ImpartialOne

Do you lose points if your finalists don't make the final?

Holta Harris Ward Sayfutdinov __________ Holder 9 Lindback 4 Crump 14 Bjerre 7 __________ Finalists: Crump Gollob Hampel Ward

I was actually amazed that his second account of what happened was totally different to his original and almost mirrored that of what you had told him. Yet he was trying to remind you of what you had already stated!

I stand corrected on the EF in 1981, as I wasn't certain to be honest. However, in the World Championship rounds you quite rightly say he never won a round after the British Final stage, but everyone knows it was all about qualification. Winning was an added bonus but to infer that he couldn't do it once up against the Americans and Australasians is incorrect because in 1982 he finished 2nd in the Overseas Final to Dave Jessup, ahead of all the Americans and Australasians. In 1983, again he finished 2nd in the Overseas Final to Phil Collins, ahead of all the Americans and Australasians. In 1984 he was contesting all the rounds with a broken leg and was only interested in trying to get enough points to get through. in 1985 he was in a run-off for 1st place in the Overseas Final on 14 points with Shawn Moran, which he lost but with 14 points he could easily have won most rounds. When I refer to bad luck, remember he was riding in the 1982 World Final only weeks after leaving intensive care with a collapsed lung and wasn't 100% fit. I also believe he was unlucky in heat 14. It could have gone either way and Bruce was lucky to get another chance as he too was in third place during that race. With Penhall gone and PC unlikely to make a second gate, which he didn't, Carter may have been unbeaten going into his last race. We don't know, but again, luck wasn't on his side but it definitely was with BP. 1983, no excuses. He flopped. But in 1984 he was dogged with that broken leg which beat him in the end. In 1985, he crashed out of the Intercontinental Final on a soaking wet Vojens with a broken leg again. If that's not bad luck I don't know what is. A fully fit Carter would surely have made the 1984 and 1985 World Finals; the latter being on his home track. There was much more to come from him no doubt but alas we never got to see it.

Jessup had far too many silly breakdowns for a rider of his level.

His nationality was New Zealand despite being born in Australia.

I'm not sure any of us could endure another year of Nicholls frustration every fortnight, least of all the man himself.

He was unbeaten going into heat 14 in 1982. There's no question that what happened in that heat completely destroyed his morale but up until that point he was very dominant and looked very capable of winning it. In 1981 I seem to recall both he and Gundersen were leading when they broke down. If that is the case, there would have been a three man run off for the title between Penhall, Carter and Gundersen. Even in 83 he was in contention at the interval so hardly someone who never looked like winning it.

I think it's obvious why Carter never fulfilled his potential. As he said himself, "I broke down in 1981, I got knocked off in 1982, 1983 was a bad year..." And of course, he broke his leg in 1984 and 1985 and we all know about 1986. I don't think he can be accused of not stepping up to it in World Championships: 1981: 3,2,3,E,3 = 11 (5th) 1982: 3,3,3,X,1 = 10 (5th) 1983: 2,3,3,1,1 = 10 (5th) 1984: injured 1985: injured I just think he was desperately unlucky.

Andrew Silver used to do the same thing, and Freddie Lindgren has for a few years now, although why, I have no idea. I once sawed the top of mine off but only because it cracked in a crash and I didn't want to buy a new one.

Thanks Rob, I've never noticed them before. Don't you think the marshal pulling on Niemi's push bar was wrong though? Imagine if he's pulling on it as Niemi flies away, could end in serious injury. Was this allowed?

I've just been watching a video on you tube from 1980 and noticed there are 4 gate marshals as well as the start marshal. These marshals stand to the rear of each rider. I've never seen this before but what astonished me was, in heat 5, Kai Niemi on gate 4 rolled into the tapes twice and on both occasions the red marshal grabbed his push bar to try and hold him back! Was this allowed? If you skip to 07:00 on the video below you can clearly see this and to me it looks very dangerous as the 2nd time the marshal attempted to hold Niemi back, the tapes rose. Luckily Niemi didn't go because I'm sure the marshal would have been dragged which could have been serious. Thoughts?

I'm sorry but you have taken a perfectly reasonable quote and torn it to shreds for the sake if pedance. It doesn't matter how well known he is in America. It really doesn't. When has anyone in speedway cared about what the outside world think? All that matters is Greg has fully deserved his second world title and has done so at the incredible age of 41. He has made speedway history and I would like to bet it will be a hell of a long time before we see an older world champion. That is to include his nearest challenger to that honour, Tomasz Gollob. and of course, himself. All people are interested in is wishing Greg a happy year as the greatest speedway rider in the world right now. And as for your comments about the "grin", let me tell you that Greg is as genuine a person as you will find in speedway. The grin you see is the real Greg. That is him. He isn't playing to the cameras, he is like that in real life. And of course, having just conquered the world the grin will naturally be wider than normal. So let's not worry about the wording of Sam's appraisal and rejoice a true legend of our sport while we still can.

Blimey. Shame on Sam for not saying "He is loved by the few of his countrymen who know of him". Possibly the most pedantic statement I've seen on this forum. Fellow American is the same as fellow countrymen or countryman. It is not restricted to a collective nation. Just google fellow countrymen and you will see what I mean. Eg: Darcy Ward and Chris Holder are fellow countrymen. They are fellow Australians. Eg: in a SWC final Chris Harris may call on his fellow countrymen to step up to the plate. This would mean his four team mates, not the whole of Great Britain!

Havvy & Marcin Rempala?

He did indeed. I've seen him at Wolves go from last to first, totally overshoot the next corner, back to last and through to first again. Very entertaining but you have to wonder how someone of his calibre could make so many gaffs. This was around the time he became World Champion too.

Well first off, you found it strange that Ermolenko should say that he's loved by his fellow Americans. Of course he is. With speedway being a minority sport, who did you expect him to mean? He didn't say he's loved by the whole of America. You then said he will be one of the most unknown World Champions of their own country. Well, given the size and population of USA and how minor speedway is over there I'd say that's pretty damned obvious, but to put it into perspective, I don't think he is any less known in America than Sam Ermolenko or Bruce Penhall. I don't know what results you were expecting to find in US news reports about Greg, most people outside of California think speedway is car racing on half a mile of Tarmac. So the whole post seemed a bit out of context and it seems Arson Fire concurred.

See, now I've already got a psychological advantage as I know you're not confident. As the underdog i have everything to gain

I absolutely agree. Harris even had the audacity in his podium interview to say that he's proved he deserves a wild card for next year. No you haven't Chris. You've proved, as you said, you are the best Britain's got at the moment, which isn't much but if it was down to me I'd give you a wild card for Cardiff and probably Gorican if Pavlic Snr allowed it. A podium place in Gorzow might swing it but I can't see that happening with Darky taking one of them.

:blink:

How did you work that out? You're one point off. There are minus points too so anything can happen. Even I'm hopeful being 6 off! I just wish I'd done the first round At least we look safe for automatic qualification next year

I would say that, as the jacket contains the logos of all the participating teams but the Rocket is the main one, this would be the Rye House team's number 1, Andrew Silver. If you can find a similar jacket with the Crusader, Star or Pirate logo as the main logo (if this is the case) this would confirm it.

No you misunderstand. They won titles in between that. How many years BETWEEN titles? Edit: thanks Sotonian, that's what I was looking for

http://www.speedway-forum.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=66722&pid=2017866&st=30entry2017866 It's just three down from this one. Come on, surely your spreadsheet could've worked that one out?