Best Visiting Rider At Your Track

[TonyMac 720]

Thanks for getting this thread going and for the remarkable way BL65 verifies with stats.

 

In many cases, the all-time greats - Parker, Duggan, Moore, Fundin, Briggs, Mauger, Olsen, Collins, Lee, etc - will have the best or very comparable statistical records wherever they raced, which is why I particularly like the Ivor Brown/Wolverhampton yardstick.

 

Maybe my suggested thread title was wrong in that respect.

 

It would be interesting to hear of other non-superstars, like Brown (though he was an absolute legend at Cradley), who were brilliant at CERTAIN tracks, rather than at the vast majority of them.

 

Ideally, second strings who raised their game and rode like stars at selected venues . . .

 

The other day I was looking at the form of visiting riders who appeared in the three seasons that Romford ran and one leapt out. The Brooklands track, with his lethal concrete 'safety fence', wasn't everyone's cup of tea, but George scored a 15-point max on his debut there for Doncaster in 1970, followed it up with 10 from 4 rides for Birmingham in 1971 and won an individual meeting towards the end of that final season at my local track.

 

Must admit, I'm struggling to think of someone in the non-star category who was a bit special at Hackney, because the track was liked by so many visiting riders when it was prepared well. Stats wise, John Louis' record there from 1971-83 must have taken some beating but, then again, 'Tiger' John was a superstar of his era and performed brilliantly everywhere.

 

Now if we were talking about a thread titled 'Visiting Rider Who Hated Your Track', I'd have no hesitation in nominating Bobby Schwartz at Hackney.

Briggo at West Ham was stunning. Our memories are not totally reliable, I admit, but from memory I can't remember anyone in the whole of motorcycle sport, except Mike Hailwood, who was so much better than the opposition as Briggo was at Custom House.

 

He wasn't the night Stan 'The Man' Stevens beat him!

Edited June 22, 2016 by tmc

[waiheke1 4,295]

Steve finch in his Halifax days was always very good round Hyde Rd, certainly rode well above his average.

Bobby shwartz probably falls under the visiting riders who hated your track category for Hyde Rd as well!

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

Have to from memory say Airey,E.Boocock, were very good visitors to Hyde Rd.Schwartz,Kennett,Jessup,Simmons were all visitors i would say we're not fond of Hyde Rd.To a lesser extent Nielsen as well ,but later years he conquered the track and was mighty impressive there i remember him in the Ivan meeting when there were six in a race he was superb.

[waiheke1 4,295]

Jessup wasn't great at Hyde Rd, though I recall one teSt vs USA in 81 where he scored about 16.

Schwartz and Kennett definitely struggled. Simmons wasn't too bad from memory, though certainly never dominated a meeting.

[lucifer sam 3,960]

Jan O. Pedersen was amazing around Oxford. I recall him passing Hans Nielsen from behind on a number of occasions.

 

All the best

Rob

[waiheke1 4,295]

Jan O. Pedersen was amazing around Oxford. I recall him passing Hans Nielsen from behind on a number of occasions.

 

All the best

Rob

No mention of Carl blackbird Rob? If only for one meeting, he was amazing against Hand ;-)

[lucifer sam 3,960]

No mention of Carl blackbird Rob? If only for one meeting, he was amazing against Hand ;-)

 

I mentioned Jan O, because he was the one who could do it on a consistent basis. Carl Blackbird was a one-off.

 

All the best

Rob

 

PS Troy Butler flew around Coventry. Even got 11 points there in a season he averaged less than 2.00. And, of course, he won the NLRC at Cov in 1988.

[BL65 658]

I remember seeing Gote Nordin win the Internationale in imperious style at Wimbledon in 1966 and 1967 and so I looked up his record at the track during those two seasons.

 

In 1966 he recorded a 15 point maximum for Newport in a league match, 15 point maximum in the Internationale, followed by a meagre 11 points from 5 rides in The Laurels,

 

In 1967 Gote started with a 15 point maximum in the Internationale, recorded 17 from 6 rides for Sweden against Great Britain and 11 points from 4 rides for Poole in a British League encounter. He also won all of his 6 races to take both trophies in the National Press meeting, for which the format was qualifying heats, semi finals and finals - the top class field included Mauger, McKinlay, Nygren, Jansson, Harrfeldt, Wilson, Michanek, Hedge and Eric Boocock.

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

Jessup wasn't great at Hyde Rd, though I recall one teSt vs USA in 81 where he scored about 16.

Schwartz and Kennett definitely struggled. Simmons wasn't too bad from memory, though certainly never dominated a meeting.

How many of those top riders say from 1971/78 the visiting no 1s got beat in the heat 13 the 3/5/1/4 race were beaten by a PC,Mort,Pusey,Sjosten partnership quite a lot i think.Also Lee was another one out of memory was not always great at Hyde Rd,a mixed bag really six points as a sixteen year old for Mildenhall mixing it and Three rostrum places in the BLRC and a few not memorable ones to.

[BL65 658]

One of my favourite riders of the early 1960s was Jack Scott and he had a great liking for the Sheffield track. Riding for the Plymouth Devils in 1961 he recorded a 15 point maximum at Owlerton in the KO Cup and scored 11 from 4 rides in the Provincial League meeting. Sadly, Jack did not compete in Britain after that season until his brief spell with Cradley Heath in 1967, when he scored 12 plus a bonus from 5 rides, beaten twice by maximum scorer Bob Paulson.

[Terry 1,319]

 

 

Now if we were talking about a thread titled 'Visiting Rider Who Hated Your Track', I'd have no hesitation in nominating Bobby Schwartz at Hackney.

 

 

You're right about Schwartz, he detested the place!

There wasn't much love lost between Bobby and Len Silver either, after Len booked him as a guest for the visit of Cradley in 81 and he only scored 3 points. Although it wasn't the smartest booking, given Schwartz's connection to the Heathens and his buddy Bruce Penhall.

Also of course, he saw his team-mate and countryman Denny Pyeatt lose his life there.

American riders seemed to have bad luck at Hackney. Kelly Moran suffered serious injury in 78, and brother Shawn broke his leg.

Penhall liked riding there though, being the only visitor to score a maximum in 80, and I think the following year too.

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

You're right about Schwartz, he detested the place!

There wasn't much love lost between Bobby and Len Silver either, after Len booked him as a guest for the visit of Cradley in 81 and he only scored 3 points. Although it wasn't the smartest booking, given Schwartz's connection to the Heathens and his buddy Bruce Penhall.

Also of course, he saw his team-mate and countryman Denny Pyeatt lose his life there.

American riders seemed to have bad luck at Hackney. Kelly Moran suffered serious injury in 78, and brother Shawn broke his leg.

Penhall liked riding there though, being the only visitor to score a maximum in 80, and I think the following year too.

Did you think Hackney was dangerous Terry"? i never even thought about it until Vic Harding was killed.I loved my trips to Hackney some great racing i think in a way the stadium was like Blackbird Rd another track i loved.Both had a few pylons there which looking back was dangerous they both were old outdated stadiums both great tracks though great nights at the Wick.

[waiheke1 4,295]

How many of those top riders say from 1971/78 the visiting no 1s got beat in the heat 13 the 3/5/1/4 race were beaten by a PC,Mort,Pusey,Sjosten partnership quite a lot i think.Also Lee was another one out of memory was not always great at Hyde Rd,a mixed bag really six points as a sixteen year old for Mildenhall mixing it and Three rostrum places in the BLRC and a few not memorable ones to.

Lee seemed to win his first race at hyde Rd then fade, but certainly wouldn't say he was poor. One of my favorite memories though is mort and a 17vyear old Andy Smith coming from the back to record a 5-1 over him, in 83 when Lee was flying.

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

Lee seemed to win his first race at hyde Rd then fade, but certainly wouldn't say he was poor. One of my favorite memories though is mort and a 17vyear old Andy Smith coming from the back to record a 5-1 over him, in 83 when Lee was flying.

Dont think he was poor there,but would have a guess and say his overall league average was barely 9.00..? there. In 83 in the BLRC after a 0 first time out when he got filled in, when he and Carter were looking for each other i think Petersen/Andersson sneaked through after that he was flying.

[BL65 658]

Dont think he was poor there,but would have a guess and say his overall league average was barely 9.00..? there. In 83 in the BLRC after a 0 first time out when he got filled in, when he and Carter were looking for each other i think Petersen/Andersson sneaked through after that he was flying.

July 1978, Lee scored a 12 point maximum for Stars at Hyde Road, setting the three fastest times of the meeting and beating Peter Collins, Les Collins and Chris Morton (twice).

Edited June 22, 2016 by BL65