Mark Loram Farewell

[mickthemuppet 976]

Good luck to Mark and I hope he has a super testimonial but Alboy you are saying that Mark was way above all other english riders in the last two decades is not true.

I seem to remember Gary Havelock winning the world championship back in the early 90's when it was a proper world final. Do not forget Mark never won a Grand Prix round, when he became world champion. In fact he only won one GP ever. You also degenerate riders like Chris Louis,Chris Harris and Scott Nicholls who were very good in the last two decades

[Starman2006 2,356]

Good luck to Mark and I hope he has a super testimonial but Alboy you are saying that Mark was way above all other english riders in the last two decades is not true.

I seem to remember Gary Havelock winning the world championship back in the early 90's when it was a proper world final. Do not forget Mark never won a Grand Prix round, when he became world champion. In fact he only won one GP ever. You also degenerate riders like Chris Louis,Chris Harris and Scott Nicholls who were very good in the last two decades

 

 

Quite right Mick. We used to pray at Poole that Mark would miss the gate, then we knew we had a race on our hands. Chris Harris is exactly the same. I also agree about Scott, who imo is a better rider than he's showed, but the same applys Scott is an all round rider.

Havvy was in his prime very good, but you have to be good to become World Champion.

[Trees 2,814]

Lots of reasons I guess why Mark would want his farewell down there, shame it's so bleeding far away!

[Bagpuss 10,794]

Got that meeting somewhere. Loram and Hamill crashed into each other off bend 4 on one lap. Cracking stuff.

 

I remember that race too, quite superb.

 

Was one of my boyhood heroes too, rode for Lynn 1990-94 and was brilliant to watch every week. Always seemed to be a last heat decider at Lynn with he and Henka lining up in red and blue

 

Its a pity the meeting wasn't being held somewhere a bit more central so I could attend but I hope its a great day and a packed house.

[SCB 0]

In fact he only won one GP ever.

In fact, he won 2. Making him the best British rider since the GP's were devised. In fact, he's the only Brit to have won a GP on foreign soil.

[MrB 58]

Will try to make it to Marks meeting but interesting that he and Watt can both hold 1 in the same year at the same track when Barker and Norris were told they couldn't at Eastbourne because rules didn't allow.

[Jodyw17 0]

Good luck to Mark and I hope he has a super testimonial but Alboy you are saying that Mark was way above all other english riders in the last two decades is not true.

I seem to remember Gary Havelock winning the world championship back in the early 90's when it was a proper world final. Do not forget Mark never won a Grand Prix round, when he became world champion. In fact he only won one GP ever. You also degenerate riders like Chris Louis,Chris Harris and Scott Nicholls who were very good in the last two decades

 

 

as pointed out, he did win 2. Mark had a different class to the other riders, Louis, Nicholls, Screen, Smith etc never won a GP despite being in GP's. i seem to remember Martin Dugard won a GP, does that make him better than Nicholls/Louis.

Personally for me Loram is head & shoulders above other Brits of the time... at the end of the day he became World Champion through some outstanding rides that season

[lisa-colette 6,039]

Will try to make it to Marks meeting but interesting that he and Watt can both hold 1 in the same year at the same track when Barker and Norris were told they couldn't at Eastbourne because rules didn't allow.

I guess it's cos it's a testimonial and a farewell...

[bazaar3 0]

Great news and got to shout out a big thanks to Mark for deciding to pick Poole as his farewell meeting. He in my eyes will also be considered having legend status after being the first Poole rider to win the world title.

 

Definently going to this one and I hope many more will to after his fantastic performances and rider skills we saw in the laate nineties and turn of millenium.

 

What a career.

[aazzAAZZ0099 0]

Good luck to Mark and I hope he has a super testimonial but Alboy you are saying that Mark was way above all other english riders in the last two decades is not true.

I seem to remember Gary Havelock winning the world championship back in the early 90's when it was a proper world final. Do not forget Mark never won a Grand Prix round, when he became world champion. In fact he only won one GP ever. You also degenerate riders like Chris Louis,Chris Harris and Scott Nicholls who were very good in the last two decades

 

When Mark Loram won the world title, it was over a long period of time and showed he was the best rider that season amongst other superstars. Gary Havelocks was a one off meeting, when as we know if a rider has a super good gating night he can win it whatever and all that proves he was the best rider of that night. There is no comparison here at all. As regards the other riders you mention, being a Witches fan I should know all about Chris Louis and Scott Nicholls. Neither have ever won a world title and quite honestly never looked like winning one. Chris was great at foxhall with a fantastic average but away his average never went above a 7. Scott is better generally than Chris was but his lack of gating ability and poor equipment and chosen mechanics have cost him dearly Im afraid. Chris Harris I love as a rider he is so-so entertaining and joy to watch from the back. But honestly to class him above Mark would be a joke as he has achieved nothing and in my opinion never will.

[Siggytastic 180]

Chris was great at foxhall with a fantastic average but away his average never went above a 7.

 

 

I haven't got the stats to hand but when Chris averaged over 10 for the season twice in the 90's, he must have averaged more than 7 away.Thats without the glorious 98 season and others when He averaged over 9.

[jollie roger 0]

When Mark Loram won the world title, it was over a long period of time and showed he was the best rider that season amongst other superstars. Gary Havelocks was a one off meeting, when as we know if a rider has a super good gating night he can win it whatever and all that proves he was the best rider of that night. There is no comparison here at all. As regards the other riders you mention, being a Witches fan I should know all about Chris Louis and Scott Nicholls. Neither have ever won a world title and quite honestly never looked like winning one. Chris was great at foxhall with a fantastic average but away his average never went above a 7. Scott is better generally than Chris was but his lack of gating ability and poor equipment and chosen mechanics have cost him dearly Im afraid. Chris Harris I love as a rider he is so-so entertaining and joy to watch from the back. But honestly to class him above Mark would be a joke as he has achieved nothing and in my opinion never will.

So"one off" World finals Were easy? There were qualifying rounds for the British championship.How long ago were they stopped?There were so many PL riders in the British Championship this year there were so many moans on this site about the inequality of it.Tere used to be a European Final,Intercontinental final and a whole host of other rounds .Probably for a Brit 5 or 6 Rounds BEFORE the World Final so not so far off the meetings for SGP

[Paddy The Rebel 300]

Great news and got to shout out a big thanks to Mark for deciding to pick Poole as his farewell meeting. He in my eyes will also be considered having legend status after being the first Poole rider to win the world title.

 

Definently going to this one and I hope many more will to after his fantastic performances and rider skills we saw in the laate nineties and turn of millenium.

 

What a career.

SPot on mate, i will not miss this meeting for anything what a true legend and one of my all time favourite riders

[aazzAAZZ0099 0]

I haven't got the stats to hand but when Chris averaged over 10 for the season twice in the 90's, he must have averaged more than 7 away.Thats without the glorious 98 season and others when He averaged over 9.

 

I was talking about Chris Louis away career average in the league, not one or two years in particular when he achieved slightly above his career away average. His foxhall form was undeniably good but his away form poor in comparison to that of Mark Loram. I will state again and stand by my conviction and that is, Mark Loram was the best british rider of the last 2 decades without doubt.

[ImpartialOne 160]

Good luck to Mark and I hope he has a super testimonial but Alboy you are saying that Mark was way above all other english riders in the last two decades is not true.

I seem to remember Gary Havelock winning the world championship back in the early 90's when it was a proper world final. Do not forget Mark never won a Grand Prix round, when he became world champion. In fact he only won one GP ever. You also degenerate riders like Chris Louis,Chris Harris and Scott Nicholls who were very good in the last two decades

One thing that for me separates Loram from Havvy is that Loram did it over 6 meetings. Havvy, who looked like a man possessed throughout 92 and full credit to him, was lucky to win in Wroclaw as he was in a bad way after being clouted (whilst in 3rd I believe) and had it not bucketed down I doubt he would have won that day. Luck was on his side and fair play to him but Loram won his world title against Tony Rickardsson and stopped what would have been five straight titles for Rickardsson from 1998 to 2002.

Whether Ramski won a GP in 2000 or not is irrelevant. He was the strongest man over a season and that takes a lot more than holding it together for 2 and half hours. Had 1992 been a GP series I think Jonsson would have won and Havvy 2nd.