World Final consistency

[BL65]

The top 10 for World Final consistency in terms of average points per ride ( from a minimum of 3 final appearances and excluding run-offs):

1 Ivan Mauger 2.51 (176 points from 70 rides)
2 Bruce Penhall 2.47 (37 from 15)
3 Freddie Williams 2.40 (48 from 20)
4 Barry Briggs 2.34 (201 from 86)
5= Wilbur Lamoreaux and Jack Milne 2.33 (both 35 from 15)
7= Ove Fundin and Erik Gundersen 2.31 (173 from 75 and 104 from 45)
9 Ole Olsen 2.29 (119 from 52)
10 Hans Nielsen 2.28 (171 from 75)

Others which may be of interest:
17 Bjorn Knutson 2.13
22 Ronnie Moore 2.06
24 Sam Ermolenko 2.04
31 Peter Craven 1.92
37 Anders Michanek 1.86
41 Peter Collins 1.78
48 Tony Rickardsson 1.65
79 Nigel Boocock 1.24
86 Chris Morton 0.98
97 Tommy Jansson 0.73

From less than 3 finals, Bluey Wilkinson 2.90, Les Collins 2.60, Wally Green 2.60, Alan Grahame 2.50, Gary Havelock 2.40, Sverre Harrfeldt 2.40, Gordon Kennett 2.40, Bob Oakley 2.40, Todd Wiltshire 2.40, Craig Boyce 2.40.

In the GP era, Tai Woffinden has scored 946 points from 519 rides for an average of 1.82.  This would have ranked 39th in the World Final list, but the formats are too different for a comparison to be meaningful.

 

[steve roberts]

Any chance Michael Lee and Simon Wigg please?

[BL65]

1 minute ago, steve roberts said:

Any chance Michael Lee and Simon Wigg please?

Michael Lee 2.07, 18th= with Kenny Carter, Tommy Knudsen and Cordy Milne.  Simon Wigg 2.00, 25th= with Gote Nordin, Jack Young, Shawn Moran and Torbjorn Harrysson. 

[steve roberts]

Just now, BL65 said:

Michael Lee 2.07, 18th= with Kenny Carter, Tommy Knudsen and Cordy Milne.  Simon Wigg 2.00, 25th= with Gote Nordin, Jack Young, Shawn Moran and Torbjorn Harrysson. 

Many thanks...fascinating stats!

[waiheke1]

Very interesting. 

Agree also that you cant compare the stats from the GP era as the fields are stronger, and the semi-final/final format means top riders meet each other even more (up to 3 times a meeting). 

[chunky]

1 hour ago, waiheke1 said:

Very interesting. 

Agree also that you cant compare the stats from the GP era as the fields are stronger, and the semi-final/final format means top riders meet each other even more (up to 3 times a meeting). 

Strange... I keep reading on the BSF how much easier it is in the GP's, and how the riders are crap compared to the old days...

[BOBBATH]

I always enjoy your threads BL65 (before anybody gets their nose out of joint- I enjoy many others also) I would have to say though that there should be an asterisk next to Fred Williams name-as he rode all his rides on his home track- I wonder how many others would have surpassed his stats if they could also just have ridden on their home tracks also e.g. Fundin at Norwich, Moore at Wimbledon, Craven at Belle Vue., Nigel Boocock at Coventry?? Also thinking about it some more shouldn't Jack Young be on that list somewhere.

[BL65]

58 minutes ago, BOBBATH said:

 Also thinking about it some more shouldn't Jack Young be on that list somewhere.

Jack Young averaged 2.00 and is 25th= with Torbjorn Harrysson, Shawn Moran, Gote Nordin and Simon Wigg.  Two ex-Wasps there.

[Andrew]

Kelly must be somewhere between 11th and 16th on your list (33/15=2.20)?

[BL65]

8 hours ago, Andrew said:

Kelly must be somewhere between 11th and 16th on your list (33/15=2.20)?

12= with Jan O. Pedersen.

[BL65]

11 Lionel Van Praag 2.21
12= Kelly Moran, Jan O. Pedersen, Malcolm Simmons 2.20
15= Bengt Jansson, Olle Nygren 2.16
17 Bjorn Knutson 2.13
18= Kenny Carter, Tommy Knudsen, Michael Lee, Cordy Milne 2.07
22 Ronnie Moore 2.06
23 John Louis 2.05
24 Sam Ermolenko 2.04
25= Torbjorn Harryson, Shawn Moran, Gote Nordin, Simon Wigg, Jack Young 2.00
30 Per Jonsson 1.97

[mickthemuppet]

19 hours ago, BOBBATH said:

I always enjoy your threads BL65 (before anybody gets their nose out of joint- I enjoy many others also) I would have to say though that there should be an asterisk next to Fred Williams name-as he rode all his rides on his home track- I wonder how many others would have surpassed his stats if they could also just have ridden on their home tracks also e.g. Fundin at Norwich, Moore at Wimbledon, Craven at Belle Vue., Nigel Boocock at Coventry?? Also thinking about it some more shouldn't Jack Young be on that list somewhere.

But Freddie  Williams had to get through to Wembley  through  the qualifying rounds on away track as well

[iris123]

16 minutes ago, mickthemuppet said:

But Freddie  Williams had to get through to Wembley  through  the qualifying rounds on away track as well

And ?

No doubt he was one of the top riders, so shouldn't have had problems getting through in the top 16. That is a totally different thing to winning on his home track......apples and pears

[BOBBATH]

You are right Mike but so did the other 15- I would not dispute that Fred qualified fair and square (like the others) but fact is 14 of the other 15 were riding away from home unlike Fred- Same thing in 1953. Also in 1952 Fred finished second on his home track and at third was Bob Oakley -another Wembley rider in his only WF appearance who by no means was one of their top stars.  Again home track advantage . BTW the 1952 win of Jack Young  of West Ham shows his greatness in overcoming the 2 Wembley riders, again just think how manty times Ove for example would have won if the WF had been held on his home track of Norwich.

[waiheke1]

1 hour ago, BOBBATH said:

You are right Mike but so did the other 15- I would not dispute that Fred qualified fair and square (like the others) but fact is 14 of the other 15 were riding away from home unlike Fred- Same thing in 1953. Also in 1952 Fred finished second on his home track and at third was Bob Oakley -another Wembley rider in his only WF appearance who by no means was one of their top stars.  Again home track advantage . BTW the 1952 win of Jack Young  of West Ham shows his greatness in overcoming the 2 Wembley riders, again just think how manty times Ove for example would have won if the WF had been held on his home track of Norwich.

Or if the world final was held only at belle vue - would kenny carter be a double world champ, mighty Mort a world champ...

[BOBBATH]

Or if it had been held at Newport maybe Jackie Biggs could have finally made it-after all he almost did at Wembley in 1951

[norbold]

Or if it had been held at Ipswich, Savalas Clouting could have been World Champion.

[iris123]

Not to mention Buzz Burrows if it was held at Plough Lane.....he might have needed a wildcard through though

[Sidney the robin]

On 5/5/2020 at 9:03 PM, waiheke1 said:

Very interesting. 

Agree also that you cant compare the stats from the GP era as the fields are stronger, and the semi-final/final format means top riders meet each other even more (up to 3 times a meeting). 

That comfort zone of knowing you only  have to get to a semi and can still win the meeting for me makes it easier now though.Do i think the series as being  particularly strong now yes it is strong but there are a few riders there on the way down and at the moment are not being replaced by fresh blood.

Edited May 7, 2020 by Sidney the robin

[iris123]

Found this interesting. A thread on the German forum about the Master of Speedway series, which at the beginning was a bit like a short GP series

1978 with a round in Bremen, Gothenburg and two in Vojens

 

1.Peter Collins GB 27 2.Ole Olsen DK 22 3.Michael Lee GB 10 4.John Davis GB 9 5.Malcolm Simmons GB 8 6.Dave Jessup GB 6 7.Phil Crump AUS 6 8.Gordon Kennett GB 5 9.Ivan Mauger NZ 4 10.Tommy Nilsson S 2 11.Jan Andersson S 1

Of course the world final that year was Olsen,Kennett, Autrey

 

 

1979 with 3 rounds in Germany, Sweden and Denmark

1.Bruce Penhall USA 34 2.Peter Collins GB 27 3.Scott Autrey USA 27 4.Michael Lee GB 19 5.Gordon Kennett GB 17 6.Ole Olsen DK 17 7.Hans Nielsen DK 15 8.Dave Jessup GB 12 9.Billy Sanders AUS 9 10.Phil Crump AUS 8 11.Anders Michanek S 5 12.Malcolm Simmons GB 3 13.Hans Holmqvist S 3 14.Ivan Mauger NZ 1 15.Michael Lohman DK 1

World final was Mauger,Plech,Lee

 

 

1980 and only two rounds in Germany and Denmark

1.Hans Nielsen DK 30 2.Bruce Penhall USA 22 3.Chris Morton GB 20 4.Ole Olsen DK 15 5.Peter Collins GB 14 6.Dave Jessup GB 11 7.Gordon Kennett GB 5 8.Michael Lee GB 4 9.Ivan Mauger NZ 3 10.Tommy Knudsen DK 3 11.John Davis GB 2 12.Svend Lund DK 2 13.Jens-Henry Nielsen DK 1

World Final was Lee, Jessup, Sanders

 

1981 was two round only in Germany and after that it wasn't really worth mentioning

1.Hans Nielsen DK 27 2.Bruce Penhall USA 16 3.Egon Müller D 15 4.Bobby Schwartz USA 12 5.Erik Gundersen DK 10 6.George Gilgenreiner D 10 7.Bo Petersen DK 6 8.Josef Aigner D 6 9.Ole Olsen DK 6 10.Jan Andersson S 5 11.Chris Morton GB 5 12.Georg Hack D 4 13.Dave Jessup GB 3 14.Billy Sanders AUS 3 15.Larry Ross NZ 2 16.Peter Würtele D 1 17.Peter Collins GB 1

World final Penhall, Olsen, Knudsen

https://www.speedway-forum.de/forum/index.php?thread/18836-master-of-speedway-bremen-1978-1988/

Edited May 7, 2020 by iris123