Riders Who Never Quite Fulfilled Their Full Potential

[steve roberts]

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

I would agree. I have nothing but admiration for what Ivan achieved. He started with nothing and thru' sheer dedication and hard work achieved the ultimate to become the best ever speedway rider!

 

I recently re-read his first autobiography 'Triple Crown Plus' and is an amazing rags to riches story.

 

Barry Thomas - another rider who showed potential but never quite realised it...another great entertainer however!

Edited May 11, 2016 by steve roberts

[Daytripper]

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!

I remember that too. He did it all of his career. He was another one who failed to reach his potential. On the verge of world class when he suffered that terrible hand injury at Prestatyn and was never anywhere near the same again.

[waiheke1]

Mark Courtney never kicked on from his firm of 83 and 84.

Joe Owen if he'd ridden more bl rather than settling for dominating the nl.

[steve roberts]

Mark Courtney never kicked on from his firm of 83 and 84.

Joe Owen if he'd ridden more bl rather than settling for dominating the nl.

I thought that Mark Courtney had a really classy style but felt that he just wasn't professional enough. Should have gone much further.

 

Joe Owen, in my opinion and he's questioned same, shouldn't have ridden for Hull (although it was an obvious move due to the promotional tie up) He would have been better plying his trade at a more conventional track.

 

Torbjorn Harrysson - Never saw him ride but apparently a very spectacular performer whose career ended due to serious injury. There was a story that Oxford were about to sign him once but I felt that was a Dave Lanning publicity stunt personally!

Edited May 11, 2016 by steve roberts

[Sidney the robin]

Courtney is certainly one of the most stylish riders i ever saw ride won a British junior championship.But his career did not kick on after Leicester think when i last heard he was mechanicing a lot in Poland i believe.One that certainly should of done better was Graham Plant on his day he could beat anyone.

[Grachan]

I remember gettting very excited about a rider who was once called "the next Peter Collins" in an article - Gerald Short.

[mickthemuppet]

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.

And he was excellent when he rode for Wenbley as well

What about John Louis . How good could he have been if he had started 10 years earlier

 

Jack Parker also -Top Speedway rider in the 1930's and 1940's

[Gresham]

If memory serves me correct, a lot of the reasons why certain riders failed to reach their full potential, was because of the qualification stages to the actual World Finals.

 

You actually never got to see the best riders at that time.

 

You got to see the best riders that represented different parts of the world.

 

It seemed that the majority of riders that qualified through the Continental final would end up in the bottom half of the World Final standings.

 

The standard of riders in the Inter Continental Final was often a better representation of the best riders in the World at the time.

 

 

[lucifer sam]

 

 

Joe Owen, in my opinion and he's questioned same, shouldn't have ridden for Hull (although it was an obvious move due to the promotional tie up) He would have been better plying his trade at a more conventional track.

 

 

Steve, Joe was making great progress at Hull, but suffered life-threatening injuries in a crash in 1978. At the time, he was a 9.00+ man in the BL. Otherwise, who knows?

 

I can't remember Hull being that unconventional, when we went up there in 1980. Viewing was tricky, because you were too low and were bombarded with granite (therefore it was Nan's first and last experience of a speedway meeting!!). But otherwise I just remember a narrow but fast track.

 

All the best

Rob

If memory serves me correct, a lot of the reasons why certain riders failed to reach their full potential, was because of the qualification stages to the actual World Finals.

 

You actually never got to see the best riders at that time.

 

You got to see the best riders that represented different parts of the world.

 

It seemed that the majority of riders that qualified through the Continental final would end up in the bottom half of the World Final standings.

 

The standard of riders in the Inter Continental Final was often a better representation of the best riders in the World at the time.

 

 

 

That's true, but at least it meant we had a World Final, rather than a British/American/Danish/Swedish Final.

 

And the continentals didn't always simply make up the numbers, as Szczakiel and Muller proved.

 

And it certainly added to the drama of the ICF, which claimed a number of World Champions during its lifetime.

 

All the best

Rob

[stevehone]

how good would Ronnie Moore have been if he put his mind to it and wasn't just interested in enjoying himself.

 

how many titles would Ivan Mauger have if he hadn't been a flop in 1957

 

how good would some of the Eastbourne riders of the 80s have been if they weren't at Eastbourne? it seemed they always had great prospects, but they then went backwards or slower than they should have

[lucifer sam]

 

 

how many titles would Ivan Mauger have if he hadn't been a flop in 1957

 

 

Terrible waste of potential whatever happened to him?

 

Meanwhile, what about Steve Hone, No 7 / second half rider at Canterbury? Did he fulfil his full potential?

 

All the best

Rob

Edited May 11, 2016 by lucifer sam

[iris123]

Courtney is certainly one of the most stylish riders i ever saw ride won a British junior championship.But his career did not kick on after Leicester think when i last heard he was mechanicing a lot in Poland i believe.One that certainly should of done better was Graham Plant on his day he could beat anyone.

Think Mark Courtney was helping out the Aussie U21 team when they rode a couple of seasons back at Teterow.Andy Smith was also there.

[George Dodds]

Hate to say it but one World title was sparse return for the talent that was Peter Collins (although I accept he won gold medals by the bucket-load in every other world event and longtrack) and, for almost diametrically opposite reasons, then there was Michael Lee ...

[Gavan]

Always remember back in the 80's when i really took more notice of the sport and there were so many mascots and juniors all tipped to be the next big thing.

 

Paul Whittaker

Mark Loram

Joe Screen

Justin Elkins

Troy Pratt

 

I seem to remember Elkins being the most heavily touted of that bunch but never amounted to much.

 

When i was about 5 (early 80's) we used to go to Rye House every Sunday. Grew up with the team of Garrad, Mullarkey, Naylor, Fines. Cox and it could be argued a couple of those never fulfilled what they could have. From there obviously Andrew Silver came along and was sensational but could have been so much more. I always remember Rye having a couple of reserves John Barclay? Steve Bryenton? I think they were older but my memory from being that age isnt great , but they used to do well.

 

From going to watch Ipswich we had match races after meetings, firstly Ben Howe and Savalas Clouting then latterly Scott Nicholls and Leigh Lanham.

 

Savalas never had a killer instinct and Ben Howe never achieved what he should have done after being touted at 14 as the next big one.

 

I would even place David Howe in the bracket of under achiever from his potential as a 14 year old.

Then very recently Josh Auty at 13 was supposedly the next one to be destined for greatness and he to hasnt gone on

[xmas]

Yes Ben Howe I remember him flying round Eastbourne

[Sidney the robin]

Bob Garrad for me was like John Jackson(he was my favourite ever NLrider)was not that bothered about being fulltime BL riders. Jacko did for a bit at Wolves also i think Bob? might of for a bit for the Hawks.Both fine riders,other riders how good was Dag Lovaas he was quality and another star Eddie Jancarz all of those could of achieved alot more.

[steve roberts]

 

Steve, Joe was making great progress at Hull, but suffered life-threatening injuries in a crash in 1978. At the time, he was a 9.00+ man in the BL. Otherwise, who knows?

 

I can't remember Hull being that unconventional, when we went up there in 1980. Viewing was tricky, because you were too low and were bombarded with granite (therefore it was Nan's first and last experience of a speedway meeting!!). But otherwise I just remember a narrow but fast track.

 

All the best

Rob

 

That's true, but at least it meant we had a World Final, rather than a British/American/Danish/Swedish Final.

 

And the continentals didn't always simply make up the numbers, as Szczakiel and Muller proved.

 

And it certainly added to the drama of the ICF, which claimed a number of World Champions during its lifetime.

 

All the best

Rob

Rob,

 

Joe was quoted as saying in an interview made in 2004 regarding joining Hull:

 

"It was the worst thing I ever did. It held me back so much. The track was in a terrible state...If I had my time again I wouldn't have gone there. I took a long time to settle..."

Bob Garrad for me was like John Jackson(he was my favourite ever NLrider)was not that bothered about being fulltime BL riders. Jacko did for a bit at Wolves also i think Bob? might of for a bit for the Hawks.Both fine riders,other riders how good was Dag Lovaas he was quality and another star Eddie Jancarz all of those could of achieved alot more.

Dag Lovaas - One of my favourites (as was brother Ulf) who got his long desired wish to join Oxford in 1975. Unfortunately due to the uncertainty over the future of Cowley Stadium the team moved to White City and Dag never settled there. He was still riding a JAP engine and it didn't suited the vast Wood Lane circuit. Also a crash with Trevor Hedge seriously effected his confidence and he decided to hang up his leathers at the end of the 1976 season. Still one of the best Norwegians to have graced the British League. No one was better than Dag when the track was wet. Apparently he used to practice on frozen lakes back home.

Edited May 11, 2016 by steve roberts

[Triple.H.]

 

Terrible waste of potential whatever happened to him?

 

Meanwhile, what about Steve Hone, No 7 / second half rider at Canterbury? Did he fulfil his full potential?

 

All the best

Rob

Photographic Memory you have Rob

Sorry I've gone all Yoda

[bruno]

Chris Harris ?

[Sidney the robin]

Rob,

 

Joe was quoted as saying in an interview made in 2004 regarding joining Hull:

 

"It was the worst thing I ever did. It held me back so much. The track was in a terrible state...If I had my time again I wouldn't have gone there. I took a long time to settle..."

 

Dag Lovaas - One of my favourites (as was brother Ulf) who got his long desired wish to join Oxford in 1975. Unfortunately due to the uncertainty over the future of Cowley Stadium the team moved to White City and Dag never settled there. He was still riding a JAP engine and it didn't suited the vast Wood Lane circuit. Also a crash with Trevor Hedge seriously effected his confidence and he decided to hang up his leathers at the end of the 1976 season. Still one of the best Norwegians to have graced the British League. No one was better than Dag when the track was wet. Apparently he used to practice on frozen lakes back home.

I remember Steve one day at the Abbey it P....d down all day i got to the meeting only about half/hour before the meeting thinking it has to be off.They run it The Mike Keen benefit meeting Dag cleaned up remember when he challenged for the helmet? in 74 he was a world class rider.Bit like Tommy Jansson ( Wembley) he struggled at first but stuck at it came back the rest is history Dag retired to young. Edited May 11, 2016 by Sidney the robin