keepturningleft

A rick star? that's a new one!

Think Jason Crump is the best pundit yet - sign him up Sky/Eurosport! Anyone noticed how showing respect for the national anthem now seems to be a thing of the past. Very surprisingly and disapointingly, Greg Hancock chose to hold a conversation with DW whilst his national anthem was being played.

I also met Reg Fearman and bought his book. I don't know about or really care about any indiscretions during his career, I only know that Reg brought speedway to Halifax in 1965 and promoted it brilliantly well for many years. This is where I saw my first meeting and became hooked on speedway, and for that I will be eternally grateful to Reg Fearman. Could this be the first time ever at Cardiff - no tape breaks, no restarts for any reason etc??

Greg Hancock is the nearest equivilant of todays riders to Ivan Mauger. Like Ivan, Greg is a gate and go, 'safe' rider who won't take many risks, and like Ivan this is why he has avoided any significant injury during his long career. Jason Crump virtually said exactly this during the pre meet talk on Eurosport. No-one wants to see riders getting hurt, but it's the Wards, Lorams, Collins and Gollobs we need. No-ones DVD shelf is ever going to strain under the weight of 'Greg Hancock's Most Thrilling Rides". I have a quite large video archive of 70's speedway with hundreds of races featuring Ivan Mauger. I cannot bring to mind a single, solitary race amongst that archive where Ivan actually overtakes anyone. Superslick, professional master craftsmen at work or 'fly by the seat of your pants' thrill merchants? No contest.

I was obviously so excited by the evening that I couldn't drive my car properly afterwards. The police pulled me over on the M50 and breathalysized me for erratic driving!! The Cardiff event has now evolved into something truly special. When you think that this very same event was held years ago at Odsal, a fairly ramshackle stadium and with little in the way of presentation. Compare that with what we've got now at the Millennium Stadium. It's the duty of every speedway fan to drag a speedway virgin to Cardiff next year. Those people may not become regulars but at least they will know what speedway is and just what a fantastic showpiece event we've got - how could anyone not be impressed by Cardiff? PS I hadn't been drinking and the cops let me off with a mild slap on the wrist! PPS Great track at Odsal 'though!

How many more years must we endure the sight of Greg Hancock thrusting that awful green drink at the camera and then worse, pretending to actually drink the stuff. Please Greg, retire now, you've had a incredible run but speedway needs 'the young'.

Let's be honest - controversy and punch ups are box office. Thank goodness for Nicki Pedersen. If all riders were like Greg Hancock, the terraces would be empty and speedway would be finished.

The last two GP finals have both produced unbelievable races. I have attended world finals going back to the 60's and can't remember such a standard of breathtaking action as we are seeing in many GP's nowadays.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zykyrxhJaL4 Check these out - although we've seen these clips before, these new postings are presented with the best picture quality I've ever seen. Check out all the associated clips - priceless!!

good heavens! - I've heard speedway mentioned twice today on television, on The Chase and A Question Of Sport. What's going on?

I am a huge Beatles fan who has a copy of all the books written on them by Mark Lewisohn. I am therefore thunderstruck to discover that this god of Beatle tomes is also a speedway fan and that two of my biggest passions are linked in this unexpected way! Now, if we could get ML to write a book about speedway! Actually, a series on celebrity fans be wondrous. Fantastic stuff Backtrack - and also a great new edition of Classic Speedway to boot!

Interestingly there are some similarities between speedway and speed skating.

Like Ivan Mauger in'77

Horrendeous

http://www.peter-upton.co.uk/racing.htm

Yet another good feature on Tai including interview back in Scunthorpe on Yorkshire Calendar programme today. Strictly speaking they don't cover news from Lincolnshire so it's good to see.

Substantial report on BBC Look North Lincolnshire tonight.

Surely he made his debut in 1853?

Gosh, I'm not alone after all! I have nothing but respect for all speedway riders for the bravery and skills they show, but hell, Greg Hancock is the dullest rider ever! Yes, he is a master craftsman like Ivan Mauger, but he was dull as well. Greg, like Ivan, is a gater and not much more. Once Greg has been overtaken that's pretty much it. Yes, I know, Phil R will probably rattle off examples of a few meetings where Greg has been brilliant, but over a very long career I think my appraisal is pretty accurate. It's interesting to note how the riders all fit into categories. Ivan and Greg - steady, unspectacular, and therefore generally avoiding major injuries because you will never see them attempting the the sort of spectacular overtakes that the Wards and the Gollobs entertain us with regulary. Yes, Greg has been a great ambassador for the sport, but I wish he would retire now and let the young un's in!

What is really odd is that the script ever included such an unlikely line in the first place. Hayley is much to young to be aware of an obscure 1940's film unless she has a keen interest in either films or speedway. Even genuine film scholars may be not ever have heard of OAJS. As someone has already said, it must be some speedway fan scriptwriter.

Fitting that an Englishman is poised to take the world crown at this time

Modest but attractive stadium, proper tiered seated viewing, good track, terrific pits, great presentation. Even a relative speedway backwater such as Croatia boasts a stadium superior to anything in Britain (not including Cardiff). Just goes to show how the infrastructure of speedway in this country has fallen far behind the rest of Europe.

Brilliant! The thing is that when I hear those two dreaded words Sam and Ermolenko, I now think the worlds worst ever commentator rather than brilliant speedway rider.

Looks like 'Back From The Brink" may need an update!

I can't understand why Kelv and Nigel continue to express puzzlement and bewilderment about the poor performances recently by Gollob. The man is 42 years old, and quite clearly he is losing his edge as age begins to take it's tole, and quite naturally he is now approaching the end of his career. He is noticeably riding more carefully and very obviously at this stage of his life doesn't want to get badly injured. There's no mystery at all. Re the age thing, Greg Hancock must be some kind of a freak!