Riders Who Never Quite Fulfilled Their Full Potential

[Sidney the robin]

With Crumpie, Steve Gresham (his team-mate at Newport, Bristol and Swindon) thought the turning point was Crump's injury at Sheffield in 1977. Until that happened, he thought Crumpie was nailed on to become World Champion.

 

All the best

Rob

Yes totally right,Phil got a very bad injury with another one of my heroes Martin Ashby he had bad shoulder injuries.Crump was not the same force after but he was still a hell of a rider consistent and the 16 lapper King hard as nails. Edited May 10, 2016 by Sidney the robin

[salty]

Never really took to him...don't know why. Now David Shields...sensational for Oxford in 1978. Scored a maximum in his first appearance for 'The Cheetahs!' Re-surfaced at Cradley (1982?) but the spark had gone by then.

 

Rick Woods - Never saw him ride during his brief period for Newport. Saw his brother, Gene, however during his time at Birmingham.

Dave Shields came back to Cradley in 1981 and was a big part of us winning the league (definitely still had a "spark"). The longer the season went on the more effective he got and whist John McNeill and Bent Rasmussen struggled, Dave was the vital back up from reserve to the top 4.

Would have been interesting to see how far he would have got but he never came back to the UK after '81.

[norbold]

One rider whose results didn't quite match his ability I always thought was Reidar Eide. He always rode West Ham really well and beat some of the best there. He was usually well into the 9/10 point averages but only made one World Final and only finished thirteenth in that.

[briggo]

But for his Prestatyn grass track crash in 1969, what could Norman Hunter have achieved?

[Sidney the robin]

One rider whose results didn't quite match his ability I always thought was Reidar Eide. He always rode West Ham really well and beat some of the best there. He was usually well into the 9/10 point averages but only made one World Final and only finished thirteenth in that.

"Norbold" Eide was a very classy rider,these riders Eide,P.Crump,Monk,Boulger,E.Boocock,Harrfeltd,Betts,Airey, Lofqvist examples) only reached 15 W. Finals between them criminal really.

[iris123]

.

 

Was Egon Muller an underachiever? He overachuieved in terms of being a world champion when he was far from best rider n the world. BUT..he could have been a far better rider if he had committed more to speedway, and ridden BL.

Funny,as I was thinking the same today.I think the talent was there it was just the fact he saw Longtrack as his main discipline and of course why not,when at the time the money was there to be earnt.And I am sure Egon would say he had a great life out of what he did

[Terry]

Funny,as I was thinking the same today.I think the talent was there it was just the fact he saw Longtrack as his main discipline and of course why not,when at the time the money was there to be earnt.And I am sure Egon would say he had a great life out of what he did

 

The same could be said of Karl Maier. He could've been a top speedway rider, I remember him having a great race with Sigalos in the 83 world final, but like Muller, he prefered longtrack.

[iris123]

 

The same could be said of Karl Maier. He could've been a top speedway rider, I remember him having a great race with Sigalos in the 83 world final, but like Muller, he prefered longtrack.

Possibly,sticking to the Germans,also add Gerd Riss to the list?Think he went quite well in his brief BL career.

 

One who does stick out also is Mirko Wolter.Lot of people who saw him when he was a teenager rave about him.I only saw him at the back end of his career and he certainly had talent

[steve roberts]

Possibly,sticking to the Germans,also add Gerd Riss to the list?Think he went quite well in his brief BL career.

 

One who does stick out also is Mirko Wolter.Lot of people who saw him when he was a teenager rave about him.I only saw him at the back end of his career and he certainly had talent

Klaus Lausch showed potential but again the lucrative long track scene proved more attractive...and later in his career tuning engines!

[iris123]

The last German for today,i promise.....but Matze Schultz is the same age as Smolinski and won 2 German senior titles before Smolinski won his first.They were always neck and neck,with Matze I would say better on the northern tracks and Smoli better down south.But Matze didn't seem as determined to make a career out of speedway and concentrated on I think getting his engineering qualifications and generally rode speedway at the weekends.Again,speedway is a short life and you can't blame someone for trying tosecure a long term future,but think he could have been at least as good as Smoli

[steve roberts]

But for his Prestatyn grass track crash in 1969, what could Norman Hunter have achieved?

Having viewed 'The Memories of West Ham Speedway' DVD I thoroughly enjoyed listening to 'Storming Norman' reminisce. His delivery was so dry and amusing!

 

I recall his last years spent at Swindon he had this habit of patting the top of his helmet with his hand as he approached the starting gate! You remember things like that!

Edited May 10, 2016 by steve roberts

[Wiseguy]

i remember watching Egon Muller at Exeter in 1982 or 83 when he rode 4 races against Ivan Mauger for what was labeled king of the world (by Exeter)

 

think Mauger won 3 of them

 

anyway back on topic, 2 riders i watched as a lad who were almost unbeatable (at the County Ground) for a while and then pretty much faded into obscurity were Keith Millard and John Barker

 

I dont remember much about their riding styles but i know they were my favourite riders at the time, Millard was British under 21 champion in 83 but don't remember him riding much after 84 and Barker I believe had a couple broken legs.

[steve roberts]

i remember watching Egon Muller at Exeter in 1982 or 83 when he rode 4 races against Ivan Mauger for what was labeled king of the world (by Exeter)

 

think Mauger won 3 of them

 

anyway back on topic, 2 riders i watched as a lad who were almost unbeatable (at the County Ground) for a while and then pretty much faded into obscurity were Keith Millard and John Barker

 

I dont remember much about their riding styles but i know they were my favourite riders at the time, Millard was British under 21 champion in 83 but don't remember him riding much after 84 and Barker I believe had a couple broken legs.

Remember John Barker as a junior at Eastbourne and riding for Oxford in 1979. He was a bit wild but if I recall the Swindon promotion signed him up and loaned him out to another Wally Mawdsley track Exeter. Never saw him ride down there unfortunately.

[Sidney the robin]

Remember John Barker as a junior at Eastbourne and riding for Oxford in 1979. He was a bit wild but if I recall the Swindon promotion signed him up and loaned him out to another Wally Mawdsley track Exeter. Never saw him ride down there unfortunately.

Barker was very talented unlucky with injury think he had one of the quickest times ever at Exeter Autrey held the record for along while is Leigh Adams the holder now.?

[steve roberts]

Barker was very talented unlucky with injury think he had one of the quickest times ever at Exeter Autrey held the record for along while is Leigh Adams the holder now.?

Thanks Sid, didn't realise that he had held the County Ground track record at one time. He used to be quite scary round Cowley riding close up to the fence so I'm not surprised that he excelled down at Exeter!

Edited May 10, 2016 by steve roberts

[Sidney the robin]

Thanks Sid, didn't realise that he had held the County Ground track record at one time. He used to be quite scary round Cowley riding close up to the fence so I'm not surprised that he excelled down at Exeter!

Think he come through at Eastbourne just after Woods( who i really liked) yes Barker was unlucky i so miss the County Ground what a track scary as hell that was just watching😫 Edited May 10, 2016 by Sidney the robin

[steve roberts]

Think he come through at Eastbourne just after Woods( who i really liked) yes Barker was unlucky i so miss the County Ground what a track scary as hell that was just watching

I also liked Paul Woods. A good stylist who, again, should have gone further in the sport. His move to King's Lynn (bit like Gordon Kennett before him) seemed to effect his confidence and he soon dropped back down into the National League with, I think, Rye House?

 

Eastbourne excelled with regards finding talent. Other than the obvious there were the likes of Steve Naylor and Colin Ackroyd...who was coming on quite nicely at Cowley then ended up at Reading and disappeared from the scene.

 

I saw a lot of action at Arlington as it was Oxford's and. later, White City's sister track. Good memories of the place!

[Wiseguy]

Scott Autrey held the track record at Exeter into the late 80's, think it was Mark Loram that eventually beat it

Thanks Sid, didn't realise that he had held the County Ground track record at one time. He used to be quite scary round Cowley riding close up to the fence so I'm not surprised that he excelled down at Exeter!

 

That's probably why he was a favourite of mine as a lad, knew there must have been something, shame there is not a lot of footage of Exeter in the early 80s with either him or Keith

[steve roberts]

Scott Autrey held the track record at Exeter into the late 80's, think it was Mark Loram that eventually beat it

 

That's probably why he was a favourite of mine as a lad, knew there must have been something, shame there is not a lot of footage of Exeter in the early 80s with either him or Keith

By the way Wiseguy...your profile picture. My uncle took that picture of Ivan Mauger at Oxford in 1975! He was the track photographer in those days.

[Wiseguy]

By the way Wiseguy...your profile picture. My uncle took that picture of Ivan Mauger at Oxford in 1975! He was the track photographer in those days.

I hope he wouldn't mind me using it, great pic of a great man