Snyper1010 24 Posted August 27, 2009 Ok i aint sure if this has ever been done and if it has i apologise. But being halfway through the "Tragedy" book about Kenny Carter i got thinking who people would class as the best rider never to actually be World Champion. So i was thinking that we could name who we think it was and if you wanted you could maybe put your own reason/thoughts/analysis as to why said rider never got their hands on the most sought after prize in speedway. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Grachan 7,361 Posted August 27, 2009 Tomasz Gollob has to be a contender among the current batch. Would probably have won more than one under the old system. Possibly 3 or 4, depending on where in Poland they decided to stage it! Regularly comes to the party when it matters in World Championship meetings. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lucifer sam 3,953 Posted August 27, 2009 Ok i aint sure if this has ever been done and if it has i apologise. But being halfway through the "Tragedy" book about Kenny Carter i got thinking who people would class as the best rider never to actually be World Champion. So i was thinking that we could name who we think it was and if you wanted you could maybe put your own reason/thoughts/analysis as to why said rider never got their hands on the most sought after prize in speedway. Snyper, it's obviously Ryan Fisher. All the best Rob Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
screm 8,053 Posted August 27, 2009 Tomasz Gollob has to be a contender among the current batch. Would probably have won more than one under the old system. Possibly 3 or 4, depending on where in Poland they decided to stage it! Regularly comes to the party when it matters in World Championship meetings. If you are looking at current GP riders then you can add Leigh Adams to the list. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fromafar 10,358 Posted August 27, 2009 (edited) Ok i aint sure if this has ever been done and if it has i apologise. But being halfway through the "Tragedy" book about Kenny Carter i got thinking who people would class as the best rider never to actually be World Champion. So i was thinking that we could name who we think it was and if you wanted you could maybe put your own reason/thoughts/analysis as to why said rider never got their hands on the most sought after prize in speedway. Has been done on forum, My choice would also be Ryan Fisher Edited August 27, 2009 by Fromafar Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MattyHart 0 Posted August 27, 2009 (edited) Seeing as i only got into speedway in the late Nineties, it always made me wonder about when Billy Hammil became WC, obviously he was a good rider back then, but was he as good as Adams, Gollob etc are/were? Edited August 27, 2009 by MattyHart Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snyper1010 24 Posted August 27, 2009 Snyper, it's obviously Ryan Fisher. All the best Rob He aint retired or deceased yet It can be riders from either format. But i would have to agree that Leigh Adams has long been of World Champion quality. Do you really feel its his "nice guy" personality that has let him down as people sometimes say or do you think there is more to it than that? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Grachan 7,361 Posted August 27, 2009 If you are looking at current GP riders then you can add Leigh Adams to the list. Leigh may have won a title under the old system, and may even be a better rider than Gollob overall. But in World terms Gollob has, I feel, shone more. In league racing I'd say "yes" about Leigh Adams, but in World Championship terms I'd go for Gollob as more likely. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
screm 8,053 Posted August 27, 2009 Leigh may have won a title under the old system, and may even be a better rider than Gollob overall. But in World terms Gollob has, I feel, shone more. In league racing I'd say "yes" about Leigh Adams, but in World Championship terms I'd go for Gollob as more likely. Agree but under the old one off system was it easier to be World Champ,Id say it was.I mean would Egon Muller ever have been World Champ under this GP system. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lucifer sam 3,953 Posted August 27, 2009 Agree but under the old one off system was it easier to be World Champ,Id say it was.I mean would Egon Muller ever have been World Champ under this GP system. It was far harder to win a one-off World title. One slip, just one dropped point could mean that was it for another 12 months. In contrast, over a GP series, a rider can drop a lot of points and still be World Champ. I miss the sheer drama of the one-off World Final. All the best Rob Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Grachan 7,361 Posted August 27, 2009 Agree but under the old one off system was it easier to be World Champ,Id say it was.I mean would Egon Muller ever have been World Champ under this GP system. Well, easier if you weren't the best rider in the world. Possibly harder if you were - as Hans Neilsen would probably testify. There are many riders who probably wouldn't have made World Champ under the GP system. I doubt even riders like Ermolenko, Michanek and Jan O. Pedersen would have, let alone Muller, Havelock and that Polish bloke. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snyper1010 24 Posted August 27, 2009 Agree but under the old one off system was it easier to be World Champ,Id say it was.I mean would Egon Muller ever have been World Champ under this GP system. Wasnt really a "one off" was it. I mean there was qualifiers to be won to actually be there. So the riders that did take part in the "one off" final were all there on merit. Shame the same cant be said for todays GP series. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iris123 20,969 Posted August 27, 2009 I would say certain riders just don't have the mental toughnes to be a World Champ,regardless of the system.Leigh Adams i think would be a bottler in a one off final,just as he is in the GP's when the stress is on Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
norbold 7,106 Posted August 27, 2009 Tom Farndon, who sadly died the year before the World Championship started. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arnieg 3,635 Posted August 28, 2009 (edited) Well, easier if you weren't the best rider in the world. Possibly harder if you were - as Hans Neilsen would probably testify. There are many riders who probably wouldn't have made World Champ under the GP system. I doubt even riders like Ermolenko, Michanek and Jan O. Pedersen would have, let alone Muller, Havelock and that Polish bloke. I think Michanek would have won it in 73 (instead of 74) under a GP system, and Ermolenko was so good in 93 that he would have won it that year under a GP format too. (Similarly while I don't think Jonsson would have won under a GP format in 1990, he could have done so in 1992) Ultimately whatever the system there will only be one world champion per year. What a GP system does is to share those titles among a smaller number of riders. And back to the original question: Vic Duggan, Jack Parker, Igor Plechanov, Zenon Plech, and any Moran of your choice would be the top of my list. Edited August 28, 2009 by arnieg Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
