World Champions That Never Were

[Grachan]

Mark Loram winning the title in 2000 would of been similar to someone like Chris Morton having everthing run right for him if the GP series had been around in the mid 70's to mid 80's!Simon Wigg was a terrific rider who if I believe had concentrated more on speedway than his 1st love grasstrack/longtrack for a little while may have been World Champion?

I seem to remember they had a non World Championship Grand Prix series in the 70s and Morton actually did win it.

[arnieg]

With regards Jessup, I never really saw him as World Champion material, but maybe that was because he rode for Reading.

 

Touche, Graham

[customhouseregular]

For me it has to be Gote Nordin. The man was pure class.

[fatface]

Mark Loram winning the title in 2000 would of been similar to someone like Chris Morton having everthing run right for him if the GP series had been around in the mid 70's to mid 80's!

 

As a huge Chris Morton fan, I'd like to believe this to be true. It's not really accurate though is it? Mort was - at his best - a dark horse for the podium on World Final night and probably only in 1980, 81 and at a push 83. He may well have nicked a GP or two on his night. But he would never have won a series like Loram did. No chance.

[Gavan]

["Sotonian"]

The move to a GP series removed the chance of fluky winners, rewarding consistency. What criteria do you consider necessary before a win is not classed as lucky?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mark Loram was without a doubt the most consistant rider in 2000, therefore deserved to be World champion that season but I still maintain he had everything run for him that year and his record in other seasons shows that he wasn't a regular serious contender for the World title!

Marks best 2 seasons were 1999 when he basically won everything and 2000. I agree he was never touted as a serious contender but then he did come 5th in 1999 after missing a round and having a shocker in 1 of them after crashing.

He was only 5 points off of a rostrum place which he surely would have got if he had rode in the 1st one. 5 points behind a true great in Nielsen and ahead of the likes of Adams Crump and Hancock. Think its fair to say the top 2 in Rickardsson and Gollob were ahead of everyone.

 

In 1999 Mark Loram was arguably int he top 5 riders in the world the same in 2000 so he was a contender in my opinion

[stratton]

As a huge Chris Morton fan, I'd like to believe this to be true. It's not really accurate though is it? Mort was - at his best - a dark horse for the podium on World Final night and probably only in 1980, 81 and at a push 83. He may well have nicked a GP or two on his night. But he would never have won a series like Loram did. No chance.

Can you say that though?the way the series was it was only six rounds rewarding being placed more than actually winning.Now if that was in place you would do well to reach the podium position i reckon.

[iris123]

The thing is if we are talking about a GP series back in the old days you not only have to look at who was the best rider in that year,but you have to sort out the venues and dates for the GPs and if during the course of the actual season the best rider was injured for a couple of those dates then there is no chance he would have won.

[waiheke1]

I agree with that sidney - a truly GREAT time to be watching Speedway.

 

No 'rose coloured spectacles' here, just the plain truth.

The 80s is my favourite era in Speedway. Childhood memories of going to Hyde Rd every Saturday, watching superb racing. The great Belle Vue sides of that era, in particular the 82 title winning team, and the arguably stronger 84 side which regularly racked up 50+, and even 60+, point scores. The much weaker side of 85 which saw last heat deciders a regular occurrence. The incomparable Mort and PC blazing around the boards or nusring more junior riders home, the even more exciting teenage Andy Smith, and of course my favourite rider of all time, fellow kiwi Larry Ross. The visiting track specialists, Kenny Carter, Erigk Gundersen, Shaun Moran, and those who were good enough to ride any track well, Mike Lee, Bruce Penhall, Hans Nielsen , others such as latter career Mauger and Olsen, the entertaining Americans such as King, Ermolenko, Sigalos and Jellyman etc.

Trips to see the Aces race away at The Shay Odsal or Brandon. The test matches against the yanks and the danes, the cut throat world final qualifying rounds. The sound, smell, looking down at the riders in the pits, truly my favouite time in the sport.

 

But, its fair to say that there are rose tinted glasses on.

The world final lineups consisted of at least 25% “no hopers” who qualified by virtue of nationality, and the racing with a couple of exceptions in those finals (81 wembley, 85 bradford) was generally poor. In qualifying there was the infamous Penhall throwing of a race in 81, but truth is that was a fairly common occurrence, that was just the most blatant example.

 

You had issues with Drugs/alcohol- the battles of Lee and Kelly Moran are well documented. But then you also had Shaun Moran’s ban in 89 for failing a drug test, Bobby Schwartz being fined for possession at Heathrow, Gary Gugliemi’s conviction for smuggling cannabis (cannibals as I heard it at the time!), allegations that the American side were riding on drugs etc.

You had the tragic deaths on track of numerous riders, and off track the tragic suicide of Billy Sanders and the horrific murder/suicide involving Kenny Carter. Then there were the suspensions for race fixing handed to Simon Wigg and Malcolm Simmons.

A number of legendary speedway venues were lost forever to speedway – Wembley, The Shay, White City, Hyde Road etc.

England, from having performed the grand lam winning all thrr=ee world titles in 1980 were to win over three more titles over the rest of the decade, including one i8n 9 which was overshadowed by the career ending injuries suffered by Erik Gundersen.

The BL had two consecutive seasons without the world champ racing here, and over the decade the sport prematurely lost a number of top class riders =- Penhall, Sigalos, Carter, Lee, Sanders, Gundersen etc.

Meetings were sometimes run in terrible and/or dangerous conditions – British Final 84, inter-continental final 81, the meeting at Cradley in 80 that effectively ended PC’s career as a truly world class racer, a debacle of a test match between England and the USA at Hyde Rd in 85, are ones which stand out in my memory.

The British League contracted from 16vteams at the start of the decade to around 10 at the end. Crowds were down, and speedway star/programmes bemoaned factors that may still resonate today – recession, poorly prepared tracks, the weather, spiraling costs, too many mediocre foreigners who regularly go AWOL.

 

Don’t get me wrong, British speedway was far healthier than it is today, but to say that it was a great era and make the claim that that is not “rose tinted” is debatable.

[The White Knight]

The 80s is my favourite era in Speedway. Childhood memories of going to Hyde Rd every Saturday, watching superb racing. The great Belle Vue sides of that era, in particular the 82 title winning team, and the arguably stronger 84 side which regularly racked up 50+, and even 60+, point scores. The much weaker side of 85 which saw last heat deciders a regular occurrence. The incomparable Mort and PC blazing around the boards or nusring more junior riders home, the even more exciting teenage Andy Smith, and of course my favourite rider of all time, fellow kiwi Larry Ross. The visiting track specialists, Kenny Carter, Erigk Gundersen, Shaun Moran, and those who were good enough to ride any track well, Mike Lee, Bruce Penhall, Hans Nielsen , others such as latter career Mauger and Olsen, the entertaining Americans such as King, Ermolenko, Sigalos and Jellyman etc.

Trips to see the Aces race away at The Shay Odsal or Brandon. The test matches against the yanks and the danes, the cut throat world final qualifying rounds. The sound, smell, looking down at the riders in the pits, truly my favouite time in the sport.

 

But, its fair to say that there are rose tinted glasses on.

The world final lineups consisted of at least 25% “no hopers” who qualified by virtue of nationality, and the racing with a couple of exceptions in those finals (81 wembley, 85 bradford) was generally poor. In qualifying there was the infamous Penhall throwing of a race in 81, but truth is that was a fairly common occurrence, that was just the most blatant example.

 

You had issues with Drugs/alcohol- the battles of Lee and Kelly Moran are well documented. But then you also had Shaun Moran’s ban in 89 for failing a drug test, Bobby Schwartz being fined for possession at Heathrow, Gary Gugliemi’s conviction for smuggling cannabis (cannibals as I heard it at the time!), allegations that the American side were riding on drugs etc.

You had the tragic deaths on track of numerous riders, and off track the tragic suicide of Billy Sanders and the horrific murder/suicide involving Kenny Carter. Then there were the suspensions for race fixing handed to Simon Wigg and Malcolm Simmons.

A number of legendary speedway venues were lost forever to speedway – Wembley, The Shay, White City, Hyde Road etc.

England, from having performed the grand lam winning all thrr=ee world titles in 1980 were to win over three more titles over the rest of the decade, including one i8n 9 which was overshadowed by the career ending injuries suffered by Erik Gundersen.

The BL had two consecutive seasons without the world champ racing here, and over the decade the sport prematurely lost a number of top class riders =- Penhall, Sigalos, Carter, Lee, Sanders, Gundersen etc.

Meetings were sometimes run in terrible and/or dangerous conditions – British Final 84, inter-continental final 81, the meeting at Cradley in 80 that effectively ended PC’s career as a truly world class racer, a debacle of a test match between England and the USA at Hyde Rd in 85, are ones which stand out in my memory.

The British League contracted from 16vteams at the start of the decade to around 10 at the end. Crowds were down, and speedway star/programmes bemoaned factors that may still resonate today – recession, poorly prepared tracks, the weather, spiraling costs, too many mediocre foreigners who regularly go AWOL.

 

Don’t get me wrong, British speedway was far healthier than it is today, but to say that it was a great era and make the claim that that is not “rose tinted” is debatable.

Actually - I was talking about the 'Seventies' - but I take your point.

[fatface]

Blimey Waihekeaces. It's sounds like you and I had almost exactly the same speedway existence in the 1980s! Though I ended mine following Exeter as my parents upped sticks and headed south in 1988. Fond memories. But as you say, by and large it was a decade of deterioration for the sport.

In terms of the personalities of the sport, the decade started with Mauger, Olsen, Collins, Lee, Penhall and Carter at the forefront. All genuine household names. The latter three were gone for too soon and they were replaced by Gundersen and Nielsen, who were incredible riders, but in all honesty, they had zero cross-over appeal. It was also a decade where the World Final went from Wembley and Gothenburg to Vojens and Norden.

I don't think there has ever been a decade where the sport has deteriorated so much. Some of it was self-inflicted. Some was simply bad luck, eg. you can point to the Bradford City fire distaster as the real death knell for Hyde Road. It would have failed new regulations on every level.

[waiheke1]

Actually - I was talking about the 'Seventies' - but I take your point.

fair enough twk, its just that the post you replied too was talking about the 80s...

tbf, the 70s was the one period (after establishment of the various world championship events) where England truly dominated, though still only managed one individual crown in that era.

Blimey Waihekeaces. It's sounds like you and I had almost exactly the same speedway existence in the 1980s! Though I ended mine following Exeter as my parents upped sticks and headed south in 1988. Fond memories. But as you say, by and large it was a decade of deterioration for the sport.

 

In terms of the personalities of the sport, the decade started with Mauger, Olsen, Collins, Lee, Penhall and Carter at the forefront. All genuine household names. The latter three were gone for too soon and they were replaced by Gundersen and Nielsen, who were incredible riders, but in all honesty, they had zero cross-over appeal. It was also a decade where the World Final went from Wembley and Gothenburg to Vojens and Norden.

 

I don't think there has ever been a decade where the sport has deteriorated so much. Some of it was self-inflicted. Some was simply bad luck, eg. you can point to the Bradford City fire distaster as the real death knell for Hyde Road. It would have failed new regulations on every level.

likely very similar, my time as an Aces regular ended in early 87, when my folks moved us back to NZ, where sadly speedway coverage was non existent. I think you may be doing Eric a dis-service on the personality front, he was pretty much universally admired, though not as high profile as the ones you mentioned. certainly a better ambassador for the sport than Lee and Carter.

[fatface]

fair enough twk, its just that the post you replied too was talking about the 80s...

tbf, the 70s was the one period (after establishment of the various world championship events) where England truly dominated, though still only managed one individual crown in that era.

likely very similar, my time as an Aces regular ended in early 87, when my folks moved us back to NZ, where sadly speedway coverage was non existent. I think you may be doing Eric a dis-service on the personality front, he was pretty much universally admired, though not as high profile as the ones you mentioned. certainly a better ambassador for the sport than Lee and Carter.

No slight on Erik - or Hans for that matter. But Carter would pop up on Breakfast TV, Question of Sport. Lee had a column I believe for the Daily Mirror. Penhall was on Tiswas..think he even got gunked?! Penhall was the Californian beach hunk, Lee the bad boy biker, Carter the brash Yorkshireman. They were instantly recognisable personalities and very marketable. Erik was/is a Danish nice guy. To put it is marketing terms, it doesn't shift cornflakes.

Edited September 8, 2014 by falcace

[norbold]

 

I don't think there has ever been a decade where the sport has deteriorated so much.

34 teams in 1950, down to 9 in 1959. I'd say the 50s easily matches the 80s in decline.

[oldace]

34 teams in 1950, down to 9 in 1959. I'd say the 50s easily matches the 80s in decline.

 

 

In reality though most of Speedways 85 year existence has been in decline and the good times owed more to luck than judgement.

 

Its very early years were fairly successful, more to novelty value than anything else, by the early thirties crowds were beginning to fall although the invention of league racing generated interest again.

 

Of course the war then intervened and post war was a boom time for speedway, largely due to an audience starved of live entertainment but by the very early fifties it was in serious decline, a decline that continued until the formation of the BL in 1965. This brought about a 14 or 15 year period of stability to the sport but by the early 80s the decline was back and has continued to this day.

 

In all those 85 years speedway has only really been successful for about 25 of them (if that)

 

Those, myself included, who view the 70s as the golden era are probably about right based on cold hard statistics

[fatface]

34 teams in 1950, down to 9 in 1959. I'd say the 50s easily matches the 80s in decline.

I'd bow to your superior knowledge on that one then Norman!

[norbold]

I agree with that mostly, Oldace, except that I'd put the revival at 1960 rather than 1965 with the formation of the Provincial League and then a gradual upward curve boosted by the British League.

[customhouseregular]

Hello Norbold. For customhouseregular read oldhammersfan. Nice to find you again and yes, I do miss the old site.