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Best Gater And Best Racer?


phillipsr

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Was watching the Christmas Review and was wondering who is the best gater in the world and who is the best racer. For me its

 

Best Gater- Greg Hancock

Best Racer- Emil Sayfutdinov

 

IMO the likes of Tai,Chris Holder, Nicki P are very near the top of both but those two are the best.

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Gater: Greg Hancock

 

There's nobody in the World of Speedway better

 

Racer: Darcy Ward

 

So spectacular. Great to watch when he's behind other riders. Goes for gaps that shouldn't exist and every attempt he makes its fair. Doesn't need to ride people to the fence or make ridiculous left turns down straights etc. But, he's and absolute bellend and sulks when he doesn't get his own way and will be living in Benefit Street very some if he doesn't knuckle down

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Gater: Hancock and I would find it difficult to choose between him and Mauger for all time best.

 

Racer: Tai. Sayfutdinov is more spectacular and very close but Tai on form seems to pass from unexpected angles. Ward is very spectacular indeed but fails to pass as often as he makes it at GP level.

 

All time racer: Briggo was brilliant as was Peter Collins but with the rose tinted specs on my early days at Speedway were spent watching Christer Lofqvist pass people for fun at Poole so I'll go with him.

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I think for a short spell Todd Wiltshire was the best gater , certainly around 1990 before he took on a lot of commitments and lost his sharpness a bit.....but he was probably the best gater for a spell , certainly not the best rider but electric from the start.

 

Best racer ?....Peter Collins in his prime, but I would also go for Jan O Pedersen...what a rider, what a passer...seen him go from last to first more times than any rider and when he got injured he was the best rider in the world and would have been remembered as one of the true greats in my opinion.

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Gater Bob Kilby ,racer The great Briggo.

Difficult to disagree with that Sidney, except that Briggo could, also be on hell of a gater when the mood took him. One of my most outstanding early memories is when I saw Briggo win the last of his British Championships at West Ham. In a field that included Mauger, who was to go on to win the World title that year Briggo was completely dominant and not even Mauger could get near him off the gate. Briggo was absolutely stunning that night.

 

When we talk about racers I wish I had been around to see the great Jack Parker. He contested the British Match Race Championshiip 21times and won, I think, 18 or 19 of them . Must have been some racer.

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Interesting topic. Perhaps there are further categories to be had? But for me:

 

Best gater: Bob Kilby. He didn't always make the gate, but when he did, boy did he! He's be about 3 lengths clear by the first bend.

 

Best racer: Peter Collins.

 

How about best team rider? John Cook. Never seen anything to match his ride with Lance King at Ipswich in the test against GB.

 

Best all rounder: Hans Nielsen.

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WHEN talking about best racer think Chris Morton has to come into the equation. In his case probably borne out of necessity because he was in the Chris Harris class when it came to gating!

 

Personally would put Ivan at the top of my gater list (anytime, anywhere) but am told that in his day Peter Moore was outstanding. Briggs always told me that PM was the most nervous rider he knew before the start of each race and that probably helped to propel him from the tapes...

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Difficult to disagree with that Sidney, except that Briggo could, also be on hell of a gater when the mood took him. One of my most outstanding early memories is when I saw Briggo win the last of his British Championships at West Ham. In a field that included Mauger, who was to go on to win the World title that year Briggo was completely dominant and not even Mauger could get near him off the gate. Briggo was absolutely stunning that night.

When we talk about racers I wish I had been around to see the great Jack Parker. He contested the British Match Race Championshiip 21times and won, I think, 18 or 19 of them . Must have been some racer.

Funny thing Addio is when I first started going my uncle said Briggo at times gated terrible, but would pick em off.He said i will put a 12point max in already, but you are right Briggs could at times gate very well.I remember when he came back for Hull at the Abbey in 76 had a exclusion in heat 1 but after that gated like a long dog very quick indeed but he along with PC are the most exciting riders i ever saw.
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I think that Mauger is unopposed as the most consistent gater. One way or another he would find a way to arrive at the first bend in front! There are plenty of good racers though. Collins, Olsen, Briggs, Morton, Gollob, Jan O, to name but a few.

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