'They Retired Too Soon'

[Sidney the robin]

In many ways but for very different reasons, Arthur Forrest had a similar sort of career to Michael Lee.Arthur started his career aged 16. In 1949 and retired in 1959 aged 26  going into the family business.He reached five world finals  and was third in 1956 he also represented England as an 18 year old.Lee well we all know about his history his top flight career 1975/84 was finished in 1984 he won the title in 1980 and reached six world finals finishing placed twice and fourth in 1977.

Edited August 12, 2021 by Sidney the robin

[Vince]

On 7/22/2021 at 7:05 PM, E I Addio said:

Actually Sid I do think it is a mega tough era today in terms of the top level but for a different reason . Up to about the mid seventies tuners didn’t play a major part. It was as much about the rider as the bike, and that’s why we have to say Briggs , Fundin, Moore etc were truly great riders,. Today it’s as much about the getting the sponsors to fund a fortune on tuners , set ups , spare engines etc. I’m not knocking today’s riders by any means but it’s very much a different game today. Some have 30 different engines. On the other hand, take Terry Betts for example. He said in Classic Speedway that he used to buy one new engine at the start of the season, used it the whole season, never laid a spanner on it for the whole season except changing the valve springs and he was, on his day , capable of beating  the worlds best.  

I admire Jason Doyle because he became World Champion relatively  on a shoe string compared with most modern riders, but I doubt whether anyone will win it again without massive sponsorship money behind  them. The rider used to be more important than the bike, today, I think it’s the other way round.

If you talk to the older riders including Briggo they will tell you how they bought in 'special' engines for the big events, hired from the likes of Lattenhammer who had set them up for a specific rider and track. I know the 'special ones' who were handicapped for a season were set against it because it meant they had to spend far too much money on motors.

Without doubt the engines they used in the leagues would have been much more standard and for all except the busiest looked after by the riders themselves. Colin Cook told us how he had an 897 Jawa and only adjusted the tappets using it home and away for every meeting of the season.

[E I Addio]

2 hours ago, Vince said:

If you talk to the older riders including Briggo they will tell you how they bought in 'special' engines for the big events, hired from the likes of Lattenhammer who had set them up for a specific rider and track. I know the 'special ones' who were handicapped for a season were set against it because it meant they had to spend far too much money on motors.

Without doubt the engines they used in the leagues would have been much more standard and for all except the busiest looked after by the riders themselves. Colin Cook told us how he had an 897 Jawa and only adjusted the tappets using it home and away for every meeting of the season.

 I am not sure that tuners really made much difference before the mid -seventies. I remember Olle Nygren saying he always did his own engines but that “Ivan was always messing about with tuners” but apparently not getting much mechanical advantage.

When Ivan Mauger was asked which was his most satisfying World Championship win he said 1972 because that was the last year all the bikes were pretty much the same. He said in the 1972 World Final you could line all the bikes up and race over a measured Kilometre and there would be practically nothing between them at the finish , but after that the tuners were starting to make a difference.

Of course, this is Speedway so we must take most of what is said with a pinch of salt, although we now know because Mauger admitted it that some or this experimentation involved illegal fuels, although he also said that the difference was mostly psychological, giving more confidence . 

 

[Chewbacca]

Ron Henderson of Newcastle who averaged 5.8 in his debut season of 1975, increased it to 8.3 in 1976 then quit part way through 1977 to become a social worker back in Australia. 

[bradders85]

On 8/7/2021 at 10:56 AM, Hodgy said:

Chris Manchester immediately came to mind. He was improving rapidly but recall he had a few crashes and completely lost his nerve. He gave it another go but his head had completely gone. 

Doing a piece on my favourites from the old Belle Vue and 'Manny' was one of my favourites, heard a lot of people point to a crash at Middlesborough in 1996 when he crashed into the fence and that began the start of the downturn. As many feel that crash saw him lose his nerve and never looked the same again.

 

[Technik]

Another American Josh Larsen. He was in the UK for a couple of seasons & I felt he was making good progress then he was gone

[arnieg]

5 hours ago, Technik said:

Another American Josh Larsen. He was in the UK for a couple of seasons & I felt he was making good progress then he was gone

His British career spanned 14 years and he was over 40 when he retired from riding regularly in top line US meetings.

[GeneralMelchett]

On 7/11/2021 at 9:09 AM, steve roberts said:

Does Andy Galvin qualify? Did injury curtial his career as I can't remember?

He was badly injured at Hackney (90 ithink badly broken leg ) took a season to recover and then switched to Arena in 1991 when we won the div 2 and got prompted under Terry Russell - where he had a fairly reasonable few seasons but he never was the same rider sadly! Still good and was a much liked / valued rider at Arena.

All seems so long ago, Andy Silver me fabulous rider and my first speedway hero!

By my reckoning both retired in the early -mid 90s so outside the scope - apologies but good memories anyway!

Edited July 17 by GeneralMelchett

[GiveusaB]

On 7/20/2021 at 6:56 PM, steve roberts said:

Carl Askew (another with "Brummie" connections) ?

'Cuddly' Carl....couldn't stay on his bike for 4 laps 😀

[TINYS]

Bruce Penhall.

[ArthurRudge]

On 7/23/2021 at 7:34 PM, steve roberts said:

Chris Manchester was an enigma...seemed to have the world at his feet but he never really progressed and returned to the States never to return.

Yes I agree, everyone was raving about him and give him his due he was good but then that smash at Boro knocked the wind right out of his sails and he was never the same confidence went.

[Wild Man Vic]

Two that stand out for me from years ago are Steve Waplington (Rochdale & Belle Vue Colts if I remember correctly) and, that Aussie mate of Phil Crump's, Gary Flood (Crewe).

Both looked set for great careers but then just walked away from the sport at an early age.

I also think Jim Airey left the sport too early too.

Edited September 22 by Wild Man Vic

[GeneralMelchett]

On 6/18/2024 at 1:11 AM, arnieg said:

His British career spanned 14 years and he was over 40 when he retired from riding regularly in top line US meetings.

I didn't pick up on this at the time but Josh 'retired' so to speak and remained stateside after 2-3 seasons at Arena-Essex he qualifed as a fireman if my memory is right! He did return but many years later - I remember some of the cheeky younger members on here moaning about how he wasn't any good and some of us older lags reminded them he'd been a top division rider and a world finalist(?)

Edited October 16 by GeneralMelchett

[r8gdp]

Jim Airey definitely left the sport over here too early came to Sheffield a great no 1 then bang went home to Australia and never returned