Cj69 Posted September 2, 2014 Report Share Posted September 2, 2014 Moving bit more into my kinda era. I would like to think Leigh Adams would have won at least one one-off final. Always seemed the nearly man over the course of a GP season. 2007 seemed his most consistent season (winning 3 rounds) but beaten by a very good Nicki that year. Or would he be overshadowed by Crump, Rickardsson and Pedersen even in a one off final. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiheke1 Posted September 3, 2014 Report Share Posted September 3, 2014 How often do we see Greg "play the game" and sit contently in second in a GP? He's happy to score 2 2 2 2 2 3 2. Because he knows if he does that for 70 rides while his opponent score 3 2 3 3 3 2 3 then 0 1 3 2 1 that he's going to beat him over a season. I just think the GPs are made for a more methodical, thinking man like Greg than a cut throat one off World Final. I still think he'd have won a title, his constency over a long period means that there would have been a day he come good while those around him floundered. Nicki P on the other hand, he'd have loved World Finals. Although greg actually has a better gp winning ratio (about 1 in 10 vs. 1 in 11 ). World final s were also unforgiving in terms of making errors, so maybe they wouldnt have suited nicki as one fall or exclusion and you were stuffed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billywamill Posted September 3, 2014 Report Share Posted September 3, 2014 How often do we see Greg "play the game" and sit contently in second in a GP? He's happy to score 2 2 2 2 2 3 2. Because he knows if he does that for 70 rides while his opponent score 3 2 3 3 3 2 3 then 0 1 3 2 1 that he's going to beat him over a season. That's not true. His scores vary as much as anyone else, just less so. You're implying he wins less races and has more second places than any one else. Just look at this year's meetings for example - who has the most race wins? Give you a clue - he's American and smiles a lot. Although greg actually has a better gp winning ratio (about 1 in 10 vs. 1 in 11 ). World final s were also unforgiving in terms of making errors, so maybe they wouldnt have suited nicki as one fall or exclusion and you were stuffed. Good point - both good points in fact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPNY Posted September 3, 2014 Report Share Posted September 3, 2014 (edited) I'd say Sam Ermolenke woulda been good for at least 1 GP world title between 1988-1993. He was very dominant in the league/world final qualifiers but luck seemed to run out in World Finals. Havvy woulda been just as likely to win a GP format as a world final in 1992, he was a force that year. It's easy to asume Hans woulda won every season if it'd been GP's but I disagee. Ermo, Havvy, Per J, Jan O'P, Tommy K all woulda been right up there. Also there were riders like Jimmy Nilsen, Ronnie Correy, Tatum, Wiggy, Moran's all coulda done a Mark Loram when it all came together for that one season... Edited September 3, 2014 by RPNYC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humphrey Appleby Posted September 3, 2014 Report Share Posted September 3, 2014 Ermo, Havvy, Per J, Jan O'P, Tommy K all woulda been right up there. Also there were riders like Jimmy Nilsen, Ronnie Correy, Tatum, Wiggy, Moran's all coulda done a Mark Loram when it all came together for that one season... How many World Finals did Havelock make, let alone do well in? Per Jonsson would arguably have challenged Nielsen, but Ermolenko and Jan O were too injury prone and frankly I don't think Nilsen and Knudsen were really up there amongst the absolute best despite having good finishes in World Finals. I wouldn't put Tatum and Wigg in the same league at all (at least not speedway-wise), and the Morans were too inconsistent for obvious reasons. I'm not even sure why Correy is even mentioned in the same breath as Nielsen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiheke1 Posted September 3, 2014 Report Share Posted September 3, 2014 I'd say Sam Ermolenke woulda been good for at least 1 GP world title between 1988-1993. He was very dominant in the league/world final qualifiers but luck seemed to run out in World Finals. Havvy woulda been just as likely to win a GP format as a world final in 1992, he was a force that year. It's easy to asume Hans woulda won every season if it'd been GP's but I disagee. Ermo, Havvy, Per J, Jan O'P, Tommy K all woulda been right up there. Also there were riders like Jimmy Nilsen, Ronnie Correy, Tatum, Wiggy, Moran's all coulda done a Mark Loram when it all came together for that one season... Would Havvy have even been in the 92 series? Would have likely been reliant in a wildcard, though as British champ maybe he would have got the nod.Can't see anyone from that latter category challenging, with the exception of s moran who would have been a real in contender in 84/85. He would have had a decent shout in 89/90 as well, but presumably his fim ban in 89 and failed drug test in 90 would have precluded this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billywamill Posted September 3, 2014 Report Share Posted September 3, 2014 I'd say Sam Ermolenke woulda been good for at least 1 GP world title between 1988-1993. He was very dominant in the league/world final qualifiers but luck seemed to run out in World Finals. Havvy woulda been just as likely to win a GP format as a world final in 1992, he was a force that year. It's easy to asume Hans woulda won every season if it'd been GP's but I disagee. Ermo, Havvy, Per J, Jan O'P, Tommy K all woulda been right up there. Also there were riders like Jimmy Nilsen, Ronnie Correy, Tatum, Wiggy, Moran's all coulda done a Mark Loram when it all came together for that one season... Sam? He never really got near to Nielsen and Gundersen in the late 80's; after that Jan.O and Per Jonsson would have been the next two to dominate if it wasn't for injury before Rickardsson , Hancock and Hamill came through. He wasn't even the best rider around his home track, he never even scored a maximum against Gundersen or Pedersen around there - averaged less than 8.50. The two Danes got one or two in return - Erik averaged over 11 there and scored almost 20 maximums and Pedersen over 10 and 10 maximums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiheke1 Posted September 3, 2014 Report Share Posted September 3, 2014 93 sam would have been a real shout, other seasons I think he would have picked up some medals without really pushing close to the title. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWitcher Posted September 3, 2014 Report Share Posted September 3, 2014 (edited) Sam? He never really got near to Nielsen and Gundersen in the late 80's; after that Jan.O and Per Jonsson would have been the next two to dominate if it wasn't for injury before Rickardsson , Hancock and Hamill came through. He wasn't even the best rider around his home track, he never even scored a maximum against Gundersen or Pedersen around there - averaged less than 8.50. The two Danes got one or two in return - Erik averaged over 11 there and scored almost 20 maximums and Pedersen over 10 and 10 maximums. Sam would have won the GP in 1993, he was absolutely dominant that season, averaging well above 11 in the British League that year. Sadly breaking his leg in the penultimate meeting of the season meant he was never quite the same rider again. Edited September 3, 2014 by BWitcher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customhouseregular Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 Had Penhall not retired I'm sure he would have been good for more titles, and quite probably post-1984. However it was not to be so I have to agree with most others and say Nielsen and Gunderson for the majority of the years in question. Much would depend on how many GP's were held each year and where. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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