chunky

I watch a lot of quiz shows, and I can't believe how many times they don't even listen to the question, and give a totally unrelated answer.

I last saw Les at the British GP at Brandon four years before he passed, and it was heartbreaking to see...

Yeah, well he wasn't really around for that long, and of course, we didn't have all the footage accessible back then. Sorry to say, most of the others were pre-Lohmann, or just too poor to receive any coverage! At least Klaus was decent...

The only one he ever scored!

Okay, I hadn't really woken up when I responded! Still, that average would make him a heat leader today! EDIT: Just checked, and I didn't realise Einar only averaged 0.63 for you. Scored 3 points in 19 rides...

You sure? Those were still the days where second strings averaged 5-6 points a match ..

Don't know what you're complaining about. He averaged nearly three points a meeting for you!

That is irrelevant. I don't necessarily like the current points system, but the winner of a GP SHOULD get the most points. There are better alternatives...

Is it really a joke that the winner of the GP gets the most points?

Well, well, well...

Bewley should be okay...

Better than Nilsson?

Hopefully not as low as Zmarzlik...

I remember a lot of the early Danes, like Godtfred Andreasen at Oxford, Erik Tilgaard (Newcastle), the Boghs, Kurt and Ernst, King's Lynn's Jan Henningsen, and Finn Thomsen's buddy at Wolves, Leif Berlin. Amazing to think that in those days, we needed a combined Norway/Denmark team as the Norwegians greatly outnumbered the Danes! Later on, we had world-beaters like Sheffield's Flemming Rasmussen, Rene Christiansen (Eastbourne), and the worst speedway rider most of us have seen, Claes Jensen. Surprised there is no mention of Klaus Lohmann above...

Still missing a decent football team, though...

I think there were probably a few Americans wearing them pre-1969, but the interesting thing is that while he was here, DeWayne Keeter wore an open-face helmet. As I said, the first pic I can find of a speedway rider wearing one is Briggo in April '69.

Okay, at the end of 1968, Briggo still wore a mask. Speedway Star W/E 11 April, 1969, there is a pic of him with a full-face helmet.

Briggo was wearing one in 1969, because he wore it at Wembley. Martin toyed with one on and off, but he was never a convert. Paul was a little later... Arthur Price was another early one.

Briggo certainly was one of the first, if not the first. However, Sid Sheldrick was another early one...

Then think of some more you can start!

Good call! Weird thing, though... We are talking about "beards", but how many of them could actually be classed as beards? Crutcher, Andrews, Cole, Broadbank, Roger Hill (I think he grew his in 1970), all they had was a bit of fluff on their chins! Strange when you think about it...

Sadly, neither... It was a little more inland, right off where the A13 is now.

I've said before that 1969 was a big turning point for me as far as speedway, and I have constantly studied it. That's how I remember Dave at Plymouth Alan Witt, yes, but Russ creeps in for 1969! Then there's dear old Terry Stone...

Dave Whittaker

Yes, he scored 9 points.