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The Dominant Rider Of Their Time


norbold

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As I know we all love lists, here's one I made earlier....

 

I thought I would make a list of the dominant rider of their time. Of course, it doesn't mean they won everything going during the period in question but they were the rider to beat. I'm sure no-one will actually agree with the list as it stands, so any comments are welcome.

 

- 1928: Frank Arthur

29-32: Vic Huxley

33-35: Tom Farndon

36-39: Bluey Wilkinson

46-50: Vic Duggan

51-53: Jack Young

54-55: Ronnie Moore

56-63: Ove Fundin

64-67: Barry Briggs

68-79: Ivan Mauger

80-82: Bruce Penhall

83-95: Hans Nielsen

96-2006: Tony Rickardsson

07-12: Jason Crump

13- : Greg Hancock

Edited by norbold
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As I know we all love lists, here's one I made earlier....

 

I thought I would make a list of the dominant rider of their time. Of course, it doesn't mean they won everything going during the period in question but they were the rider to beat. I'm sure no-one will actually agree with the list as it stands, so any comments are welcome.

 

- 1928: Frank Arthur

28-32: Vic Huxley

33-35: Tom Farndon

36-39: Bluey Wilkinson

46-50: Vic Duggan

51-53: Jack Young

54-55: Ronnie Moore

56-63: Ove Fundin

64-67: Barry Briggs

68-79: Ivan Mauger

80-82: Bruce Penhall

83-95: Hans Nielsen

96-2006: Tony Rickardsson

07-12: Jason Crump

13- : Greg Hancock

Great list! I wouldn't disagree with your choices (certainly during the period that I attended speedway 1972-2003) Interesting that there is no Olsen or Gundersen but I felt that both Mauger and Nielsen were the more dominate during those eras chosen as the statistics suggest (not only on the world stage but also domestically)...my thoughts anyway.

Edited by steve roberts
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I would say I don't agree with the last one

 

Imo Tai is the dominant rider of the last period

 

Tai in the GPs has 163-121-151pts=435pts

 

Greg has 147-140-129pts=416

 

So even though it is my gut feeling,the stats back it up at the highest level.In the leagues it might be slightly different

Edited by iris123
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I would say I don't agree with the last one

 

Imo Tai is the dominant rider of the last period

 

Tai in the GPs has 163-121-151pts=435pts

 

Greg has 147-140-129pts=416

 

So even though it is my gut feeling,the stats back it up at the highest level.In the leagues it might be slightly different

There is also a claim for sayfutdinov over this period.

 

i'd suggest the list stops with Crump and the last couple of years can't be determined until we have a bit more hindsight.

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There is also a claim for sayfutdinov over this period.

 

i'd suggest the list stops with Crump and the last couple of years can't be determined until we have a bit more hindsight.

I was just going to edit my post again to say I am not a fan of either Greg or Tai.More a Nicki and Emil fan and I would love it to be Emil,but it is just my gut feeling over the past few years that Tai is the man

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As I know we all love lists, here's one I made earlier....

 

I thought I would make a list of the dominant rider of their time. Of course, it doesn't mean they won everything going during the period in question but they were the rider to beat. I'm sure no-one will actually agree with the list as it stands, so any comments are welcome.

 

- 1928: Frank Arthur

28-32: Vic Huxley

33-35: Tom Farndon

36-39: Bluey Wilkinson

46-50: Vic Duggan

51-53: Jack Young

54-55: Ronnie Moore

56-63: Ove Fundin

64-67: Barry Briggs

68-79: Ivan Mauger

80-82: Bruce Penhall

83-95: Hans Nielsen

96-2006: Tony Rickardsson

07-12: Jason Crump

13- : Greg Hancock

 

Norbold, almost entirely agree except:

 

Bluey Wilkinson had completely retired in 1939. Need a different rider for that year. Not entirely sure who. Unless we knock that season on the head, as almost every result was void thanks to A Hitler.

 

Duggan lost a lot of sparkle in 1950, after the death of his brother in Australia. Graham Warren was dominant that season. Alternatively extend Jack Young to 50-53, as he was already on fire in 1950.

 

Rickardsson's last dominant year was 2005, and he retired after less than half a season in 2006 (I think he ended up 13th in the GP standings). Plus it was Crump's best year.

 

So I would go for:

Crump 06-10

Hancock 11-12

Woffinden 13-

 

But, as already mentioned, it's really tricky doing the last few seasons without the power of hindsight....

 

All the best

Rob

 

EDIT: Also pondering on Olsen 77-79 vs Mauger 77-79. Very tricky.

Edited by lucifer sam
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I've just found an old bit of paper (21 years old) on which I worked out who wpuld be World Champion if you took the last 3 years world final scores and added them up. (i think Amsterdam has been halved to make it comparable with other years.

 

1948-51 Jack Parker

1952 Freddie Williams

1953-4 Jack Young

1955-56 Ronnie Moore

1957-63 Ove Fundin

1964-67 Barry Briggs

1968-79 Ivan Mauger

1980-81 Michael Lee

1982 Bruce Penhall

1983 Kenny Carter

1984 Hans Nielsen

!985 Erik Gundersen

1986-91 Hans Nielsen

1992 Per Jonsson

1993 Sam Ermolenko

 

there were 4 ties (highest position in that year's final was the tiebreaker)

1959 Briggs tied with Fundin

In 1973/77/79 Mauger tied with Olsen, Peter Collins and Olsen again

 

Collins was runner-up three years in a row (76-78)

 

Plechanov, Michanek, Jessup and Tatum all had two seasons in a row as number 2 without ever being number one.

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Thanks everyone for your comments. And, yes, of course, you are right about Bluey Wilkinson, Rob, Also I agree with your point about the year for the changeover from Rickardsson to Crump. It should be a year earlier. And, indeed, Michael Lee does have a strong claim to 1979-80.

I was in two minds over the recent past. It maybe that looking back on this in another ten years if Tai continues the way he is going we will write Hancock out of the Dominant Rider History Books and be able to give a ten year dominance to Woffy to match the other greats like Fundin, Mauger, Nielsen and Rickardsson. It probably is too near in time to be certain.

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Anders Michanek had an impressive run of success and was very hard to beat from 1973 to 1975. He had a higher British League average than Ivan Mauger and Ole Olsen in 1973, was World Champion in 1974 and 2nd in the World Final in 1975. He was also a World Pairs winner in 1973-74-75. In Britain in 1973 he won the Spring Classic, Superama, Brandonapolis, Blue Riband, Pride of the East and Golden Gauntlets. Probably worthy of being described as the man to beat at least in 1973.

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Imo Tai is the dominant rider of the last period.

 

 

I must admit that I hadn't heard of Imo Tai and my first reaction was to welcome an Asian to the elite riders of world speedway. A little internet research however revealed that this is a New Zealand name so the young man is simply following in the footsteps of Moore, Briggs and Mauger.

 

Seriously though it would be good to see another British rider in the list although Parker, Lee, and others might have a claim.

Edited by Split
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Seriously though it would be good to see another British rider in the list although Parker, Lee, and others might have a claim.

 

 

Actually it hadn't really occurred to me before that the only British rider I had in my list was Tom Farndon.

Edited by norbold
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As I know we all love lists, here's one I made earlier....

 

I thought I would make a list of the dominant rider of their time. Of course, it doesn't mean they won everything going during the period in question but they were the rider to beat. I'm sure no-one will actually agree with the list as it stands, so any comments are welcome.

 

- 1928: Frank Arthur

29-32: Vic Huxley

33-35: Tom Farndon

36-39: Bluey Wilkinson

46-50: Vic Duggan

51-53: Jack Young

54-55: Ronnie Moore

56-63: Ove Fundin

64-67: Barry Briggs

68-79: Ivan Mauger

80-82: Bruce Penhall

83-95: Hans Nielsen

96-2006: Tony Rickardsson

07-12: Jason Crump

13- : Greg Hancock

 

 

Very difficult to disagree with any of that.

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  • 5 weeks later...

Cant agree with the last two.

 

2006-2010 would be Pedersen for me. One the title twice in that time and had a third (?) as well. And was also top notch in the leagues. I think it was 07 where he produced probably the most dominant world title year ive seen. Crump was class though, id say its a hard one. Be interesting to see their polish/uk/ swedish stats for that period

 

Also tai surely from 2013 to now?

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Here we are - have also included Gollob as clearly the third most consistent rider over that period. And gollob is clearly third, but Pedersen v Crump is quite tight with Nicki getting the verdict overall

 

 

Poland

.............Pedersen Crump Gollob

2005 ........9.72 ......9.11 ......9.76

2006 ......10.16 ....10.64 ......9.17

2007 ......10.92 ......9.17 ......9.24

2008 ......11.10 ....10.34 ......9.44

2009 ........9.90 ......9.98 ......8.98

2010 ........9.77 ......8.37 ....10.70

 

Sweden

.............Pedersen Crump Gollob

2005 ......10.00 ......7.26 ......8.52 Crump - 5 matches only

2006 ......10.17 ......9.60 ......8.19 Crump - 3 matches only

2007 ......10.74 ......9.96 ......9.39

2008 ......10.89 ....10.11 ......8.93

2009 ........9.51 ....10.65 ......8.11

2010 ........8.00 ......9.12 ......9.25

Edited by arnieg
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Here we are - have also included Gollob as clearly the third most consistent rider over that period. And gollob is clearly third, but Pedersen v Crump is quite tight with Nicki getting the verdict overall

 

 

Poland

.............Pedersen Crump Gollob

2005 ........9.72 ......9.11 ......9.76

2006 ......10.16 ....10.64 ......9.17

2007 ......10.92 ......9.17 ......9.24

2008 ......11.10 ....10.34 ......9.44

2009 ........9.90 ......9.98 ......8.98

2010 ........9.77 ......8.37 ....10.70

 

Sweden

.............Pedersen Crump Gollob

2005 ......10.00 ......7.26 ......8.52 Crump - 5 matches only

2006 ......10.17 ......9.60 ......8.19 Crump - 3 matches only

2007 ......10.74 ......9.96 ......9.39

2008 ......10.89 ....10.11 ......8.93

2009 ........9.51 ....10.65 ......8.11

2010 ........8.00 ......9.12 ......9.25

 

But "arnieg" are you saying that Gollob was certainly.? third best behind Crump/Pedersen? Crump i see as a young lad before he rode was chuffed to bits he bettered his dad who believe me was top class.Pedersen i admire his grit ,longevity, class and he is still class but for me Gollob at his best would beat Pedersen.The roll of honour differs from that so credit where it is due Pedersen won three titles to Gollob's one end of i suppose but we all have our own opinions.
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