stevehone

but riders are still happy to put British speedway as 3rd choice in priorities

with what he's said after, i reckon Mung

i think the point is that the number of real challengers for the title differed from era to era .... when it was Gundersen/Nielsen there were those two as hot favourites ... after that there was maybe two or three that could be considered good enough to win. when you look back a few years, there was possibly 10 that could have gone and won a world final

especially if Gundersen was still around and riding

the argument could go on for ever as everyone will have their own theories ... all i go on is what i have seen and the stats. Ivan's individual record is pretty good ... in 70 world final races (not counting run-offs) he actually WON 45 of them ... that's not bad when up against the best. he only had 3 x 3rd places, 1 x 4th, 1 x fall, and 1 x EF ... that record speaks for itself ... out and out consistency add that to 3 world longtrack titles, and i'd say he was pretty good

when i see you on MSN i'll tell you ... bear in mind there is ONE jawa importer in the UK

can't really go on match races as these are all for show, but if times are faster, then fair play. have had more than one good chat with Ivan and Vaclav Verner about the merits of laydown engines compared to the older Jap/2-valve etc, and both agree whole heartedly that the laydowns are just far too easy to ride. when you put that together with slick tracks you have both ingredients required to look good. opponents for both eras is a little harder to call ... Mauger (without the 'i') era ... he 'only' had to contend with the likes of Briggs, Olsen, Michanek, Peter Collins, Mike Lee (at his best), Fundin (although at the end of his great career), Harrfeldt, Ronnie Moore (once again leaning towards the end of his career), the Poles on their own tracks were unbelievable, and the list could go on ... Rickardsson era ... Jason Crump, Hamill, Hancock, maybe Loram, Gollob, Leigh Adams the list could go on here too ... sometimes i feel had GP's been around in Mauger's era he would have won more titles, and had one-off finals stayed, Rickardsson may not have won so many... swings and roundabouts really, but something everyone has to agree on is that both were/are (Ivan can still get round a track pretty sharpish) fantastic riders.

"Where Are They Now" thread ... at least it answered a question for me ... 'where's all my dirty washing'

thought i was going mad (again) at least i know who plays on my pc while i'm at work now

made my NL debut at Berrington Lough in 1986 ... nice little track but still managed to fall off 3 times in 2 races still won my 2nd half race though http://community.webshots.com/photo/77513670/116107559FIHOuF thought the people there were really friendly and had a good time before and after the meeting chatting and having a laugh i seem to remember Dick Barrie was on the mic at the time too, which was a good laugh too

i've got no idea!!! don't remember editing that post ... and so long after posting originally

Spellchecker,Steve <{POST_SNAPBACK}> just making sure you were paying attention

and has the weirdest Norweigan/Irish accent too!

hmmm ... isn't that what wives are for?

Steve is back in Oz and Richard works for Anglian Water

i know Lionel has definately passed away, i was just after info as to what he did after Wimbledon closed and if anyone knew where he is buried

just wondering if anyone on here has info on Lionel Crossley (he rode for Crystal Palace) i used to know Lionel when he was timekeeper at Wimbledon in the 80s and thought he was one of the nicest and most genuine people i have ever met in the sport. i hadn't seen him since Wimbledon closed in 91 and have often thought about what he was up to after that. i know Lionel has passed away but does anyone know if he is buried and where?

very good post

think that might have been Jacob

i remember Dag Lovaas... he had that '70s porn star' look about him... don't remember much about his riding though unfortunately

didn't have you down as someone that liked a hand up his ar$e

yeah you weren't alone... i even booed myself at times but hey, i got on great with Steve Brown and the rest of the loonies on the first bend at Wimbledon... great days actually

fiddlesticks What did the great man like for breakfast,then.If he had time for food that is <{POST_SNAPBACK}> whatever my mum cooked him... i suppose you were one of those Dons fans that would boo him every time he rode at Plough Lane... and then wait outside for his autograph i could never understand the boos ... but i suppose British mentality... hate a winner just had a thought too... 'he was a tough un' ... wouldn't have argued with Ivan's mechanic Gordon Stobbs!!

got everything autographed... what annoyed me back then was having to give my bed up for him. lets just say, we knew what sort of meeting he would have before it started... times he was injured but being forced to ride etc ... can't say too much... he's due over soon

my dad and me could certainly tell some things about some of the individual meetings some of the things he did and said before and after some meetings were 'interesting' ...