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Yup,i know and i have also heard of him,but maybe some on the LT scene are more insular than i thought and maybe it is within these circles that he is "unknown"

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His father Gerd said on Sunday, right after Erik had won the world long-track title, that even now if he would ask his son, whether he is more keen on riding speedway or long-track, the answer would be speedway. Erik says, he only rides long-track occasionally and as he so easily got into the world championship, he did that as well this year, but never expecting that it would be so relatively easy to win it.

 

Used to be the way in the past, didn't it? Speedway riders turning up to win the World Longtrack, which surely sums up the relative quality of the discipline...

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FOR German riders it was usually the other way round ... longtrack first, speedway second. And of course the great German tuners who powered the likes of Mauger, Wigg and Tatum to so many longtrack titles were German as well.

 

By all accounts young Riss is very good at the shorter version. I hear that he might ride at Ipswich before the end of the season.

Edited by PHILIPRISING

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Used to be the way in the past, didn't it? Speedway riders turning up to win the World Longtrack, which surely sums up the relative quality of the discipline...

Indeed.If you look at it then the past few titles were won by "part-timers",rather than those who concentrate on LT.You'd probably also have had Smolinski battling for the title if he wasn't in the speedway GPs this year

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Indeed.If you look at it then the past few titles were won by "part-timers",rather than those who concentrate on LT.You'd probably also have had Smolinski battling for the title if he wasn't in the speedway GPs this year

I appreciate what you mean about 'part-timers' but let's not forget that all the top speedway riders used to regularly race on the continent, and especially on the grass tracks and longtracks in Germany, every weekend. There was no Poliish league speedway to attract them in those days of course but the guarantees paid to the likes of Briggs, Mauger, Muller and et al were quite considerable. Their continental meetings were very lucrative and I think Simon Wigg always saw himself as a grass track/longtrack rider first and a speedway rider second. In later years Kelvin Tatum followed suit and like Simon had access to the best engines from the German tuners which carried them to their World titles.

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Their continental meetings were very lucrative and I think Simon Wigg always saw himself as a grass track/longtrack rider first and a speedway rider second. In later years Kelvin Tatum followed suit and like Simon had access to the best engines from the German tuners which carried them to their World titles.

Yes, but Kelvin Tatum was primarily a speedway rider until focusing on longtrack when he realised he was never going to do anything World Championship wise in speedway. I could be wrong, but I also thought Gerd Riss was the rare German rider who focused more on speedway than longtrack.

 

I think it could also be argued that Simon Wigg would have been a more successful speedway rider if he hadn't had the longtrack/grasstrack distraction. He no doubt carved a lucrative niche from those disciplines (which is fair enough), but how many people remember World Longtrack Champions...?

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.

but how many people remember World Longtrack Champions...?

Probably all the fan base in the Long Track, Grass Track and Sand Track scenario, - which, given the ever-shrinking British speedway scenario, is definitely more in Germany alone than the UK base.

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but how many people remember World Longtrack Champions...?

People who follow the sport will. There's plenty of 'major' sports that I couldn't tell you any or few World Champions simply because the sports do not interest me.

Not all speedway riders who try longtrack have much success. Even fewer are successful on grasstracks because they struggle with the bumps and ruts.

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FOR German riders it was usually the other way round ... longtrack first, speedway second. And of course the great German tuners who powered the likes of Mauger, Wigg and Tatum to so many longtrack titles were German as well.

 

By all accounts young Riss is very good at the shorter version. I hear that he might ride at Ipswich before the end of the season.

I hope he does ride at Ipswich. As I am an Ipswich supporter and have seen Erik Riss race at Marmande. He is a great talent, very fast and spectacular to watch.

I would also encourage everyone go to Marmande. A fantastic meeting at a great track with a brilliant atmosphere, with Bastille Day the next day.

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Went to Marmande about 7 years ago it was cracking and so hot and sunny even sunflowers were looking for a bit of shade

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I hope he does ride at Ipswich. As I am an Ipswich supporter and have seen Erik Riss race at Marmande. He is a great talent, very fast and spectacular to watch.

I would also encourage everyone go to Marmande. A fantastic meeting at a great track with a brilliant atmosphere, with Bastille Day the next day.

I agree was all set to go to Marmande again this year until the Cardiff GP messed that up. Went to Morizes instead and although not quite as good the track was interesting, a decent crowd and very good racing

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I have not been to Morizes yet. Hopefully one day I will. I actually prefer Marmande over Cardiff as I make it a mini holiday over 3 - 4 days and look forward to it every year. Should be able to make both next year as they are not on the same weekend. Flights for Marmande booked.

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does anyone know if MARMANDE will operate in 2015 as the meeting is not (as yet) on the FIM Calendar ???

Problems with LOCAL AUTHORITIES over track safety at the moment. Might run, maybe not, no info on that. Definately no FIM meetings since the calendar is ready.

 

So NO PROBLEMS with any federations. :lol:

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