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lucifer sam

RIP Ivan Mauger OBE

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I only got to see him at Oxford (he scored a max) and in 1975 for the diamonds re-opening (beat Jim McMillan  3 times)

Luckily got to meet the great man in 2010 and his wife Raye at Brough for his book signing 

Greatest rider ever 

RIP Ivan   and thoughts with Raye and his children

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Unfortunately I never had the opportunity to see him ride but did at least get to see him on track when he did the final laps of the County Ground in 2005.

RIP Ivan

 

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I used to hate Ivan!  At Poole, the meeting before Ivan was due to appear, Mr Knott would get us to practice our boos! All pure theatre of course.

As an 8 year old in 1963, I remember shoving my autograph book at Ivan, along with many other kids. He simply put his finger across his lips to 'shhhh' us all up. He then said, 'I will sign for everyone, but get in line and say please and thank you.  He did. Something Ive never forgotten to this day. I am not an autograph hunter, but he taught me the simplest of manners.

Ive liked him ever since, even though he was an 'arch enemy', especially when he joined Exeter.

R.I.P. Ivan and thank you for some wonderful memories.

Edited by BobC
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Guest GiveusaB

R.I.P greatest rider ever ! The master !

My dad bought me a book in 1974 written by Ivan Mauger (How to become a speedway rider) I've still got it!

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On 16/04/2018 at 4:23 PM, Arthur54 said:

remember him coming to Poole one night, and going through the card, a 21pt maximum, he was like lightning out of the gate . RIP Ivan

I remember that, in about 64 i think. Fantastic performance as you had got teams in those days as well. In those days, Poole rode very similar to our Brough.

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59 minutes ago, Tsunami said:

I remember that, in about 64 i think. Fantastic performance as you had got teams in those days as well. In those days, Poole rode very similar to our Brough.

How long did it take Ivan to master the Brough track ? and how much different was it  compared to today's track i have only been to Brough twice once in 1978 and once in  1984 after there venture into the BL.I enjoyed both visits Malcolm Holloway once told me he found  Brough  one of the hardest tracks to ride and i can remember him being very disappointed with his performance in one of the WC qualifying rounds there in either 1984 or 85.?

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26 minutes ago, Sidney the robin said:

How long did it take Ivan to master the Brough track ? and how much different was it  compared to today's track i have only been to Brough twice once in 1978 and once in  1984 after there venture into the BL.I enjoyed both visits Malcolm Holloway once told me he found  Brough  one of the hardest tracks to ride and i can remember him being very disappointed with his performance in one of the WC qualifying rounds there in either 1984 or 85.?

...I visited Brough Park three times in the distant past and was (B)rough to say the least!

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21 hours ago, Sidney the robin said:

How long did it take Ivan to master the Brough track ? and how much different was it  compared to today's track i have only been to Brough twice once in 1978 and once in  1984 after there venture into the BL.I enjoyed both visits Malcolm Holloway once told me he found  Brough  one of the hardest tracks to ride and i can remember him being very disappointed with his performance in one of the WC qualifying rounds there in either 1984 or 85.?

 

21 hours ago, steve roberts said:

...I visited Brough Park three times in the distant past and was (B)rough to say the least!

Like everyone else Ivan had to learn how to ride Brough when he first came. With long straights and tight corners you have to have great skill to slide in with power and already be broadside ready for the drive out of the next bend. In those days it rode like a Diamond, and Ivan spent hours after the first meetings throwing in the bike from even just past the starting gate, which was one hell of a slide. He often filled his fuel tank full(bigger in those days I believe) and would on his own ride probably 20 laps flat out trying to get it right. He was of course physically very fit, and a lot of other riders at the time could only watch him as their fitness was no good for such durations, He experimented with bikes that he bought when he first arrived until he found the frame and setup that he preferred. Him and his then German mechanic would load up his Bedford snub nose van and head off to buy bikes, and go to other tracks to get extra rides. He was fanatical to get it right. I remember when Peter Kelly lived beside him in Manchester, he told me that if he met him say a Xmas time the conversation was always speedway nothing else, he was so driven.  The track in those days was even narrower, with straights always about the legal minimum of 8 metres as it is now, and the corners were tight, possibly be about 10 to 12 metres wide. After we opened up in 1997, the corners were 10m on corners 1and 2 and about 12m on corners 3 and 4. In the late 90's we took 2 metres off the inside kerb of both ends, and that is the shape and sizes that we have now. The 3rd and 4 bends have always been 2 m wider that the 1st and second. The track probably got its 'rough' name over time by others that couldn't ride it, and because with a powered broadside hitting similar positions every lap, the wear must be considerably harder/more. Say a track like Somerest with a wide track. multiple race lines and constantly drifting rather sideways power, the condition of the track is going to be smoother for longer. Nowadays and in the recent past the track is nowhere near 'rough' as delusional Redcar fans would have you believe, but does have by choice more dirt on it to get better grip. That is the riders choice to give them more overtaking options.

There must be something right about Brough with 4 world Champions to our claim, Mauger, Olsen, Michanek and Nicki. We'll not count Brian Anderson as we got him for 6 weeks after he won the U21 title.

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Well done to the Isle of Wight guys who delivered a very fine tribute before their meeting last night.

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1 hour ago, Dickie Head said:

Well done to the Isle of Wight guys who delivered a very fine tribute before their meeting last night.

And also to Redcar, who last night had Jade Mudgway giving the tribute to Ivan having known his fellow Kiwi. He stressed the point that Ivan was a 'team' with Raye always supporting him.

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5 hours ago, Tsunami said:

 

Like everyone else Ivan had to learn how to ride Brough when he first came. With long straights and tight corners you have to have great skill to slide in with power and already be broadside ready for the drive out of the next bend. In those days it rode like a Diamond, and Ivan spent hours after the first meetings throwing in the bike from even just past the starting gate, which was one hell of a slide. He often filled his fuel tank full(bigger in those days I believe) and would on his own ride probably 20 laps flat out trying to get it right. He was of course physically very fit, and a lot of other riders at the time could only watch him as their fitness was no good for such durations, He experimented with bikes that he bought when he first arrived until he found the frame and setup that he preferred. Him and his then German mechanic would load up his Bedford snub nose van and head off to buy bikes, and go to other tracks to get extra rides. He was fanatical to get it right. I remember when Peter Kelly lived beside him in Manchester, he told me that if he met him say a Xmas time the conversation was always speedway nothing else, he was so driven.  The track in those days was even narrower, with straights always about the legal minimum of 8 metres as it is now, and the corners were tight, possibly be about 10 to 12 metres wide. After we opened up in 1997, the corners were 10m on corners 1and 2 and about 12m on corners 3 and 4. In the late 90's we took 2 metres off the inside kerb of both ends, and that is the shape and sizes that we have now. The 3rd and 4 bends have always been 2 m wider that the 1st and second. The track probably got its 'rough' name over time by others that couldn't ride it, and because with a powered broadside hitting similar positions every lap, the wear must be considerably harder/more. Say a track like Somerest with a wide track. multiple race lines and constantly drifting rather sideways power, the condition of the track is going to be smoother for longer. Nowadays and in the recent past the track is nowhere near 'rough' as delusional Redcar fans would have you believe, but does have by choice more dirt on it to get better grip. That is the riders choice to give them more overtaking options.

There must be something right about Brough with 4 world Champions to our claim, Mauger, Olsen, Michanek and Nicki. We'll not count Brian Anderson as we got him for 6 weeks after he won the U21 title.

Good post!

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6 hours ago, Tsunami said:

 

Like everyone else Ivan had to learn how to ride Brough when he first came. With long straights and tight corners you have to have great skill to slide in with power and already be broadside ready for the drive out of the next bend. In those days it rode like a Diamond, and Ivan spent hours after the first meetings throwing in the bike from even just past the starting gate, which was one hell of a slide. He often filled his fuel tank full(bigger in those days I believe) and would on his own ride probably 20 laps flat out trying to get it right. He was of course physically very fit, and a lot of other riders at the time could only watch him as their fitness was no good for such durations, He experimented with bikes that he bought when he first arrived until he found the frame and setup that he preferred. Him and his then German mechanic would load up his Bedford snub nose van and head off to buy bikes, and go to other tracks to get extra rides. He was fanatical to get it right. I remember when Peter Kelly lived beside him in Manchester, he told me that if he met him say a Xmas time the conversation was always speedway nothing else, he was so driven.  The track in those days was even narrower, with straights always about the legal minimum of 8 metres as it is now, and the corners were tight, possibly be about 10 to 12 metres wide. After we opened up in 1997, the corners were 10m on corners 1and 2 and about 12m on corners 3 and 4. In the late 90's we took 2 metres off the inside kerb of both ends, and that is the shape and sizes that we have now. The 3rd and 4 bends have always been 2 m wider that the 1st and second. The track probably got its 'rough' name over time by others that couldn't ride it, and because with a powered broadside hitting similar positions every lap, the wear must be considerably harder/more. Say a track like Somerest with a wide track. multiple race lines and constantly drifting rather sideways power, the condition of the track is going to be smoother for longer. Nowadays and in the recent past the track is nowhere near 'rough' as delusional Redcar fans would have you believe, but does have by choice more dirt on it to get better grip. That is the riders choice to give them more overtaking options.

There must be something right about Brough with 4 world Champions to our claim, Mauger, Olsen, Michanek and Nicki. We'll not count Brian Anderson as we got him for 6 weeks after he won the U21 title.

Great post thanks a lot.    what was your favourite track ? the Shay you and Booey were pretty hard to beat 67/71 only see you ride twice but my uncle told me you were pretty good what can you remember of the Owlerton championship round ??? when you were not happy.!!

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1 hour ago, Sidney the robin said:

Great post thanks a lot.    what was your favourite track ? the Shay you and Booey were pretty hard to beat 67/71 only see you ride twice but my uncle told me you were pretty good what can you remember of the Owlerton championship round ??? when you were not happy.!!

...hang on Sid! We're not talking Dave Younghusband here are we?

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