stratton Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 Greg Hancock for me was never one of my favourite riders, he was good and progressed to being a great rider and i admired him but i often overlooked him.I see him ride quite alot a terrific rider but what stuck out for me was his personality great with the fans have a chat autographs (ect) GENIUNE which was great.This year again at an advanced age he can win a fourth title amazing really, Autrey was my favourite American followed by Sigalos but Hancock now is the man a real nice man great rider.I wondered what others think ?and now he has to be high up in the list of great riders of our sport must be in the top 15 ever.? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fromafar Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 To me he is a modern day Mauger ,so professional and gater supreme that fans don't really find him exciting but you cannot deny he is up there with the best IMO. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phillipsr Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 Great rider but one ive just never been bothered about!! Ive said before he just doent bring any emotion to me (neither like or dislike) shame really as theres no doubt he will go down as a great but will never featurecon my favourite rider list 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customhouseregular Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 For sure the greatest American and given he is WC at 44 probably one of the top 3 or 4 of all time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sotonian Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 I too was neutral about him for a long while but his renaissance has been remarkable. His current achievements already make him an all-time great. To think that there is realistically more to come at his age is staggering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
screm Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 Giving his achievements, and the length of time he has been at the top, Greg must surely one of the best ever no matter what era. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiheke1 Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 I think top 15 of alltime is about right. I'd say a top five of mauger briggs fundin t rick and nielsen. then a next ten in no particular order of p collins craven olsen gundersen n pedersen hancock penhall moore j crump and young. Do u rate the longevity of hancock above the likes of penhall, craven or gundersen who could have won more titles if their careers had not ended while still in their prime? Hancock is certainly unique in having seemingly hit his peak only in his 40s. an absolute gent, and one of the greats for sure, even if not as spectacular as most (any,) of the others on the list above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Central Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 (edited) Yes, I would agree he'd be top 15. Somewhere around the 10 to 12 position. Edited February 5, 2015 by Grand Central Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norbold Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 I agree Hancock must now be considered in any list of all-time greats. As time goes by, he will move higher and higher simply because people forget the old stars and riders like Moore, Young, Craven will drop out - even Briggs and Fundin. As we can see in waihekeaces 1's list, there is not one pre-war rider because they are just forgotten. But what about Farndon, Huxley, Wilkinson? There's no doubt Hancock deserves a high place but as always the more modern the rider the higher up the list he will be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCB Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 My issue with including Hancock in an all times greats is he couldn't do with when TRick and Crump were around could he? Is it's he's peaked late or just that 2 genuine all time greats have gone now? You could probably even include Nicki in the "2 all time greats" and make it 3. Don't forget that while those 3 were at their best he was bumming around in 8-12th in the GP standings for years - not the numbers of an all time great. Exciting, no, never. But able to watch, appreciate and respect? Certainly so. I've said before, if I was going to be a speedway rider I'd do it the Hancock way as it must be easier, it's less dangerous so you have less chance of injury and you can go on longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucifer sam Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 (edited) My issue with including Hancock in an all times greats is he couldn't do with when TRick and Crump were around could he? Is it's he's peaked late or just that 2 genuine all time greats have gone now? You could probably even include Nicki in the "2 all time greats" and make it 3. Don't forget that while those 3 were at their best he was bumming around in 8-12th in the GP standings for years - not the numbers of an all time great. Exciting, no, never. But able to watch, appreciate and respect? Certainly so. I've said before, if I was going to be a speedway rider I'd do it the Hancock way as it must be easier, it's less dangerous so you have less chance of injury and you can go on longer. SCB, Greg Hancock’s final GP standings from 1995 to 2004: 1st – 3 times 2nd – once 3rd – 3 times 4th – 4 times (also finished 4th in the last-ever World Final in 1994) 5th – 4 times 6th – 3 times 9th – once 13th – once How is that “bumming around in 8-12th in the GP standings for years”? All the best Rob PS Greg has won at least one Grand Prix round in 14, yes 14, seasons. Edited February 5, 2015 by lucifer sam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCB Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 SCB, Greg Hancock’s final GP standings from 1995 to 2004: 1st – 3 times 2nd – once 3rd – 3 times 4th – 4 times (also finished 4th in the last-ever World Final in 1994) 5th – 4 times 6th – 3 times 9th – once 13th – once How is that “bumming around in 8-12th in the GP standings for years”? All the best Rob PS Greg has won at least one Grand Prix round in 14, yes 14, seasons. Make it 8th to 13th then, thats even worse. Twice is years. Notice "years" in that sentence? Make it 6th to 13th and it's a few times. Ok maybe I was harsh, he actually does have a slightly better record than I remember. It's probably made worse as Crump, TRick and Nicki went years winning what must have been about about 80% of GPs between them (I've probably seriously over estimated this!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucifer sam Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 (edited) Ok maybe I was harsh, he actually does have a slightly better record than I remember. It's probably made worse as Crump, TRick and Nicki went years winning what must have been about about 80% of GPs between them (I've probably seriously over estimated this!) Greg’s overall record is better than Nicki’s – he’s won more rounds, plus Nicki has had to be seeded into the Grand Prix on (I think!) three occasions, whereas Greg has always qualified. Interestingly even Tony Rickardsson went 18 rounds without winning a GP (throughout 1995, 1996 and 1997), however again he was hardly “bumming around” with final positions of 2nd, 4th and 4th. But I consider every rider who has won 3 or more World Championships “an all-time great”, and of course there are other riders worthy of that status e.g. Jack Young, Bruce Penhall, Ronnie Moore, Peter Craven, Bluey Wilkinson, Jack Parker, Vic Duggan, etc. All the best Rob Edited February 5, 2015 by lucifer sam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norbold Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 Tom Farndon.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCB Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 But I consider every rider who has won 3 or more World Championships “an all-time great”, and of course there are other riders worthy of that status e.g. Jack Young, Bruce Penhall, Ronnie Moore, Peter Craven, Bluey Wilkinson, Jack Parker, Vic Duggan, etc. I don't think I disagree with that but Greg would be towards the bottom of the list I think. Any other 3+ times winner probably has more podium/was a greater threat. Even some of Gregs 3rd places, he was never really a threat to the eventual winner was he? Now I know thats not fair as a Gp series vs a one-off makes it hard to say if someone was a real threat or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grachan Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 Greg Hancock, for me, is the George Foreman of speedway. A World Champion in his youth, but over shadowed by an all-time great. Then became a World champion in his forties in a different era, proving that the earlier era was stronger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWitcher Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 Greg Hancock, for me, is the George Foreman of speedway. A World Champion in his youth, but over shadowed by an all-time great. Then became a World champion in his forties in a different era, proving that the earlier era was stronger. In Hancocks case, I'm not entirely sure it does prove it. Speedway is a sport where machinery/setup is at the very least as important, and arguably more important than actual riding ability. It seems in his later years Hancock has mastered this art. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grachan Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 In Hancocks case, I'm not entirely sure it does prove it. Speedway is a sport where machinery/setup is at the very least as important, and arguably more important than actual riding ability. It seems in his later years Hancock has mastered this art. Maybe, but I certainly would put the likes of Crump and Rickardsson above Woffinden and Kasprzak in the lists of all time greats. You could, of course, also argue that George Foreman mastered the art of pacing himself in his 40s, which he hadn't managed in his youth. Yup. George Foreman. That's who he is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucifer sam Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 Yup. George Foreman. That's who he is! The analogy doesn't really work, though. Foreman retired for 20 years in between. And Greg did beat everyone, including Rickardsson and Nielsen, in 1997. Which again is different, because Foreman never beat Ali. All the best Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grachan Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 The analogy doesn't really work, though. Foreman retired for 20 years in between. And Greg did beat everyone, including Rickardsson and Nielsen, in 1997. Which again is different, because Foreman never beat Ali. All the best Rob Nobody likes a smart arse, you know! Anyway, I'm off to have some pork chops from my Greg Hancock Lean Mean Grilling Machine! 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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