the NRC at belle vue thats what i envisage a 1974-79 PC doing too.People forget Mort a special rider one of the few who could BEAT and give a Nielsen a run for his money at anytime.That pass of Morts to take Carter is one of the best passes ever i wish i could put the link up but me laptop is dodgy.

I would dispute that all stadia is great? , i for one loved the good old days but i do enjoy the series as well but not certain things that happen in it.Also whats the point of having all these great venues if all the leagues (britain certainly)are going to the dogs.People are blinded by this so called GP success story,speedway at ALL levels is not a success going downhill if anything.

Be great wont happen ever.

I would have to say P.C was a poor gater, what i see of him generally even against lesser riders he had to pick off from the back on a regular basis.I am sure at hyde rd he knew he could pass because the track was special for me at his PCs peak Mauger and Olsen were the only two who could beat him on a 1out of 3 basis at hyde rd.

My point was i like both riders, yes they are in on merit and yes they are in the top 16 riders in the world.But if they come 9 or 10 th do they keep getting in?Janowski and Ward certainly will get in the series soon.

After watching on saturday, do Bjerre and Lindgren need to step up to the plate in the gp series?I like them both, and i think they have the ability but is time passing them by now.They are not young as in exsperience wise but if they are not in the top 8 should they get a place.N.Pedersen i was wrong,the ability is there and he can still be a threat where i thought maybe he was on the downslide.I said at the start that only 4 riders could win the title Hampel,Gollob, Hancock,Crump i see nothing to change my mind which is a bit worrying.

I stayed up and i enjoyed it i liked the track,Gollob at times was outstanding the best rider on view for me very unlucky.A good event and hopefully N.Z will be a regular gp venue. Crump showed flashes of his old self, Lindback fair play to him i am not a fan but he rode very well.

Only went there once against Milton Keynes the track was like a little frying pan ok thou.Woods was good around there always liked Woodsy good at Eastbourne as well.

Whatever happened to John Hooper and Jack Bibby?

Nielsen hand on heart i have had to change my opinion of him.I never really rated him, was always top class but i didnt think he would go on and achieve what he did.Two things for me swung it mentally (like Jason and Gollob) really had belief in themselves and got to there goal in the end Brunoesque.Nielsen also went from being a gater to someone who at times was really exciting Hyde rd in the Mauger meeting springs to mind.Nielsen would he go down as the MOST or one of the most consistent world performers of all time.?Now after Hans i never judge riders to early, people progress at different rates and timescale.I know we are on about a different level,. but Auty is one i have always rated and for whatever reason things havent quite clicked..This year has started brightly so shows things can change, Barker is another a long way to go but shows he can at times compete with the best.

Phil has Jason had plenty of practice time Kurri kurri? testing (ect) or will he be rusty or fresher in your opinion?

Great post falcace i have never really thought of it but you are right PC and Lee on any going day would be a match for most anybody?Did i think Collins and Lee were as good as Penhall or Nielsen YES in my opinion they were.If you judge on longevity and over a period achievements thats a different matter .Out of the four i mentioned Nielsen,Collins, Lee,Penhall at there BEST Lee and Penhall would for me be the better it is hard thou.

With progress as it is do you think we will soon judge riders in decade,s rather than era,s?We used to (say from Briggoes first title until Streeeties invention 1956 - 74/75.)You wouldnt do that now would you,? say Collins until Loram the sport has changed alot even in that short space of time.

A good idea you would make a mint muppet,my father in law watched Cheltenham with me.He couldnt believe how much he was getting robbed by going to Hills in the high street now he is with betfair.This bearing in mind that he is 82 on some bets he was getting a extra six points with Betfair last week.

Tungate at your prices, a nice little each way bet for me.Fisher who i see sunday and who went well, and Doohan are my three against the field are you taking bets muppet?

Been doing my research and memorabilia, and Vic Huxley seemed a star who isnt mentioned much.How good was he? had a great career also i think he was good at grasstrack as well anybody have any imformation.

Really i aimed that assumption Races, on actual head to head league racing (ect) individual clashes over the years.It would stack up well against any of those named also in affect his record really was say only over 9 years 1975-84 so 6 finals was pretty good going.Looking back in my mind he could of won 4 of those finals certainly not the 2 at Wembley though.Wiggy certainly the no 1 of longtrack for England Tatum had a great career to also Collins rode in a mighty longtrack era with Muller,Maier,Weisbock, Betz,Gilgenrainer all top notch.

Batch to me only needs to get more race fit thats all, he had problems all night didnt look quick.When he won from the front showed what he can do last night was a night for riders to test things and then sort out there problems.

Kildemand and Morris i was well impressed,Morris looks to me that he in full contol and is a intelligent rider.Kildemand people will enjoy watching him very exciting mixed it bigtime with everyone.Zagar was good value came from the back had a good dual with Hans.

Really looking forward to tonight hope its a great night for Bob,s family. And Bob will be looking down on us and can be proud of a true legend.

Great points from you i do include the Longtrack (ask Ivan)? team events i was not including those saying that was there a better team rider than PC.Probably not there records individually are identical credit though PC did reach 8 finals.Also PC was never on the threshold of greatness in the B.L he never ever had Olsen and Mauger,s total measure so he was never dominant.The few months of 1983 that version of Lee in my opinion would of beaten the 11 point average year of Collins Lee at times was awesome the golden helmet v Carter the pride of the east and that pairs meeting at Halifax come to mind.