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Oldest Top Ten Riders Still Competitive In The World


Joe Beevers

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So I was reading in the Speedway Star that Mike Faria still rides competitively in the U.S Championship and I thought he must be one of the oldest riders still going so thought with a bit of a help we could compile a list and I will be interested to see if Greg Hancock makes the top ten.

 

Speedway only allowed though so no ice, longtrack or grasstrack allowed in this list unless they still ride competitive speedway meetings.

 

Apologies if this thread has been done.

 

So into the mix I will put:

 

Mike Faria 4/3/1957

Tony Atkin 8/4/1966

Bart Bast 4/6/1967

Greg Hancock 3/6/1970

 

 

Any other takers?

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So I was reading in the Speedway Star that Mike Faria still rides competitively in the U.S Championship and I thought he must be one of the oldest riders still going so thought with a bit of a help we could compile a list and I will be interested to see if Greg Hancock makes the top ten.

 

Speedway only allowed though so no ice, longtrack or grasstrack allowed in this list unless they still ride competitive speedway meetings.

 

Apologies if this thread has been done.

 

So into the mix I will put:

 

Mike Faria 4/3/1957

Tony Atkin 8/4/1966

Bart Bast 4/6/1967

Greg Hancock 3/6/1970

 

 

Any other takers?

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Here are some notable oldies active in 2015/16:

 

Shawn McConnell 26-4-59 - riding regularly at Costa Mesa and Industry, including one round of AMA National Championship. 4th in US National Championship

Bob Hicks 29-10-64 - regular at Auburn and Industry

Charlie Venegas 12-2-67 - 11th in AMA National Championship

Bart Bast 4-6-67 - Auburn track champion, 8th in AMA National Championship this year

 

Piotr Swist 20-6-68 (1994 World Finalist, still rides regularly in Nce Speedway League - Poland's second division)

 

Peter Karlsson 17-12-69 - EL and Elitserien (oldest active rider in both)

 

Matias Kroger 24-5-69 (ever present for Brokstedt in Bundesliga for whom he has ridden for 26(?) seasons)

 

Sandor Tihanyi 28-4-63 - ridden in SEC qualifyer and a couple of other meetings in Hungary this year

 

Vladimir Trofimov 28-1-62 - rode in Ukraine last season (his father Viktor was a double world finalist and carried on riding until age 57)

 

Alexandu Toma 10-6-68 - had a farewell meeting last season, but has continued riding in Romanian Championship this season

Marian Gheorge 11-10-57 - currently second in Romanian Championship to Adrian Gheorge (his son?) and has ridden in Swedish league One a couple of times this year)

 

Imre Fogas snr 8-9-56 - Hungarian but rides in Romania where he is currently 6th in national championship

 

Arnt Forland 10-7-64 - Norwegian who rode in Swedish League One on a Swedish licence last year.

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Right so a bit more research has been done and I think a top 30 list is more fitting at the moment.

 

Harlan Bast Snr 5/11/1935

Gene Bonsignore 23/6/1948

Willy Kennis 11/5/1953

Bobby Schwartz 10/8/1956

Imre Fogas Snr 8/9/1956

Marian Gheorge 11/10/1957

Shawn McConnell 26/4/1959

Eddie Castro.?/?/1959

Vladimir Trofimov 28/1/1962

Sandor Tihanyi 28/4/1963

Tuff McBride 3/1/1964

Arnt Forland 10/7/1964

Bob Hicks 29/10/1964

Tony Atkin 8/4/1966

Charlie Venegas 12/2/1967

Bart Bast 4/6/1967

Alexandre Tomu 10/6/1968

Piotr Swist 20/6/68 (End of season farewell)

Mathias Kroger 24/6/1969 (Retiring end of season?)

Jacek Gollob 27/10/1969

Peter Karlsson 17/12/1969

Making Greg Hancock the youngster of the group being born on the 3/6/1970

 

I think 1970 can be a cut off to give Mr Hancock some as appreciation that he is a young rider after all compared to some.

 

An amazing list in all honesty and I am sure there are a lot more Poles to be added but Tomasz Gollob just misses the boat I am afraid being born in on the 11/4/1971.

Edited by Joe Beevers
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Here are some notable oldies active in 2015/16:

 

 

Matias Kroger 24-5-69 (ever present for Brokstedt in Bundesliga for whom he has ridden for 26(?) seasons)

 

As i have mentioned once or twice on here ;) Matten has been a member of Brokstedt for 31 or 32 years if you go by some records.I think 32 years is correct,because Matten himself told me he joined Brokstedt a year after it was formed

 

http://www.abendblatt.de/region/pinneberg/sport_137/article207809767/Matthias-Kroeger-beendet-Karriere.html

 

http://www.speedweek.com/speedway-racing/news/98956/Matthias-Kroeger-Brokstedt-wird-sein-letztes-Rennen.html

Edited by iris123
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I have added Jacek to the list.

 

I thought I found a gem in Olle Ahnstrom who is still riding speedway at... 96 years old which is truly fantastic but being ice speedway means he cannot enter the list. Still a wonderful feat.

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Here is another USA East Coast rider, Tuff McBride, who should be added to the list - unless he has been included and I have missed seeing his name: he is still active at Champion Speedway, New York State.

https://www.speedwaybikes.com/re/utuffmcbride.htm

When was the last time he rode? Couldn't find anything on either him or Champion Speedway for this season.Be sad if it has gone down the Swanny like so many tracks including it seems the track near Chicago

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Champion still going

 

https://www.speedwaybikes.com/res2016_e/Champion-160904.htm

 

But no sign of Tuff since 2014

Thanls Arnie.Couldn't find any reference to him,but then i couldn't find any results for Champion this year either.So guess he won't be a new addition to the list

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