briggo 29 Posted November 11, 2005 Sumner McKnight, Rick Woods, Dewayne Keeter............any word? They kinda sunk without trace. If only Rick had stayed longer, he was surely a better prospect than Scott Autrey, who stayed, and proved himself to be one of the best. Steve and Mike Bast also, unbeatable at home, if only...... Was it the love of the small tracks or the big bucks that stunted their careers? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
halo 0 Posted November 11, 2005 Sumner McKnight, Rick Woods, Dewayne Keeter............any word? They kinda sunk without trace. If only Rick had stayed longer, he was surely a better prospect than Scott Autrey, who stayed, and proved himself to be one of the best. Steve and Mike Bast also, unbeatable at home, if only...... Was it the love of the small tracks or the big bucks that stunted their careers? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Sumner McKight is now a cop in the states Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sandman 0 Posted November 11, 2005 Sumner McKnight, Rick Woods, Dewayne Keeter............any word? They kinda sunk without trace. If only Rick had stayed longer, he was surely a better prospect than Scott Autrey, who stayed, and proved himself to be one of the best. Steve and Mike Bast also, unbeatable at home, if only...... Was it the love of the small tracks or the big bucks that stunted their careers? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Dewayne Keeter was an excellent prospect.. Unfortunately upon his return to the states he was killed in a racing accident in the 70's.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Grachan 7,362 Posted November 11, 2005 Dewayne Keeter was killed just after I started going to speedway, so it must have been 1974. The first I heard of him was this headline on a newspaper hoarding fixed to the Swindon safety fence on the first/second bend. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sandman 0 Posted November 11, 2005 Dewayne Keeter was a very accomplished racer.. his average didnt really reflect his ability..and from what i have heard, a very amiable person.. i think , given time, he would have been one of the best, because he didnt fail in any of his racing endevours..probably better than any of the american riders mentioned..his promoter at Leicester made a mistake in letting him go.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevehone 3,429 Posted November 12, 2005 well i wasn't over impressed with Brad Oxley when he rode at Wimbledon for us ... but at least he had something to fall back on with all the pies his old man has a finger in Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest speedyguy Posted November 12, 2005 well i wasn't over impressed with Brad Oxley when he rode at Wimbledon for us ... but at least he had something to fall back on with all the pies his old man has a finger in <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Just because you are an American you cannoit always be a world-beater. Think how many British aspirants fail to make the grade in their own domestic racing? Not every American is a Jack Milne, Cordy Milne, Wilbur Lamoreaux, Peewee Cullum or Scott Autrey. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BertHoven 1 Posted November 12, 2005 Just because you are an American you cannoit always be a world-beater. Think how many British aspirants fail to make the grade in their own domestic racing? Not every American is a Jack Milne, Cordy Milne, Wilbur Lamoreaux, Peewee Cullum or Scott Autrey. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Great to see a mention of Charles 'Peewee' Cullum - I thought only us Loyal and Ancient supporters of Bellle Vue remembered him. I heard from a friend in USA that Mr Cullum checked into the Horizontal Hilton a few years ago and now races in that great speedway stadium in the sky* - Hyde Road, of course! * Note the lower case initial letter! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest speedyguy Posted November 12, 2005 Great to see a mention of Charles 'Peewee' Cullum - I thought only us Loyal and Ancient supporters of Bellle Vue remembered him. I heard from a friend in USA that Mr Cullum checked into the Horizontal Hilton a few years ago and now races in that great speedway stadium in the sky* - Hyde Road, of course! * Note the lower case initial letter! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Maybe I remember him because I was a London-based follower of Belle Vue. Cullum was also a pre-war member of Putt Mossman's troupe and in 1936 was runner-up in an unofficial world championship at the Stade Buffalo in Paris, France. Don't know the name of the winner. He did well at Belle Vue in 1949 and 1950, but a knee injury forced him to stay in USA after that where he raced for a few more seasons. In the 1970s and 1980s Cullum worked for Harry Oxley as part of the management team at Costa Mesa. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bryn 413 Posted November 12, 2005 I think that Uncle Len would have to admit that Timmy Jo Shepherd was NOT the best signing he's ever made! Anyone else remember him? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
frigbo 518 Posted November 12, 2005 Timmy Joe Shepherd what a legend! Two very slow races v Belle Vue in '75 and then the first flight back home! He was the Hackney equivalent of Leonard Raba! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Grachan 7,362 Posted November 12, 2005 Not forgetting our own Bart Bast too, who turned out to be a big disappointment. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
frigbo 518 Posted November 13, 2005 Not forgetting our own Bart Bast too, who turned out to be a big disappointment. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I always though Bart got a bit of a rough deal. He was averaging over 5 in his frst season and got dropped for a veteran in John Davis. To put it in perspective, he'd have been fourth in our averages last season! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevehone 3,429 Posted November 13, 2005 Just because you are an American you cannoit always be a world-beater. Think how many British aspirants fail to make the grade in their own domestic racing? Not every American is a Jack Milne, Cordy Milne, Wilbur Lamoreaux, Peewee Cullum or Scott Autrey. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> have a look at the title of the thread i didn't say all Americans are or should be world beaters, i replied to the title of the thread and mentioned one that didn't make it with the team i supported. Brad did reasonably well in his home country and came over here to give it a shot ... it didn't work out, simple as. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest speedyguy Posted November 13, 2005 Timmy Joe Shepherd what a legend! Two very slow races v Belle Vue in '75 and then the first flight back home! He was the Hackney equivalent of Leonard Raba! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Yes. Timmy Jo Shepherd was a disappointment. He came from a virtual non-speedway area in the USA, Lawrenceburg in Indiana. This is mainly a flat-track motorcyle area. He was one of a handful of kids who tried to promote speedway in Indiana. Even now there is only one speedway there - at Idianapolis National Speedway. Timmy Jo was wrongly advised about trying his hand in Britain. He came here with no real speedway experience and was sadly obviously out of his depth. Those to blame for this debacle are the ones who advised him to come here - and to Len Silver at Hackney for not checking him out more carefully. As I said elsewhere - not all Americans are world-beaters. But let's remember this, even the unsuccessful Americans do something most of their critics have never done. Tried to be a speedway rider. This is a rather sad thread - finding riders to debunk. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
