Unsuccessful American's

[Kevin Meynell 2]

Bart Bast is still riding over in the States

 

Yep. Saw him ride in the US Nationals at Costa Mesa a few weeks ago.

[sandman 0]

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}>

 

i think rick was an excellent prospect.. certainly the king of costa mesa.. but didnt shine as much on the bigger tracks.. same with both bast bros.. mcknight was a bit out of his depth at the start but was coming good when work permit problems sent him home due to averages..i believe dewayne keeter was actually the best of the lot.. he had loads of big track experience in flat track, wasnt spoiled or pampered and could live off a pound for a week.. he also worked on his own equiptment unlike most of the above mentioned.. he was an accomplished all around motorcycle racer.. i heard he was riding japs when most had already switched to jawas, dont know if it is true.. but that would explain the 4-5 point average.. does anyone have any action shots of him they could post? also one of the best american racers at the time was dannny becker, certainly full of talent, but completely wrong temperment for the british league, he more than likely wouldnt have stuck it out.. he was tall, looked like the moran brothers on steroids when he rode a bike..a complete natural, a bit like the great tommy jansson.. at one time he was the most popular of the american riders in the states..i guess the lifestyle and the california girls were just a bit too hard to let go of..

[salty 2,200]

Just to clarify DeWayne Keeter's British career.He was introduced at Leicester for the 1969 season (when he was the only American to ride here). After understandably slow start using borrowed machinary he improved throughout the season to finish on a creditable 4.87 average having ridden in all fixtures. Who knows what he might have achieved if he had come back the following season.

Of others mentioned on this thread I always thought Mike Caruso was a perfectly respectable second string and I find it hard to see Lance King as a failure when he finished on a World Final rostrum. While I take your point that he could have done so much more, then you could say the same about a lot of riders.

Particularly, in relation to this topic to the Moran brothers who were seen as supremely talented but never reached the absolute pinnacle of the sport.

On a personal level I found Brad Oxley to be a frustrating rider, because after a perfectly acceptable first year with the Dons he never kicked on in his second year and left the British scene behind.

[sandman 0]

i think Lance King was exceptional.. was a junior rider from the time he was small, probably suffered from burnout.. certainly had the talent and machinery..

[Killer Cat from Mars 16]

As for truly unsuccessful Americans, I recall Larry Kosta and Eddie Ingles being pretty dodgy Belle Vue signings in the 80s...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I remember Larry Kosta well, he had a very shaky start, and would fall off nearly all the time, but once he got going, he was okay - he was never going to be a world champion, but he did an okay job as a second string. I remember him rattling off six second places at Halifax in one match....

Eddie Ingels came to us halfway though a season in the mid 1980's, and he never really got to grips with the Hyde Road circuit. I remember one story that when he first arrived at Hyde Road, being used to tiny tracks in the states - he thought the track was more like a motorway than a speedway track!!! Eddie never could be faulted for effort though, and I always remember him blasting around the outside of the opposition reserve on the pits bend near the end of the season, and doing a lap of honour, punching the air like he had won the World Championship!! Great memories - I wonder what Larry and Eddie are doing now.

[Tigerblade 221]

What about the legend that was Mickey Rooney! John Cook's mechanic who came in to the USA for one Test match because they were a man short.

 

It's a mad, mad, etc etc.

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I remember him! Test match at Belle Vue the day after the 1985 World Final if I remember rightly?? I know it was piddling down that's for sure

 

Spin and Shoddy beat me to Tommy Morley and Bobby Hedden. Mind you our promotion of Tommy's time (late 70's) took a look at Bruce Penhall and decided he wasn't good enough....

Edited November 15, 2005 by Tigerblade

[Gaz W 6]

I remember Keith Chrisco riding the fence at Dudley wood in a test match in the early eighties and was it Middlesborough who had Donny Odom and Doug Nicol riding for them. One American who wasn't here for long but looked a decent rider was Ron Preston.

[Canadian Star 6]

Not all Americans, just like English,Welsh or Outer Mongolians for that matter were successful. Did they add something to the sport ? they certainly did. I remember going to Kings Lynn in 1979 to see an American select take on the Stars, it was a great night, with Kelly Moran and a host of others putting on a show, mixing with fans and generally having a good time. Amongst others was one Steve Columbo, i think he rode for Birmingham at the time, he wasn't particularly impressive, but gave it a go. I think this thread is pretty negative, generally speaking and particularly around the late seventies and early eighties, the American contingent brought a lot of excitement, and glamour to our sport. They weren't all as good as Bruce Penhall, but i don't think back then you would have found many fans saying anything other than good things about them.

[BertHoven 1]

Perhaps,Canadian Star, in an age where negativity seems fashionable, at least according to British daily newspapers, this is only to be expected. This, I find, can be quite depressing at times.

[stevehone 3,425]

you also have to look at it another way ...

 

with the Americans coming over, they also brought a different way of life, and although they would have brought some excitement and glamour to an ailing sport they also brought a lot of negative 'influences' that still exist today unfortunately.

 

this thread itself is about remembering the American riders that had a go (and fair play to them), but didn't make it as big as some ... it's not all about slating them ... Gemini will tell you, i am quite happy to slate quite a few of them, but i won't on this thread.

[Grachan 7,314]

Perhaps,Canadian Star, in an age where negativity seems fashionable, at least according to British daily newspapers, this is only to be expected.  This, I find, can be quite depressing at times.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

So what you are saying is that we cannot comment on the standards of certain speedway riders at the risk of causing offence. Is this not, to all intents and purposes, Political Correctness and has it not, in fact, gone COMPLETELY mad!!

 

The classic Unsuccesful Americans were, of course, Mike Bast and Bruce Penhall in the 1977(?) Overseas Final at White City.

[stevehone 3,425]

So what you are saying is that we cannot comment on the standards of certain speedway riders at the risk of causing offence. Is this not, to all intents and purposes, Political Correctness and has it not, in fact, gone COMPLETELY mad!!

 

The classic Unsuccesful Americans were, of course, Mike Bast and Bruce Penhall in the 1977(?) Overseas Final at White City.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Grachan ... to avoid the risk of upsetting BertHoven, we are only allowed to mention the likes of Bobby (chunky junkie) Schwartz, Dennis (nice boy) Sigalos, and Bruce (i'll drop Cradley in the crap) Penhall ... the real American failures that have ridden here

 

the fact that this is a thread about 'Unsuccessful Americans' doesn't come into it.

[Canadian Star 6]

Steve i am sorry but you've lost me, but i have to agree with your comment, which time has allowed me to forget, that they did also bring a certain new lifestyle with them. In many people's opinion, an influence that began the demise of a former world champion.

Getting back on topic i am not saying that criticism isn't allowed, but the suggestion that because some of these riders didn't become world champion then they're no good, that is negativity. They were what they were, nothing more nothing less, they came, gave it a go, some made it some didn't, they were mostly colourful characters. In some peoples opinion they were nice guys, in others they were bad eggs, depending on your tolerance of mind altering substances, a situation that is tolerated, seen as exceptable behaviour in North America, a situation i find difficult to understand having lived here for 2 1/2 years.

The suggestion that Lance King was in any way unsuccessful, i find laughable, anyone who becomes world number 3 has to be taken seriously. There were a number of unsuccessful Americans, who were unable to adapt to larger tracks than they were used to at home.

[bulldog 77 / 78 0]

No one here has mentioned the former US number 2 - and probably the most feared.....STEVE GRESHAM. Although he had more "ups and downs"than a Blackpool donkey, he was still a good rider!

[stansolo 12]

Mark Cherry Birmingham 1976 (cousin of Bruce Penhall) lasted 3-4 meetings then went home.

 

 

Gene Woods Birmingham 1981(big home reputation before coming to the UK), lasted approx 6 meetings before joining Eastbourne / Wimbledon, still went home shortly after.