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Most unexpected performance


Vincent Vega

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What is the most unexpected performance you lot have seen by a rider at

any tracks up and down the country over the years.

 

I remember back in 1995 Arena v Eastbourne KO Cup. Friday night at Arena Robert Ledwith terrible performance. Next night at Eastbourne his engine blew whilst he was warming his bike up in the pits. He borrowed Josh Larsens spare bike and promptly scored a 12 point maximum!!!!!

 

He beat the master of arlington Mr Dugard in his last race who knocked Ledders off after the race. Never knew if it was intentional or not.

 

Wonder what old Mr Ledwith is up to these days?

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Einar Kyllingstad's 15point max for KL at Blunsdon in circa '86

 

Never did anything before or after but was absolutely brilliant that day!

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Martin Scarisbrick winning the NL fours title at Peterborough for Newcastle in 1983.

 

Diamonds had a team consisted of Joe Owen, Bobby Beaton, Rod hunter and Alan Emerson.

 

The first three all had league averages over 10. Scarisbrick came in as resrve after Beaton was injured and produced a match winning ride to thwart Mildenhall.

 

It also ranks as the best televised speedway pre-Sky era.

 

how about brent Werner's 19 (or was it 20?) points at Cov in early 2001 for Eastbourne?

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I remember when Swindon signed Alf Busk in some cock up that led to Steve Bastable leaving. Basically, he was hopeless, but the Swindon fans were patient as it wasn't his fault and he was trying with little success.

 

Then, suddenly, he top scored with 10 points at Belle Vue and from that point on proved to be a very capable and popular performer.

 

Another one I remember was in 1975 when Bobby McNeil had done very little all year then, in the last match of the season, scored 14 points from 5 rides against Hull.

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The original Ales Dryml, coming to Coventry with Birmingham & scoring 11 points from 4 rides in the early eighties I think, It was from No4 position if I remember & won the Brummies the match,...................git

 

I saw that meeting Oct 82?? He made Ole Olsen look slow and he didnt like that..... was a fun meeting. John John Jorgensen did well in that meeting too didnt he?

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Cradley fans might remember John Bostin. He wasn't really that good at speedway but one very wet night at Odsal he scored 12 points for CH & won them the match.

 

A few months later we needed a guest at reserve against BV & we called on Mr Bostin. He dutifully obliged by failing to score a single point :evil:

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Dekker wrote:

 

howling gorgon wrote:

The original Ales Dryml, coming to Coventry with Birmingham & scoring 11 points from 4 rides in the early eighties I think, It was from No4 position if I remember & won the Brummies the match,...................git

 

 

I saw that meeting Oct 82?? He made Ole Olsen look slow and he didnt like that..... was a fun meeting. John John Jorgensen did well in that meeting too didnt he?

 

 

Dekker, Don't remember JJ, I assume he was riding for the Brummies, just remember Dryml & the fact he was pants usually & had his one good meeting that year & no it was not a fun meeting, quite the opposite......................Cov lost!!!! :cry:

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What is the most unexpected performance you lot have seen by a rider at

any tracks up and down the country over the years.

 

I remember back in 1995 Arena v Eastbourne KO Cup. Friday night at Arena Robert Ledwith terrible performance. Next night at Eastbourne his engine blew whilst he was warming his bike up in the pits. He borrowed Josh Larsens spare bike and promptly scored a 12 point maximum!!!!!

 

He beat the master of arlington Mr Dugard in his last race who knocked Ledders off after the race. Never knew if it was intentional or not.

 

Wonder what old Mr Ledwith is up to these days?

 

I remember that meeting like it was yesterday and it's my opinion that the apre-race clash was no accident ;-)

 

Another meeting which comes to mind was the Internationale at Wimbledon circa 1974 - Billy Sanders made his debut in the meeting, replacing someone who was injured and rode like a World Champion - I can't remember if he won the meeting but I know he came close.

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Goes back a long way this one to 1961 at New Cross.

 

The King of the South Cup included in the line up Ove Fundin, Ronnie Moore and Barry Briggs at a time when they were at their peak. Also in the line up were home stars Doug Davies and Eric Williams plus riders of the calibre of Ron How and Peter Moore. Also in the line up was Jack Young. Of course, Jack had been a great rider in the early 50s but had since retired and made a comeback with Coventry. He was still a reasonably good rider but no longer at the top. At the end of the meeting, Young and Ronnie Moore had top scored with 14 points. In the resulting run-off, Young beat Moore to take the title.

 

The following week, the Tom Farndon Memorial Troiphy was held. Included in the line up were Ronnie Moore and Barry Briggs again along with Peter Craven and Bjorn Knutsson. This time Youngie didn't need a run-off as he won the meeting without.

 

They were two amazing performances and I always consider myself lucky to have seen Jack Young show, in those two meetings, what he must have been like at his peak.

 

Later in the season, Young took part in The Supporters Trophy. He managed just three points.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Back in 1989 at the Brisbane Ekka, an unofficial English side took on the Aussies. It was a tight struggle all night with the result going down to the wire in Heat 18. The line up was Steve Schofield and David Blackburn for England and Steve Regeling and Mark Carlson for Australia. At the first attempt the two poms made an electric gate and were on a 5-1 before Regeling tried to squeeze between the two Englishmen on the pits turn. The 3 of them came down heavily with Regeling excluded. As the 3 riders went to the tapes for the re-run, three different results were in the balance: 1) Australia could win the test if Carlson took victory, 2) Oz could get a draw with a Carlson 2nd place, and 3) the Roos would lose if Carlson ran a 3rd. Contrary to all form that night, Carlson made the gate and went onto greet the chequered flag. The Ekka crowd went ballistic. :D:D

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A guy called Henny Kroeze flying Dutchman for halifax.... scored hardly any in his opening rides and went to reserve... promptly scored i think 19 and then the next week one of the first 21 point maximums riding in 7 out of 13 races! :)

 

I remember that 1979 Kroeze scored 19 against White City & we lost 40-38 :cry: The week after was against Birmingham & this time we won :)

Kroeze was never the same after breaking an arm or leg in russia trying to qualify for the world final.

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Cradley fans might remember John Bostin. He wasn't really that good at speedway but one very wet night at Odsal he scored 12 points for CH & won them the match.

 

A few months later we needed a guest at reserve against BV & we called on Mr Bostin. He dutifully obliged by failing to score a single point :evil:

 

I thought of that one aswell oddly enough. Seem to remember Mr Bostin suddenly developing a similar style to Simon Cross as he kept appearing as a reserve replacement. Of course they were John Bostin's leathers so it had to be him didn't it???

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Think it has to be when Bradford won the KO Cup Final at Arena Essex (92 or 93) when we had a Premier League reserve guest for us at a track he had never ridden, teh perosn concerned was Paul Pickering who scored something like paid 14 form 7 rides and wrapped up the cup again for the Dukes as we went down there with only a couple of point lead.

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Ahh yes the cheating dukes of 92 who in the semi final had a perfectly fit neil evitts helping billy hammill (who was guesting for evitts) get bradford into the final where they pulled the Pickering stunt to top it all off.

 

The farce with hamill cost swindon more than just the place in the final.

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  • 3 weeks later...

A 15 point maximum at cradley by Tom Leadbitter was entirely out of character. I also remember a 70s visit to Exeter to see Wolves. There was a lot of build up to heat 1 --Mauger v Olsen. Not too many expected Dave Gifford to outgate both and win the heat! Mauger came second for the record.

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