Ivan Admits That Tony Is The Best!

[RogH 0]

I agree with a lot of Ivan's comments in Backtrack.

Of course you can never know who would have won what if the GP system had been in force in Ivan's day, but I was more interested in his opinion that the GP can not be called a World Championsip when it is invitation only and there is no qualifying. IMO he has a very good point.

He also goes on to say that the current GP format is making the whole series static. The top riders have only to get 8/9 points out of 15 to reach the semis, and a rider like Tony Rickardsson will feel confdent of beating anyone in a knock out race. The effect is to make it harder than ever for up and coming riders to dislodge the Rickardsson/Crump/Pedersen trio at the top, which if allowed to continue will create a same old same old feel about the GP and will potentially turn off TV viewers.

Ivan also said that if you replace the bottom 7 riders, who do you bring in that's any better ? There is a need to keep things fresh, and a qualifying system for the 7 available places would do that.

A lot of good sense IMO Ivan. BSI still haven't got it right and will need to look at it again I think.

[BritPete 625]

I saw all of Mauger's career, and most of Brigg's and Fundin's etc. It is all well and good saying that you cannot compare era's, but, there is one aspect of it whereby you can, IMO. How good were these riders when they missed the start?

 

Briggs was superb from the back, as good as anyone you can think of, Fundin was a very fast starter, but, when he missed the start he was capable of winning races, and I saw him do it many times.

 

Mauger, however was the exception, I watched him in many, many meetings across the country, and never once did I see him get past anyone, if he missed the start, then he lost the race, in fact he was notorious for it, and no doubt that contributed greatly to his unpopularity.

 

Mauger is of course amongst the greats, but the best of all? not to me, as far as I'm concerned the greatest ever would have to have more to his armoury than to be a quick starter.

[Grachan 7,362]

Mauger, however was the exception, I watched him in many, many meetings across the country, and never once did I see him get past anyone, if he missed the start, then he lost the race, in fact he was notorious for it, and no doubt that contributed greatly to his unpopularity.

 

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Seeing is believing Pete!

[AndyM 1]

Great bit of film, Grachan. Where did you find that?

[Grachan 7,362]

I recorded it from my own video collection and uploaded it. It's from the 1973 World Final.

[BritPete 625]

Seeing is believing Pete!

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I missed that meeting! however, you will be very hard pressed to build up a

collection of Mauger's greatest overtakes!

[AndyM 1]

...not one Ivan will want to remember, then!

[AndyM 1]

I missed that meeting! however, you will be very hard pressed to build up a

collection of Mauger's greatest overtakes!

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Because not so many meetings were filmed in those days. He certainly took when he had to in the golden days at Hyde Road.

[BritPete 625]

If you really think that Mauger was better than Rickardsson, then that is your opinion, I will always disagree, and, I do not believe that I am the only one.

 

That overtake was a very rare occurence for him, the likes of Rickardsson, Briggo, Collins etc. would make such moves most weeks of the season, and, they would do so for fun!

[iris123 20,972]

Andrew Silver used to do the same,didn't make him better than Mauger

[BritPete 625]

iris, you really do need to get out more!

[iris123 20,972]

Your right,but its Germany outside.I'd rather stay in

Actually if it wasn't for the poxy weather i would get out more

[Mr. Clemens 646]

I thought that Mauger was a 'self interested' rider. His comments in the Sun newspaper indicated that he didn't think that Rickardsson had the opposition to test him as a rider in this Grand Prix series. I am sure that presented with such an argument Mauger would have said 'you can only beat those who are on the track'.

 

I recall a 'celebration dinner' of some sort being advertised in the Speedway Star at a hotel, I believe in Manchester, back in the 1970's probably. We bought tickets to go there and on our arrival with a number of other supporters we were informed at the door it was a private function to which supporters were not invited.

 

We were allowed in however as it was shown that we all had a 'right' to be there. It was evident, however, to all of us that we were not really welcome. It was obvious the riders in attendance thought it was supposed to be a private function.

 

At a certain point in the evening we were invited to speak with the riders who were sat at a long table. As we walked down the line eventually I was face to face with Mauger and said to him 'though I am not a fan of yours I wish to compliment you on your successes in speedway that I think are well deserved'.

 

I might as well not really have bothered as Mauger had beforehand fixed his gaze somewhere in the distance and made no reaction to my comments, so i moved on down the line. I noticed everyone else got the same response from him too. The other riders though not 'best suited' that we were there spoke to the supporters and responded to what was said to them.

 

This incident 'confirmed' to me that Mauger was a man of single minded purpose determined to achieve goals that he had in mind. There is nothing wrong with this as everyone has a 'game plan' but for me his way of achieving his goals were in contradiction to the ethos of speedway being a 'family sport'.

 

My impression was that Mauger's attitude was 'what can speedway do for me rather than what can I do for speedway. In other words Mauger wasn't the kind of rider who most people naturally wanted to support. A Sheffield supporter I knew always insisted on pronouncing Ivan's surname as Moger instead of Major, despite the fact that I pointed out to him that it wasn't spelled as Moger either.

 

I would also go as far as to say that Rickardsson is more aware of how to present himself to the public. He always comes across as magnaminous in victory and defeat. Willing to talk to the public (not during racing at Grand Prixs which I for one think he has every right not to do so) and comes across as a genuine lover of speedway as a sport.

 

I agree with those who said Mauger was great from the gate which no one can deny. I saw him in one British League Riders final, I don't know what year it was but I do recall that Jack Parker was sat 2 rows behind us on the back straight as the stadium announcer pinpointed where he was sat.

 

In one race Mauger ducked down as the tapes went up and was on the first bend before the other 3 riders had moved off the line. This goes down as the finest example of gating I have ever seen. As for rolling at the gate everyone was at it in those days. We christened one certain rider 'Rolling Rider Eide'.

 

I also agree that when he missed the gate that Mauger didn't find it easy coming from the back as low scores in various prestigious meetings indicate. You often drew the conclusion that if Ivan wasn't winning he wasn't interested.

 

As for the argument of how many titles a rider would have won if they had have rode in another time period etc, and therefore who is the 'greatest rider'. I was discussing this with my nephew and we agreed that it's an argument that can never be proven.

 

My conclusion was that whichever period the world champions had rode in Mauger would have won 6 titles Fundin 5 Rickardsson 5 (thus far as nothing is certain till it's all over) and the rest down the line.

 

I recall going to Sweden in 1977 and the general opinion was the Mauger had no chance of winning that year. He had not won since 1972 and looked to most a 'hasbeen'. Nevertheless I said to those on our coach that my gut instinct was that he would be world champion at the end of the evening.

 

My instinct was that Mauger was quite happy that each and all had written him off as a prospective world champion. Very much in the same manner that in the 1972 world final Mauger wore black leathers (a pair he bought off of Eric Boocock if memory serves me correctly) to blend in with the east european riders who were regarded as also rans in that final, he was happy to be regarded as an also ran in the 1977 world final.

 

If you like Mauger or you don't his achievements demand respect and he has mine whether it is a grudging respect or not. Whichever way you want to look at it 'fate' dealt him 6 world titles. Fate appears to be handing Rickardsson number 6 too.

 

I like Rickardsson and acknowlege him as a great world champion which he is. In his own way Ivan Mauger is a great world champion too. In this speedway 'town' there is room for 2 great world champions. In fact there is room for all the great world champions and the not so great too. All of them in fact.

[Mr. Clemens 646]

And talking of great riders (which no one appears to be anymore ) the greatest rider I ever saw was dear old Arnold Haley.

 

Poetry in motion and the sole reason I paid my cash to watch Sheffield on a thursday night.

[tiger74 0]

And talking of great riders (which no one appears to be anymore  ) the greatest rider I ever saw was dear old Arnold Haley.

 

Poetry in motion and the sole reason I paid my cash to watch Sheffield on a thursday night.

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could not agree more he was brilliant at Ipswich in 1974 when we won the KO cup