rusky Posted August 24, 2004 Report Share Posted August 24, 2004 Reading the recent article in the Speedway Star regarding the death of Dave Wills, and seeing mention of Barry Lee, made me wonder if there had been anybody else who had started off as a speedway rider, and subsequently became champion of the world in their chosen field. I have spoken top Barry about his speedway career whilst he and Rickard Hellsen were part of the same truck racing team in the early nineties. He was quite adamant that he would of made a career of speedway, but this accident destroyed all of his confidence in 2 wheeled motor sport, and he decided to concentrate on the 4 wheeled variety - rather successfully it has to be said. I have no doubt taht had he stuck at speedway, he would have become a legendary figure, as he has done at motor racing venues in many countries. I remember him doing a "hand brake turn" in a truck at Brand's Hatch, being fined by the stewards (£250 from memory) and all of the volunteer marshall's clubbing together to pay the fine, based purely on his entertainment value......Suspect some of the Long Eaton supporters will remember his antics in his racing truck around Station Rd. when he was an interval attraction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grachan Posted August 24, 2004 Report Share Posted August 24, 2004 Apparently World Power Boat Champion Bruce Penhall used to dabble a bit in Speedway. Can't say I remember him though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatface Posted August 24, 2004 Report Share Posted August 24, 2004 Apparently World Power Boat Champion Bruce Penhall used to dabble a bit in Speedway. Can't say I remember him though. very good Grach... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Steve Dixon Posted August 24, 2004 Report Share Posted August 24, 2004 And his mate..Denis Sigalos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spin king Posted August 24, 2004 Report Share Posted August 24, 2004 Was not John Cowboy Cook a World Champion in some sort of water sport, I think it might have been Jet Skiing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Posted August 24, 2004 Report Share Posted August 24, 2004 made me wonder if there had been anybody else who had started off as a speedway rider, and subsequently became champion of the world in their chosen field. This is extremely tenuous, but here goes. The late, great Barry Sheene took part in a speedway training school at Hackney before switching to road racing. He was of course World 500cc road racing champion in 1976 and 1977. A better example would be Dave Buttigieg, who rode for Poole in the early 1970s. He changed to karting and in fact was European 250cc Superkart champion four times (1976, 1978, 1982 & 1991). Then of course there was Jimmy Squibb who, like Barry Lee, went on to successfully compete in Rallycross. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandman Posted August 25, 2004 Report Share Posted August 25, 2004 am i wrong in thinking that martin brundle, the excellent former f1 driver, had a go at speedway at kings lynn before the car racing? maybe dead brain cells on my part talkin.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusky Posted August 25, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2004 am i wrong in thinking that martin brundle, the excellent former f1 driver, had a go at speedway at kings lynn before the car racing? maybe dead brain cells on my part talkin.... Don't remember him riding at Lynn, although I didd see him around Saddlebow in a Toyota Celica rally cross car in the late 70's, with Bent Rasmussen as his passenger..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatface Posted August 25, 2004 Report Share Posted August 25, 2004 am i wrong in thinking that martin brundle, the excellent former f1 driver, had a go at speedway at kings lynn before the car racing? maybe dead brain cells on my part talkin.... Maybe. What I do recall is that Richard Knight used to work for him and was also sponsored by him too. Is that what you were thinking about?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peatbog Posted August 25, 2004 Report Share Posted August 25, 2004 Then of course there was Jimmy Squibb who, like Barry Lee, went on to successfully compete in Rallycross. I don't think it was Jim Squibb but his son Barry who competed in Rallycross Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandman Posted August 25, 2004 Report Share Posted August 25, 2004 guess i was wrong.. for some reason i thought he had a go at speedway before car racing. regardless, he was one of my all time favourite race car drivers, along side james hunt..guess ive gone off topic again, sorry.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fireblade Posted August 25, 2004 Report Share Posted August 25, 2004 Hm, did our american friends win one of those dodgy world titles where the rest of the world aren't invited to compete???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandman Posted August 25, 2004 Report Share Posted August 25, 2004 Hm, did our american friends win one of those dodgy world titles where the rest of the world aren't invited to compete???? its funny too because they always say worlds championships, like there is more than one world competing.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Posted August 25, 2004 Report Share Posted August 25, 2004 I don't think it was Jim Squibb but his son Barry who competed in Rallycross Both of them were rallycross drivers. Regarding Martin Brundle, he took part in autograss racing as a youngster but not speedway. His only connection with the sport (as far as I'm aware) was that his dad's garage used to sponsor Michael Lee in the late 1970s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nevs Posted August 26, 2004 Report Share Posted August 26, 2004 Did Andrew Silver ever make snowboard world champion? I know he was pretty well up there with the worlds best at the time.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tape2tapevideo Posted September 10, 2004 Report Share Posted September 10, 2004 Jimmy certainly did, I took a photo of him driving at Lyyden in Kent a few years back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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