Robbie B Posted July 3, 2009 Report Share Posted July 3, 2009 Does anyone know what speedway rider has had the longest riding career. Just to get things off and running, I nominate Larry Ross. Even though everyone knows that he started riding for Wimbledon in 1975, I do have a speedway book called ‘speedway 72’ that mentions his name, as an up-and-coming rider. Considering that he is still riding in New Zealand, that’s 37 years of racing. Can anyone beat this. Surely the most knowledgeable members of the forum, might know better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gatekeeper522 Posted July 3, 2009 Report Share Posted July 3, 2009 QUOTE (Robbie B @ Jul 3 2009, 09:50 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Does anyone know what speedway rider has had the longest riding career. Just to get things off and running, I nominate Larry Ross. Even though everyone knows that he started riding for Wimbledon in 1975, I do have a speedway book called ‘speedway 72’ that mentions his name, as an up-and-coming rider. Considering that he is still riding in New Zealand, that’s 37 years of racing. Can anyone beat this. Surely the most knowledgeable members of the forum, might know better. Dont know too much about this but you have to think of Shaun McConnell ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midland Red Posted July 3, 2009 Report Share Posted July 3, 2009 Surely this has to be Ron Johnson, who rode prior to coming over from Australia in 1928, and last rode in 1963 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbie B Posted July 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2009 Surely this has to be Ron Johnson, who rode prior to coming over from Australia in 1928, and last rode in 1963 Good call but 1928 - 1963 is only 35 years, Ross has been going for 37 and counting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midland Red Posted July 3, 2009 Report Share Posted July 3, 2009 (edited) QUOTE (Robbie B @ Jul 3 2009, 11:43 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Good call but 1928 - 1963 is only 35 years, Ross has been going for 37 and counting. Oops - the 20's to the 60's seemed a long span 1975 (or 1972) seems so recent that I forgot we're nearly in the 2nd decade of the next century (as the years/months/weeks/days fly by at my age!) Similar to the comment recently that the war in Iraq (which is only a current event) has lasted longer than the major conflict that was World War II - time perspective is so difficult to grasp Anyway, well done Larry Ross! Edited July 3, 2009 by Midland Red Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted July 3, 2009 Report Share Posted July 3, 2009 QUOTE (Robbie B @ Jul 3 2009, 12:43 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Good call but 1928 - 1963 is only 35 years, Ross has been going for 37 and counting. Yes,but like it was stated Ron was riding in Australia previous to 1928......and are we talking unbroken career?As i don't think Ross has ridden every year of those 37 has he?Then again i am not sure Johnson did either....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norbold Posted July 3, 2009 Report Share Posted July 3, 2009 (edited) Ron started in 1927 in Australia. He certainly did not have an unbroken run. It was broken several times. Edited July 3, 2009 by norbold Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedyguy Posted July 3, 2009 Report Share Posted July 3, 2009 Canadian rider Mike Tams rode from 1947 to 1986, most of his latter seasons in Canada and the USA's East Coast. He was born in 1919 in Winnipeg, Canada. That would make him 66 years old at time of his retirement - if my calculations are correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miro Posted July 3, 2009 Report Share Posted July 3, 2009 (edited) To add another long career, Connie Samuelsson rode league Speedway in Sweden every season from 1964 to 1999. It must be my job to mention him on this forum as I seem to do it so regularly. Ross retired from racing I believe during the time mentioned above though he returned, so he's had a long span of a riding career but not consecutive years. Edited July 3, 2009 by miro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbie B Posted July 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2009 (edited) Ross retired from racing though he returned, so he may have the longest span of a career but not the most seasons. I doubt also that Larry Ross has ridden for the most seasons, but he may have had the longest career, so far. Edited July 3, 2009 by Robbie B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbie B Posted July 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2009 Canadian rider Mike Tams rode from 1947 to 1986, most of his latter seasons in Canada and the USA's East Coast. He was born in 1919 in Winnipeg, Canada. That would make him 66 years old at time of his retirement - if my calculations are correct. We may well have leader for the length of racing career here, in Mike Tams. That's 39 years for Mr Tams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchy Posted July 3, 2009 Report Share Posted July 3, 2009 Barry Briggs 1952 to 1994 (42 years). Not consecutive of course (1994 was a Golden Greats at edinburgh and he also raced that year at Per Jonsson's benefit). He may have ridden earlier than '52 but that's the first time he rode in Britain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted July 3, 2009 Report Share Posted July 3, 2009 To add another long career, Connie Samuelsson rode league Speedway in Sweden every season from 1964 to 1999. It must be my job to mention him on this forum as I seem to do it so regularly. Ross retired from racing I believe during the time mentioned above though he returned, so he's had a long span of a riding career but not consecutive years. Not speedway,but mention of Samuelsson brings to mind the career of Posa Serenius who has been qualifying for and on occasion winning the Ice racing World title for over 30 years now........amazing guy.Still can hold his own against riders about a third of his age Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunky Posted July 3, 2009 Report Share Posted July 3, 2009 Not speedway,but mention of Samuelsson brings to mind the career of Posa Serenius who has been qualifying for and on occasion winning the Ice racing World title for over 30 years now........amazing guy.Still can hold his own against riders about a third of his age Again, not speedway, but what about Lew Coffin? Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted July 3, 2009 Report Share Posted July 3, 2009 Again, not speedway, but what about Lew Coffin? Steve Tbh,i don't know much about him......he was still riding in the 70s wasn't he? At the time i really only heard about him through his training schools at Weymouth,wasn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbie B Posted July 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2009 Barry Briggs 1952 to 1994 (42 years). Not consecutive of course (1994 was a Golden Greats at edinburgh and he also raced that year at Per Jonsson's benefit). He may have ridden earlier than '52 but that's the first time he rode in Britain. Great call frenchy. Briggo, must had rode in New Zealand before coming to Great Britain, how long I don't know. 42 years is now the longest period of a racing career, so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted July 3, 2009 Report Share Posted July 3, 2009 QUOTE (Robbie B @ Jul 3 2009, 08:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Great call frenchy. Briggo, must had rode in New Zealand before coming to Great Britain, how long I don't know. 42 years is now the longest period of a racing career, so far. Yes,but if you include something like that....what about Jack Parker who started in 1928 and rode at the Hackney 50 year meeting in 1978(was it???? ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
star ghost Posted July 3, 2009 Report Share Posted July 3, 2009 (edited) miro - I can remember Conny Samuelsson came to the U K to ride for Oxford (I think) before 1964. As usual I must put in a mention for Wandering Wal Morton and our old mate Geoff Pymar who both had many years in the sport Edited July 3, 2009 by star ghost Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedyguy Posted July 3, 2009 Report Share Posted July 3, 2009 miro - I can remember Conny Samuelsson came to the U K to ride for Oxford (I think) before 1964. As usual I must put in a mention for Wandering Wal Morton and our old mate Geoff Pymar who both had many years in the sport Morton and Pymar - both from around 1932 until into the mid-1960s. I guess about 33 years at minimum for both of them. Real great old REAL speedway riders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miro Posted July 3, 2009 Report Share Posted July 3, 2009 (edited) miro - I can remember Conny Samuelsson came to the U K to ride for Oxford (I think) before 1964. As usual I must put in a mention for Wandering Wal Morton and our old mate Geoff Pymar who both had many years in the sport Samuelsson came over to Oxford in 1969 and that was his only other club apart from Vetlanda in Sweden in all the time he rode, but he only lasted a couple of months. Bit of a mystery as he flew around Swindon on his first visit there and broke the Coventry track record, but could hardly get around the first bend at Cowley. He did Longtrack and ice racing as well. Though he was mostly a grasstracker does anyone know how many years Lew Coffin rode for? Edited July 4, 2009 by miro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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