Sam Ermolenko Farewell 18th March 2007

[Sandie]

Been home for about 30 minutes now and my fingers have now thawed out enough to post.

It was a great day but unfortunately spoilt by the weather.

 

We had the snow storms of all snow storms which saw many people decide to leave, which wasnt a suprise because if you had kids you neded to go somewhere. You couldnt get into the bar areas and if the fire alarm were to have gone off I dread to think what would have happened.

 

It was very nice to have the entrance fee still at £15 which for so many star riders was good value and although the programme was £5 it was worh it - until it got very wet!!

But food and beverage was a rip off. £2 for a small cone of chips and nearly £2 for a hot chocolate (so I was told, after which I didnt bother going to get one). Which on a day like to day was ridiculous.

 

But it was a great send off for Sam and it very well attended.

There was some good racing and then some steady racing after the fall of snow. No-one wanting to take chances.

 

We didnt stay for the evening entertainment although we wanted to but it was SO cold we just wanted to get home and into the warm.

 

So a good day out and well worth the money we spent. After all no-one, not even Sam can control the weather!!!

[SCB]

Just want echo Sandies comments.

 

Was an honour being there to see the great man off, the end may not have been as great as some expected but I thought it was great looking back. sam riding around the track for 4 laps pulling wheelies in the pitch black with just a spotlight to follow him.

 

I may have been freezing cold, I may have hand to take out a bank loan for a burger and a bacon roll (tasted great tho') but I enjoyed myself and would happily do that EVERY day.

 

Loved the heat where Joe and Trav had a "ding dong battle" (hopefully Millard won't sue me) and the result was perfect

 

Also, got to meet SteveBrum, only breifly but he's not a that bad really

[lupus]

What a shame the blizzard buggered up the firework thing at the end!

 

Must admit it was certainly an eventful meeting - more for the weather than anything else - but I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

 

I wasn't feeling as 'emotional' as I expected - probably as my facial muscles were frozen - well, not until Sam did his speech and his voice started to break........

 

A great rider line up to honour one of the greats in the sport (IMHO THE Greatest) - as the saying goes....we will not see his like again!

 

Farewell Sam and thanks for the memories - - which in your case are far too many to name!

Edited March 18, 2007 by lupus

[Col]

I'd first like to thank superguest for the loan of the gloves. By about heat 3 I thought my fingers were going to drop off. She had two pairs.

 

It was an enjoyable occasion but surely would have been better held in June?

 

No matter. The best couple of races came mid meeting, Hancock V Lindgren & Screen V McGowan.

 

There must surely be a stewards enquiry into how PK got gate 1 in the final, when Nicholls & Crump scored more during the meeting.

 

Impressive were McGowan & Screen, Joe Haines also in the young guns race looked quick - only a couple of seconds of the times set by the worlds best.

 

Lindgren's move to jawa looks iffy, he's giving away 5 metres in the first 5 metres. He along with Jonsson, PK, Screen had new different style helmets to what they wore in previous seasons and it'll take a while for them to be instantly recogniseable again.

 

Good to see Bruce on a bike again.

 

And though it was a frozen farewell rather than a flaming one, the effect of the big blasts of flames on the centre green as the riders went down the back straight on the last lap of each heat was awesome. BSI take note. (It also provided a modicum of momentary heat).

Edited March 19, 2007 by Col

[T.N.T.]

But food and beverage was a rip off. £2 for a small cone of chips and nearly £2 for a hot chocolate (so I was told, after which I didnt bother going to get one). Which on a day like to day was ridiculous.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I too though the prices were well over the top, but I was shocked to find out who they belonged to.

 

None other than former England International, John Davis who looks younger now than he did when he retired.

 

For those thst do feel the price was too much, you may get some satifaction that I puched JD in the face tonight.

 

 

It was by mistake as I turned around to point someone to the toilets as JD walked behind me.

 

I should add that he was never one of my favourite riders, but I spoke to him a number of times during the night and had a laugh with him about the accidental punch and found him a nice guy and in good spirits.

 

 

SAM'S FAREWELL

 

A sad thought that we will never see those unbelievable passes and team riding skills again, but was pleased to here Sam say he will be around for some time to come.

 

A cold night, but a good send off for a speedway legend with the attendance showing the admiration and respect he has built up in his 25 years of racing.

[Col]

I got a coffee in the bar for 90p.

 

It wasn't as hot as I hoped, but it wasn't as bitter as I expected.

[Trees]

Good to see Bruce on a bike again

So he was there then, nowt about that in the updates!

 

Good luck to Sam in whatever he decides to do now ................

 

BSI take note

Take note ............. they don't hold the flipping patent to good speedway promotion you know, I think sometimes people believe that there wasn't any promotion until BSI appeared!!!!!! tch

Edited March 19, 2007 by Trees

[crazysue]

Yes there was Trees.....

 

Between heat 8 and 9 there is the result of the match race between Sam and Bruce and again between heat 12 and 13, plus comments.

[lupus]

Yep Penhall was there but the 'match races' were no more than the two guys riding round 'pretending' to race! All good fun though!

[marcusthepom]

Yep Penhall was there but the 'match races' were no more than the two guys riding round 'pretending' to race!  All good fun though! 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i would have loved just to of seen the best speedway rider ever,so what if it was a display match race.my god the blokes late 40s,hes better than any pom and to boot he changed the face of speedway in the early 80s.

you can keep all your other riders,penhall was the main man.

just think you lotl who went to wolverhampton,how lucky you were to see the man himself.

i would also like to thank bruce,sam,billy and greg for the kind help in spending time whilst at the meeting in signing the guards for the speedway riders benefit bike.

this sport could do with another 500 hundred riders just like them.

forget how much it cost and how much the chips cost,see the day for what it was.

your all dam lucky just for being there

[Col]

Take note ............. they don't hold the flipping patent to good speedway promotion you know, I think sometimes people believe that there wasn't any promotion until BSI appeared!!!!!! tch

 

Eh? Did I say they did, just thought the centre green falmes would be good at the GPs.

[21st century heathen]

Yep Penhall was there but the 'match races' were no more than the two guys riding round 'pretending' to race!  All good fun though! 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

To be fair Bruce retired as Sam was starting out in his career, and Sam rode professionally until last season. Anyone expecting anything but the pair to ride side-by-side was dreaming. As a Cradley fan it was great to see Bruce go out and have a skid. I thought that considering the old boy was riding a very old bike on a tight track, and in tricky conditions (esp his first ride), he did pretty well.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Overall it was a good day of speedway, with all the riders giving it their all. Even when the track was slippery after the snow they were only a little slower than before the snow.

 

As the track cleaned up there were the two great races between Joe and Trav, and Greg and Freddie. Those two heats were as good as any speedway you'll see anywhere this season. Joe and Trav traded places 5 times, and Greg was pure class in outwitting Freddie. He looked to the outside, and as Freddie moved out to cover him Greg switched lines half way along the home straight to force his way past Freddie on the inside. Earlier Trav had ridden the race of his life to pass Greg and Leigh in one move. Along the back straight for the first time Greg and Leigh looked to be elbow-to-elbow racing for third turn. To their surprise as much as ours Travis found a gap in between the two and passed them both into the corner. Such was his determination to squeeze between the pair that he made them both back off to let him get into the turn. Greg did get back at him but the bike then quit.

 

Sam is never going to be a fave rider to a Cradley fan but...

 

I recognise, acknowledge, and respect a good rider. Sam has always given 100% commitment to British speedway, which is something that is not always the case with today's top riders. He's been a fantastic servant to Wolverhampton Speedway, a great captain, a brilliant individual, and one of the best team riders in the world. His achievements on the world stage (in particular) cannot be ignored. He has always been an out-and-out racer, and that has cost him on many an occasion. He's suffered a number of injuries, and a few particularly bad ones. He's always come back from injury with nothing less than a fully committed attitude.

 

Sam - For every time I've stood on the terrace and booed you , for every time I cheered when you were beaten , and for every time I laughed when you overdid it (esp when you fell off when doing a wheelie in front of the Cradley fans ), I thank you.

 

All the best

Chris

[Silver Bee]

Loved the heat where Joe and Trav had a "ding dong battle" (hopefully Millard won't sue me) and the result was perfect

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Grrrrrrrr

 

Stupid Joe - I liked him before that - Trav would have been top scorer if he'd won that race

[Ray Rocket]

i would have loved just to of seen the best speedway rider ever,so what if it was a display match race.my god the blokes late 40s,hes better than any pom and to boot he changed the face of speedway in the early 80s.

you can keep all your other riders,penhall was the main man.

just think you  lotl who went to wolverhampton,how lucky you were to see the man himself.

i would also like to thank bruce,sam,billy and greg for the kind help in spending time whilst at the meeting in signing the guards for the speedway riders benefit bike.

this sport could do with another 500 hundred riders just like them.

forget how much it cost and how much the chips cost,see the day for what it was.

your all dam lucky just for being there

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Hi Marcus,

 

Sadly I couldn't go.

 

Unless you have been posting in areas I haven't been looking at, I thought you had disappeared.

 

Glad to see you are still around and wish you all the best.

[Ivanhoe]

i would have loved just to of seen the best speedway rider ever,so what if it was a display match race.my god the blokes late 40s,hes better than any pom and to boot he changed the face of speedway in the early 80s.

you can keep all your other riders,penhall was the main man.

just think you  lotl who went to wolverhampton,how lucky you were to see the man himself.

i would also like to thank bruce,sam,billy and greg for the kind help in spending time whilst at the meeting in signing the guards for the speedway riders benefit bike.

this sport could do with another 500 hundred riders just like them.

forget how much it cost and how much the chips cost,see the day for what it was.

your all dam lucky just for being there

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I saw Penhall first time around. Your adulation is somewhat over the top ! I can't quite fathom how he changed the face of speedway apart from the fact he walked out on it (and Cradley) !

 

 

Excellent day yesterday. Ten out of ten to the riders who could easily have thrown the towel in after the blizzard. There were some great battles out there for an early season meeting, McGowan and Harris were particularly impressive early on.

 

Hats off to you Sam, a fitting farewell.

[superguest]

Brilliant meeting when it got going, there was no lack of effort from the riders even in the conditions. I thought Travis Mcgowan, Greg Hancock, Joe Screen and Chris Harris all rode with their hearts out.

 

Does look worrying for Freddie, he cannot gate with these engines at all.

[Fourentee]

Sam is never going to be a fave rider to a Cradley fan but...

I recognise, acknowledge, and respect a good rider.  Sam has always given 100% commitment to British speedway, which is something that is not always the case with today's top riders.  He's been a fantastic servant to Wolverhampton Speedway, a great captain, a brilliant individual, and one of the best team riders in the world.  His achievements on the world stage (in particular) cannot be ignored.  He has always been an out-and-out racer, and that has cost him on many an occasion.  He's suffered a number of injuries, and a few particularly bad ones.  He's always come back from injury with nothing less than a fully committed attitude. 

Sam - For every time I've stood on the terrace and booed you  , for every time I cheered when you were beaten  , and for every time I laughed when you overdid it (esp when you fell off when doing a wheelie in front of the Cradley fans  ), I thank you. 

All the best

Chris

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hats off to you, 21CH, for a fine post from the standpoint of a rival supporter. Would that your attitude be mirrored in other threads on this forum (sorry, starting to sound like an old buffer now instead of a middle-aged one).

Congratulations to all the riders, who took part in less than ideal conditions, and of course to the man himself for an extraordinary career and hardly less extraordinary departure.

Just one (very) minor niggle. In the build-up to Sam's goodbye someone (I didn't catch his name) announced from the centre green microphone that the rider's achievements stood for themselves and didn't need reiterating. He then proceeded to list them, in exhaustive detail, to the point at which the terrace stalwarts, having exhausted their repertoire of winter songs after the earlier blizzard, were seriously considering eating the huskys.

[Grachan]

I saw Penhall first time around. Your adulation is somewhat over the top ! I can't quite fathom how he changed the face of speedway apart from the fact he walked out on it (and Cradley) !

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'd say he did, along with the influx of Americans in the late 70s and early 80s. They brought a whole different image to the sport that wasn't there before that.

 

The moment Bruce turned up at White City in 1977 and was outclassed, the rest of the speedway World was in trouble. He decided it was time to get serious, and it was the start of the greatest era of USA riders in Speedway history.

 

Don't underestimate the impact Bruce Penhall had on Speedway, even if you do support Wolves!

[Ray Rocket]

Don't underestimate the impact Bruce Penhall had on Speedway, even if you do support Wolves!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Hi Grachan,

 

I think everybody has to admit that he was a talented rider, however, don't you think the biggest impact was his good looks. Also, as with most americans, they are very articulate. They have a natural ability to appear confident and say things that we want to hear. Sadly, the British, Australians and Scandanavians, don't have that natural ability.

 

The Amercians have a bit of 'zing' when they speak.

 

Regards.

[21st century heathen]

I think that's fair comment. Without Bruce would we have seen the great American riders that followed? Bobby, Denis, Shawn, Kelly, Jon, Lance, Rick, Sam himself, then Ronnie, Greg, Billy... (I'm sure I missed someone) Has any other nation introduced the level of charisma, character, and showmanship as the Americans did? Personally, I think not. It's a natural character trait that Americans have.

 

The other Bobby (Ott) was the one I missed. Even Chris M looked good in the mid 90's, but that might be strethching the term 'great' in most peoples eyes.

Edited March 20, 2007 by 21st century heathen