Great Races That People Remember While Watching Speedway?

[stratton 1,491]

The Collins/Michanek classic is the one for me too, absolutely fantastic race, can remember the noise from the crowd increasing with each lap, complete pandemonium by the time they came to the line, as you say Chad it was very close but PC had the momentum having lined him up when exiting the pits bend.

 

It's clear from your posts that you were watching speedway a good few years before me, did any other riders use those sort of lines before PC, the opther PC perhaps? I had seen Mauger, Sjosten, Pusey et al for a few years by the time Peter Collins started out but I had never seen riders use the lines that he developed, the way he used to often go right to the apex of the pits bend to create such a long straight run to the line. Would be interested to know if it was PC that pioneered that or not, I've read and heard enough about Peter Craven to know that he was really really special, the title 'Wizard of Balance' says it all. I have read how he was considered ahead of his time in terms of riding style, the pictures I have seen of him riding have always reminded me of Soren Sjosten in style, both diminutive, arms always at full stretch, I imagine a steel shoe would have lasted a long time for either of them.

Totaly agree Sjosten so similar to Craven in style.Never see Craven wish i had i have a framed picture of Craven leading Briggo think it was for the sash or helmet when Barry rode for Southampton.

[ljh 0]

Best race I saw for many a year was the run off for the British title in the late 90's between Chris Louis and Mark Loram at Brandon, they pushed and shoved each other for all four laps, passing and re-passing numerous times. I was also at Hyde Road when Anders Michanek and Peter Collins did the same, with Peter handicapped by his hand injury. Both superb races. Almost equal were the rider of the night finals at Belle Vue when Soren Sjosten, Ivan Mauger and Tommy Roper regularly jostled between themselves for four laps, none were underdogs regardless of their respective places in the Aces line up. - Rod Haynes.

Edited October 6, 2011 by ljh

[racers and royals 8,734]

Per Jonsson was involved in numerous classic overtakes,but one that stands out was at Bradford when he went straight through the middle of the team riding home pair(think Wiggy was one of them)on the home straight with only a gap of a fag paper-sensational.

[iris123 20,993]

One from recent memory is Nicki Pedersen in the Danish Final at Holsted about 4 years back.Mucked the first turn right up and almost came to a standstill.Then over the next few laps took(i think) Bjarne and Kenneth Bjerre,but Hans looked to have got the Final in the bag.Somehow Nicki managed to make up about 8 metres or so and take Hans before the last bend...Nicki when he was really flying

 

Also remember a great race from Mirko Wolter at Güstrow when he made a similar balls up and was almost down to about 5kmh on the turn,but kept control and came round one or two riders

[speedibee 3,091]

199? britsih final runoff at brandon . Louis v Loram

[billywamill 32]

One from recent memory is Nicki Pedersen in the Danish Final at Holsted about 4 years back.Mucked the first turn right up and almost came to a standstill.Then over the next few laps took(i think) Bjarne and Kenneth Bjerre,but Hans looked to have got the Final in the bag.Somehow Nicki managed to make up about 8 metres or so and take Hans before the last bend...Nicki when he was really flying

 

Also remember a great race from Mirko Wolter at Güstrow when he made a similar balls up and was almost down to about 5kmh on the turn,but kept control and came round one or two riders

 

Only passed four riders having messed up ? Not bad, but not in the class of this man :

 

Greatest racer the sport has seen.

Edited October 10, 2011 by billywamill

[iris123 20,993]

Only passed four riders having messed up ? Not bad, but not in the class of this man :

 

Greatest racer the sport has seen.

Yes,even the great Egon Müller rated that as the best speedway race ever.But i wasn't there to see it,so chose races i have witnessed in person

[Andy Wilko 5]

Wondered what great races stick in the mind of people of there own particular favourites? my five favourites of all time are 1.Ray Wilson v Martin Ashby run off 1975 British Final terrific race Ashby so fair both great riders.2.1973 England v Sweden at sheffield last race P.Collins E.Boocock Michanek T.Jansson never tire of watching that race. 3.Briggs coming from the back in 1969 world final to beat Mckinlay and Moore 4.Christer Loftqvist breaking the Swindon track record 1973 test match the Abbey was my regular track.5.Tommy Jansson 1976 beating Martin Ashby for the Golden helmet.terrific memories.

Certainly agree with your No. 5, however my nomination is not a great race as such in that it was one of those speedway "from the gate" processions where in the words of Nigel Pearson "if you're new to speedway..................." and you saw the race you'd probably not go again.

 

Heat 1 of the 1st (Wimbledon) leg of the 1970 Knockout Cup Final v Belle Vue - Winner Trevor Hedge. The "race" though was for 2nd place. Slim Jim Tebby plonked himself in second place and for 4 laps lead (no, toyed with!) x times world champion Ivan Mauger - the 5-1 was a sensational (and inspirational) start to the 2 legged final and was perhaps the race that won it for The Dons.

[TonyMac 720]

The PC v Mich KO Cup final classic of '73, Loramski's thriller with Chris Louis at Brandon in '97 and Jan O's Guld Barre epic in '90 have already been covered earlier in this thread, so how about....

 

1977 Hackney v Exeter

Thommo goes round the outside of BOTH the team-riding pair of Autrey and Mauger from Exeter to win the race and hand the league title to White City.

 

1971-73 Most Bengt Jansson races at The Wick

Banger goes in wide on turn three and pulls his trademark cutback to the line to pass bewildered opponent in the last 5 yards.

 

1974 World Team Cup Final

Wroclaw holds its breath as three riders - Plech, Jessup and Lofqvist - pass and re-pass each other in a four-lap epic that ends with DJ snatching it by inches after a beautifully executed last bend pass round the outside, while Plechy tries to dump Christer on the centre green - he didn't know which way to look!

 

1975 British Final

PC passing Simmo to win.

 

1979 BLRC

John Louis, the oldest rider in the field, flies round the boards and withstands a desperate last bend lunge up the inside from Bruce Penhall to win the title.

 

1981 World Final

BP v Ole Olsen & BP v Tommy Knudsen - both races won by inches on the line.

 

1982 World Final

Heat 4 - Les Collins wheel to wheel all the way with Bruce Penhall and Les re-passes BP on the outside to hold on for the win that should have set him up for the world title.

 

1982 World Final

Heat 14 BP v KC. It's all been said.

 

1985 World Final @ Odsal

Erik G going round two Americans to win a vital race, though perhaps they could have made it harder for him.

 

1990 World Final @ Odsal

Shawn Moran outwitting Per Jonsson to nip back under him coming off turn two in their first battle of the night.

 

A few there to be going on with. The thing is, these are ones we tend to remember most and with such great affection because they were all televised. How about all those great races that were not captured on film and therefore only those who were present can talk about. That's why I like Andy Wilko's memory of 'Slim' Jim's exploits to hold off Ivan.

Edited October 12, 2011 by tmc

[ImpartialOne 160]

World Games 1985, Wimbledon. John Cook v Alan Grahame. John Cook made that meeting, as he did many others.

 

I can remember going to Ipswich in 1985 v Oxford on a fairly wet night. Only one race stands out from that night; John Cook v Hans Nielsen. Cook, as ever was trying everything he could to pass Nielsen, maybe too hard for his own good if anything. On a difficult muddy track, he was all over Nielsen, mostly on one wheel and as they came to the apex of the final bend, Cook found himself sideways on his back wheel and somehow managed to ride it out from the apex to the chequered flag almost vertical the whole time. He didn't win the race but he put on a show no other rider could and his antics in that race alone made the trip worthwhile. And just to add effect to proceedings, as he went back to the pits, the cold, wet "mud" plastered on his hot engine caused steam to billow from his bike. Fantastic stuff!

[nw42 2,048]

World Games 1985, Wimbledon. John Cook v Alan Grahame. John Cook made that meeting, as he did many others.

 

 

Remember it well, very wet track, you're right about Cook making the meeting, he wore an old baggy pair of overalls over his leathers, assuming he hadn't just forgotten his leathers and booorowed the overalls from track staff. He was just about the only one that seemed to fancy racing other than the Grahame brothers. I had that meeting on video tape for years, was it not on Channel 4?

 

World Games, have often wondered who it was that got speedway in the frame, anyone know how it came about?

[Grachan 7,362]

 

1974 World Team Cup Final

Wroclaw holds its breath as three riders - Plech, Jessup and Lofqvist - pass and re-pass each other in a four-lap epic that ends with DJ snatching it by inches after a beautifully executed last bend pass round the outside, while Plechy tries to dump Christer on the centre green - he didn't know which way to look!

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/user/Grachan#p/u/26/spjW95dYAQQ

 

 

Another good one from the 1973 World Team Cup. You'd never guess who turned out the winner if you tried to after a couple of laps.

 

http://www.youtube.com/user/Grachan#p/u/20/5LDH5QO47BA

Edited October 13, 2011 by Grachan

[nw42 2,048]

http://www.youtube.c.../26/spjW95dYAQQ

 

 

Another good one from the 1973 World Team Cup. You'd never guess who turned out the winner if you tried to after a couple of laps.

 

http://www.youtube.c.../20/5LDH5QO47BA

 

That first one, enthralling race, one of those that makes you lean over in the chair as they round the final bends, or is it just me?

 

Thanks for the link, I'm going to have a look at some more on your channel, thanks for taking the time to load them up, 73 World Team Cup will do if there are any more, great Swedish team I recall, including one of my own favourites Soren Sjosten, were there any Swedes back then who couldn't be described a stylish, now there's a question. Olle Nygren perhaps..

[TonyMac 720]

Another good one from the 1973 World Team Cup. You'd never guess who turned out the winner if you tried to after a couple of laps.

 

http://www.youtube.com/user/Grachan#p/u/20/5LDH5QO47BA

 

 

Not so much a 'great race' as three riders who made basic mistakes by riding the wrong line at different stages of the race. Paznikov looked like he was on his way to Wembley tube station off the fourth bend, and where on earth did Persson come from?

 

Agree, though, picking the winner after the first bend would have been difficult!

Edited October 19, 2011 by tmc

[Split 179]

Many of the older readers will remember the “Big Five” of the 60’s being 5 world class riders who seemed to be in a class of their own.

Incredibly in the 1962 world final 4 of these riders met in heat 6 with Ronnie Moore being the odd man out. Barry Briggs won from Peter Craven (it was his only defeat and he became World champion that night) with Björn Knutsson third and the great Ove Fundin last.