Unsuccessful American's

[stevehone]

As I said elsewhere - not all Americans are world-beaters. But let's remember this, even the unsuccessful Americans do something most of their critics have never done. Tried to be a speedway rider. This is a rather sad thread - finding riders to debunk.

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when you have winners you inevitably have losers too ... why can't some of those that tried but failed in the UK be remembered?

 

i don't think anyone here is particularly slagging them off, just pointing out whether they had it in them or not.

 

speedyguy ... everyone that has ever sat and ridden a speedway bike deserves some respect whatever level they were at, and when you see what has happened to Ashley Jones, someone i watched most weeks round Kings Lynn, it brings it home to you that the sport is more dangerous than a lot of people realise ... it's not all fun and games (although for me it was a fantastic 7 years of having fun), and there are massive dangers.

[Guest speedyguy]

Didn't Exeter have a rider called, if memory serves, Buddy Robinson in 1984? Can't remember him being much of a success.

And a bit of a controversial one - Lance King. King was a partial success, but surely he never really fulfilled his potential.

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Lance King certainly had a lot of unfilled potential. Who remembers Miny Waln and Byrd McKinney. And what about the East Coast champion Bud Reda who was refused a permit to race in Britain after arriving here on the off-chance and finished off riding in Holland and Ireland.

[spin king]

when you have winners you inevitably have losers too ... why can't some of those that tried but failed in the UK be remembered?

 

i don't think anyone here is particularly slagging them off, just pointing out whether they had it in them or not.

 

speedyguy ... everyone that has ever sat and ridden a speedway bike deserves some respect whatever level they were at, and when you see what has happened to Ashley Jones, someone i watched most weeks round Kings Lynn, it brings it home to you that the sport is more dangerous than a lot of people realise ... it's not all fun and games (although for me it was a fantastic 7 years of having fun), and there are massive dangers.

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Yes the Ashley business does put it into proprective, all riders at all levels deserve respect.

[hullangel]

How about Hull rider Mike Caruso from the 70s

[Grachan]

Lance King did get to World no 3, so he didn't do too badly!!

[Subedei]

That's very true Grachan.

King really had a stellar first couple of seasons in the UK and then missed out in, I think 1985, and never really recovered.

[Bryn]

One of the nicest guys you would ever wish to meet, and a talented rider to boot despite not making it to the top as it were over here, was Randy Green who came over here initially to ride for Hackney along with his mechanic - a certain Carl Blomfeldt.

 

As Steve Hone said, "everyone that has ever sat and ridden a speedway bike deserves some respect whatever level they were at" as he went onto mention the tragic loss of Ashley Jones.

[Grachan]

What about the legend that was Mickey Rooney! John Cook's mechanic who came in to the USA for one Test match because they were a man short.

 

It's a mad, mad, etc etc.

[fatface]

Didn't Exeter have a rider called, if memory serves, Buddy Robinson in 1984? Can't remember him being much of a success.

And a bit of a controversial one - Lance King. King was a partial success, but surely he never really fulfilled his potential.

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I suppose you are right, Lance King didn't really fulfill his potential. Probably because he had such a huge amount of it! Thought it was circumstances that seem to effect him more than anything else.

 

He was very much at his peak at Cradley in 84, but they were forced to choose between him and Erik Gundersen in team-building for the next year and unfortunately he got the chop.

 

As I recall he went back to the states for one season before returing for spells with Bradford and King's Lynn and was never quite the same rider. His career just seemed to lose momentum when he left Cradley.

 

As for truly unsuccessful Americans, I recall Larry Kosta and Eddie Ingles being pretty dodgy Belle Vue signings in the 80s...

[Shoddy]

Lance King was still pretty good for Bradford I always thought. That team in 86 could have been one of the all time great sides if not for what happened with Kenny Carter.

 

Have to say I agree that after his 3rd place in the 84 final Lance could surely have gone on to be a genuine top line rider.

 

Also remember Randy Green from Bradford days. Again he was OK but never looked like breaking through beyond second string to be honest.

 

Sheffield had Bobby Hedden over when it was all one league. He showed some promised but Sheffield weren't able to carry riders at that time so he went home and never tried across here again. He still rides over there and does OK so maybe he should have given it another go.

 

You could argue that Chris Manchester was pretty unsuccessful in the end after looking like another potential world class star following Ermolenko, Correy, Hancock and Hamill???

[Kevin Meynell]

Bart Bast is still riding over in the States

 

Yep. Saw him ride in the US Nationals at Costa Mesa a few weeks ago.

[sandman]

Sumner McKnight, Rick Woods, Dewayne Keeter............any word?

 

They kinda sunk without trace. If only Rick had stayed longer, he was surely a better prospect than Scott Autrey, who stayed, and proved himself to be one of the best.

 

Steve and Mike Bast also, unbeatable at home, if only......

 

Was it the love of the small tracks or the big bucks that stunted their careers?

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i think rick was an excellent prospect.. certainly the king of costa mesa.. but didnt shine as much on the bigger tracks.. same with both bast bros.. mcknight was a bit out of his depth at the start but was coming good when work permit problems sent him home due to averages..i believe dewayne keeter was actually the best of the lot.. he had loads of big track experience in flat track, wasnt spoiled or pampered and could live off a pound for a week.. he also worked on his own equiptment unlike most of the above mentioned.. he was an accomplished all around motorcycle racer.. i heard he was riding japs when most had already switched to jawas, dont know if it is true.. but that would explain the 4-5 point average.. does anyone have any action shots of him they could post? also one of the best american racers at the time was dannny becker, certainly full of talent, but completely wrong temperment for the british league, he more than likely wouldnt have stuck it out.. he was tall, looked like the moran brothers on steroids when he rode a bike..a complete natural, a bit like the great tommy jansson.. at one time he was the most popular of the american riders in the states..i guess the lifestyle and the california girls were just a bit too hard to let go of..

[salty]

Just to clarify DeWayne Keeter's British career.He was introduced at Leicester for the 1969 season (when he was the only American to ride here). After understandably slow start using borrowed machinary he improved throughout the season to finish on a creditable 4.87 average having ridden in all fixtures. Who knows what he might have achieved if he had come back the following season.

Of others mentioned on this thread I always thought Mike Caruso was a perfectly respectable second string and I find it hard to see Lance King as a failure when he finished on a World Final rostrum. While I take your point that he could have done so much more, then you could say the same about a lot of riders.

Particularly, in relation to this topic to the Moran brothers who were seen as supremely talented but never reached the absolute pinnacle of the sport.

On a personal level I found Brad Oxley to be a frustrating rider, because after a perfectly acceptable first year with the Dons he never kicked on in his second year and left the British scene behind.

[sandman]

i think Lance King was exceptional.. was a junior rider from the time he was small, probably suffered from burnout.. certainly had the talent and machinery..

[Killer Cat from Mars]

As for truly unsuccessful Americans, I recall Larry Kosta and Eddie Ingles being pretty dodgy Belle Vue signings in the 80s...

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I remember Larry Kosta well, he had a very shaky start, and would fall off nearly all the time, but once he got going, he was okay - he was never going to be a world champion, but he did an okay job as a second string. I remember him rattling off six second places at Halifax in one match....

Eddie Ingels came to us halfway though a season in the mid 1980's, and he never really got to grips with the Hyde Road circuit. I remember one story that when he first arrived at Hyde Road, being used to tiny tracks in the states - he thought the track was more like a motorway than a speedway track!!! Eddie never could be faulted for effort though, and I always remember him blasting around the outside of the opposition reserve on the pits bend near the end of the season, and doing a lap of honour, punching the air like he had won the World Championship!! Great memories - I wonder what Larry and Eddie are doing now.

[Tigerblade]

What about the legend that was Mickey Rooney! John Cook's mechanic who came in to the USA for one Test match because they were a man short.

 

It's a mad, mad, etc etc.

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I remember him! Test match at Belle Vue the day after the 1985 World Final if I remember rightly?? I know it was piddling down that's for sure

 

Spin and Shoddy beat me to Tommy Morley and Bobby Hedden. Mind you our promotion of Tommy's time (late 70's) took a look at Bruce Penhall and decided he wasn't good enough....

Edited November 15, 2005 by Tigerblade

[Gaz W]

I remember Keith Chrisco riding the fence at Dudley wood in a test match in the early eighties and was it Middlesborough who had Donny Odom and Doug Nicol riding for them. One American who wasn't here for long but looked a decent rider was Ron Preston.

[Canadian Star]

Not all Americans, just like English,Welsh or Outer Mongolians for that matter were successful. Did they add something to the sport ? they certainly did. I remember going to Kings Lynn in 1979 to see an American select take on the Stars, it was a great night, with Kelly Moran and a host of others putting on a show, mixing with fans and generally having a good time. Amongst others was one Steve Columbo, i think he rode for Birmingham at the time, he wasn't particularly impressive, but gave it a go. I think this thread is pretty negative, generally speaking and particularly around the late seventies and early eighties, the American contingent brought a lot of excitement, and glamour to our sport. They weren't all as good as Bruce Penhall, but i don't think back then you would have found many fans saying anything other than good things about them.

[BertHoven]

Perhaps,Canadian Star, in an age where negativity seems fashionable, at least according to British daily newspapers, this is only to be expected. This, I find, can be quite depressing at times.

[stevehone]

you also have to look at it another way ...

 

with the Americans coming over, they also brought a different way of life, and although they would have brought some excitement and glamour to an ailing sport they also brought a lot of negative 'influences' that still exist today unfortunately.

 

this thread itself is about remembering the American riders that had a go (and fair play to them), but didn't make it as big as some ... it's not all about slating them ... Gemini will tell you, i am quite happy to slate quite a few of them, but i won't on this thread.