Will Ward Win A World Title Within The Next Five Years A Simple Yes Or No.?

[cityrebel]

Ward rides lakeside better than any other rider I've seen there, and I went to first ever meeting at purfleet in 1984. What also makes ward so good are his exceptional team riding abilities.

[stratton]

Tai and his team have it cracked,total trust in each other having Adams helping is a massive bonus to he has great engines also he seems alot more happier with a lighter racing schedule.Darcy needs to get that the complete package but he will, when i have seen him race he is focused he also has a great team i would love it if maybe Jason Crump could help him what a coup that would be

[orion]

Ward has got the talents to win Gp's for sure ..we will have to see and see if can hold himself together for a whole gp season to become champion .

[customhouseregular]

Some of the posts on this thread have gone off topic but never the less raise interesting points...e,g. Does history only remember the winners and does exciting mean good?.

 

One of the most exciting riders I ever saw, and loved to see race was Kenny Carter. Another was Mike Broadbank. Were they good enough to win a World title?. In Mike's case, almost. In Kenny's case, sadly we never got to find out.

 

Is Ward exciting...Yes. Is he good enough to win a World title...Yes. Will he...Possibly, but if Tai stays at the top of his game and Emil comes back in to the fold, maybe not.

[stratton]

Some of the posts on this thread have gone off topic but never the less raise interesting points...e,g. Does history only remember the winners and does exciting mean good?.

 

One of the most exciting riders I ever saw, and loved to see race was Kenny Carter. Another was Mike Broadbank. Were they good enough to win a World title?. In Mike's case, almost. In Kenny's case, sadly we never got to find out.

 

Is Ward exciting...Yes. Is he good enough to win a World title...Yes. Will he...Possibly, but if Tai stays at the top of his game and Emil comes back in to the fold, maybe not.

It is so interesting if those three ride i don't care who wins it as i like all three of them.Tai for me would have to raise his game,as these two are real contenders can he? of course he can who knows might push him even further.

[SCB]

What's interesting is that pretty much everyone who has said no has not said no due to a lack of talent. He is one of the top 5 most talented riders right now but it takes a little more than talent to win a title (or Gollob would have 5 to Nickis 0). You have to have the right mindset. If you'd gone back to 1999 and asked the same question about Gollob most would have replied "of course" but it took 15ush years and a real rock bottom moment to reboot him before Gollob won a title because as I just said, it's more than talent, it's professionalism, drive, commitment and being mentally strong.

 

Tai is talented but where he wins IMO is his mental toughness. His "my 80% is their 100%" psychological stuff. The thing is, a few other riders believe that. I doubt one other rider would lose a battle of wits or mind games with Darcy!

[E I Addio]

Where do riders like Jack Young, Jack Milne, Peter Craven when we talk of great world champions. Or are their title successes now rated alongside the early 1930s world championships that were held in Paris, France? I did try a google to get an answer but without any luck!

A number of respected Speedwáy historians regard Jack Young as one the the most naturally talented riders ever. He started riding just after the Second World War on what was basically a converted road bike. By his second season he had gained sponsorship and on a proper Speedwáy bike he beat the Australian team captain, Bill Longley. It is Speedwáy folklore that he won his first World Title while still a second division rider with Edinburgh, and to prove it was no fluke he scored 19 maximums in 38 matches the following season with West Ham in the First Division. (Darcy Ward eat yer heart out ! )

 

But natural talent was not enough. By the mid 1950' s a new breed of rider was coming along with a new brand of professionalism, their names were Barry Briggs, Ronnie Moore, Peter Craven and Ove Fundin. Jack wasn't really into all that . Rather than spend days travelling across Australia chasing titles he preferred to go fishing.

 

With a different of more professional outlook he might well have been several more titles, but who knows. As Bwitcher says you have can only compare like with like, but there is no doubt Jack Young was a massive talent and if I could go back in time at see one rider at his peak I think I'd probably pick Jack.

 

Based on everything I have read and researched on the sport I would say that in terms of sheer natural talent alone on the bike, and not counting tthe other things the top ones are probably Jack Young Ronnie Moore and Darcy. Ward.

Edited August 18, 2015 by E I Addio

[waiheke1]

And mike Lee surely?

[sommelier]

 

I don't disagree with any of that.

 

Ward rides Monmore as well as any rider I have ever seen there.

 

Totally agree that Tai has the whole package put together, which I do believe Darcy will sort in time too.

For me regarding Wolverhampton, best all time home rider at Wolves was Olsen. Visiting rider i would put Screen in front of Ward

[Mixy230]

Should do!

 

But its a NO from me

[norbold]

A number of respected Speedwáy historians regard Jack Young as one the the most naturally talented riders ever. He started riding just after the Second World War on what was basically a converted road bike. By his second season he had gained sponsorship and on a proper Speedwáy bike he beat the Australian team captain, Bill Longley. It is Speedwáy folklore that he won his first World Title while still a second division rider with Edinburgh, and to prove it was no fluke he scored 19 maximums in 38 matches the following season with West Ham in the First Division. (Darcy Ward eat yer heart out ! )

 

But natural talent was not enough. By the mid 1950' s a new breed of rider was coming along with a new brand of professionalism, their names were Barry Briggs, Ronnie Moore, Peter Craven and Ove Fundin. Jack wasn't really into all that . Rather than spend days travelling across Australia chasing titles he preferred to go fishing.

 

With a different of more professional outlook he might well have been several more titles, but who knows. As Bwitcher says you have can only compare like with like, but there is no doubt Jack Young was a massive talent and if I could go back in time at see one rider at his peak I think I'd probably pick Jack.

 

Based on everything I have read and researched on the sport I would say that in terms of sheer natural talent alone on the bike, and not counting tthe other things the top ones are probably Jack Young Ronnie Moore and Darcy. Ward.

Yes, you're probably right there. It's interesting you mention Ronnie Moore as well as one of the most naturally talented riders as he was a bit like Jack in regard to his approach to speedway. He was much more of a team man and once said that the most important thing to him in speedway was to see Wimbledon win. He used to treat the World Final just like any other individual meeting. He said, "If I won, I won, if I didn't, I didn't. It wasn't the end of the world. I used to look round the pits on final night and see other riders literally shaking they were so nervous. I thought that was just silly."

 

 

[BWitcher]

For me regarding Wolverhampton, best all time home rider at Wolves was Olsen. Visiting rider i would put Screen in front of Ward

No,sorry can't agree with screen at all. He was very very good but there have been plenty better.

 

Hans Nielsen for example.

Edited August 19, 2015 by BWitcher

[sommelier]

No,sorry can't agree with screen at all. He was very very good but there have been plenty better.

 

Hans Nielsen for example.

Watched Hans first ever lap round wolves

[chris4gillian]

If Darcy stays out of 'off track' trouble then yes he has the potential to win at least 1 world title in the next 5 years...even though in reality he will only have 3 of those years to do it (unless he's given a permanent wild card) bearing in mind he cannot qualify to ride in it until at least 2017 - and that's assuming he goes through and qualifies next year of course.

 

IMO by that stage there will only be a handful of other riders who will also be capable of giving things a serious challenge and namely they are Tai, Noddy, Magic and hopefully Emil. Darcy is without a shadow of a doubt up there with all those. Of course we will still more than likely have the likes of Puk, Hampel, Zagar and even possibly a 41 yr old Pedersen challenging (Hancock will be long gone), but Darcy & Co are arguably all a step up.

 

So yes, POTENTIALLY.

[Blazeaway]

I really really hope he doesn't.

 

He could as he has the backing and equipment to do it but he's far more likely to implode again. Especially if he gets a bit of "bad news".

[chris4gillian]

I really really hope he doesn't.

 

He could as he has the backing and equipment to do it but he's far more likely to implode again. Especially if he gets a bit of "bad news".

 

Why? He's paid his dues. If he does win 1 (or more) then he's won them on speedway merit alone just like anyone else.

 

On what basis can you imply he'll implode again? Since he's returned he's been the model professional showing all the signs he's (finally) learned his lesson. Yes it's still very early days, but so far he's not put a foot wrong.

 

This type of comment is based upon the past, a past which I very much dislike myself, however it's time to move on for Gawd's sake!

[customhouseregular]

If Darcy stays out of 'off track' trouble then yes he has the potential to win at least 1 world title in the next 5 years...even though in reality he will only have 3 of those years to do it (unless he's given a permanent wild card) bearing in mind he cannot qualify to ride in it until at least 2017 - and that's assuming he goes through and qualifies next year of course.

 

IMO by that stage there will only be a handful of other riders who will also be capable of giving things a serious challenge and namely they are Tai, Noddy, Magic and hopefully Emil. Darcy is without a shadow of a doubt up there with all those. Of course we will still more than likely have the likes of Puk, Hampel, Zagar and even possibly a 41 yr old Pedersen challenging (Hancock will be long gone), but Darcy & Co are arguably all a step up.

 

So yes, POTENTIALLY.

Hancock long gone?. One might reasonably have expected him to hang up his leathers once he hit 40, but he has won 2 World titles since then.

[BWitcher]

If Darcy stays out of 'off track' trouble then yes he has the potential to win at least 1 world title in the next 5 years...even though in reality he will only have 3 of those years to do it (unless he's given a permanent wild card) bearing in mind he cannot qualify to ride in it until at least 2017 - and that's assuming he goes through and qualifies next year of course.

 

IMO by that stage there will only be a handful of other riders who will also be capable of giving things a serious challenge and namely they are Tai, Noddy, Magic and hopefully Emil. Darcy is without a shadow of a doubt up there with all those. Of course we will still more than likely have the likes of Puk, Hampel, Zagar and even possibly a 41 yr old Pedersen challenging (Hancock will be long gone), but Darcy & Co are arguably all a step up.

 

So yes, POTENTIALLY.

 

I suspect Piotr Pawlicki will have made the GP's by that point as well and has the ability to be a major contender.

[Tsunami]

A number of respected Speedwáy historians regard Jack Young as one the the most naturally talented riders ever. He started riding just after the Second World War on what was basically a converted road bike. By his second season he had gained sponsorship and on a proper Speedwáy bike he beat the Australian team captain, Bill Longley. It is Speedwáy folklore that he won his first World Title while still a second division rider with Edinburgh, and to prove it was no fluke he scored 19 maximums in 38 matches the following season with West Ham in the First Division. (Darcy Ward eat yer heart out ! )

 

But natural talent was not enough. By the mid 1950' s a new breed of rider was coming along with a new brand of professionalism, their names were Barry Briggs, Ronnie Moore, Peter Craven and Ove Fundin. Jack wasn't really into all that . Rather than spend days travelling across Australia chasing titles he preferred to go fishing.

 

With a different of more professional outlook he might well have been several more titles, but who knows. As Bwitcher says you have can only compare like with like, but there is no doubt Jack Young was a massive talent and if I could go back in time at see one rider at his peak I think I'd probably pick Jack.

 

Based on everything I have read and researched on the sport I would say that in terms of sheer natural talent alone on the bike, and not counting tthe other things the top ones are probably Jack Young Ronnie Moore and Darcy. Ward.

Ivan is very complimentary of the advice and instruction that Jack Young gave him. He was a very early mentor to him.

[Ozrik]

Yes. Ward will win a world title, and probably more than one. Sayfutdinov, Ward, Woofinden, Janowski are the four most consistent young riders in the world, and it would be fitting reward if they were all to win World Titles.