Most Luckless Performance In A Meeting By A Rider

[Joe Beevers]

So what stands out for you as a rider being very unlucky in a meeting.

 

Perhaps Dave Jessup losing a World Title by an engine failure.

 

Or did you witness an opposition rider fall off 4 times in a meeting.

 

Or even your captain consistency just had one of those days which he will always want to forget.

[Fromafar]

George Hunter EF when leading Final of 1963 PLRC .There had been controversy regarding Finalists and there had to to an extra heat which he had to ride in.Perhaps he would not have had EF in Final but for that extra heat!

[iris123]

Not really just a meeting,but a tour

 

Boris Samorodov in the 1965 GB v USSR series fell in ht 2 of the first test at Wimbledon at that was his lot for the series

Edited September 8, 2016 by iris123

[Sidney the robin]

1983 Gothenburg world pairs final Billy Sanders had won four races he fell while leading the Muller/Maier partnership.Guglielmi then went on to win the run/off the fall probably robbed the Aussies of winning the title.

Edited September 9, 2016 by Sidney the robin

[Triple.H.]

Is it true that when Billy Sanders unfortunately took his own life.

That John Cooke painted a boxing kangaroo in Billy's pit space.

Which during a subsequent stadium refurbishment by the owners was painted over

John Cooke flew over from Sweden and illegally entered the stadium and repainted the boxing kangaroo

If true it's a great tale of brotherhood

[Vincent Vega]

Justin Elkins loads of engine failures in one season.

[iris123]

You could say those Russian riders who had their bikes pinched before a Wembley world final were out of luck!!!

[Joe Beevers]

You could say those Russian riders who had their bikes pinched before a Wembley world final were out of luck!!!

I never heard about this? When?

 

That is awful luck.

[arnieg]

I never heard about this? When?

That is awful luck.

1972 World Final

 

see http://www.speedway-forum.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=29421

[SCB]

Or did you witness an opposition rider fall off 4 times in a meeting.

There was a meeting between Reading and Kings Lynn in what must have been 2008 where Kozza Smith had about 6 rides and was withdrawn by the doctor against his wishes because he had crashed so many times the doctor deemed him not fit to race. I'm sure he crashed/fell something like 8 times in 6 heats. It resulted in a fight in the pits as Kozza/Kings Lynn didnt think he should be withdrawn.

[Tigerblade]

Perhaps Dave Jessup losing a World Title by an engine failure.

 

I'm afraid I have to dispute that one, as it was in his first race. Talking hypothetically here, had he been in front in his last race when he already had 11 points and Ole had completed his 5 rides on 13, then yes.

 

I seem to recall a meeting in the mid 80s at Sheffield, v Reading I think, where Shawn Moran had something happen every time he was out and he scored zero. Not sure if it was EF, falls or tapes, but I seem to think it was all circumstances rather than incompetence.

 

Not sure if this counts as sabotage was later proved, but PC in the Northern Riders' Championship the day after the sugar in the tank British Final. He actually made the gate in 4 races and then had engine failure in all of them, and the other he got excluded for exceeding 2 minutes.

Edited September 25, 2016 by Tigerblade

[lucifer sam]

As well as those already mentioned:

 

Chris Louis' engine failure while well clear in the final of the 1996 PLRC at Bradford.

 

Dave Perks losing his chain on the last bend of the 1984 NLRC at Peterborough and losing the run-off to Ian Barney as a consequence.

 

Likewise, Kyle Hughes shedding a chain on the final bend of the 2009 NLRC at Rye House to gift the run-off to Craig Cook.

 

All the best

Rob

[Reviresco]

1983 Gothenburg world pairs final Billy Sanders had won four races he fell while leading the Muller/Maier partnership.Guglielmi then went on to win the run/off the fall probably robbed the Aussies of winning the title.

 

And, added to that Sid, the British Pair of Collins and Carter ran into each other in an earlier heat and the referee decided all four back. The referee.....? Australian Sam Bass who never did Billy a favour in his life, also unfairly excluding him under two minutes in the Australasian Final at Liverpool in 1981 leading Billy to fail to make the top four qualifying places by one point?!

 

Remember that Pairs Final also for Hans Nielsen doing a forward roll over the tapes at a start of one heat, lol.

[sandwichspeedwayfan]

Chris Harris Warsaw 2015 - 7 points after three rides just beaten Janowski and Gollob (I was a lone bit sat in an all Pole section at this point how I'm still alive is beyond me) given their next races on paper Bomber's being easier than Matej's could have finished ahead top only for a rule that no-one knew had been introduced before the meeting and has since been scrapped where a GP could be abandoned at heat 12 to be implemented - A Polish fan even said "what the odds it was abandoned cos Bomber was looking the best rider"

 

other mention for Bomber - Melbourne could have had 9 points ended up with 0!

 

 

Notable mention Shaun Tedham at Kent 2013 for Stoke - 7 rides - 0 points! ouch!

[Andrew]

I seem to recall a meeting in the mid 80s at Sheffield, v Reading I think, where Shawn Moran had something happen every time he was out and he scored zero. Not sure if it was EF, falls or tapes, but I seem to think it was all circumstances rather than incompetence.

 

 

 

Just looked this one up TB,it was against Reading in 1984. Shawn was excluded in heat one when his chain broke and Tim Hunt crashed into the back of him.

In his second heat his engine siezed up.

In his third heat he touched the tapes and was excluded.

And lastly in his fourth heat,the bike had a electrical failure and he ground to a halt.

Tigers lost 38-40!

Edited September 30, 2016 by Andrew

[Triple.H.]

Just looked this one up TB,it was against Reading in 1984. Shawn was excluded in heat one when his chain broke and Tim Hunt crashed into the back of him.

In his second heat his engine siezed up.

In his third heat he touched the tapes and was excluded.

And lastly in his fourth heat,the bike had a electrical failure and he ground to a halt.

Tigers lost 38-40!

I had to have a lay down

I can't believe Tim Hunt crashed into anyone

[Sidney the robin]

I had to have a lay down

I can't believe Tim Hunt crashed into anyone

He was one of the dirtiest riders that i ever saw if you were his partner you were riding against three riders.

[chunky]

He was one of the dirtiest riders that i ever saw if you were his partner you were riding against three riders.

Not that he was dirty - or even wild - but Ron Mountford was known to race his team-mates!

 

Getting back to the subject, Efkins has already been mentioned, although whether that could be considered as "luckless", I'm not quite sure...

 

 

Steve

Edited October 5, 2016 by chunky

[Tigerblade]

 

Just looked this one up TB,it was against Reading in 1984. Shawn was excluded in heat one when his chain broke and Tim Hunt crashed into the back of him.

In his second heat his engine siezed up.

In his third heat he touched the tapes and was excluded.

And lastly in his fourth heat,the bike had a electrical failure and he ground to a halt.

Tigers lost 38-40!

 

Thank you, Andrew, like I said earlier, I couldn't remember exactly, but it did stick that something occurred each time he came out.

I had to have a lay down

I can't believe Tim Hunt crashed into anyone

I don't think they were on lay downs then

 

If Shooey's bike threw a chain, he probably couldn't take evasive action quickly enough - that said, he probably couldn't have done that with a bit of warning!!!

 

It was actually at Owlerton the following year that he (Tim Hunt) suffered what turned out to be a career ending crash.

[tonyd]

You could say those Russian riders who had their bikes pinched before a Wembley world final were out of luck!!!

 

 

But then the bad luck turned to good luck for one of the russians who ended up borrowing and riding the one and only Bert Harkings bike on the night (which was proberly faster than the russians own at that time) but ........

....... bad luck then struck again when I believe Berts bike ended up rather bent after landing on the dog track after the ruskies had a coming together with the unlucky Briggo that night.