martinmauger

Apologies is already posted but fans will be interested to learn Ivan Mauger is feautured in the current Motor Cycle News: 'MCN 4-IN-1 Christmas Special', 13 December 2023 .

Well done to Scunny Scorps, been a long time since they won a major trophy. Esp pleased for Scunny team manager Dave Peet, he didn't have the most fun during his one season at Hull in 2005 & has suffered some health issues of late, good for him that he's well on tne mend & still gets enjoyment from speedway. Also Poole track staff did amazingly well to get the meeting on.....

Congratulations to everyone at Ashfield ! I don't really favour any team but a very good friend of mine is heavily involved at Glasgow, he is well pleased, so I'm also happy for him....

They got carried away, poss 'red mist came down' a tad & both exchanged notes post race, but either way a good close competitive race, some very good racing last nite, enjoyed it....

Indeed, Hull Vikings' Poty Sanchez, still a super nice guy, believe he still lives locally....

Concensus in our wee group was "Poole blown it shouda never picked Scunny, who after drawing at Poole will likely win by 5-6 and so make final", but thought Poole deserved to win. As already said baffling Scunny TM deployed Ablitt (who scored 0 at that point) for Palm Tree in ht11 and not put PT off 15m: "you can do this at least beat Thompson, maybe chase down Lawson but try to take Kemp through also", maybe a 3-3 or 2-4, instead 1-5 to Poole. Maybe Palm Toft wasn't up for it, but he's a full race tryer who wouldn't have given given up, thought Thompson rode well all nite anyway, not like the rider who'd struggled at Scunny earlier in the season. Overall, not my teams so not overly-fussed on the result, but it's speedway, saw some good racing and so I still enjoyed it. Shame about Havvy's mum...

Thanks and you can see Emil is likely quicker than Doyle, think the words 'on a mission' apply here....

Naw that was Barry, Briggo Snr....

Yes indeed. Watched Emil's form in 2023 with great interest, possibly surprising he joined Ipswich, not necessarily every rider's favourite track, he mighta bin expected to sign for, say, Belle Vue, Sheffield, or Peterborough but he's ridden Foxhall from day one like he was born there. Devastating from all year, and away from home too, be interesting to compare his winning times with Doyle, another excellent rider & also King who has ridden Ipswich for years. Reported to be a nice guy off track too, would be an asset to the SGP series & just love his cool Imperial Stormtrooper-style crash helmet....

Tony Briggs stacked it big style at Coventry & broke his neck, think he went on to ride a bit of grass / longtrack but was never the same, 'invented' air fence, now has a role within SGP series. Think Kym Mauger made a bit of progress with Newcastle then Glasgow but suffered bad leg break, also returned & rode bit of longtrack in NZ then drifted away, now works in film industry. Super tough following a sucessful father with a famous surname, extra kudos to those who manage it....

Really (really) hope this meeting goes well for Robbo, a popular & whole-hearted trier in his too brief time of one season at Hull in 1997. Quick question: (apologies if posted I''m supposed toe be working) will the programmes be available before or after the meeting to buy via post, hope so....

Big shame, I recall Gordon riding for White City then Eastbourne at Hull 1977-81, and he didn't give Ole Olsen a fright in the 1978 World Final at Wembley. RIP Gordon....

Sad news. Dennis had a Hull connection riding for the Vikings in 1972 & 1973, though he didn't move up into the British League with Hull in 1974, had a few matches for Sunderland, retired from riding then went on to be the team manger at Halifax. RIP Dennis....

So close, obv bit disappointed but GB had the Poles worried. In their own back yard. That takes some doing....

This is true, also the 'enviromental mats' placed under each bike in the pits....

Agree with above, prob a bit rich given my user name . Personally don't have an issue with 'preparing' the starts, before the start of the actual meeting. The track is obv the same for all 4 riders, they are professionals so on the track walk should be able to decide "ok the starting area & track is slick / grippy / whatever, so I need to ride 'like this' & set up the bike 'like that' ". The more experienced rides advise the lesser experienced ones & team captain make sure everyone is happy, then keep an eye on track prep, how the track is riding, etc. So much of the 'set up' can be changed in the pits; ignition timing, carburation jetting, gear ratio, length of bike (adjust rear wheel within frame) & prob a few more I've forgotten, only the compression ratio cannot really be altered once at the track as a paritial engine strip is required. And surely all riders carry a little black book' with favourite set info. Not suggesting any rider is called Shirley . Like I said the track is the same for all 4 riders, I do have slight issue when gate postions can be indiviually prepped before each heat favouring home riders, though it could be argued it's also part of the kidology & fun. Speedway, eh?...

From what I've seen in the flesh and, speaking as I find, they arrived / left in big diesel & petrol cars & SUVs (Beemers, Mercs, Transits, etc), curiously parked out of sight....

Jumping in; friends recently saw Rod Stewart & The Who at Craven Park, Hull, yes last venue of Hull Vikings, and a tray of chips - just chips, mind - was around £9 ....

Hey GL, how goes it ? Never occured to me to meet up with the Monarchs fans & look up your good self, that said I guess I 'went over to the dark side' as I'm also pally with a Glasgow fan . Still it's all speedway ain't it & Pickering, Borke, Fredriksen & also Cook (after 1st ride) took the fight to the Scorps but - insufficient back-up. Still, some good racing though with some outside blasts, enjoyed it ....

Almost. He had then Exeter promoter Peter Oakes change the Falcons race nite from Monday to Friday, that sealed the deal . Not Barry Briggs, Anders Michanek, Ole Olsen, etc, etc could believe Ivan & Oakesy managed it, many still can't to this day . Good news for British Speedway tho if Tai does return....

If not on my own I woulda, these days don't give a **** (frig) & wud seriously ruin their day (don't underestimate those with nothing to lose: you never know). Sadly 'you always get the odd nutter;' whereva you go, but speedway is still a great, friendly sport.....

Similar happened to me at King's Lynn, but in the 1980's. Went on Hull Supporter's Club coach, was taking photos and moved away from the Hull fans to the other end of the stadium, standing at the very front of the terracing, some worse for wear 'supporters' came down from the top row and said "you are spoiling our view ! Move ! Now !", was on my own so I did. I may have worn my Hull scarf, shouldn't have made make any difference, not at speedway, don't think those characters were Stars fans at all, Lynn colours were yellow & green in those days and we've always found the Stars fans, & speedway fans in general, to be a friendly bunch. Been back to King's Lynn a few times, mid-2000's on, but never been a fan of the place since. Shame, like I said, 99.99% unknown behaviour at speedway, worn Hull cap, jacket with programme board many times, at many venues, never any issues....

Going slightly sideways, which is what we do here, what did the crowd look like ? I only ask as the Humber Bridge was closed due to an RTC til quite late, so travelling from Hull woulda meant a bit of a detour. While not exactly 'via John O' Groats & Lands End' still a bit of a trek, but seriously, we (self and up to 6 mates) mostly only have a travel window of an hour or so from arriving back from work til start time so last nite was 'no go' for us. Sigh, oh well....

Think it was a Bell Magnum Ivan & Ole used & meant to say "they come with a peak already attached, though it can be removed or easily snap off or detach without necessarily breaking in a spill". Recall Italian brand AGV made light-ish off-road full-face helmets, presumably used in Moto-X as, like the Bell Moto3, they were fitted with studs so as to attach a peak. Think it will be in SCB regs somewhere about full-face lids being compulsory. From personal experience, I can confirm a full-face helmet will help prevent facial injuries. Years ago I got swiped off my road bike by a car "I didn't see him, to be honest I wasn't looking. I never do as I know this road (!)", despite wearing an almost new Arai 'gold star' ACU / FIM road & race-approved full-face helmet I suffered a concussion & lost 4 teeth (!). Bell Helmets once ran an advertising campaign "if you have a 10 dollar head, get a 10 dollar helmet"....

Big Alan Grahame wore an open-faced helmet until at least 1996, think full-face helmets became compulsory in 1997 or so. Recall reading many riders weren't keen on the 1970's / 1980's full-face helmet due to impaired vision & also potential increase of a whiplash injury due to the extra weight as the full-face 'lids' of that time at least were intended for road use & car racing. The Bell Moto3 appeared in 1980 or so & was popular with many riders though Ivan Mauger & Ole Olsen wore open-faced helmets, Bell Magnum or Star I forget which, for pretty much their entire career as did Peter Collins until 1979 or so. The modern full-face helmet we see today I beleive were originally intended for Moto-X, they come with a peak already attached, though it can be removed or easily break off in a spill. But said peak is angled upwards at which affects riders vision at sunny meetings, I noticed some riders at the Scunny v Redcar match last friday wore tinted goggles, many don't.....