The Doctor... Posted September 1, 2013 Report Share Posted September 1, 2013 Easily the single most memorable day watching speedway in my life. Gp's are excellent and i've been privileged to have enjoyed so many of them over the years in many different capacities, but for me, 1990, was, and still is, the most amazing night of speedway i've seen. 21 heats, Reading Racers in first place and third place, and a bed and breakfast in Pontefract. What more could i ask... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stratton Posted September 1, 2013 Report Share Posted September 1, 2013 I see Per ride quite alot when Malc Holloway was with the racers and what a talent he was.An awesome riding style and he went on to achieve great things just hope Per and his family are well i have alot of good memories of his career. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wackie Posted September 2, 2013 Report Share Posted September 2, 2013 But for the cruel injuries Per would most certainly have gone on and achieved so much more, especially with the onset of the GP's. But, The Doc is right, the 1990 World Final has got to be my most favourite speedway meeting too. It may have gone to a run-off, but there was no way Per was going to lose that race. Just Per-fect! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABS Posted September 2, 2013 Report Share Posted September 2, 2013 Saw Per break the Reading track record (against Coventry if memory serves me well) and it was an absolutely faultless, wheel perfect four laps. Truly great ride, shame about how it all ended for him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wackie Posted September 2, 2013 Report Share Posted September 2, 2013 Your memory does indeed serve you right Abs. A track record of 58.1 seconds which stood for the following 21 years until Smallmead closed. I think in all those years only AJ and maybe Rico got close to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHILIPRISING Posted September 3, 2013 Report Share Posted September 3, 2013 THE last time I spoke to Armando Castagna, who is close to Per and keeps in regular contact, he said Per was going through a rough period. Will try for an update. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Doctor... Posted September 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2013 Your memory does indeed serve you right Abs. A track record of 58.1 seconds which stood for the following 21 years until Smallmead closed. I think in all those years only AJ and maybe Rico got close to it. No idea why i remember this but i'm sure Marvyn Cox got very close one time..no idea who he might have been riding for at the time tho. Not his Bradford days anyway. THE last time I spoke to Armando Castagna, who is close to Per and keeps in regular contact, he said Per was going through a rough period. Will try for an update. Thanks for that Phil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluejam Posted September 7, 2013 Report Share Posted September 7, 2013 One of the finest speedway riders i've ever witnessed in 40 years of watching the sport! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Doctor... Posted September 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2013 One of the finest speedway riders i've ever witnessed in 40 years of watching the sport! I'm sure working my night shift should take priority now...but never mind.. When i started watching Reading in 1990, i actually wasnt a Jonsson fan to begin with - Todd Wiltshire was my hero. Flashy leathers, always winning...he got me hooked. But this lanky bloke from Sweden who didnt always score well was making a bit of an impression on me. Blimey could he ride the bike - it sounds crap now, because a lot of people say it about other riders, but it was like he was sitting in his armchair. So relaxed, yet so ungainly at the same time.To me, he must have been 6ft2 ? Not sure he was in reality, but he looked so tall on the bike. Yet he was so graceful. And what a team he rode in that year - a world champion at number 3 in the averages at the xxxx racers. One-off final or not, i'm not sure that could ever happen again. Ah well, i'm getting wistful again now so i'll end this now. Up the Racers Tom 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHILIPRISING Posted September 7, 2013 Report Share Posted September 7, 2013 SPOKE to Armanda Castagna this morning and he confirmed that Per has been going through a particular rough spell for a while. He suffers badly from 'bed sores' and requires periodic operations to help. Recently he had to spend a very long period on his stomach to help elevate the problem. However, he plans to be at the GP in Stockholm in two weeks when he will be guest of honour and hopefully present the winner with his trophy, etc. I am sure he will get a fantastic reception there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
remembertheracers Posted September 8, 2013 Report Share Posted September 8, 2013 (edited) PER was magnificent and 1990 was Reading's greatest year. 1st and 3rd in the World Final, League and I think also KO Cup winners. I thought Todd Wiltshire was a future World Champion until his back injuries. Happily Todd recovered, Per is very badly paralysed. A double tragedy for Reading and Swindon will sympathise with former Robin Lee Richardson so badly missed and Leigh Adams paralysed. Four really great riders there, all badly injured or worse. Makes you realise how dangerous the sport can be, even though Adams' injuries weren't from speedway. Edited September 8, 2013 by remembertheracers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Doctor... Posted September 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2013 SPOKE to Armanda Castagna this morning and he confirmed that Per has been going through a particular rough spell for a while. He suffers badly from 'bed sores' and requires periodic operations to help. Recently he had to spend a very long period on his stomach to help elevate the problem. However, he plans to be at the GP in Stockholm in two weeks when he will be guest of honour and hopefully present the winner with his trophy, etc. I am sure he will get a fantastic reception there. Thanks for the update Phil. Very sobering to hear how someone so inspiring can suffer like this. I only wish there was something a normal fan in the street could do to help in some way. Will be a very special moment if he is well enough to present the trophy. Tom (thanks again for actually seeing this through and getting this update Phil - you might get some crap on other threads on this forum, but to this bunch of Reading fans, it's much appreciated, and i realise you didnt actually have to do it - cheers) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluejam Posted September 8, 2013 Report Share Posted September 8, 2013 (edited) I'm sure working my night shift should take priority now...but never mind.. When i started watching Reading in 1990, i actually wasnt a Jonsson fan to begin with - Todd Wiltshire was my hero. Flashy leathers, always winning...he got me hooked. But this lanky bloke from Sweden who didnt always score well was making a bit of an impression on me. Blimey could he ride the bike - it sounds crap now, because a lot of people say it about other riders, but it was like he was sitting in his armchair. So relaxed, yet so ungainly at the same time.To me, he must have been 6ft2 ? Not sure he was in reality, but he looked so tall on the bike. Yet he was so graceful. And what a team he rode in that year - a world champion at number 3 in the averages at the xxxx racers. One-off final or not, i'm not sure that could ever happen again. Ah well, i'm getting wistful again now so i'll end this now. Up the Racers Tom And this is why he's a legend in Torun:- The approach to the Marian Rose Moto Arena is named after him too Actually Tom,you can re-live that moment in 1990;_ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1O3ij8AnGJU Edited September 8, 2013 by bluejam 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wackie Posted September 9, 2013 Report Share Posted September 9, 2013 Thanks for that Bluejam. Brings back many good memories, It's upsetting to hear that he continues to have problems following his awful crash, but I hope Per knows just how well thought of he still is with speedway fans in the UK. Per was on fire the year of his accident and although you can't ever be certain he would have been a favourite to take his 2nd world title that year, and with his consistency he'd of been up there challenging in the early years of the GP's too. It's 20 years next June since the sport was robbed of his talent, would be nice if a benefit type meeting could be staged for him again somewhere next year. He's also still thought of very highly by many of the current crop of top riders, I'm sure someone, somewhere could pull together a fantastic line up for a 1 off meeting for him. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sotonian Posted September 9, 2013 Report Share Posted September 9, 2013 My abiding memory of Per was in a double header at Reading in, I think, 1992. This was a meeting of 2 cup finals - v Poole in the BSPA VCup and Bradford in the KO Cup respectively. As an infrequent visitor to Poole I had not seen Per at Wimborne Road so my only experience of him was the TV coverage of his World Final triumph. Suffice to say, I walked away from Smallmead that night in no doubt as to his ability. Per had 9 rides, didn't drop a point and looked so effortless in everything he did. Given what transpired later, I'm so glad I got to see him in action. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stratton Posted September 10, 2013 Report Share Posted September 10, 2013 Great race a terrific rider. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1O3ij8AnGJU&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D1O3ij8AnGJU Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The White Knight Posted September 10, 2013 Report Share Posted September 10, 2013 Great race a terrific rider. http://m.youtube.com...h?v=1O3ij8AnGJU Cheers sidney - that was great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stratton Posted September 10, 2013 Report Share Posted September 10, 2013 Cheers sidney - that was great. As much as the series now is very good WK, i watch and enjoy most of the time it does not create the excitement of those one off finals never will.As you have said endless times about the qualifying system it was unfair at times and brutal but sport at the top level should be brutal that is what makes sport and competition special. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiheke1 Posted September 10, 2013 Report Share Posted September 10, 2013 If shaun had won, would the record books show no world champion in 1990? two great riders, shaun (along with kenny carter) one of the the two greatest riders of that era never to claim the title Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stratton Posted September 10, 2013 Report Share Posted September 10, 2013 If shaun had won, would the record books show no world champion in 1990? two great riders, shaun (along with kenny carter) one of the the two greatest riders of that era never to claim the title Great point Shawn in that meeting had a great race with Per in heat 16 which he won.Shawn i believe was a better rider than Ermolenko also Sigalos was in my opinion but credit where it is due Sam did the business.As much as i was a big fan of Carter i never really believed he would win the title in 81,82, or 83,. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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